INTRODUCTION TO THE

COURSE

Alex Mayer, Michigan Technological University

Course overview: Origin and purpose

of the course

“SustR”: Sustainable Development for Rural

Communities A Student Mobility Program

Consortium of six universities in the US, Canada, and

Mexico

1 or 2 semester student exchanges in the consortium

universities

Shorter intensive field trips to experience rural

sustainability issues in Mexico, Canada and the US

A new collaborative web-based course on rural

sustainability

Course overview: Origin and purpose

of the course

For more information on

the SustR program,

contact the program

director at your

university.

At Michigan Tech, go to

http://www.geo.mtu.edu

/~asmayer/sustr.htm

Locations of the six universities

Course overview: Weekly modules

Weekly Schedule

Week Date Topic

Responsible

University

1 9/5/2011 - 9/9/2011 Introduction to the course; Goals and objectives of rural sustainable

development UNISON

2 9/19/2011 - 9/23/2011 Global, regional and local forcesUNBC

3 9/26/2011 - 9/30/2011 Governance and the Commons LU

4 10/3/2011 - 10/7/2011 Case study: Renewable energy All

5 10/10/2011 - 10/16/2011 Case study: Food security and cultural connectedness LU

6 10/17/2011 - 10/23/2011 Case study: Natural Resource Extraction – the Case of Mining MTU

7 10/31/2011 - 11/4/2011 Case study: Sustainable rural tourism UNBC

8 11/7/2011 - 11/11/2011 Case study: Sustainable agricultureMTU

9 11/14/2011 - 11/18/2011 Case study: Population and Environment in the State of Aguascalientes,

Mexico All

10 10/24/2011 - 10/28/2011 Case study: Water and SanitationMTU

11 11/28/2011 - 12/2/2011 Case study: Biodiversity and rural communitiesMTU

Course overview: Weekly modules

Weekly modules are available at course web site: http://www.geo.mtu.edu/~asmayer/Seminar_on_Rural_Sustainability.htm

Objectives

Background

Web-based lectures (posted on Monday)

Readings

Other resources

Discussion questions

Evaluation (assignments)

Vocabulary

Faculty contact(s) for questions of clarification

Course overview: Weekly modules

Discussion sessions

Held every Friday, beginning at 12:00 am to 1:00 pm, Eastern time via Adobe Connect

Students from the consortium universities will participate in a discussion session on the week‟s topics, led by the students from the university responsible for that week.*

At the beginning of the discussion session, students from the responsible university* will deliver a 10-minute summary of the week‟s lecture and readings and a list of discussion questions

Students from the responsible university* will then moderate the following discussion (approximately 30 minutes).

*except for the first week

Course overview: Written assignments

Students will submit a three‐page reflection paper

each week of the first five weeks of the course. *

Questions for each reflection paper will be posted

the Friday before the week when the paper topic is

discussed.*

Reflection papers will be due the Wednesday after

the week when the paper topic is discussed.*

Student reflection papers will be posted on the

course website.

*except for the first week

Course overview: Written assignments

Reflection papers will be based on the following

rubric: 20% for spelling and grammar; 30% for

organization; 50% for depth of analysis.

For the last six weeks of the course, no reflection

papers are due, but reflection questions will be

posted.

A 10-page synthesis paper will be due

12/9/2011, connecting the two halves of the

course and explaining the concepts of rural

sustainability.

Course overview: Overall grading

Semester grades will be based on

5 weekly reflection papers 50%

synthesis paper 40%

participation 10%

Refer to the syllabus for an explanation for

expectations regarding participation.

The home university‟s instructor will grade all

aspects of their university‟s students.

Organization of the module

Lecture

what are sustainability and sustainable development?

how do we define “rural?”

Organization of the module

Readings

Cromartie, J. and Bucholtz, S. (2008) “Defining the „Rural‟ in Rural America, Amber Waves, 6(3): 28-34.

Hamilton L., Hamilton L., Duncan C., Colocousis C. (2008) Place Matters: Challenges and Opportunities in Four Rural Americas. Carsey Institute, University of New Hampshire: Durham, New Hampshire.

Harris, J.M. (2000) Basic Principles for Sustainable Development, Global Development and Environment Institute, Working paper 00-04, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts.

Robinson, J. (2004) “Squaring the circle? Some thoughts on the idea of sustainable development,” Ecological Economics, 48(4): 369-384.

World Commission on Environment and Development (1987), Our Common Future, Chapter 2: Towards Sustainable Development, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Organization of the module

Assignments

Write a three-page reflection paper considering the following questions, based on the lecture, readings, and your prior experience. The reflection paper is due by 5 pm, Wednesday, September 14. Email your paper to your instructor.

Are the notions of sustainable development useful?

How are rural areas defined and of what use are these definitions?

How do the notions of sustainable development apply to the current issues faced by rural communities?

Organization of the module

Assignments

For Friday‟s discussion session, prepare two Powerpoint

slides on the sustainability

efforts/activities/research/etc. that are occurring at

your university.

Email to Alex Mayer (asmayer@mtu.edu) your

Powerpoint files by Thursday (September 8) afternoon

at 5 pm (Eastern time). Be sure to put your name and

your university in the Powerpoint. You will present these

during Friday‟s (September 9) discussion session.

Organization of the module

Discussion session (Friday, September 9)

Each student will present two Powerpoint slides on the

sustainability efforts/activities/research/etc. that are

occurring at their university.