In this course students will learn about ways to decide for themselves, when it comes to their choices as consumers, what is the right thing to do regarding the environment. In pursuing this overall goal the course will:

1. present several specific environmental problems, show how the typical American way of life contributes to them, and consider the methodology for determining the environmental impacts of consumption;
2. explore the difference between consumption as a matter of individual behavior, and as the result of policies instituted by governments, businesses, and other large organizations; and
3. examine the cultural dimension of consumption, and to evaluate critiques of the “consumerist lifestyle,” including critiques that it is environmentally damaging.

Throughout the term, you will engage in learning activities designed to show how different academic disciplines frame and answer questions, and you will work on developing an outlook on consumption that integrates these diverse approaches. We hope you will come to see how a better understanding of environmental issues can be obtained by combining contributions from different academic disciplines.

This course serves as the introduction to the Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Environment (IPE) minor.  For further information on the minor please consult the IPE web site, or ask Prof. Dalton.  It also satisfies the Gen.Ed. Social Science (Core Area III) requirement.

The Schedule page on this web site shows the dates for each unit, the faculty member who will lead it, and the due dates for course work.  The Schedule will also contain links to reading assignments.

The main text for this course is The Consumer's Guide to Effective Environmental Choices, Michael Brower and Warren Leon (New York: Three Rivers Press, 1999) (ISBN 0-609-80281-X), which is available at the University Bookstore. Some additional readings will be assigned over the semester. Some will be web sites, which you will be able to access directly from the Readings page.  Other readings will be available over OU's Electronic Reserve system, (listed under IPE 1013/1, Dr. Trachtenberg).  Paper copies of these readings will also be available at the Bizzell Library Reserve Desk.

In addition, we recommend that you subscribe to the Environmental News Network (ENN) Daily News e-mail newsletter. This service is free, and will send you a message each day with headlines from several news stories about environmental issues. You can click to see the full story in your web browser. To subscribe, go to http://www.enn.com/memberservices/memberregistration.asp and provide your e-mail address. As described in the Course Work section you can receive extra credit by submitting summaries of stories from ENN.

1. At the end of most classes you will have 10 minutes to write a brief response to the lecture. You will submit your response for credit on a pass/fail basis. Responses will be taken at 22 classes; your grade will based on the number you submit out of 20. Your responses grade will count for 10% of your final grade. (Each response is therefore worth .5%.)
2. You will take 5 multiple choice quizzes (10 questions each) on the textbook--on Chapters 1-2, 3, 4-5, 7, and the Epilogue (see the Schedule for dates). Note that these will be given BEFORE we discuss the readings in class. You will take each quiz first on your own, and then as part of a group; your grade will be the sum of your own and the group's score (you must take the quiz to receive your group's points). Each quiz will be worth 5% of your final grade; together they count for 25%. You will be assigned to a group on Sept. 2; you will work with your group throughout the semester on the quizzes and on other activities during class. At each class you should sit where your group has been placed.
3. On Oct. 9 you will take a midterm, in which you will discuss an environmental impact of some aspect of your own lifestyle. You will receive instructions for the midterm on Sept. 16, and you will be permitted to use a page of your own notes during the exam. The midterm will be worth 20% of your final grade.
4. On Nov. 20 you will submit a position paper (2-3 pp.) in which you will argue for or against a hypothetical proposed governmental regulation that affects consumption. On Nov. 18 you will bring a first draft of your paper to class; during class you will exhange drafts with another student to review each other's work. You will then have until the 20th to revise your paper. Your position paper will be worth 20% of your final grade.
5. The final exam will ask you to discuss the idea of the right thing to do regarding the environment when it comes to a particular aspect of your own consumption. The final will be comprehensive, in the sense that it will ask you to draw on all the topics covered during the semester in your answer. The specific content of the final will be distributed and discussed at the last class, Dec. 11, which will serve as a review session.  The final will be given Tues., Dec. 16, at 8:00 AM; you will be permitted to use a page of your own notes during the exam.  The final exam will be worth 25% of your final grade.
6. You may earn up to 3 points of extra credit in either (or both) of two ways:
   • During the semester we will announce talks or other events relevant to the course. You may submit a brief (350 word/1-2 pp.) report on any of these events. In your report you should summarize what the speaker said, and offer your opinon of the presentation. Your report will be graded on a pass/fail basis; each passing report is worth 1 point of extra credit.Your report is due at the first class after the event.
   • You may submit short summaries of stories taken from the ENN Daily News (see the Course Readings section above). Each summary must be 75 words, and should cover the main points of the article. You must submit a copy of the original article with your summary. Your summaries will be graded pass/fail. You will receive 1 point of extra credit for each set of 5 passing summaries. You may turn in summaries anytime during the semester--but you must turn them in in groups of 5.
   You may submit any combination of reports on events and sets of 5 summaries of news stories, but you can receive no more than 3 points of extra credit in total.

More detailed descriptions of the various assignments will be posted on the Assignments page on this web site during the term.

As mentioned above, the course web site contains pages with the course Schedule, Readings, and detailed Assignments.  These pages will tell you what is required for the course day-by-day.  The site also contains a Grades page on which you can keep track of the scores for the work you have submitted, and see an APPROXIMATE cumulative grade; grades will be listed by a secret ID code you will give to the instructors.

Faculty advisor.  After the ADD/DROP period you will be assigned a faculty advisor; each of the faculty for this class will be given responsibility for one third of the class.  Your faculty advisor will grade your work, aided by the TA, who will review your lecture responses.  You should discuss any questions or concerns you have about the course, and with your own progress in it, with your faculty advisor.

Grading.  As noted, your work will be graded by your faculty advisor; the three faculty will coordinate their grading to ensure consistent standards across the class.  The midterm, position paper and final will be graded on the basis of 100 points each.  The reading responses will be graded pass/fail; your overall responses grade will be the percentage of passing responses out of 20. Your grade for each reading quiz will be the sum of your individual and your group's scores; your overall grade will be the sum of your scores for all five quizzes (there will be 20 possible points per quiz, hence 100 points total for the quizzes overall). At the end of the semester we will average together your scores on all the assignments according to the weights listed in the Course Work section above, and then we will add any extra credit points you have earned.  Your point score will be converted to a letter grade according to the following scale: 90 and above = A; 80 to 90 = B; 70 to 80 = C; 60 to 70 = D; below 60 = F.  If you are close to a border line, your faculty advisor may raise your grade in light of his or her assessment of your attendance (see Attendance below).

You can keep track of your scores and your APPROXIMATE cumulative grade during the term on the Grades page on this web site (listed by secret ID code), which will be updated periodically during the term.  It will be your responsibility to bring any errors in the record of your grades to your faculty advisor's attention.

Late Work.  Late work will be accepted at the discretion of your faculty advisor, on the basis of a substantial and demonstrable hardship (e.g. a verified medical, family, or job-related emergency), or religious observance (see below). Your faculty advisor may impose a grade penalty on late work. To avoid a grade penalty you should arrange with your faculty advisor IN ADVANCE to submit assignments late. However, no late submissions or make-ups of lecture responses or of reading quizzes will be permitted.

Attendance.  Full and punctual attendance is expected, and students will be unable to do well without attending class and arriving on time.  Attendance here includes paying attention.  Your mere physical presence is not enough--we expect you to take part in the activities of the class.

Religious observances.  It is the policy of the University to excuse the absences of students that result from religious observances and to provide without penalty for the rescheduling of examinations and additional required classwork that may fall on religious holidays.  If you are unable to complete assigned work by a scheduled due date due to your religious observance, please contact your faculty advisor to arrange for an alternative due date.

Cell phones.  Please turn off cell phones before you come to class.  If you must be available for a call, set your phone to signal you silently, and take the call in the hallway.

Academic Misconduct.  We will rigorously follow the University's policies on academic misconduct.  In written work you must cite all the sources you consult.  However, respect for academic conduct is consistent with fully participating in groups.  Honesty simply demands that you acknowledge help you receive from other members of your group--in or out of class--on your own written work.  In fact we urge you to discuss the issues of the course outside of class--but you must do your written work on your own, and must cite any assistance you receive from others.  Please ask us if you have any questions about academic conduct in general, or about specific situations that might arise during this course.

Reasonable Accommodation.  If you have a disability that may prevent you from fully demonstrating your abilities in this course you should contact your faculty advisor personally as soon as possible so we can discuss accommodations necessary to ensure your full participation and facilitate your educational opportunities. Students with disabilities must be registered with the Office of Disability Services prior to receiving accommodations in this course. The Office of Disability Services is located in Goddard Health Center, Suite 166, phone 405/325-3852 or TDD only 405/325-4173.