LWS/SOIL 517 - Land and Water Resources Evaluation 

Instructors: 

Winter Term 1 

Credits: 3 

Class: Mon Wed Fri 9:00 – 10:00 

Room: MCML 258  

Description 

This course focuses on a “systems” approach to assessing and evaluating land and water resources. It provides guidance in critical reading, methods and approaches to assessing and interpreting information based on different values and governance systems. The aim is to provide students the opportunity to develop processes and experiences by which they can facilitate their academic disciplinary experience into a more holistic framework. The outcome will be to aid student learning on how to integrate academic information from across disciplines and focus that integration into credible arguments for effective oral and written communication. 

Prerequisites and/or Co-requisites 

Must be a graduate student enrolled in the MLWS or Soil Science programs. Other graduate or upper level undergraduate students, from similar programs at UBC, may take the course with permission from the instructors and, if deemed beneficial, an interview. 

Course Structure 

LWS/SOIL 517 is a lecture and discussion format offering, with lectures by course instructor or invited speaker to address a major theme, followed by a student-led discussion session. 

There will be assigned readings posted in Canvas (www.canvas.ubc.ca) each week prior to the lectures (see course schedule below). The lectures will highlight a particular land and water issue or theme. 

Learning Objectives 

By the end of this course, learners will be able to: 

• discuss different approaches to “systems” thinking in the land and water context, describe the land-water-energy nexus and its implications for natural resource management, 

• ask the right questions to address science versus management challenges in land and water systems, 

• evaluate a range of different information resources (ranging from biophysical to socioeconomic) through critical reading, 

• understand the role of various levels of government regulations and how they interrelate in land and water management decision-making, and 

• integrate academic information from across disciplines and focus it into a holistic framework to facilitate the development and delivery of credible arguments for assessing and evaluating land and water systems. 

Course Expectations 

Students are expected to attend all class sessions, complete their assignments on time and prepare and actively participate in class discussions. This will help to ensure your success in this course. 

COVID-19 in the Classroom 

It is important that all of us feel as comfortable as possible engaging in-class activities while sharing an indoor space. Non-medical masks that cover our noses and mouths are a primary tool to make it harder for COVID-19 to find a new host. Please wear a non-medical mask during our class meetings, for your protection, and the safety and comfort of everyone else in the class. Please refrain from eating in class. If you need to drink water/coffee/tea/etc., please keep your mask on between sips. There may be students who have medical accommodations for not wearing a mask. Please maintain a respectful environment. UBC Respectful Environment Statement [https://hr.ubc.ca/working-ubc/respectful-environment]  

While we will not have a rigid seating plan, you are encouraged to sit in the same area each time you come to the classroom. MCML 258 has a larger seating capacity than the number of students registered for the LWS/SOIL 517 course, allowing you to have extra space between you and your classmates. To increase ventilation in the room, we may open windows and doors, so please dress appropriately (i.e., wear a sweater on cold days).  

 What if I cannot attend the in-class Seminar? 

Various circumstances may lead to a student being unable to attend classes for a temporary period of time. For example: 

• They may not be able to get to Vancouver in time for the start of the course; 
• They may be isolating after arrival / feeling unwell at some point in the course; 
• They may have different travel restrictions or regional health orders. 

Please do not worry if you find you cannot attend class in-person. All course materials will be available to students via Canvas. Presentation slides and/or recordings will be posted within the Canvas course. 

IMPORTANT: If you are feeling unwell, please DO NOT come to class. This is to protect the health and safety of all students, staff and faculty at UBC. Please email the instructor before the class to inform us if you are unable to attend. 

You can download UBC Safe Vancouver App to conduct a daily health assessment before using public and shared spaces on campus. For more information, and to download the app, visit the UBC Safety & Risk Services website [https://srs.ubc.ca/health-safety/ubc-safe-vancouver-app]  

Student-Led Discussions 

Discussion topics will be shared with the class, with associated questions. Student discussion groups of 4-6 students will be assigned in class and will change every session. 

Each student will prepare a paragraph (~250-words) on their conclusions of the group and a summary of the class discussions. These will be submitted via Canvas by the deadline (check deadlines on Canvas). 

 This will provide the experience of identifying and assessing critical concerns central to the understanding of, and effective communication regarding, the land and water system sector. 

Evaluation Criteria and Grading 

The academic enterprise is founded on honesty, civility, and integrity. As members of this enterprise, all students are expected to know, understand, and follow the codes of conduct regarding academic integrity. At the most basic level, this means submitting only original work done by you and acknowledging all sources of information or ideas and attributing them to others as required. This also means you should not cheat, copy, or mislead others about what is your work. 

Violations of academic integrity (i.e., misconduct) lead to the breakdown of the academic enterprise, and therefore serious consequences arise and harsh sanctions are imposed. For example, incidences of plagiarism or cheating may result in a mark of zero on the assignment or exam and more serious consequences may apply if the matter is referred to the President’s Advisory Committee on Student Discipline. Careful records are kept in order to monitor and prevent recurrences.

Course Schedule  (check modules)

• May be subject to change without notice

Required Readings (Check modules)

• May be subject to change without notice