Syllabus
UNE Summer Session
ENVS 1010 – 6 week (Summer Session 1 2026)
Credits - 3
Description
Course Description: This course is an introduction to environmental challenges and opportunities which emphasizes that humans are part of ecosystems within interdependent cycles which involve other organisms, air, water, chemicals, and energy. The course examines the relationships of humans to their environment from historical, economic, scientific, aesthetic, and ethical perspectives.
As we progress through this course you become more environmentally aware: more aware of your own actions and the impact they have on the environment, more aware of human actions and the impact on the environment and more aware of the need for human activity to shift on a global scale to sustain our Earth and all of its inhabitants.
Materials
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
Course Outcomes
- Explain how the Earth’s ecosystems function with an emphasis on human’s reliance on its interdependent cycles.
- Understand fundamental environmental concepts to generate socially just, creative, collaborative, and sustainable solutions to environmental problems
- Analyze the impact of climate change and resource consumption choices on global sustainability by integrating information from the natural and social sciences, the humanities, and marginalized ways of knowing;
- Demonstrate what it means to act as planetary citizens: aware, appreciative, protective, and restorative of Earth systems upon which they and all life fundamentally depend – to act ethically and responsibly in relation to the Earth at a personal, professional and societal level.
Assignments
Course Project: Personal Sustainability & Climate Change Systems
Throughout this course you will have an opportunity to explore your ethics, values, and morals as they pertain to your role as a human on Earth. What does living sustainably mean to you? Do you make sustainable choices pertaining to food, transportation, your purchases? What is your energy use? Where do you want to grow your sustainability practices and how?
Many assignments throughout the course scaffolded for you to examine and reflect upon the choices you make from an environmental awareness perspective, culminating in a final essay.
Discussions
There are weekly discussions to explore content deeply and engage with peers. Discussions include town hall speeches, debates, negotiations, and responses to learning materials. Each week you will post and then respond to others. Initial posts are typically due by 11:59pm ET Fridays and response posts to one or more peers are typically due by 11:59pm ET on Sunday, the last day of the week. There are some exceptions where more posts are required, you can refer to weekly checklists, discussion instructions, and announcements for more information.
Assignments and Reflective Journals
In addition to weekly discussions, you will have at least one assignment or reflective journal to submit. Many of these are related to the course project for you to examine and reflect upon your own choices and perspectives of different environmental topics. Assignments and reflective journal entries must be submitted by 11:59pm ET on Sunday, the last day of the week, unless otherwise noted.
Grading Policy
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Grade Breakdown
| Learning Activity | Points |
|---|---|
| Academic Integrity Agreement Quiz | 0 |
| Week 1 Discussion: Introductions | 5 |
| Weekly Assignments (5 assignments, various points ) | 30 |
| Weekly Discussion (5 discussions, 6 points each) | 30 |
| Reflective Journals (3 entries, 5 points each) | 15 |
| Final Project: Personal Sustainability Essay | 20 |
| TOTAL | 100 |
Grade Scale
| Grade | Points Grade | Point Average (GPA) |
| A | 93 – 100% | 4.00 |
| A- | 90 – 92.9% | 3.75 |
| B+ | 87 – 89.9% | 3.50 |
| B | 83 – 86.9% | 3.00 |
| B- | 80 – 82.9% | 2.75 |
| C+ | 77 – 79.9% | 2.50 |
| C | 73 – 76.9% | 2.00 |
| C- | 70 – 72.9% | 1.75 |
| D | 60 – 69.9% | 1.00 |
| F | 00 – 59.9% | 0.00 |
Schedule
Course Dates: May 18 – June 26, 2026
Week 1: May 18 – May 24
Week 2: May 25 – May 31
Week 3: Jun 1 – Jun 7
Week 4: Jun 8 – Jun 14
Week 5: Jun 15 – Jun 21
Week 6: Jun 22 – Jun 26
| Week | Assignments and Discussions | Due Dates (by 11:59pm ET) and Looking Ahead |
| Week 1: Intro to Environmental Science: Climate Change, Systems Thinking, and Wicked Problems |
Discussion: Introductions – Nature Journal and Sit Spot Assignment: Anatomy of an Environmental Issue & Systems Mapping Rough Draft |
Discussion
Assignment due Sunday |
| Week 2: Environmental Worldviews and Complex Perspectives |
Discussion: Six Americas and Camp Ellis Assignment: Systems Mapping Final Draft Reflective Journal: Environmental Worldview |
Discussion
Assignment and Reflective Journal due Sunday |
| Week 3: Adapting to Change and Stewarding Healthy Ecosystems |
Discussion: Environmental Issue Lightning Talk Assignment: Isle Royale Predator-Prey Management |
Discussion
Assignment due Sunday |
| Week 4: Environmental Justice & Traditional Ecological Knowledge |
Discussion: Traditional Ecological Knowledge Documentaries Reflective Journal: Environmental Justice |
Discussion
Reflective Journal due Sunday Looking ahead: Begin to think about Final Project: Personal Sustainability Essay |
| Week 5: Planetary Health: Human Health, Food Systems, and Life Cycles |
Discussion: Genetically Modified Foods: For Better or for Worse? Assignment: Life Cycle Assessment Reflective Journal: Ecological Footprint, Lifestyle, and Stewardship |
Discussion
Assignment and Reflective Journal due Sunday |
| Week 6: Participatory Democracy, UN Sustainability Development Goals, and Personal Sustainability |
Discussion: World Climate Convention Assignment: Participatory Democracy Final Project: Personal Sustainability Essay
|
Discussion
Assignment due Sunday Final Project due Sunday |
Student Resources
Summer Session Online Student Support
Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies. If you are a current UNE undergraduate taking online Summer Session courses, please continue to work with your Advisor and include them on your outreaches.
Questions? Email: summersessiononline@une.edu.
UNE Libraries
- Library Access for all students: Your library login ID and password are the same as the ones you use to log into Brightspace.
- Library Questions: Ask a librarian or phone library staff at (207) 602-2361 or (207) 221-4330.
Further Assistance and Accommodations
Your student support specialist monitors course progression and provides assistance or guidance when needed. They can assist questions regarding ordering course materials, University policies, billing, navigating the course in Brightspace, and more.
To request an accommodation a student needs to go through the process with our UNE office. If the student has a current/already established accommodation in place with UNE it is the responsibility of the student to notify the program at summersessiononline@une.edu to ensure it is applied properly.
If you need to inquire about a possible accommodation, please reach out to the Student Access Center by calling 207-221-4418 or send an email to pcstudentaccess@une.edu.
If you are a current UNE undergrad, please continue to work with your coordinator at bcstudentaccess@une.edu and ensure any accommodations you have in place - are put in place for your online Summer Session course(s).
Online Peer Support
Togetherall is a 24/7 communication and emotional support platform monitored by trained clinicians. It’s a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively, and learn how to manage your mental health. If sharing isn’t your thing, Togetherall has other tools and courses to help you look after yourself with plenty of resources to explore. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low, or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. You can join Togetherall using your UNE email address.
Information Technology Services (ITS)
Students should notify their Student Support Specialist and instructor in the event of a problem relating to a course. This notification should occur promptly and proactively to support timely resolution.
ITS Contact: Toll-Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673.
Instructor and Support Contact Information
Check Brightspace for specific instructor and support specialist contact information.
Policies
Summer Session & Academic Engagement Policy
Online students are required to submit a graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm EDT of the first week of the term. If a student does not submit a posting to the graded assignment/discussion by 11:59 pm EDT on Sunday of the first week, the student will be automatically dropped from the course for non-participation.
Proctored Examinations
Your course may have proctored exams. For all proctored exams, an external camera is required. Please see the course for the exact exam requirements, test-taker guidance, proctoring format, and allowances (such as calculators or whiteboards, as indicated in the course). https://success.une.edu/science-prerequisites/honorlock/
Information about exam attempts can be found in your course.
Course Length
A schedule of lectures and assignments is included in this syllabus.
Courses in the program are equivalent to one-semester courses designed to be completed in 6 or 12 weeks.
- Enrollment in the course begins the day your section opens which is listed in the Academic Calendar. Students in online Summer Session courses will have early access the Saturday prior to the course start date to review course content as needed.
- Course due dates, start and end dates are in respect to Eastern Time.
Technology Requirements
Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Programs: Technical Requirements.
Withdrawal and Refund Policies
Please review the policies in your confirmation email. Contact summersessiononline@une.edu with any questions.
Grade Policy
Students are expected to attempt and complete all graded assignments and proctored exams by the end date of the course.
Late Policy
Unless stated otherwise by your faculty: Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days, the assignment will not be accepted. Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3-point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded. Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.
Transcripts
Due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, only the student may request official transcripts. This may be done online by going to the University of New England Registrar website and following the directions on the page.
Academic Integrity
The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
- Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
- Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
- Multiple submission of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
- Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.
Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the College. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations. Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final. Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.
Using Generative AI When Completing Coursework
Generative AI (GenAI) applications (like ChatGPT) have proven to be powerful and effective tools, and students are encouraged to become familiar with and use them. However, as with any tool, students must use GenAI in ways that support learning, not replace it. Learning to use AI responsibly and ethically is an important skill in today’s society.
In their courses, students are not allowed to use advanced automated tools, such as generative AI tools, on assignments unless explicitly directed to do so. Each student is expected to complete each assignment, including labs and quizzes as applicable, without substantive assistance from others, including automated tools.
Using AI-content generators to complete assignments without proper attribution violates academic integrity. By submitting assignments in UNE courses, you pledge to affirm that they are your own work and you attribute use of any and all tools and sources.
Unauthorized Use
Unauthorized use of AI is treated as a violation of academic integrity.
Citing AI Use
If permitted, students should indicate and cite any use of AI tools.
Instructor Responsibility
Instructors should clearly reiterate, using UNE AI Use Policy, how students can use AI tools in their courses, and communicate this policy to students at the beginning of the semester.
Student Responsibility
Students must follow the academic integrity policy of the University of New England.