PA 5711 is also offered in Fall 2024
PA 5711 is also offered in Fall 2023
PA 5711 is also offered in Fall 2022
PA 5711 is also offered in Fall 2021
Fall 2017 | PA 5711 Section 001: Science, Technology & Environmental Policy (21240)
- Instructor(s)
- Class Component:
- Lecture
- Credits:
- 3 Credits
- Grading Basis:
- Student Option
- Instructor Consent:
- No Special Consent Required
- Instruction Mode:
- In Person Term Based
- Times and Locations:
- Regular Academic Session09/05/2017 - 12/13/2017Fri 09:05AM - 12:00PMUMTC, West BankHubert H Humphrey Center 60
- Also Offered:
- Course Catalog Description:
- Interplay of science, technology, the environment, and society. Approaches from across the social sciences will cover how science and technology can create new environmental pressures as well as policy challenges in a range of spheres from climate change to systems of intellectual property and international development.
- Class Notes:
- http://classinfo.umn.edu/?gabechan+PA5711+Fall2017
- Class Description:
- This course will investigate, from a variety of perspectives, the ways in which human society is transforming (and being transformed by) science, technology, and the environment. Drawing on ideas from a wide spectrum of the social sciences, this course will prepare students to grapple with contemporary policy issues in arenas such as systems for intellectual property, global climate change, public health, technology for development, the science and engineering workforce, innovation, and regulation of emerging technologies. Special emphasis will be given to policies at the intersection of science, technology, and the environment. No student is expected to have a sophisticated understanding of the full range of disciplinary perspectives and topical issues we will explore; all of us will bring some relevant experience, expertise, or perspective to the table, and to integrate it with that of their classmates through discussion and teamwork. The focus of the course is public policy in the United States, but several class sessions will cover issues related to globalization and international development.
- Who Should Take This Class?:
- This course is designed for MS-STEP students and other Masters (MPP, MURP, MDP, MHR, MPA, etc.) and Doctoral students concentrating or otherwise interested in STEP. Exceptional undergraduates may seek permission to enroll from the instructor.
- Learning Objectives:
- By the end of the course, my hope is that you will achieve the following learning goals:• A substantive understanding of the policy spheres and major institutions that shape science, technology, and environmental policy;• A familiarity with the major schools of thought and key literatures that shape science, technology, and environmental policy;• The ability to apply core concepts from readings and lectures to contemporary policy issues, even in cases where the scientific or technical dimensions may be unfamiliar to you;• Practice writing memos that defend original policy positions;• A sense of confidence in exploring multiple sides to policy issues (including through original research) that involve critical technical, social, political, and institutional dimensions;• A greater openness to receiving constructive feedback from your peers and improved skills in providing feedback yourself;• A deepened curiosity in one or more areas of science, technology, and environmental policy that inspires future coursework, research, professional development, and learning.
- Grading:
- Grading for this course will have four major components. First is participation, which will be evaluated based on your participation in classroom discussions as well as your performance as the week's assigned reading discussant. Second is a policy memo on R&D policy. Third is a policy memo on environmental regulation. Finally, you will complete an individual final project. Evaluation of the final project will be based on a written paper, oral presentation to the class, and your thoughtfulness as a discussant of one of your peer's project.The breakdown of final grades will be as follows: Policy Memo 1 (10%), Policy Memo 2 (15%), Final Project (50%), Participation (25%)
- Exam Format:
- No Exams
- Class Format:
- This course will meet for a three-hour block once per week on Mondays from 6:00-8:45 p.m. Each class will begin with discussion of the week's readings led by two or more students assigned to be "reading discussants." I will then lead a lecture-based discussion. The second half of each class will begin with small group work to define a position based on a contemporary complex policy debate related to the week's topic. Students will then engage each other in debate and discussion on this policy issue, during which we will draw out more general idea.
Broadly, we will spend the first four weeks focused on science and technology policy (with many examples drawn from the environmental sphere). The next four weeks will focus on environmental policy (with many examples and connections drawn to science and technology issues). The final four weeks examine cross-cutting issues across science, technology, and environmental policy, which will include student presentations on a cross-cutting topic of choice. - Workload:
- Readings are an essential part of this class. You should expect around 70-100 pages of reading (or equivalent) per week drawn from scholarly publications, popular articles, and other forms of media (e.g. videos). Students will also lead class discussion once per semester.There will be three primary written assignments, one of which is a final paper.
- Textbooks:
- https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/21240/1179
- Past Syllabi:
- http://classinfo.umn.edu/syllabi/gabechan_PA5711_Fall2015.pdf (Fall 2015)
- Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
- 17 May 2017
ClassInfo Links - Fall 2017 Public Affairs Classes
- To link directly to this ClassInfo page from your website or to save it as a bookmark, use:
- http://classinfo.umn.edu/?subject=PA&catalog_nbr=5711&term=1179
- To see a URL-only list for use in the Faculty Center URL fields, use:
- http://classinfo.umn.edu/?subject=PA&catalog_nbr=5711&term=1179&url=1
- To see this page output as XML, use:
- http://classinfo.umn.edu/?subject=PA&catalog_nbr=5711&term=1179&xml=1
- To see this page output as JSON, use:
- http://classinfo.umn.edu/?subject=PA&catalog_nbr=5711&term=1179&json=1
- To see this page output as CSV, use:
- http://classinfo.umn.edu/?subject=PA&catalog_nbr=5711&term=1179&csv=1
ClassInfo created and maintained by the Humphrey School of Public Affairs.
If you have questions about specific courses, we strongly encourage you to contact the department where the course resides.