Classes

WFSC 608 - Public Participation in Conservation Policy

Public participation is considered a critical component of democratic society. Arnstein (1969) posited that public participation is essentially a redistribution of power, from government to citizen. Supporters of broad public participation posit that the public can best judge and represent its own interests and that participation will further enhance the public's ability to participate in the democratic system of government, reduce public feelings of powerlessness and alienation, and increase the legitimacy of the governing body (Fiorino, 1990). Public participation and deliberation can benefit society by creating public policy that is reflective of public values and opinions and that nurtures social, psychological, and political empowerment of the public. Conflict over how public participation should be constructed occurs on a regular basis, however.
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WFSC 607 - Environmental Conflict Management

We will consider the conflicts we face as humans communicating AMONG ourselves, ABOUT our physical environment and RELATING to the rest of the world. This will include an exploration of conflicting values, meanings, and forms of discourse that define and construct our understanding of nature/the environment/natural resources. Within this intellectual context, we will examine how communication creates, shapes, and maintains the social realities we use to make sense of our decisions about how to negotiate the relationship between humans and Earth. Through course readings, class discussions, and student projects we will examine concepts such as "nature," "environment," "technology," "natural resources," "development," and "progress" with respect to what they entail as communication phenomena.
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WFSC 303 - Fish and Wildlife Laws and Administration

This course covers basic principles of natural resource policy formation and implementation.
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