Natural Resources Professional Orientation WILD 2000 Fall Semester Credit Vernal Center (USU) Mondays 6:00 8:00pm

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1 Natural Resources Professional Orientation WILD 2000 Fall Semester Credit Vernal Center (USU) Mondays 6:00 8:00pm Instructor Dr. Mark Chynoweth mark.chynoweth@usu.edu Phone / (Text cell # for emergencies.) Office Location Vernal Room B221P Office Hours Tuesday, Thursday, 4:00 5:30pm. If these office hours do not fit your schedule, please contact me by or phone to make alternative arrangements. You are also welcome to stop by anytime! Text Book (Required): A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold COURSE OVERVIEW The primary purpose of this course is to prepare you to make informed decisions about your major and career. While we will address many issues that relate to natural resources, THIS IS NOT A CONTENT COURSE. Rather it is an orientation / advising course. Specifically, the course will: (1) involve you in the Quinney College of Natural Resources (QCNR) and Department of Wildland Resources (WILD); (2) introduce you to the disciplines/majors of the QCNR; (3) get you enthused about and committed to your major and profession; (4) introduce you to some local, regional, national, and global natural resource science/management issues; (5) introduce you to some practicing professionals and their jobs; and (6) assist you in networking with fellow students, QCNR faculty, and staff. EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES 1. Develop prioritization and time management skills to accumulate points necessary to obtain the grade you want in this class. 2. Gain an understanding of the requirements for your major, the importance of prerequisites and course sequences, and the importance of YOU staying on top of your progress. 3. Understand and appreciate your College and Department as the foundations of your USU home. 4. Meet, associate with, and learn from upper division students through participation in professional, extracurricular activities. 5. Develop an understanding of careers and work done by graduates of WILD and develop an understanding of how your interests relate to issues dealt with by the Wildland Resources Department. 6. Become familiar with the relationships between some of the global issues faced by humankind and management of forest, range, and wildlife resources. 7. Create and maintain friendships that will make your college experience and career more enjoyable and productive. COURSE GRADES There are 1000 possible points for this course. To meet the outcomes for this class, students are expected to take part in many different PROFESSIONAL activities. Some will be organized as part of the class, and others will be organized outside of the class. When known, seminars, field, and TWS Student Chapter activities will be announced by the instructor. However, students are encouraged to bring information about these activities and announce them in class. 1. Meet with WILD 2000 class instructor (100 points) 2. Meet with faculty advisor/report on USU academic requirements (100 points) 3. Participation in and report on seminars (50 points)

2 4. Participation and report on Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society activities (50 points) 5. Complete resume and job application exercise (100 points) 6. Interview prospective employer or student with natural-resources-related job (100 points) 7. Report on newspaper article relating to natural resources (50 points) 8. Three readings (and reports) from required text A Sand County Almanac (150 points total) 9. Library tour and scientific/professional journals (100 points) 10. Participate in two in-class field trips (200 points total; 100 points each) *THERE ARE NO TESTS. THERE IS NO FINAL* GRADING USU s standard grading scale will be applied: Grade Percentage A 100 to 93 A- 92 to 90 B+ 89 to 87 B 86 to 83 B- 82 to 80 C+ 79 to 77 C 76 to 73 C- 72 to 70 D+ 69 to 67 D 66 to 60 F 59 and below CALENDAR Week Content Assignment Due Week 1 Aug Introduction, course overview and expectations, introduction to professionalism and professional majors. 2. Review of Assignments 3. Natural Resource Jobs 4. Job Search/Resume Exercise Week 2 Sept 11 Week 3 Sept 18 Week 4 Sept 25 Week 5 Oct 2 Week 6 Oct 9 Week 7 Oct 16 LABOR DAY MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 1. Faculty Advisors 2. Academic Service Center 3. Prospective Employers/Recruiters 4. Job Search / Resume Exercise 1. First report from A Sand County Almanac 1. Terrestrial Ecology Field Trip 1. Prospective Employer Interview 2. Job Search / Resume Exercise 1. Public perception of natural resource management in Newspaper article report in the popular press (completed in class) 2. Student Chapter of TWS 1. Aquatic Ecology Field Trip 1. Second report from A Sand County Almanac 2. Student Chapter of TWS report 1. Library Resources and Research Tools 2. Scientific and Professional Journals 1. Summary and close out. NOTE that all assignments are due by this class meeting 1. Seminar series report 2. Library tour and scientific journal report (completed in class) 1. Third report from A Sand County Almanac 2. Faculty Advisor report

3 READINGS: Our textbook is A Sand County Almanac, written by Aldo Leopold in the 1940s. Leopold is considered to be the father of both the practice of wildlife management and the wilderness movement. The book has had millions of copies printed and has been translated into at least nine languages. It has informed and changed the environmental movement and natural resource management and stimulated a widespread interest in ecology as a science. Yet, it is written in a way that requires no advanced courses to understand. It is the perfect book for WILD There are three required readings in A Sand County Almanac, which are listed below. A report is required for each reading. Reading 1 Forward through the chapter on July Reading 2 August through December Reading 3 The Land Ethic through Conservation Esthetic Besides introducing you to Aldo Leopold, the purpose of this exercise is to help you translate your life experiences into your philosophy about natural resources. Your philosophy will have a lot to do with how you approach and enjoy natural resource management. It is hoped that each reading will trigger a memory of some event that has happened in your life. Your assignment is to write a report on the memory of yours that the reading caused you to think about. Identify the specific writing of Leopold that triggered your memory (chapter, pages, etc.). Describe the experience (Where did it happen? Who did it happen with?). Go into some detail about the place. What did it look like, feel like, smell like? Describe how the people you were with (parents, grandparents, siblings, spouse, friends, Scout troop, and/or teachers) that made the experience such a special memory. Describe how the experience affected your interest in natural resources. Reports should be no more than 1 page in length, single spaced, in 12 pt Times New Roman font. Each report = 50 points. Students with Disabilities The Americans with Disabilities Act states: "Reasonable accommodation will be provided for all persons with disabilities in order to ensure equal participation within the program. If a student has a disability that will likely require some accommodation by the instructor, the student must contact the instructor and document the disability through the Disability Resource Center ( ), preferably during the first week of the course. Any request for special consideration relating to attendance, pedagogy, taking of examinations, etc., must be discussed with and approved by the instructor. In cooperation with the Disability Resource Center, course materials can be provided in alternative format, large print, audio, diskette, or Braille." Withdrawal Policy and "I" Grade Policy Students are required to complete all courses for which they are registered by the end of the semester. In some cases, a student may be unable to complete all of the coursework because of extenuating circumstances, but not due to poor performance or to retain financial aid. The term extenuating circumstances includes: (1) incapacitating illness which prevents a student from attending classes for a minimum period of two weeks, (2) a death in the immediate family, (3) financial responsibilities requiring a student to alter a work schedule to secure employment, (4) change in work schedule as required by an employer, or (5) other emergencies deemed appropriate by the instructor. Standards of Conduct Students need to be aware of and follow university policy on academic conduct. This is a class with written assignments. Academic dishonesty in any form cannot be tolerated. This includes aiding others (directly or indirectly) in committing dishonest acts. On in-class activities, protect your independent work. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the University Student Behavior committee for appropriate action.

4 Possible results of proven academic dishonesty range from no credit/points awarded for the disputed exercise to expulsion from the university. Cheating, Plagiarism, And Other Forms of Academic Dishonesty All work that you submit as your own work must, in fact, be your own work. For example, if your paper presents the ideas of others, you must clearly indicate this by citing the source. Word-for-word language taken from other sources books, papers, web sites, people, etc. must be placed in quotation marks and the source identified. Likewise, work on quizzes and exams must be your own work, not copied or taken from other students work, and you must comply with instructions regarding use of books, notes, and other materials. In accordance with the Utah State University policy on academic dishonesty, students in this course who submit the work of others as their own (plagiarize), cheat on examinations, help other students cheat or plagiarize, or commit other acts of academic dishonesty will receive appropriate academic penalties, up to and including failing the course and expulsion. Plagiarism or cheating on exams will result in an F on that exam, very likely resulting in a lower or possibly a failing final grade in the course overall. In cases where the instructor has reason to believe the cheating or plagiarism was premeditated or planned, students may receive an F for the course. Please consult with me on when and how to document sources if you have any possible questions about what might constitute an act of plagiarism or cheating. Learning Assumptions & Expectations Success is your choice! If you choose to be successful, I will be happy to help you. Each of you has the potential to succeed in this class. Respect is one of the foundations of an environment conducive to learning. This class will have a positive and respectful learning environment. In class discussions, everyone should be courteous and respectful of others: disrespectful comments or behavior will not be tolerated. This includes silencing your cell phones, no texting, no web surfing, etc. One of the most important aspects of learning is being able to be an active listener. As you listen to your classmates, be attentive and supportive. Everyone has something valuable to contribute to our class and your success. Times are tough, and we talk about a lot of potentially depressing subjects in this course. Despite this, we all need to stay positive. Humor and a wry take on things help your overall comprehension, enjoyment, ability to focus, and comprehension. I am always open to feedback about how I can best meet your needs as a student. Feel free to make suggestions on how this course can be improved or adjusted. You will attend all class sessions, arriving before the start of class. Doing Well In This Course Focus on learning, not on your grade. Make sure you complete all of our assignments on time and do a thorough job. If you interact with the material and complete the course assignments, you should easily be able to pass this class. This course should be fun and rewarding. Although it needs to be taken seriously, this course should not create undo stress and anxiety. If you are having trouble with the assignments, not doing well on the exams, or having any other problems, please talk to me.

5 Dr. Mark Chynoweth s Natural Resources Professional Orientation WILD 2000 I have read our syllabus and now know what to expect from this class, both in terms of the general layout of our course and desired learning outcomes. In particular, I am aware of the workload this class requires each and every week. I am aware that it is my responsibility to keep up with all assigned reading and submit all my assignments by their deadlines. Missing deadlines, poor writing, or not keeping up with our readings will harm both my assignment grades and my overall performance in our course. I also understand that studying in groups, frequently reviewing past material, and reviewing my lecture notes are great ways to improve my grade and (more importantly) boost my comprehension of the concepts of conservation. Name (please print neatly): Today s Date: Signature: Please fill in, sign, and hand in to Dr. Chynoweth.