Course Syllabus

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RS 3030: Organization for regenerative practices

Welcome!

It’s an honor and a pleasure to embark on this learning adventure with you. Even though we are fully remote this semester, my hope is that we will build a community around shared interests, fruitful discussions and enjoyable investigations.

 

Your instructor: Dr. Beth Ann Falstad

  • You can call me Dr. F, Dr. Falstad, or Professor.
  • Email me at bmorrison@cpp.edu (I will respond within 24 hr Mon – Fri and sporadically on weekends.)
  • Due to the coronavirus pandemic, I’m currently working remotely. Email me to set up a zoom meeting time.

 

Course Information

Class format: Asynchronous lecture, synchronous discussion

This class will meet online through ZOOM ( https://cpp.zoom.us/j/86206662084 Passcode = 318610) on Wednesdays, at 1pm PST for discussions of readings and lectures and group project check-ins. Weekly assignments are due on the Monday prior to the ZOOM discussions by midnight PST. Length of meetings will vary but will never last beyond 3:45pm PST.

  • Zoom meetings will be recorded and shared through Cal Poly Pomona’s secure video streaming server so that only our class will see them. If you have technical issues or you need to miss a discussion, you will be responsible for the content.
  • Asynchronous lectures will be recorded and shared through Blackboard, along with reading assignments, quizzes and written reflections for you to complete on your own time, just meet the due dates.

Course description and learning objectives

Course Catalog Description:  Investigation of sustainable organizing processes for regenerative practices.  The cultural and institutional organizing processes are examined at the global, multi-national, national, regional, local, family, and individual levels.  These processes are analyzed in relation to population, food production, resource and waste management, energy systems and shelter.

 

Instructor Course Description:  This course focuses on the role that human relationships play in influencing the ways we perceive and interact with the environment.  It also examines how we define what constitutes a systemic problem with environmental implications and how we decide what actions to take at the local, city and national levels.  We will explore how interpersonal communication impacts peoples’ ability to affect complex systemic change through avenues such as public hearings, political campaigns, activism, local businesses, corporations and campuses.  We will work in groups to craft dialogue-based strategies for organizing regenerative practices at the local level, designed to engage audiences that are relevant to the diverse majors represented in the class.

 

Course Learning Objectives: 

  1. Articulate the foundations, principles and approaches of Regenerative Design
  2. Recognize and mitigate personal, interpersonal and systemic barriers to effective communication
  3. Develop equitable and inclusive communication and collaboration techniques
  4. Understand how regenerative practices are organized on levels from personal to global
  5. Apply understanding of Regenerative Design and effective communication through collaborative group project

 

Required materials

  • There are no required books for this class. All reading materials and videos for this class will be provided as digital files and hyperlinks on Canvas.
  • You need reliable access to computer and internet to get assigned readings and activities from Canvas and other websites, and to turn in assignments. Ideally, try to have a computer or laptop with a web-cam, although this is optional.  I understand that not all students have access to optimal technology.  Please let me know if you have technology access issues so we can work out alternatives.

Prerequisites and necessary skills

  • Prerequisites: None
  • Necessary skills: Fluency in reading university-level research and materials; ability to follow directions; willingness to interact in synchronous discussions, online in discussion boards and in small collaborative groups. Familiarity with Canvas is very helpful as it will be used for sharing course materials, making announcements, and posting and submitting assignments.

 

Communication

Reminder emails and announcements on Canvas.  Your cpp.edu email is the official method of communication on campus.  Make sure to check your Cal Poly Pomona email daily so you’re up on important info from around campus as well as this class.

 

Instructor responsibilities

I will do my best to make this course an excellent learning experience for you, even remotely – well-organized, interesting, relevant, with meaningful assignments and the support you need to succeed.  I will take suggestions for improving the learning environment seriously.  I will do my best to grade your work fairly and in a timely fashion. 

I am a LGBTQ Safe Zone Ally, a Dreamers Ally, I am familiar with veterans’ issues, I am committed to supporting students with disabilities – and I know that everyone has a big, rich life outside of this class that may include any number of challenges, especially right now.  I want to work with you to help you succeed.  Please talk to me, since only you can properly communicate your situation.  See below for a list of helpful campus resources.

Student responsibilities

I appreciate it when students pay attention to class happenings, when you’re willing to try new things and to ask questions, and are not scared of getting things wrong. 

 

This class is an opportunity to practice “professionalism,” in addition to learning about regenerative studies. Being professional includes thinking carefully, doing work that’s well beyond the minimum of quality, being respectful and courteous to others, and meeting obligations without fuss.  For this class specifically, professionalism means:

  • Doing the work – The learning activities in this class are carefully selected and offered to help you learn.  I strive to avoid busywork.  If you don’t understand why we’re doing something, please ask!  Since we’re remote, you will need to exercise more personal initiative than if we were meeting face to face, and that’s a great skill to have for your future. 
  • Professional courtesy – Attend synchronous meetings if at all possible.  Come on time, prepared, and tune in the whole time.  Pay attention, listen to others and be ready to talk and participate.  If you can’t attend synchronous meetings, make sure you watch the recordings and fully participate in the digital interactions.

 

This class will demand significant time, at least 7 hours per week.  Calendar the time! 

 

“Netiquette” expectations: 

  • Email: Include the class name and section, along with a description, in the subject line. For example: RS 3030 RE: Research Paper.  Use a signature with your full name at the end of your emails.  Use professional voice with good grammar and spelling.
  • Tone: Be aware of your tone and avoid sentences typed in all caps – it implies online “screaming” or “shouting.”  Avoid angry messages, flaming, and trolling.  Do not use offensive or profane language.
  • Discussions: Be sensitive to those with cultural and/or linguistic backgrounds, as well as different political and religious beliefs. Respect different views and opinions. Provide constructive feedback and use good judgment when composing responses to your classmates.

Grades

Grading Breakdown:

  • Participation: Weekly class participation either synchronously or digitally if you can’t do synchronous due to technical or schedule limitations - 10%
  • Homework and Quizzes: Weekly assignments, including written reflections, short quizzes, partner or small group activities and worksheets - 30%
  • Research Paper: A full assignment sheet and rubric will be provided (see Canvas) - 30%
  • Group Project: Multi-part collaborative assignment. Instructions and rubric will be provided (see Canvas) - 30%

 

Grade Scale:

 

Letter Grade

Grade Point

Grade Percentage

A

4.0

95-100

A-

3.7

90-94

B+

3.3

86-89

B

3.0

82-85

B-

2.7

78-81

C+

2.3

74-77

C

2.0

70-73

C-

1.7

67-69

D+

1.3

64-66

D

1.0

60-63

D-

0.7

56-59

F

0.0

0-55

 

Grading Criteria: Rubrics with detailed grading criteria for major assignments will be posted on Canvas. Smaller assignments are graded by minimum word count, effort, and accuracy. Quizzes are administered through Canvas.

 

Grade Appeals

You may appeal major assignment grades in writing (email okay) within 3 days (including weekends) of the time that the assignment was returned.  Include the specific reason you think my judgment was incorrect, and cite any sources that support your appeal.  The item will be re-graded, taking your appeal into consideration.  There is no guarantee that your grade will be raised, but it will not be lowered.  

 

Make-Up and Late Work Policies 

Treat this class as a serious professional obligation.  In short, if you would not miss your job or turn in a late job project for some reason, try not to miss class zoom meetings or hand in late work for that reason. 

 

If you miss something for a non-serious reason, take responsibility for getting the material you missed, and do not request make-up work or to hand in late work.  Course materials and activities will be easily available on Canvas.  You are always welcome to set up an appointment to discuss things you don’t understand after your efforts to catch up. 

 

If there is a serious situation, please let me know as soon as possible (remember that email is my preferred contact method).  Serious situations include things like pre-arranged, official Cal Poly Pomona-related activities, pre-arranged professional activities, pre-arranged major family obligations, religious obligations, emergencies, or severe illness.  For serious situations that are foreseen, like pre-arranged activities, we’ll make alternative arrangements.  For serious unforeseen situations like illnesses or emergencies, plan to provide documentation.  Make-ups and late work accommodations for serious unforeseen situations will be case-by-case. 

 

Please let me know if circumstances arise which make it difficult for you to fulfill your class obligations.  Although the course requirements must be met, I will make every effort to work with you within university policy guidelines.  Just as I would do for a person who worked for me, I will reach out to you if you “disappear” or are missing a lot of assignments.

 

Academic Integrity

Academic dishonesty, i.e. cheating and plagiarism, is unethical and unprofessional, even if I don’t know about it.  A boss will fire you immediately for lying, which is basically what academic dishonesty is.  Also, being academically dishonest is like winning a game by tampering with the ball – you won, but you’re not really as good as you made yourself seem, so it wasn’t really you winning.

 

Paying someone to do an assignment for you, purchasing a paper that someone else wrote, pretending you did work that you didn’t do, or anything along those lines, is cheating.  Plagiarism is copying someone else’s work.  Learn more at Student Conduct Resources.  In this class, academic dishonesty will result in at least a failing grade for the assignment, with more severe penalties possible in consultation with Student Conduct.  We will use TurnItIn to help keep us on track.

 

Privacy and Security

I will post class recordings on Cal Poly Pomona’s secure video streaming server and provide the links only on Canvas, accessible only to members of this class.  (Zoom’s recording privacy issues have to do with Zoom’s cloud server, which we won’t use.)  They will be deleted from the streaming server and Canvas after the time period for grade appeals for this term is over, approximately Summer 2022.  Please do not screen-capture and share the recordings of class yourself outside of our class (it’s creepy!).

 

The passwords for Zoom classes and office hours should help eliminate zoombombing.  Please do not share class urls and passwords.  If we do get a zoombomber, I can remove them very quickly.

 

Please keep your work secure, do not share with students outside the class or upload homework to sites such as Chegg or CourseHero.

 

Here’s some information about privacy and security policies for Canvas and the university:

 

 

University Student Support

You’re paying for many campus resources through your fees.  Use them!  Here are a few that might be especially helpful:

And again, please let me know if you need help. This is a big campus with a lot of stuff available, and every faculty and staff member wants to see you succeed, especially in a time where things are really difficult and uncertain.

Course Summary:

Course Summary
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