NATRS 390 - Environmental Decision Making and Conflict Resolution

Credits: 5
Introduces students to conflict theory as applied in complex natural resource disputes including forest harvest in the Pacific Northwest. Focuses on skill development in planning culturally appropriate and inclusive public participation processes, meeting facilitation, and conflict mediation including option comparison for nonviolent conflict management.

Prerequisite: ENGL 128 and instructor’s permission.

Course Outcomes:
Students who successfully complete this class will be able to:

Discuss case studies of environmental conflict with a focus on Western environmental issues.
Examine stakeholders and learn to identify what communication process should be used to improve opportunities for conflict resolution and decision making outcomes.
Examine individual and group conflict resolution skills including interdisciplinary teams.
Participate in a public forum for an environmental conflict and write an industry brief on the issue.

Program Outcomes

Attain a job in the Natural Resources field.
Manage Forestland and Resources to attain positive outcomes.
Demonstrate effective written and verbal communications between industry partners and cooperators.

College-wide Outcomes

Critical Thinking - Critical thinking finds expression in all disciplines and everyday life. It is characterized by an ability to reflect upon thinking patterns, including the role of emotions on thoughts, and to rigorously assess the quality of thought through its work products. Critical thinkers routinely evaluate thinking processes and alter them, as necessary, to facilitate an improvement in their thinking and potentially foster certain dispositions or intellectual traits over time.
Responsibility - Responsibility encompasses those behaviors and dispositions necessary for students to be effective members of a community. This outcome is designed to help students recognize the value of a commitment to those responsibilities which will enable them to work successfully individually and with others.
Written Communication - Written Communication encompasses all the abilities necessary for effective expression of thoughts, feelings, and ideas in written form.