Time and Place: 3:30 - 6:00pm EST Monday at Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital
Instructor: Roger G. Olson
Office: Science 018    Office phone: (219) 866-6295    Home phone: (219) 766-0026
Office E-mail: rogero@saintjoe.edu     Home E-mail: risnerolson1@msn.com
Office Hours (at Saint Joe’s): 9:00 - 10:30am M,  2:00 - 4:00pm TR, 3:00 - 5:00pm W, or by appointment
        (at St. E’s): Talk with me before or after class...

TEXT

Enger/Smith, Environmental Science, 7th/ed., McGraw-Hill, 2000

Website for text: http://www.mhhe.com/biosci/pae/environmentalscience/enger7e/

Olson’s Website at Saint Joe's: http://www.saintjoe.edu/academics/env_science/rogero/olson.html

COURSE OBJECTIVES AND DESCRIPTION

This course is intended to give you a thorough overview of environmental issues, both scientific and social. After you complete this course successfully, you should be "environmentally literate" and be able to give an informed statement about any environmental topic.

Even though it is cross-listed as a geology course, environmental science is truly interdisciplinary and includes aspects of biology, chemistry, geology, economics, politics, and ethics. You can’t give a cogent argument about an environmental issue without having an idea of the science involved - in my opinion this is one of the main problems with political rhetoric.

This section of the course is intended specifically for nursing students. We will emphasize the public health issues as they relate to risk assessment, solid and hazardous waste disposal and regulation, water and air (including indoor) pollution, and population control and child health. Your oral presentations to the class will be an integral part of the learning process.

EVALUATION AND GRADING

Your course grade will be based on the following criteria: Two examinations, an oral presentation on a topic germane to the environment (or environmental health), and a comprehensive final exam. These criteria will be weighted in the following manner:
 

Hour Examinations:	50%
Oral Presentation:	25%
Comprehensive Final:	25%
Attendance:	Affects borderline grades (up to +/- 2%)

NOTES ON GRADING CRITERIA

• Examinations will contain material from both reading assignments and lectures.
• Oral presentations will be given during the last fifty minutes of every class period starting the third week. You must collect at least two outside references and submit these together with a 1-2 page outline to me when you do your presentation. This outline should be word-processed and will count towards your presentation grade. You should let me know your topic at least one week before you give it!
• The comprehensive final exam also covers both reading assignments and lectures and will be given at the end of the last class period Monday December 10, 2001
• The exams will include questions from your colleagues’ oral presentations.

You are expected to attend class as per college catalog guidelines. However, attendance in this course is especially important since participation is essential to benefit fully. I will take attendance at every class session. Poor attendance will negatively affect your grade in borderline cases (up to a 2% deduction in the final grade).
 

SCALE FOR FINAL GRADE

Letter Grade	Overall Percent
A	93 - 100
A-	90 - 92
B+	87 - 89
B	83 - 86
B-	80 - 82
C+	77 - 79
C	73 - 76
C-	70 - 72
D+	67 - 69
D	60 - 66

 

COURSE OUTLINE AND READING ASSIGNMENT LIST
 

I. August 20 & 27 Introduction (Chapters 1, 2, & 20) ·   Interrelationship of natural science, politics, & ethics ·   Environmental policy and decision making ·   Contrasting views on environmental issues

II. September 10 & 24 Scientific principles and concepts (Chapters 4 - 6) ·   Matter and energy  ·   Ecosystems: components and responses

III. September 24, October 1 & 8 Populations, human and otherwise (Chapters 7 & 8 ) ·   Dynamics of population growth and distribution ·   Human population issues

EXAM 1 (M October 1???)

IV. October 8 & 15  Energy resources and solutions (Chapters 9 - 11) ·   Nuclear power: pros & cons

V. October 22 & 29, November 5 Human impact on the environment I (Chapters 3, 12, 13, 19)  ·   Deforestation ·   Land-use planning, urban environmental problems ·   Hazards, Risk, & Toxicology

EXAM 2 (M November 12???)

VI. November 12 & 26, December 3

Human impact on the environment II (Chapters 16 & 17)

·   Water use & pollution

·   Air pollution

·   Global climate change & Ozone Depletion

COMPREHENSIVE FINAL EXAM Monday December 10