Course Requirements and Grading Policy

1. Class attendance and participation (25%)

Attendance is expected at every class, and will be recorded. Everyone gets one "free pass" for the inevitable unforeseen emergency (please let me know ahead of time if you can), but additional absences will lower your grade. Everyone brings something to offer to the class, whether it's personal experience, insight into the readings, or a unique perspective. I will reward active, informed participation in class discussions.

Each class period I will ask for students to lead discussion of readings for the subsequent period. Appropriate encouragement for reticent volunteers will be provided. Discussion leaders will prepare a brief summary statement and discussion questions, and lead vigorous class discussion on the topic.

2. Reading and reflection (25%)

This is a reading-intensive course. We will all get more out of the class if we've all read the assigned material prior to class. Readings will be available in the Self Learning Center, 2nd floor, Peavy Hall, for you to check out. Students' grasp of the readings will be assessed in weekly reaction notes.

Weekly Reflections

A 250 word (maximum, typed) critique, analysis, or reflection relevant to topics discussed in class is due each week. You may present evidence against or in support of an author's argument, or critique a methodology used. You may compare and contrast views presented in class with views from elsewhere. I encourage you to share relevant information from newspapers, magazines, television, the net, or any other sources. Your writing should present your original, critical analysis, however, and not merely describe a point of view - yours or someone else's. I will reward originality, insight, critical thinking, and relevance to assigned readings. I expect writing that is clear, succinct, logically organized, and free of grammatical or spelling errors. I will share with the class those reflections which I find most compelling.

Typed reflections are due at the beginning of class each Thursday in September, October, and November, except Thanksgiving. Reaction notes submitted late will be penalized one grade.

3. Case study paper and presentation (50%)

Each student will develop a detailed case study of a private forest ownership, organization, or issue. In a case study, a researcher gathers, from multiple sources and methods, as much data as possible pertaining to an individual, a group, a locale, or a phenomena of interest. The objective is not to generalize widely about all such phenomena, but rather to understand in great depth the particulars of the case under examination. Cases will be developed from original field research, and strengthened with analysis of secondary data and literature. Case studies are more than just description; they should include critical analysis of how the private forest enterprise, organization, or issue examined relates to one or more of the topics we've discussed in class. Case studies will include case description and analysis (15-25 pages) supported by interview transcriptions, maps, and other relevant data. I will assist students in selecting appropriate case study topics and interviewees. Arrangements for site visits and interviews will be the student’s responsibility. Students may, with my consent, work together in teams of two.

Case studies will be evaluated based on completeness of documentation, creativity, insight, relevance to course themes, analytical rigor, and writing quality. Presentations will be evaluated based on content, professionalism, creativity, and effectiveness. I encourage students to directly involve in their presentations the forest owners and others who have contributed to their case study. I encourage the use of audio, visual, video, and other enhancements to their presentations.

Case study grading will be as follows:

1) Proposal (5%, due Oct. 22): A brief (250 word) description of your proposed case study. Who? What? When? Where? Why?

2) Outline (5%, due Oct. 29): Should include names of interviewees, topics covered, key questions, sources of information, tie to themes in literature

3) Class presentation (20%)

4) Written report (20%, draft due Nov. 26, final due Dec. 6 by 5pm). No late reports will be accepted. An Incomplete will be granted only for documented exceptional hardship and with appropriate notification.