ENVS 240 gives students a chance to explore the realm of proactive change in the environmental arena.  It combines the theories of policy, the tools of problem solving, and the practice of dealing with environmental challenges in the real world of American government.  The course’s premise is this: if you want to improve the state of the planet, you have to propose a solution.  If you want to make a solution happen, you should understand the process of getting an idea through the decision making system.  Effecting change requires at least a solid background in the system we usually rely on to make things happen, whether you ultimately want to work within the system or work outside it.  The course is divided into two main components: an overview and implementation of problem solving techniques, and an in-depth examination of the decision making process that engages problem solving ideas.  In our case, we will explore the U.S. Congress' role in environmental policy formation.  The latter section culminates in a "Moot Congress" at the end of the term.  

 

This course involves a wide variety of communication competencies and issues, particularly in the latter segments of the term.  When students complete their Congressional bills, they not only submit them in written form, but also present them orally before their peers (and are assessed on their persuasive abilities by their peers and instructor).  This audience of peers is expanded to include the students in COMM 108, Writing for Print, who are assigned to write newspaper articles on the bills proposed by the ENVS 240 students.  Thereafter, our class is all about communication: in public and private settings, students must market, defend, critique, and refine their arguments relating to both their own and other people’s legislative initiatives.  The final exam is a quasi-formal debate on substantive issues, but the ability to “win” is premised on students’ fundamental understanding that process trumps content in most decision making systems.