Environmental Studies 375: Ecosocial Advocacy

GROUP CLASS PROJECT

 

As a way to learn advocacy by practicing it, and a way to put into practice what you are learning, students in this course will participate in a group class project. The project involves two related issues: fair trade on campus and the environmental and social dimension of campus food. I choose these two for various reasons:

  • UWO students have already been involved in them, so you will be picking up on projects that have already begun (fair trade is far more developed than campus food).
  • The issues are timely, as UWO is extending its environmental commitment and the contract for campus food will be renewed in the near future.
  • The issues have broad appeal. Fair trade, for instance, is promoted by organizations within most churches in this country.
  • The issues directly impact life on campus, although they have significance off campus as well.

The project will serve as a case study in action, to complement the case studies each student will report on. Also, by being a common class project, this advocacy should build a sense of community among the class members as it advances the causes.

 

In order to accomplish this class project, students will need, among other things, to

  • establish the group’s structure, process, personality;
  • find out what information needs to be gathered;
  • discover who has power and of what kind;
  • find out what has already been done and discovered;
  • decide what needs to be done, when, by whom;
  • determine potential coalition partners;
  • decide on actions and tactics;
  • implement actions.

I realize that a semester is too short to “complete” the project. But you will be able to help the campus move forward on both issues as they continue into the future.

 

Once a week as part of class time, we will meet as a group pursuing the project. I assume there also will need to be group meetings outside of class, but such needs will be shaped as you pursue the project. I will play the part of fellow participant in the class meetings, conveying information and giving advice, although it is a student project.

 

EVALUATION

Periodically during the semester we will reflect on how the project is going, discussing strengths and problems. Near the end of the semester, each student will write an individual evaluation of the group’s work, highlighting what the student has learned in the process.

 

One problem for such a project is grading it. It is not like a paper or a test. I will be able to observe participation during class meeting, but I will not be able to do so when you are working together on the project. So I rely on you. As part of the individual evaluations of the group’s work, each student will comment on and grade the other members. Criteria I will consider in grading (and will be part of you evaluations) include:

  • amount to time and effort put in
  • quality of participation: how helpful you have been in getting work done
  • reliability and cooperativeness in doing work
  • positive impact on the sense of community and teamwork

Details:

Your evaluation should articulate your view of the strengths and weaknesses of the project as a whole and how it was conceived of and done. It whould also include reflections on what you learned by participating in the project. This should be 3-4 pages long (typed, Times New Roman font 12, double-spaced).

The criteria for my grading your evaluation will include:
>> Seriousness and insight in your evaluation of strengths and weaknesses of the project
>> Perceptiveness of reflections on what you learned
>> Clarity and correctness of writing.

The evaluation should also have as an appendix a brief and honest assessment of those you worked with (rather than all the students in the class). This should include brief comments (2-3 sentences) on each student and a grade for their work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Last updated: March 14, 2007