Note: I’ve gone through SPIRE looking for relevant courses to make it easier for students to find them. The below is what I’ve identified after looking at Eco/NRC, Econ, Pol Sci, History, Anthropology, Sociology, Geosciences, and Resource Economics. If I am missing anything, please let me know — Charlie Schweik (cschweik@pubpol.umass.edu)

ECO 697P – Conservation in Practice – Drs. John Organ (US Fish and WIldlife Service), Sadie Stevens (USFWS), Deborah Rocque (USFWS) and Steve DeStephano

Conservation in Practice will challenge students to integrate human dimensions and ecological sciences into actual fish and wildlife conservation scenarios.  The course is structured into 3 modules: (1) human dimensions theory; (2) quantitative and qualitative analytical approaches; and (3) case study inquiries.  Students will be provided a theoretical foundation for human dimensions of fish and wildlife conservation in the first module through assigned readings and classroom discussion and lecture.  Methodological approaches to human dimensions inquiry will introduce students to a suite of quantitative and qualitative approaches through selected manuscripts and lecture.  Lecture and discussion will focus on structuring human dimensions inquiries to select and integrate appropriate quantitative and qualitative methods.  Case studies of actual conservation challenges encountered by federal and state fish and wildlife management agencies will be used to retrospectively or prospectively evaluate how human dimensions science needs would be integrated, and develop an appropriate experimental design.  The instructors envision the classroom dynamics to be interactive.  Readings will be designed to supplant lectures where practical; lectures will be used to synthesize information and stimulate discussion.  Student grades will be based on active participation, a mid-term exam, and a final case study paper.

ECO 697PS – 01 S-Perspectives on Sustainability – Craig Nicolson

No description available

ECON 797E – 01 ST-Pol Econ of the Environment – Jim Boyce

This course is a one-semester introduction to the political economy of the environment – that is, the analysis of how scarce environmental and natural resources are allocated not only among competing ends, but also among competing individuals, groups, and classes. It is intended for graduate students with prior background in microeconomics and resource economics.

REGIONPL 587 – 01 People and the Environment – Robert Ryan

Interdisciplinary seminar on the applications of environmental psychology research to planning and design. Topics include landscape preference, territoriality and defensible space, way finding, and restorative settings/therapeutic gardens.

REGIONPL 591D – 01 S-The Once & Future Mill Town – John Mullin

This course focuses on the impact of industrial development upon local communities. Topics range from brownfield remediation to mill revitalization, office park development, the industrial land crisis and the role of sustainable industrial planning.

REGIONPL 630 – 01 Theory&Practice of Public Participation – Elizabeth Brabec

This course will introduce students to public participation at the practice level in planning. Lectures and class discussions will review current theory underpinning participation practice, and will critically evaluate the wide range of participation methods currently in use in planning practice. There will also be one or more exercises in participation implementation that occur outside standard class times, when we will join one of the other studio classes, and plan and run their participation process

REGIONPL 645 – 01 Growth Management – Elisabeth Hamin

The role of policy in guiding optimal growth. Examination of constitutional issues, controversies regarding growth management practices, techniques used in designing growth management strategies, and future trends in growth management. Prerequisite: Reg Pl 651 or consent of instructor.

RES-ECON 721 – 01 Advanced Natural Resource Economics – John Stranlund

Economic models of renewable and nonrenewable natural resources; introduction to dynamic optimization; and the theory of environmental policy.

Note: I’ve gone through SPIRE looking for relevant courses to make it easier for students to find them. The below is what I’ve identified after looking at Eco/NRC, Econ, Pol Sci, History, Anthropology, Sociology, Geosciences, and Resource Economics. If I am missing anything, please let me know — Charlie Schweik (cschweik@pubpol.umass.edu)

ECON 308 – Political Economy of the Environment – Jim Boyce

Application of the theories of political economy to environmental problems and issues. Topics include regulatory and market approaches to pollution and natural resource depletion; cost-benefit analysis and its economic and political foundations; and case studies of specific environmental problems such as acid rain, deforestation, and global warming. This class is open to Economics, Resource Economics, or STPEC majors only. Prerequisite: RES-ECON 102 or ECON 103

ENVIRSCI 213 – 01 Intro to Environmental Policy – Anita Milman

An overview of the environmental policy process covering the roles of major players at community, state, and federal levels, and emphasizing the role of environmental science. Covers the major environmental laws and recent amendments, the role of policy analysis, and international environmental policy

GEO-SCI 494LI – 01 Living on Earth: Real-world Issues – Eve Vogel, Steven Petsch 

In this course, students take advantage of the breadth of their shared experiences in the Geosciences Department from human dimensions to physical sciences, drawing from geography, earth systems science and geology. The platform of the course uses real-world Geoscience problems facing societies and cultures, incorporating the themes of Water, Air, Energy, Climate and Sustainability. Using readings, print and on-line media, students are encouraged to work through the ways in which integration of their diverse educational experiences leads to new levels of understanding. The semester culminates in team-based projects in which students investigate connections between current Geosciences issues, their education in their major and their experience as UMass undergraduates, with structured opportunities for reflection on both their discipline and themselves as life-long scholars. This course satisfies the Integrative Experience requirement for BS-Earth, BA-Geog, BS-Geog, BA-Geol, and BS-Geol majors, as well as a subset of BS-EnvSci majors. For Seniors and Juniors only.

GEO-SCI 497PA – 01 ST-Protected Areas/Indigenous People – Stan Stevens

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:15AM-12:30PM Hasbrouck 236

Development and implementation of rights-based conservation and “new paradigm” protected area policy by Indigenous peoples, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), state parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and NGOs.  Re-conceptualizations of protected area goals and governance, promotion of good governance and rights recognition, and political ecology critiques of “protection paradigm,” “community-based conservation” and integrated conservation and development approaches.  Analysis of experience in diverse parts of the world with “new approaches,” emphasizing Indigenous peoples’ and community conserved areas (ICCAs) and shared governance arrangements.  Current initiatives by IUCN, CBD, UN human rights monitoring mechanism, the Global Environment Facility, the ICCA Consortium, Indigenous peoples and Indigenous peoples’ networks, and prominent conservation NGOs.

Political Science 181 – Controversies in Public Policy – John Hird

Introduction to contemporary public policy issues and debates. Various perspectives on public policy, including equality, justice, and efficiency. Emphasis on in-class discussion and debates. Applications may include environmental policy, affirmative action, immigration, welfare policy, education, health, and other public policies.

NRC 260 – 01 Fish Conservation & Management – Andy Danylchuk

Overview of the biological, sociological, historical, and economic factors that influence the use and conservation of our nation’s fisheries resources. Prerequisite: One semester general biology or permission of instructor

NRC 382 – 01 Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Management – David Kittredge

Introduction to the human dimension of resource management. Topics include social values, demographics, outdoor recreation, agency history and mandates, economic valuation, resource allocation, stakeholder groups, the commons dilemma, and other topics. Satisfies the Integrative Experience requirement for BS-NRC majors. Open to Seniors and Juniors in NRC, NAT-RESR, FOREST, and W&FCONSV only.

RES-ECON 263 – Natural Resource Economics – John Stranlund

Economic analysis of natural resource use and conservation, including minerals, forests, fisheries, wildlife, land, and outdoor recreation economics. Focuses on resource use patterns that are socially efficient and sustainable, and institutional arrangements for bringing these about.

RES-ECON 472 – 01 Advanced Topics in Resource & Environmental Economics – Sylvia Brandt

Topics may include: the design of environmental and natural resource policies, particularly incentive-based policies; the analysis and control of environmental risks; cost-benefit analyses of specific environmental policies; critiques of cost-benefit analysis, international environmental cooperation; environmental and natural resource policy in the developing world; sustainability, and the conservation of biodiversity. BS-ResEc majors may satisfy the Integrative Experience requirement with this course plus Res-Econ 394 and 471.

SOCIOL 394N – 01 S-Social Network & Analysis – Ryan Acton

This course provides an introduction to the fundamental concepts, methods, applications, and analyitical tools of network analysis. In addition, students will receive hands-on experience learning and using the R statistics or programming environment in order to work with social network data. No prior experience with R, statistics, or programming languages is assumed, although such experiences will prove useful. Open to non-majors April 26th.

Note: Below are undergraduate courses that I’ve been able to identify for the Spring 2013 semester. This is a work in progress. I am working on building this list during the week of Nov 5th… I hope to have it complete by Nov 10th.

NRC 590TP Adapting to Climate Change: Theories, Policies, & Action
Instructor: Anita Milman, Environmental Conservation

As a result of increased atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gasses including CO2, the earth?s climate is changing. Though mitigation efforts may alleviate the extent of these changes, adaptation is a necessary, if not an essential, response.  Yet what adaptation entails and how it can be achieved remains unclear.  This course aims to provide a broad understanding of adaptation to climate change, with a focus on the response of human systems in both the developed and the developing world.  The course begins with an overview of climate projections, the potential hazards socio-ecological systems may face, and what adaptation to those hazards might involve.  We then trace how knowledge of climate change can translate into action; deliberate potential strategies for adaptation; consider factors that facilitate or stymie action; and discuss the potential for maladaptation.  In the process, we will discuss weather attribution; damage-functions; the international climate community; the role of state and non-state actors; and debates about climate justice and how to reach the most vulnerable.

Note: Below are graduate coursesthat I’ve been able to identify for the Spring 2013 semester. This is a work in progress. I am working on building this list during the week of Nov 5th… I hope to have it complete by Nov 10th.

NRC 590TP Adapting to Climate Change: Theories, Policies, & Action
Instructor: Anita Milman, Environmental Conservation

As a result of increased atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gasses including CO2, the earth?s climate is changing. Though mitigation efforts may alleviate the extent of these changes, adaptation is a necessary, if not an essential, response.  Yet what adaptation entails and how it can be achieved remains unclear.  This course aims to provide a broad understanding of adaptation to climate change, with a focus on the response of human systems in both the developed and the developing world.  The course begins with an overview of climate projections, the potential hazards socio-ecological systems may face, and what adaptation to those hazards might involve.  We then trace how knowledge of climate change can translate into action; deliberate potential strategies for adaptation; consider factors that facilitate or stymie action; and discuss the potential for maladaptation.  In the process, we will discuss weather attribution; damage-functions; the international climate community; the role of state and non-state actors; and debates about climate justice and how to reach the most vulnerable.

Mon & Weds 9:05 to 11:00am
3 credits

Communication

COMM791K: Communication, Ecology, Sustainability (Professor Henry Geddes)
Meeting time: Mondays 3:35PM – 6:25PM
Place: Machmer E-10

We will explore the role of communication in the discursive construction of nature and environmentalism, especially around the issues of climate change, water-energy-food security, and biodiversity. Another major focus is on public deliberation in policy making, networks and social movements. We will also deal with materialist approaches by way of critiques of and alternatives to capitalism and industrialism (e.g. permaculture) as they
intersect with communication. The literature review will serve as a basis for generating collaborative research towards a publication on a topic of your choice.

A portion of the semester will be devoted to the September 15 event sponsored by Worldwide Views on Biodiversity (http://biodiversity.wwviews.org/) to facilitate public deliberation and input on intergovernmental policies regarding biodiversity. It is my hope
that some students will participate as observers of the deliberation proceedings and perhaps in the research towards a chapter in an edited volume.

Economics

Econ 700 Microeconomic Coordination and Conflict
Instructor: Samuel Bowles
M & W 6:15pm-8:45pm
Description: Introduces microeconomic concepts relevant to the
coordination of social interactions with particular attention to conflict,
cooperation, collective action, competition, and coordination failures.
[Note: Non-economics graduate students might want to contact the instructor
to make sure their background fits course requirements.]

Environmental Conservation

ECO 697 PS – Perspectives on Sustainability
Instructor: Craig Nicolson
F 1:25-4:25
No description available

Geosciences

GeoSci 597WG – Water Geographies
Instructor: Eve Vogel
Tu, Th 1:00pm-2:15pm
Description: Unavailable.
Natural Resource Conservation

NRC597EL – Environmental Law
Instructor: David Rothstein, US Fish and Wildlife Service
Wed 3:35-5:30pm
Description: Unavailable, but coming!

NRC 597G – Global Environmental Conservation
Instructor: Tim Randhir
Wed 12:20 pm – 3:20 pm
Description:
This course will cover an in depth review of major
international environmental issues using a modular
approach through digital and interactive learning.
Students will develop understanding and skills to
address international and emerging issues. Ten major
international environmental issues will be covered in
depth which will include climatic change, water
resources, biodiversity, deforestation, wetlands,
poverty, habitat loss, coastal impairment, and invasive
species in locations through the world. [Note: a laptop
is required for this course.]

NRC 597U – Urban Natural Resource Management
Instructor: Dave Bloniarz
Tu 2:30-5:15
Description: This course will introduce concepts related
to the management of urbanized landscapes, focusing on
what comprises the urban forest, its function as a
natural system and the value of urban forests as an
environmental and social catalyst. Examination of
what makes up the urban forest, how these components
function and the importance of sustainable urban natural
landscapes will be undertaken in the seminar sessions.

NRC 597WR – Water Resource Management and Policy
Instructor: Tim Randhir
Th, Th 1:00-2:15, Holdsworth 301
Description: not available at this time, but this is definitely a EP/human
dimensions course.

Public Policy and Administration

PUBP&ADM  602 Public Management
Instructor: Jane Fountain
M 2:00 – 4:30 pm
Description: Overview of organization theory including theories of administration, motivation, budgeting, decision making, inter- organizational relationships, and ethics. Uses case studies to provide a broad range of policy areas and organizations.

PUBP&ADM 697K Comparative Public Policy
Instructor: David Mednicoff
W 4:40pm-7:20 pm
No description available. Need instructor’s permission to enroll.

PUBP&ADM 697NG – Nonprofit Governance
Instructor: Brenda Bushouse
W 12:20-2:50
No description available.

Regional Planning

Regional Planning 685. Growth Management
Instructor: Elisabeth Hamin
T TH 9:30-10:45
Description: The role of policy in guiding optimal growth. Examination of constitutional issues, controversies regarding growth management practices, techniques used in designing growth management strategies, and future trends in growth management. Prerequisite: Reg Pl 651 or consent of instructor.

Resource Economics

Res-Econ 721 Advanced Natural Resource Economics
Instructor: John Stranlund
M & W 11:00am -12:15 pm
Description: Economic models of renewable and nonrenewable natural
resources; introduction to dynamic optimization; and the theory of
environmental policy.

PLSOILIN 290C – Land Use Policies and Sustainable Farming
Online
Instructor: Robert Wagner; Senior Policy Analyst for American Farmland Trust
Abstract: This course will provide students with an opportunity to explore the political, economic and societal forces that influence land use decisions, an understanding of the history of land use policies and planning in the U.S. as they relate to agriculture, a working knowledge of current land use policies and programs tied to agriculture and farming, and an opportunity through case studies to dissect and debate land use issues and conflicts surrounding agriculture.
Web page: http://www.justfoodnow.org/farmland.htm

PLSOILIN 397C – Community Food Systems
Online
Instructor: Maggie Shar
Abstract: This course examines the movement of food from seed to table. Participants in the course explore local and global food systems, and specific food related issues that impact health of communities. Among the topics we’ll cover are: examining the economic and political decisions that frame our food chain, direct marketing, commercial agriculture, processing, food justice, hunger, health, food security, peak oil, school food systems and school gardens, Community Supported Agriculture, farmers’ markets, small scale farming and homesteading. At the center of this course is the examination of the opportunities and challenges required in making community food projects that create real lasting systems change.
Web page; http://www.justfoodnow.org/commfoodsystems.htm

NOTE: These are the courses I've been able to identify for Fall 2012 for undergraduates 
that have some relevance to Environmental Policy or "Human Dimensions" in Environmental Conservation.
Please note that this is probably an incomplete list.

The Built Environment - BCT 150
Days, times: Mon Weds 4:40-5:55pm, Thompson 102
Instructor:  Dr. David Damery
Abstract:  We will explore the issues of sustainability from the perspective 
of the built environment, our history of construction and expansion, and buildings
and how they interact with the natural environment.  Students will be exposed to
issues of human impacts on natural systems through the built environment and the
variety of disciplines that are working to create a more sustainable future.
Email instructor for additional information (ddamery@eco.umass.edu)

Econ308, Political Economy of the Environment
Instructor: James Boyce
Timing tba. 
This course examines the political economy of environmental degradation and 
environmental protection. Environmental degradation includes both pollution 
and natural resource depletion. In addition to the neoclassical economic question 
of how scarce resources are allocated among competing ends (for example, a 
cleaner environment versus more consumer goods), the course explores the political 
economy question of how resources are allocated among competing individuals, 
groups, and classes.

Legal Studies 250
Introduction to Legal Studies

Natural Resources Conservation

NRC260 - Fish Conservation and Management

NRC 382 - Human Dimensions of Natural Resources Management

NRC597EL - Environmental Law

NRC597GC - Global Environmental Conservation

NRC597U - Urban Natural Resource Management

Political Science 

PolSci 181, Contraversies in Public Policy

PolSci 253, International Environmental Politics
Instructor: Peter Haas 
Days, times: See SPIRE.

Resource Economics 

ResEc 263 - Natural Resource Economics

ResEc472 - Advanced Topics in Environmental and Resource Economics

[Note: I’m still inventorying these — this is an incomplete list. If someone knows of a course that should be listed here — please email me. cschweik ‘at’ pubpol.umass.edu]

Political Science:

• Environmental Policy. Professor Stu Shulman.

Environmental Conservation:

• NRC409. Natural Resource Policy and Administration. Professor Charlie Schweik.
• NRC 597I – Natural Resources Inventory of Local Lands
  Instructor:  Paul Catanzaro (cat@umext.umass.edu or 545-4839)
  Day and Time:  Thursday 1:00 – 2:15 & independent field work
  Location:  Holdsworth 306
  Pre-requisites: Permission of the instructor (see ‘Course Description’ below)
  Number of Credits Hours:  3
  Course Description: Communities and conservation organizations own many acres of land throughout Massachusetts.  These lands often possess high conservation value.  It is common for communities and conservation organizations to own land without having a full understanding of what types of resources are on it. This class will provide upper level undergraduate students and graduate students in wildlife, natural resources conservation, and forestry an opportunity to gain applied experience in planning and conducting a natural resources inventory.  Students will also gain experience working together as a team and communicating with a client. In addition, this class will provide communities and conservation organizations information to enable them to make informed conservation decisions about the land. The class will meet with the instructor once a week.  Students will then be expected to work as a team to design and implement the inventory as an independent group. Permission of the instructor is necessary and will be based on the student’s experience in forest measurements, forest botany, animal sampling and ID, and spatial information.  Ideally, the class will include different majors who can each contribute their knowledge and expertise to the inventory.

Resource Economics:

• Resec 262. Environmental Economics. Professor John Stranlund.
• ResEc 472: Advanced Topics is Resource Economics. Professor Sylvia Brandt.

Geosciences:

• Geosci 450 Indigenous Peoples and Conservation. Professor Stan Stevens. The class will meet MWF at 9:05-9:55 in Morrill 3, Room 126.  20 students.
• Geosci 492NP National Parks and Protected Areas. Professor Stan Stevens. MWF at 11:15-12:05 in Morrill 3, Room 126.  20 students.

[This is a work in progress… please email me if there is a course not listed here that I should have listed. Thanks. cschweik ‘at’ pubpol.umass.edu.]

History:

• 697IN Conservation of Nature and Culture. David Glassberg. Tu/Th 9:30-10:45am. Herter Hall room 119. Spire description: Course will explore the history of various efforts around the world to conserve nature and cultyre. Students will learn about the history of the Conservation Movement in North America, but also to think broadly about what the idea of conservation means in archeology, folklore, historic preservation, and fine arts, especially in a  time of globalization and climate change.

Regional Planning/Landscape Arcitecture:

• RP658. Planning for Climate Change. Elisabeth Hamin. T/Th 2:30-3:45 (tentative time)
• RP791. Studio/Planning/Wind Energy. Elisabeth Hamin (and others)
• LANDARCH 497E-01: ST-Urban Agriculture: Research and ActionContinuing Education, online. CPE class; $45/term non-refundable reg. fee + $353/credit. Explores innovative urban farming system design through the evaluation of case studies. Students will practice critical research skills including information/ data gathering and site analysis and assessment to learn about the challenges and opportunities of sustainable urban agriculture in the context of current events and contemporary issues.
• ENVIRDES 591B-01: Sustainable Cities (70 student lecture)
  TuTh 11:15AM – 12:30PM, Flint Lab room 201
  Instructor: Mark Hamin
• REGIONPL 580-01: Sustainable Cities (20 student seminar)
  MoWe 11:10AM – 12:15PM Hills House room 113
  Instructor: Mark Hamin”Sustainability” is a concept and approach that has become more prevalent in ecological, economic and equity discussions over the last several decades, yet its historical and cultural roots are far more extensive and complicated than generally recognized.  This course will examine and evaluate core principles and practices identified by advocates as well as critics of sustainability, and will address a variety of questions related to sustainability: the appropriate spatial and temporal scale of sustainable planning and design; the full scope of which systems and standards are best suited for achieving sustainable outcomes; the relative roles of “high” vs. “low”/”hard” vs. “soft” science and technology paths; expertise, efficiency, equity; individual vs. collective responsibilities.
• REGIONPL 553-01: Resource Policy and Planning
  University of Massachusetts Amherst | Spring 2012 | Lecture
  Tu 6:00PM – 9:00PM Hills House room 113
  Instructor: Flavia Montenegro-MenezesExamination of natural resource policy formation and the planning process at the local, state, and regional levels; the role of legislatures, the bureaucracy, and citizens’ interests in policy formation; the interplay among forces of economics, technology, ecology, and design in the determination of policy goals and planning horizons.
• REGIONPL 692F-01: Cultural Heritage and International Urban Sustainability Practices
  Tu 9:30AM – 12:30PM. Hills House room 407
  Instructor: Flavia Montenegro-MenezesCultural Heritage is the material and immaterial inheritance that contributes toward forming our identities as people, communities and nations, and which is also embedded within contemporary society and its practices. This course will provide a comprehensive introduction to the evolution of cultural heritage theories and practices at the international level, particularly focusing on sustainability and the urban environment.

Greetings! I decided to create the blog to allow faculty in different departments (e.g., economics, environmental conservation, resource economics, political science, regional planning, geosciences… others?) on campus teaching and doing research in the area of environmental policy and management to share information with each other. I also hope this blog might be a resource for the Environmental Working Group on campus. I wanted to establish a wiki so others can post information, but for now I’ll act as the editor of this blog. If you have something you want posted, email me at cschweik@pubpol.umass.edu.

— Charlie Schweik, Dept of Environmental Conservation and Center for Public Policy and Administration

Courses I’ve heard about that may be coming in the future

Geosciences. Stan Stevens: 600 level on “Political Ecologies of Conservation” and/or 500 level of “Communities and Conservation.” Sometime in 2012-2013. Probably the 600-level course.