Catalog course description:

"Land as a natural resource; emphasis on geologic aspects that determine natural potentialities, restrictive conditions of land use. Three lecture hours; field trips. (3 sem. hrs.)"

Course attendance policy:

I expect you to attend all classes and fieldtrips. Changes in the topic schedule, information on exams and other course notices will only be explained and discussed in class. Some brief course notices will be posted on my web site (address above) but this will not replace the need to attend class! Please familiarize yourself with the official college policy regarding attendance and absences on page 58 of the 2000-2002 College Handbook.

Evaluation of student performance:

Exams will comprise a Midterm in October and a Final during finals week in December (see schedule). The Midterm will be worth 30% of your final grade and the Final will be worth 40% of your grade. Most, but not all of the questions on the Final will be drawn from material covered since the Midterm. Each exam will comprise a mix of multiple choice, short answer and data analysis questions.

The remaining 30% of your grade will come from in-class laboratory exercises and homework writing assignments. The six in-class exercises will involve you working with data and completing calculations; these exercises are to be completed during the class period and are due at the end of the session. The two homework assignments will involve you writing opinions or qualitative assessments relating to the issues we are covering in class.

Responsibility:

Be responsible for your own education. If you miss a class, get the notes from a colleague before the next class. If you miss an exam, you must contact me as soon as possible with a valid reason for your absence or you will receive a zero for that exam. Ask questions and get involved in class discussions. Your participation and willingness to learn will be used as an aid in final grade determinations for borderline situations.
 
 
 
 

Course objectives:

This course is about how we humans exploit the landscape around us and cope with the sometimes adverse aspects of the Earths' surficial environment. We will examine a range of land use and planning topics; focusing on the geologic aspects (science) but always remaining cognizant of the decision-making (political) and design (engineering) facets of the issues. The first half of the course will focus on site-specific planning issues, while the second half will consider regional issues of land use and planning. The primary tool for regional planning is the Geographic Information System (GIS), a computerized method of synthesizing, analyzing and displaying geospatial data. Accordingly, we will focus our consideration of regional planning issues around GIS and use real data from Westchester County (just north of New York City) to complete a GIS investigation of the best location for a new development.
 
 
 

Fieldtrips

Come prepared to get cold and/or wet. I will do my best to be back by 7:15pm but cannot guarantee it.

Every class

Bring a scientific calculator (if you have one but don't buy one specially), a 12" ruler, a sharp pencil, an eraser and your textbook to every class.

Academic accommodations:

If you are a student with a disability and wish to request accommodations, please contact the Office of Student Disability Services located in B-40 Van Hoesen Hall or call (607) 753-2066 for an appointment. Information regarding your disability will be treated in a confidential manner. Because many accommodations require early planning, requests should be made as early as possible.