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ENVS 131

Communications for Environmental Professions

Class: Mondays & Wednesdays 11:30am-12:50pm, Room AL113 Lecturer: Dr.James Nugent Office Hours: Mondays: 1pm-2pm, Wednesdays: 1-2pm, or by appointment Office: EV1 202 Email: james.nugent@uwaterloo.ca Teaching Assistants

Khairunnabila Prayitno kprayitno@uwaterloo.ca TUT102 (Fridays 8:30-9:20am, HH119) TUT105 (Fridays 9:30-10:20am, RCH208) Office hours: Thursdays 3-4pm, EV1-356

Emily Stanley ecstanley@uwaterloo.ca TUT104 (Thurs.7:30-8:20PM, RCH208) Office Hours: Thursdays 8:30-9:30am, EV1-356

Zhi Miao z2miao@uwaterloo.ca TUT101 (Fridays 11:30am-12:20, RCH208) TUT103 (Fridays 02:30-03:20pm, HH119) Office hours: Mondays 2-3pm, EV1-356

Nicholas Palaschuk npwpalas@uwaterloo.ca TUT107 (Tuesdays 2:30-3:20pm, HH119) TUT106 (Tuesdays 4:30-5:20pm, HH119) Office hours: Fridays 11:30-12:30, EV1-356

Course Description This course introduces strategies and tools that enhance the effectiveness and impact of communications for environmental professionals. We consider communications across a range of fields in which environmental professionals find themselves working: academia; journalism; business; government; advocacy and activism; and the creative arts. The course focuses on practical topics such as: clear and persuasive writing techniques; critical reading and writing; effective presentation methods in small or large group settings; digital presentation techniques; media relations; oral communication skills; and corporate communications strategies. We will also explore how communications always shape and are shaped by given political, historical and institutional contexts.

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Learning Objectives & Outcomes The goal of this course is to improve your skills and understanding of effective communication within different environmental fields, and to think critically about what communication is and does. Although we do cover communications within academia, the course is weighted towards non-academic communication and emphasizes written and oral communication. The learning objectives of this course are for students to:

1. Identify and appreciate different forms of communication in your academic and professional careers, civic life and inter-personal relationships;

2. Plan and structure a message according to its purpose, audience, most appropriate channel and context, while using appropriate style, tone and grammar;

3. Evaluate the trustworthiness of different sources of information; 4. Analyze communication as a mechanism of power (e.g., “greenwashing,”

“fake news,” the manufacturing of consent, inspirational speeches, etc.).

Learning Outcomes: More specifically, by the end of this course, you will be able to:

1. Properly write a professional email, letter, memo, press release, and briefing note; 2. Deliver a persuasive and well-supported argument through academic papers; oral debates or

presentations; op-eds; policy briefings; and advocacy materials. 3. Paraphrase the ideas of others into your own words and properly cite sources of

information; 4. Better revise and proofread your own writing and provide constructive feedback on the

work of others; 5. Tailor your resume and cover letter to job postings or grant applications; and 6. Feel more confident and capable of engaging in respectful and fruitful oral discussions and

debates about contentious environmental topics; 7. Employ humour, multimedia or other forms of creative expression to more effectively

communicate your ideas; 8. Distinguish between, and describe the limits of, academic freedom and free speech. 9. Compare and contrast marketing, advertising and public relations, and to identify examples

of “greenwashing.”

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Schedule of Lectures

Lecture Topic Tutorial Assignment Due Readings

Week 1

Jan. 7 Course Overview None Read Course Syllabus • Course Syllabus

Jan.9 Business Communication I Writing Fundamentals

• Chp.9 Business Communication for Success, p.259-273

• The Word on College Reading and Writing. o “Determining your Audience and Purpose” o “Grammar & Style”

Week 2

Jan.14

Communications for Employment Guest: Jayne Hayden

Cover letter & Resume Workshop

Draft cover letter & Resume Hard copy due start of tutorial Final draft due on LEARN: Jan.17

• “Apply/Interview”, UW Career Hub

Jan.16 Business Communication II

• Chp.7 Writing for Strategic Communications Industries

Week 3

Jan.21

Strategic Business Communication

Press releases

Press release draft (Jan.25) Bring hard copy x2 to class Jan.28

• Chp.3 & 9 Writing for Strategic Communications Industries

Jan.23 Workshop: Writing Strong Theses & Body Paragraphs Guest: Jirina Poch, Writing & Communication Centre

• Chp.3: Constructing the Thesis and Argument—From the Ground Up, Writing in College

Week 4

Jan.28

Social media

Social Media Oral Debate Topic/Group Selection

Press Release Peer Review (bring hard copy draft x2 to class Jan.28)

• Chp.9 Lean, Ethical Business Communication

Jan.30 Workshop: Cite and Integrate Sources Effectively Guest: Jirina Poch, Writing & Communication Centre

Press release Final (Feb.1)

• Articles posted on LEARN for workshop

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Week 5

Feb.4

Academic Communications I

Academic Sources

Select articles for Annotated Bibliography and bring abstracts to Tutorial

• Chp.1 Writing for Success • Web Literacy for Student

Fact-Checkers

Feb.6 Communication in Teams • Burke, 2011 • Chp.11: Group

Communication, Teamwork, and Leadership Communication for Business Professionals

Week 6

Feb.11 Oral Communication & Presentation Skills

1st Debate team meeting (in tutorial)

• Part 3: Presentations, Professional Communications OER

Feb.13 Annotated Bibliography

(Feb.24th)

Week 7

READING WEEK NO CLASSES None Have second meeting with debate team by Feb.24th Work on Kialo Chart & Business Letter

• “The art of debating”, Political Argument: A Guide to Research, Writing, and Debating

Week 8

Feb.25

Film: Advertising at the Edge of the Apocalypse

Discussion on Film

• Chp.2, 4, 5 & 6 Writing for Strategic Communications Industries

Feb.27 Journalism Guest: Sam Toman & Imprint

Kialo Chart (March 1)

Week 9

March 4

Business Letter Workshop (In-class)

Writing news articles

Business Letter Draft due 10am on LEARN (Mar.4) Bring hard copy to class March 4 for reverse outline & peer-review

• The Word on College Reading and Writing. “Reverse outlining”

March 6 The Power of Communications

(Third Debate Group Meeting for Topic A)

• “Communication, media and environment”, The International Communication Gazette

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Week 10

March 11

Advocacy & Activism Debates Topic A

• Chp.8: Advocacy Campaigns and Message Construction Environmental Communication and the Public Sphere

March 13

(Third Debate Group Meeting for Topic B)

• Example Op-Eds posted on LEARN

Week 11

March 18 March 20

Creative Communication Guest: Farrah Miranda

Debates Topic B

Final Business Letter (March 22) (Third Debate Group Meeting for Topic C)

• “The Arts and Humanities in Climate Change Engagement.”

• “Pollinating Resilience” • “The Art of Organizing”

Week 12

March 25

Government Communications

Debate Topic C

(Third Debate Group Meeting for Topic D)

“Classic Format of a Briefing Note”

March 27

Op-ed draft Submit on LEARN (10am) & bring 2x hard copy to class (Mar.27)

Chp.8 Writing for Strategic Communications Industries

Week 13

April 1 Proposal Writing Debate Topic D

Op-ed peer reviews (April 1) Submit to author & attach copy to your Final

• Chp.9.3, Business Communication for success p.273-278

• Chp. 12: Proposals and Formal Reports, Communicating for Results

April 3 Course Wrap-up

Final op-ed & Op-Eds You Peer-reviewed (April 10)

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Summary of Assessment This course has assignments due almost every single week. Each assignment is not worth very much on its own, but staying on top of your work is essential if you are to do well in this course and not fall behind. Please see the policy below on submission of late assignments.

Week Assignment Due Date

Due Time Value* (% of final grade)

1-13 *Quizzes/Reflections x 12 Any lecture During Lecture

5% (Top 10 x 0.5% each)

2 *Draft cover letter & resume *Bring hard copy to Week 3 tutorial

Start of tutorial

(Tutorial Participation Grade)

Draft cover letter & resume Submit final draft on LEARN by Jan.17

11:59pm 5

2-13 Tutorial Participation Throughout 10 (1% each) 3-13 Environmental/Sustainability

Comic Week 3 & 4 – TUT101 Week 5 & 6 – TUT102 Week 8 – TUT103 Week 9 & 10 – TUT104 Week 11 – TUT105 Week 12 – TUT106 Week 13 – TUT107

Two days before class during assigned weeks

+1 (bonus)

3 Press Release Draft Jan.25 (submit to LEARN) 11:59pm 5 4 *Press Release Draft Jan.28 (x2 copies to class) Start of class 0 4 Press Release Final Feb.1 11:59pm 10 5 *Article abstracts for Annot.Bib. Feb. 4 11:59pm 1 5 *Article abstracts for Annot.Bib. Bring to tutorial Start of

tutorial 0

6 Annotated Bibliography Feb.24 11:59pm 10 7 Second Meeting with debate

team By Feb.24 11:59pm 1

8 Kialo (Debate) Chart Mar.1 11:59pm 10 9 Business Letter Draft Mar.4 (submit to LEARN) 10:00am

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9 *Business Letter Draft Mar.4 (2x copies to class) Start of class 0 9-12 Third meeting with debate team Week before debate 1 10-13 Oral Debate Tutorial Weeks 10-13 Tutorial 10 10 Business Letter Final March 22 11:59pm 5 11 *Op-ed Draft March 27 10:00am 10 12 *Op-ed Draft March 27 (bring to class) Start of class 0 12 Op-ed Peer Reviews x2 April 1 (submit to author &

attach copy to your Final) 11:59am 2 (1% each)

13 Op-ed Final April 10 11:59pm 5

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Late Assignment Policy Given the high number of assignments for this course, it is crucial to stay on top of your deadlines both for your sake and for the TAs who are doing most of the marking. Having said that, I realize that sometimes events happen in our lives that mean we may have to submit an assignment late or miss a class/tutorial. For most assignments I am giving you a two-day grace period (e.g., an assignment due on Friday at 11:59pm has a grace period until Sunday at 11:59pm). This means that no questions will be asked why you submitted the assignment two days late, and no late penalties will be given. Beyond the grace period, a 20% late penalty per calendar day will be applied. The two day grace period does not apply to assignments due at the start of, or during, tutorial or class, bonus assignments, and the selection of annotated bibliography abstracts. These are marked above with an asterisk (*) and will not be accepted late (there is no “make-up” for these assignments/quizzes). You will also see that I am only calculating your top 10 tutorial grades and your top 10 comprehension quizzes. This is to account for unavoidable absences. Only use these absences if absolutely necessary, since further absences will require proper documentation (see “accommodations” below). Reading Schedule

Week Source Section to Read 1 Course Syllabus

Course Syllabus

[Unnamed Author]. 2015. Business Communication for Success

http://open.lib.umn.edu/businesscommunication/

Chapter 9: Business Writing in Action p.259-273 [Available on LEARN]

Burnell, C., Wood, J., Babin, M., Pesznecker, S., Rosevear, N. The Word on College Reading and Writing. https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/wrd/

“Determining your Audience and Purpose” “Revising” > Grammar & Style

Optional: [Unnamed Author]. 2015. Business Communication for Success

https://open.lib.umn.edu/businesscommunication/chapter/5-2-a-planning-checklist-for-business-messages/

5.2 A Planning Checklist for Business Messages [Available on LEARN]

Optional: Olds College. Professional Communication. http://www.procomoer.org/foundation-post/foundations-

etext-part-1/

Foundations, Part 1, pp.6-66

Optional: Luchuk, D. 2016. Successful business communication: Bridging the gap. Second Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Chapter 1: Starting Points for Business Communication, p.2-31 [Available on LEARN]

2 University of Waterloo Career Hub. 2016. https://careerhub.uwaterloo.ca/start.aspx

Read through entire “Apply/Interview” sections

Roberts, J. 2016. Writing for Strategic Communication Industries

Chapter 7: Public Relations Industry

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Week Source Section to Read https://osu.pb.unizin.org/stratcommwriting/

3 Roberts, J. 2016. Writing for Strategic Communication Industries

https://osu.pb.unizin.org/stratcommwriting/

Chapter 9: Public Relations Writing Chapter 3: Strategic Communications Ethics

Guptill, A. 2015. Writing in College. Open SUNY Textbooks, Milne Library (IITG PI): Genesco, NY.

https://opentextbc.ca/writingincollege/

Chp.3: Constructing the Thesis and Argument—From the Ground Up

4 Horkoff, T., McLean, S. 2015. Writing for Success. 1st Canadian Edition.

https://opentextbc.ca/writingforsuccess/chapter/introduction-to-academic-writing/

Chapter 1: Introduction to Academic Writing

Caulfield, M. 2017. Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers.http://solr.bccampus.ca:8001/bcc/file/ccbb4e77-b20f-4dec-8a9f-67ccc9bc774b/1/Web-Literacy-for-Student-Fact-Checkers.pdf

Entire document

Articles for workshop posted on Learn 5 Sundararajan, B. & Macdonald, L. 2017. Lean, Ethical

Business Communication

Chapter 9: Managing Individual and Corporate Identities on Social Media, Web 2.x, and Beyond, p.201-227 [Available on LEARN]

Burke, A. 2011. Group work: How to use groups effectively. The Journal of Effective Teaching. Retrieved from: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1092109.pdf

Entire document [Available on LEARN]

eCampusOntario. 2018. Communication for Business Professionals – Canadian Edition. Retrieved from: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/commbusprofcdn/chapter/introduction-9/

Chp.11: Group Communication, Teamwork, and Leadership

Optional: Johnson, D.W., Johnson, R.T., Smith K.A. 1998. Cooperative Learning Returns To College What Evidence Is There That It Works? Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning. 30:4, 26-35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00091389809602629

p.26-35 [Available on LEARN]

6 Olds College OER Development Team. 2015. Professional Communications OER. Olds, Alberta: Campus Alberta. Retrieved from

http://www.procomoer.org/presentation-post/etextbook-part-3-presentations/

eTextbook Part 3: Presentations

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Week Source Section to Read 7 Ménard, M. 2016. Political Argument: A Guide to Research,

Writing, and Debating. Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford. “The art of debating” p.130-151 [Available on LEARN]

8 Roberts, J. 2016. Writing for Strategic Communication Industries

https://osu.pb.unizin.org/stratcommwriting/

Chp.2: Media Writing Chp.4: News Value Chp.5: News Writing Basics Chp.6: Feature Writing

9 Hansen, Anders. Communication, media and environment: Towards reconnecting research on the production, content and social implications of environmental communication. The International Communication Gazette. 73(1-2) 7-25.

p.7-25 [Available on LEARN]

Optional: Herman, E. S. 1996. “The propaganda model revisited.” Monthly Review. 48:115-128.

P.115-128 [Available on LEARN]

Burnell, C., Wood, J., Babin, M., Pesznecker, S., Rosevear, N. The Word on College Reading and Writing. https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/wrd/chapter/reverse-outlining/

“Reverse Outlining”

10 Cox, R. 2013. Environmental Communication and the Public Sphere. Washington, DC: SAGE.

Chapter 8: Advocacy Campaigns and Message Construction p.209-244 [Available on LEARN]

Optional: Smith, H. 2015. What’s the best way to communicate about climate change? This expert offers some insights. Grist. http://grist.org/climate-energy/whats-the-best-way-to-communicate-about-climate-change-this-expert-offers-some-insights/

Entire article

11 Corbett, J., and Clark, B. 2017. The Arts and Humanities in Climate Change Engagement. Oxford Research

Encyclopedia of Climate Science. http://climatescience.oxfordre.com/view/10.1093/acr

efore/9780190228620.001.0001/acrefore-9780190228620-e-392

Entire article

McDonald, L. 2014. Pollinating Resilience. Alternatives Journal. 40(1). http://www.alternativesjournal.ca/people-and-profiles/pollinating-resilience

McDonald, L. 2014. The Art of Organizing. 40(1). http://www.alternativesjournal.ca/people-and-

profiles/art-organizing

Both articles

12 Parkinson, R. 2017. Classic Format of a Briefing Note. http://writingforresults.net/classic.pdf

p.1-33

Roberts, J. 2016. Writing for Strategic Communication Industries

https://osu.pb.unizin.org/stratcommwriting/

Chapter 8: Media Relations

13 [Unnamed Author]. 2015. Business Communication for Success

http://open.lib.umn.edu/businesscommunication/

Chp.9.3 p.273-278

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Week Source Section to Read Meyer, Carolyn. 2017. Communicating for Results: A

Canadian Student’s Guide. Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press.

Chapter 12: Proposals and Formal Reports p.439-487 [Available on LEARN]

Email Policy Please put « ENVS131 » into the subject line and use your UW email address whenever communicating with the Instructor or TAs. I usually try to respond to emails in one or two business days, but please allow more time during busy periods. Please do not expect a response over the weekend. Classroom Expectations Your attendance in class every week is expected. Please bring a pen and paper, and any draft assignments as noted above. Quizzes will be conducted using your phone/laptop and by paper for those who do not own a smartphone or laptop. LEARN & Email We will be using Waterloo LEARN for this course. We will also use either PEAR or PeerScholar for conducting peer review (I will email you instructions separately for how to use these systems). You are required to upload your assignments to these systems except in cases where draft assignments are due at the start of class or tutorial as noted above. Please make sure you regularly check LEARN for announcements, deadlines, and discussion boards throughout the semester. Please only communicate with the Lecturer and Teaching Assistants using your assigned University of Waterloo institutional email and check this email account regularly for announcements. Tutorials Weekly tutorial attendance is a requirement for this course. Please bring pen and paper to every tutorial. Failure to attend a tutorial will negatively impact your ability to complete the associated assignments, and will result in a grade of zero for any assignment you missed that were completed during that tutorial (e.g., peer review). There will be no “make-up” assignments if you miss a tutorial (accommodations may be negotiated only in extenuating circumstances—see below).

Please only attend the tutorial for which you registered. Switching tutorial times will not normally be allowed unless there is an acceptable rationale discussed in advance with the TA during their office hours. Required Texts & Readings

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It is expected that you do the readings each week. Although there are no tests or exams for this course, doing well on your assignments will require integrating insights from the readings that are not covered in lectures or tutorials. You do not need to buy a textbook for this course. I have tried to save you money and provide readings more targeted to our learning objectives by using open source, on-line textbooks and by posting individual chapters on LEARN in accordance with Canada’s fair dealing provision in the Copyright Act. Open-source (Free) On-line Textbooks

[No author]. Business Communication for Success. University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.24926/8668.0201 Burnell, C., Wood, J., Babin, M., Pesznecker, S., Rosevear, N. The Word on College Reading and Writing. https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/wrd/

Horkoff, T., McLean, S. 2015. Writing for Success. 1st Canadian Edition. https://opentextbc.ca/writingforsuccess/chapter/introduction-to-academic-writing/ Olds College. Professional Communication. Retrieved from: http://www.procomoer.org/foundation-post/foundations-etext-part-1/

Roberts, J. 2016. Writing for Strategic Communication Industries. Retrieved from: https://osu.pb.unizin.org/stratcommwriting/ eCampusOntario. 2018. Communication for Business Professionals – Canadian Edition. Retrieved from: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/commbusprofcdn (Derived from Business Communication for Success)

The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) is a great on-line resource for undergraduate students. It will help you understand different types of writing, as well as grammar, formatting and citation specifications. https://owl.english.purdue.edu/sitemap/ Students for whom English is a learned language, may find the Collins COBUILD Dictionary useful: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english. Other Resources You may want to borrow or buy the following textbook, which has been used in past versions of this course:

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Luchuk, D. 2016. Successful business communication: Bridging the gap. Second Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Northey, M., Knight, D.B. & Draper, D. 2012. Making sense in geography and environmental sciences: A student’s guide to research and writing. 5th Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Another useful reference book on business communication is:

Meyer, Carolyn. 2017. Communicating for Results: A Canadian Student’s Guide. Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press.

Writing and Communication Centre (WCC) The Writing and Communication Centre works with students in all faculties to help you consider your audience, clarify your ideas, develop your voice, and write in the style appropriate to your discipline. WCC staff offer one-on-one support for writing papers, delivering presentations, citing research, and revising for clarity and coherence. Group appointments for team-based projects, presentations, and papers are also available. You can pre-book appointments with WCC staff, or drop in at the Library for quick questions and feedback from WCC peer tutors. To book an appointment and to see drop-in hours, visit www.uwaterloo.ca/wcc. Please note that communication specialists guide you to see your work as readers would. They can teach you revising skills and strategies, but will not change or correct your work for you. Please bring hard copies of your assignment instructions and any notes or drafts to your appointment. In-Class Computer Use A growing body of literature suggests that trying to “multi-task” during lecture does not work. Using a computer or other electronic devices during lecture reduces comprehension which could, in turn, negatively affect your grades. Computers also act as a distraction to other students. See:

Dynarski, Susan. 2017. “For better learning in college lectures, lay down the laptop and pick up a pen.” https://www.brookings.edu/research/for-better-learning-in-college-lectures-lay-down-the-laptop-and-pick-up-a-pen/

Students using computers or other devices (e.g., cell phones) during class are required to have all sound turned off, and may be asked to locate in designated seating at the back of the classroom to avoid distracting other students. Accommodations Circumstances always arise which cause some people to legitimately miss deadlines. Please speak in person with your Teaching Assistant or me if you think your case qualifies consideration. If you become ill (or otherwise incapacitated) you must provide me with appropriate documentation.

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Contact me as soon as possible – and no later than one-week after the original due date. For medical exemptions, only the official University of Waterloo “Verification of Illness” form will be accepted (see: https://uwaterloo.ca/campus-wellness/sites/ca.campus-wellness/files/uploads/files/VIF-online.pdf). Be aware that submitting a note that has been altered or obtained under false pretences is considered a very serious offence by the University. Submitting documentation does not guarantee that you will be allowed to submit the assignment late. Please see the University’s full accommodation policy at: http://ugradcalendar.uwaterloo.ca/page/Acad-Regs-Accommodations The University acknowledges that, due to the pluralistic nature of the University community, some students may seek accommodations on religious grounds. Accordingly, students must consult with their instructor(s) within one week of the announcement of the due date for which accommodation is being sought. Failure to provide a timely request will decrease the likelihood of providing an accommodation. Elective arrangements (such as travel plans) are not considered acceptable grounds for granting an accommodation. Academic Integrity In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of Waterloo community are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility. The University’s guiding principles on academic integrity can be found here: http://uwaterloo.ca/academicintegrity. ENV students are strongly encouraged to review the material provided by the university’s Academic Integrity office specifically for students: http://uwaterloo.ca/academicintegrity/Students/index.html Students are also expected to know what constitutes academic integrity, to avoid committing academic offenses, and to take responsibility for their actions. Students who are unsure whether an action constitutes an offense, or who need help in learning how to avoid offenses (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course professor, academic advisor, or the Undergraduate Associate Dean. Students may also complete the following tutorial: https://uwaterloo.ca/library/get-assignment-and-research-help/academic-integrity/academic-integrity-tutorial Note: Cutting and pasting even a partial sentence without proper quotations and referencing IS considered plagiarism. When misconduct has been found to have occurred, disciplinary penalties will be imposed under Policy 71 – Student Discipline. For information on categories of offenses and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71 - Student Discipline: https://uwaterloo.ca/secretariat-general-counsel/policies-procedures-guidelines/policy-71. Students who believe that they have been wrongfully or unjustly penalized have the right to grieve; refer to Policy #70, Student Grievance: https://uwaterloo.ca/secretariat-general-counsel/policies-procedures-guidelines/policy-70

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Please note that I reserve the right to ask you to speak with me in person about any assignment you have submitted for marks. This may include a request to show me drafts or previously saved versions of your assignment and for you to walk me through the logic, arguments, and sources of your assignment. Turnitin.com Turnitin.com: Text matching software (Turnitin®) may be used to screen assignments in this course. Turnitin® is to verify that all materials and sources in assignments are documented. Students’ submissions are stored on a U.S. server, therefore students must be given an alternative (e.g., scaffolded assignment or annotated bibliography), if they are concerned about their privacy and/or security. Students will be given due notice, in the first week of the term and/or at the time assignment details are provided, about arrangements and alternatives for the use of Turnitin® in this course. It is the responsibility of the student to notify the instructor if they, in the first week of term or at the time assignment details are provided, wish to submit the alternate assignment. See: https://uwaterloo.ca/academic-integrity/guidelines-instructors for more information. English Language Proficiency Requirement If you are taking this course to fulfill the English language proficiency requirement for your degree, please note that you must achieve a grade of 65% or higher to meet this requirement. For more information, see: http://ugradcalendar.uwaterloo.ca/page/ENV-English-Language-Communication-Requirement Citation Format Properly referencing your sources helps you avoid plagiarism and builds the credibility of your argument by pointing to supporting evidence. In general, please use either APA (American Psychological Association) style or the Chicago style for referencing your sources, unless otherwise instructor. For more information on these styles, please consult: https://uwaterloo.ca/library/online-reference-shelf?cat_id=3 Group Work This course requires significant amounts of group work. The pedagogical goals of group work and strategies of resolving conflicts within groups will be discussed in more detail during lecture (week 5). Group work helps train you for collaborating in your civic life as well as working in teams in your future career. Group work demonstrates for us the importance of listening, negotiating and compromising in light of group members’ range of experiences, skills, personalities, attitudes, etc. Group work can potentially lead to a more creative process and robust output due to the diversity of strengths and unique insights that each team member brings to the job. Group work will therefore help you to: identify the strengths of your peers and to maximize these talents in the completion of an assignment; engage one another in peer education such that students with

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strengths can mentor and improve their colleagues’ capacities; and to resolve conflicts constructively amongst team members. For most group activities you will be assigned a group. If you are experiencing conflicts within your group then you should try to apply the strategies discussed in class (week 5) and/or speak with your Teaching Assistant. I am always available to meet with groups that are experiencing conflicts. The first step will always be for your group to describe what is happening, why you think it is happening, and how you think it the problems could be resolved. The key is to identify and resolve the problem as soon as possible. For your debate assignment you may be asked to complete a Group Assignment Disclosure form that will ask you to verify that your group’s submission has not plagiarized other work, and to identify the section(s) or aspect of the project to which you primarily contributed. Unclaimed Assignments Unclaimed coursework will only be held for one month following the last day of classes. Following one month any unclaimed coursework will be deleted or destroyed in compliance with UW’s confidential shredding procedures. Intellectual Property Students should be aware that this course contains the intellectual property of their instructor, TA, and/or the University of Waterloo. Intellectual property includes items such as:

• Lecture content, spoken and written (and any audio/video recording thereof); • Lecture handouts, presentations, and other materials prepared for the course (e.g.,

PowerPoint slides); • Questions or solution sets from various types of assessments (e.g., assignments, quizzes,

tests, final exams); and • Work protected by copyright (e.g., any work authored by the instructor or TA or used by the

instructor or TA with permission of the copyright owner). Course materials and the intellectual property contained therein, are used to enhance a student’s educational experience. However, sharing this intellectual property without the intellectual property owner’s permission is a violation of intellectual property rights. For this reason, it is necessary to ask the instructor, TA and/or the University of Waterloo for permission before uploading and sharing the intellectual property of others online (e.g., to an online repository). Permission from an instructor, TA or the University is also necessary before sharing the intellectual property of others from completed courses with students taking the same/similar courses in subsequent terms/years. In many cases, instructors might be happy to allow distribution of certain

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materials. However, doing so without expressed permission is considered a violation of intellectual property rights. Please alert the instructor if you become aware of intellectual property belonging to others (past or present) circulating, either through the student body or online. The intellectual property rights owner deserves to know (and may have already given their consent). AccessAbility AccessAbility Services located in Needles Hall, Room 1401, provides academic support for University of Waterloo students who have both permanent and temporary disabilities. AccessAbility Services collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with AccessAbility Services at the beginning of each academic term (https://uwaterloo.ca/accessability-services/about). Mental Health The University of Waterloo, the Faculty of Environment and our Departments/Schools consider students' well-being to be extremely important. We recognize that throughout the term students may face health challenges - physical and/or emotional. Please note that help is available. Mental health is a serious issue for everyone and can affect your ability to do your best work. Counselling Services http://www.uwaterloo.ca/counselling-services is an inclusive, non-judgmental, and confidential space for anyone to seek support. They offer confidential counselling for a variety of areas including anxiety, stress management, depression, grief, substance use, sexuality, relationship issues, and much more. Grievances A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. See Policy 70 - Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4, www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy70.htm. When in doubt please contact your Undergraduate Advisor for details. Appeals A decision made or penalty imposed under Policy 70 - Student Petitions and Grievances (other than a petition) or Policy 71 – (Student Discipline) may be appealed if there is a ground. A student who believes he/she has a ground for an appeal should refer to Policy 72 (Student Appeals) www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy72.htm Recording lectures

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Use of recording devices during lectures is only allowed with explicit permission of the instructor of the course. If allowed, video recordings may only include images of the instructor and not fellow classmates. Posting of videos or links to the video to any website, including but not limited to social media sites such as: facebook, twitter, etc., is strictly prohibited. Assignment Regrade Policy Do not email the instructor until you have read and completed the following. Your Teaching Assistants make every effort to give you a fair grade based on the quality of your work. The grading rubric is carefully laid out for each assignment. Please be sure to read the rubric before starting your assignment. If after receiving your grade you feel your mark does not reflect the quality of your work:

1. Within two weeks of receiving your grade, go an speak with the TA who marked your assignment during their office hours to discuss your paper. Given the number of students and assignments, it is not possible for TAs to give lengthy written feedback on each assignment. So it is important to speak with the TA in-person to understand how they arrived at their assessment. Regrade appeals for the Op-Ed assignment will be handled directly by the instructor (because the timelines are outside of the TA contracts). 2. After speaking with your TA, if you feel your grade still does not reflect the quality of your work, then please write a 1/2 page email to the TA with specific reference to: i) The TA's feedback (both in the rubric and in-person); ii) Assignment instructions. Please submit this to the TA no later than one week following your meeting with your TA. 3. The TA will then re-grade your assignment. **Please note that your mark can be raised, lowered, or remain the same through a re-grade** 4. If you believe your re-graded mark still does not reflect your effort/achievement, then you can appeal your assignment grade to the Lecturer. **Please note that your mark can be raised, lowered, or remain the same through a re-grade, in addition or subtraction to what the TA has given you.** Please submit your paper for consideration by the Lecturer no later than one week following your receipt of the decision by the TA. 5. If you still feel that your rights have been grieved, then you can request a formal reassessment procedure under Policy 70 - Student Petitions and Grievances. Pay close attention to the timeline and deadlines and your responsibilities for communication with the instructor (referred to as the “Individual” in this case) as listed under Appendix B.

Co-op interviews and class attendance Co-op students are encouraged to try and choose interview time slots that result in the least amount of disruption to class schedules. When this is challenging, or not possible, a student may miss a portion of a class meeting for an interview. Instructors are asked for leniency in these situations; but, a co-op interview does not relieve the student of any requirements associated with that class meeting.

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When a co-op interview conflicts with an in-class evaluation mechanism (e.g., test, quiz, presentation, critique), class attendance takes precedence and the onus is on the student to reschedule the interview. CECA provides an interview conflict procedure to manage these situations. Students will be required to provide copies of their interview schedules (they may be printed from WaterlooWorks) should there be a need to verify class absence due to co-op interviews. Prerequisites None. Note: PLAN 102 is an antirequisite.

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Last Updated: January 8, 2019