AcknowledgementUBC’s Point Grey Campus is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) people. The land it is situated on has always been a place of learning for the Coast Salish peoples, who for millennia have passed on in their culture, history, and traditions from one generation to the next on this site. |
I am a Lecturer at UBC and has been teaching in the professional Master of Land and Water Systems program since its inception in 2013. I have conducted research in watersheds across Canada, trying to better understand the ever-complex (and sometimes elusive) dynamics of cumulative effects assessment. I have a keen interest in different perspectives and approaches of land and water management to address environmental problems; I believe that we must all take the time to listen, ask questions, and learn from alternative points of view. I also believe that if we are to truly manage our water resources more sustainably, we have to take a closer look at what’s happening on the land and better understand those interactions. Through communication and meaningful collaborations, we can strengthen connections between the people who interact with these systems and find a management process that works.
I was born and raised in the Greater Vancouver area, where I live with my husband and two kids.
Each class will consist of a lecture, class discussion/activity, small group work period or tutorial. See the schedule below for more details. This course uses the Canvas Learning Management System (canvas.ubc.ca) to support in-class activities. You will find lecture slides, readings, and assignment instructions here. You will also be expected to participate in online discussions and submit assignments via Canvas.
Guest speakers will be incorporated to complement the depth and appropriate breadth of the subject matter and current developments in communication strategies. There will be some hands-on tutorial sessions to facilitate learning of digital media tools, thus you will need a computer.
(May be subject to change)
|
Week |
Theme |
|
1 |
Introduction and Communicating Science |
|
2 |
Professional Roles and Credibility |
|
3 |
Interpreting Communications – Objectivity, Values, Culture |
|
4 |
Critical Reading and Review of Professional Communications |
|
5 |
Ethics in Communication – Telling a story vs stating the facts |
|
4-6 |
Communicating an Argument and Strategies for Effective Writing |
|
6-8 |
Steps to Developing a Communication Strategy |
|
9-10 |
Communicating with Visuals and Digital Media |
|
7-13 |
Team Project – Communication Plan and Multimedia project on a Land and Water Issue |
*What if I cannot attend a class?*
Please do not worry if you find you must miss a class. All course materials will be available to students via Canvas. Students will be notified of any important information and/or preparation activities expected of them. All assignments are posted and submitted via Canvas.
Make a connection early in the term with another student or group of students in the class. You can help each other by sharing notes. You can also email me if you have a question.
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. Be professional, and notify me before the scheduled class if you are unable to attend (julie.wilson@ubc.ca).
Practice their skills, through the application of critical thinking and assessment, to prepare and deliver professional communications of complex information in a collaborative team environment effectively and credibly, supported by digital technologies compatible with audience preferences.
More specifically, students should be able to:
The Professional Communication Strategies course has the following assessment components:
There are no course prerequisites. This is a required course for students in the professional Master of Land and Water Systems Program. This course is also open to graduate students in other relevant academic programs related to natural resource management. This course may be taken by upper-level undergraduate students with permission from the instructor.
UBC provides resources to support student learning and to maintain healthy lifestyles but recognizes that sometimes crises arise and so there are additional resources to access including those for survivors of sexual violence. UBC values respect for the person and ideas of all members of the academic community. Harassment and discrimination are not tolerated nor is suppression of academic freedom. UBC provides appropriate accommodation for students with disabilities and for religious, spiritual and cultural observances. UBC values academic honesty and students are expected to acknowledge the ideas generated by others and to uphold the highest academic standards in all of their actions.
Details of the policies and how to access support are available on the UBC Senate website.
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 final exam and more serious consequences may apply if the matter is referred to the President’s Advisory Committee on Student Discipline. More information about what constitutes plagiarism can be found here in this helpful infographic.