The
University Senate of Michigan Technological University
Proposal 6-10
(Voting
Units: Academic)
“GRADUATE CERTIFICATE
IN SUSTAINABLE WATER RESOURCES SYSTEMS”
1. General description and characteristics of
program.
We propose to
establish a 15-credit graduate certificate entitled “Certificate in Sustainable
Water Resources Systems.” The certificate program will be administered by the
Students who complete this certificate will have a set of core competencies in understanding current water resource issues and develop an advanced understanding of the problems and new technology development in their field of expertise. This certificate will be useful to students in such fields as natural resource management, business and policy, environmental and civil engineering, geology and geological engineering, and environmental policy.
2. Rationale.
Students who complete this certificate will be able to demonstrate that they understand water resource management from an interdisciplinary perspective that includes policy, natural sciences, and applied sciences. Increasingly, water managers have to work effectively on problem solving that crosses disciplines. For instance, a community water resource management issue may involve the failure of multiple homeowner onsite wastewater systems causing lake eutrophication with negative impacts on fisheries. Solving this problem effectively necessitates an understanding of how to work effectively with the homeowners, communicate fisheries impacts, work within existing state law governing onsite wastewater management, and the technical dimensions of the wastewater systems in use. While no one individual is likely to have deep knowledge in every area, our certificate will give students literacy in multiple areas allowing them to absorb information outside of their core discipline.
3. Discussion of related programs within the
institution and at other institutions.
No program like this proposed certificate program is offered at Michigan Technological University. Graduate certificates in similar fields are offered at the following institutions in the U.S.
This certificate program emphasizes water resources management and policy and apparently includes only minimal material on the biophysical aspects of water systems.
Stevens Institute of Technology: Water Resources Graduate Certificate http://www.stevens.edu/ses/wr/cert.html
This certificate program emphasizes primarily physical hydrology and hydrologic engineering and apparently includes only minimal material on the human dimensions of water systems.
University of Arizona: Graduate Certificate in Water Policy http://gcwp.arizona.edu/
This certificate program emphasizes water resources law and policy and apparently includes only minimal material on the biophysical aspects of water systems .
This certificate program emphasizes primarily physical hydrology and hydrologic engineering and apparently includes only minimal material on the human dimensions of water systems
4. Projected enrollment.
We expect 10 individuals will enroll in this certificate program each year. At least initially, we expect that the individuals working toward the certificate will be students on the Michigan Tech campus and enrolled in post-baccalaureate degree programs. In the future, we will explore extending the certificate program to non-degree seeking students and course delivery via distance education, online, or at remote sites.
5. Scheduling plans (Extension, Evening,
Regular).
All courses to be taken as a part of this certificate are regularly scheduled courses.
6. Curriculum design.
This certificate requires a total of 15 credits. Specific requirements for the certificate program include
a) All students must take Water and Society Colloquium (UN5100, 1 credit).
b) All students must take a hydrology course equivalent to the 3000 level or higher and worth at least three credits. This requirement can be fulfilled by courses listed in Table 1.
|
Table
1: Courses Suitable for Fulfilling Hydrology Requirement |
|||
|
Courses |
Prerequisites |
Credits |
Offering |
|
CE3620 Water Resources
Engineering |
(ENG 3200 or ENG 3507)
& (MA 3710 or CE 3502) |
4 |
Fall, Spring |
|
CE3650 Hydraulics and
Hydrology |
|
3 |
Fall, Spring |
|
FW 4370 Forest and
Landscape Hydrology |
|
3 |
Spring |
|
GE 3850 Geohydrology |
|
3 |
Fall |
|
Relevant courses completed
by the certificate participates from other institutions prior to enrolling in
the certificate program a, b |
|||
|
a For example, the
undergraduate institution attended by the certificate participant b Must be approved by Center
for Water and Society Advisory Committee |
|||
c) All students must take a minimum of one class from each of the three categories listed in Table 2. All classes taken to fulfill the requirements of the certificate, with the exception of the Water and Society Colloquium and the exceptions described in item c) above, must come from the list in Table 2. The courses that satisfy the hydrology requirement, described in item c) above, can be used to satisfy the requirement of taking minimum of one class from each of the three categories listed in the Table 2, if the course is taken at Michigan Tech, while the certificate participant is enrolled in the certificate program.
d) A grade of B or higher in must be obtained in each of the courses taken to fulfill the certificate requirements.
e) At least 9 of the total certificate credits must be at the 5000-level or higher.
Table 2: Certificate Courses and
Corresponding Categories
|
Category |
Courses |
Prerequisites |
Credits |
Offering |
|
Natural Systems |
BL 4450 Limnology |
|
4 |
Fall |
|
BL 5451 Aquatic Ecology |
|
4 |
Fall b |
|
|
BL 5460 Advanced Ecology: Ecosystems |
|
3 |
Spring a |
|
|
FW 4220 Wetlands |
|
4 |
Fall |
|
|
FW 4370 |
|
3 |
Spring |
|
|
FW 5115 Restoration Ecology |
|
3 |
Spring c |
|
|
Policy and Societal Systems & Economics |
CE 4506 Application of Environmental Regulations and
Pollution Prevention to Engineering Practice |
CE 3501 or CE 3503 |
3 |
Spring |
|
EC 5640 Natural Resource Economics |
EC 3001 or EC 3002 or EC 2001 |
3 |
Fall |
|
|
EC 5650 Environmental Economics |
EC 3001 or EC 3002 or EC 2001 |
3 |
Spring |
|
|
SS 5100 Global Environmental Systems |
|
3 |
Fall |
|
|
SS 5200 Environmental Decision-Making |
|
3 |
Spring |
|
|
SS 5300 Environmental Policy and Politics |
|
3 |
Fall |
|
|
SS 5350 Environmental Policy Analysis |
SS 5200 |
3 |
Spring |
|
|
SS 5400 Sociology of the Environment |
|
3 |
Fall |
|
|
Physical Hydrology and Engineered Water Resources
Systems |
CE3620 Water Resources
Engineering |
(ENG 3200 or ENG 3507)
& (MA 3710 or CE 3502) |
4 |
Fall, Spring |
|
CE 4505 Surface Water Quality Engineering |
CE 3501 or CE 3503 |
3 |
Fall |
|
|
CE 4507 Water Distribution and Wastewater Collection
Design |
CE 3501 or CE 3503 |
3 |
Spring |
|
|
CE 4508 Water and Wastewater Treatment |
(ENG 3507 or
ENG 3200) & (CE 3501 or CE 3503) |
3 |
Fall |
|
|
CE 4620 River and Floodplain Hydraulics |
CE 3620 |
3 |
Fall |
|
|
CE 4630 Stormwater Management and Low Impact
Development |
CE 3620 |
3 |
Spring |
|
|
CE 5502 Biological Treatment Processes |
|
3 |
Fall, Spring |
|
|
CE 5503 Physical/Chemical Treatment Processes |
|
3 |
Spring |
|
|
CE 5504 Surface Water Quality Modeling |
|
3 |
Spring |
|
|
CE 5508 Biogeochemical Processes |
CE 4501 |
3 |
Fall, Spring |
|
|
CE-CH 5509 Transport and Transformation of Organic Pollutants |
CE 4501 or CH 3510 |
3 |
Fall d |
|
|
CE 5620 Stochastic Hydrology |
MA 3710 and CE 3620 |
3 |
On demand |
|
|
CE 5661 - GIS Applications |
CE 3620 |
3 |
On demand |
|
|
CE 5664 Water Resources Modeling |
CE 3620 |
3 |
On demand |
|
|
CE 5665 Stream Restoration |
CE 3620 |
3 |
On demand |
|
|
CE 5666 Water Resources Planning & Management |
CE 3620 and (EC 3402 or ENT 3402 or EC 3400) |
3 |
On demand |
|
|
GE 3850 Geohydrology |
|
3 |
Fall |
|
|
FW 4370 |
|
3 |
Spring |
|
|
GE 4800 Groundwater Engineering |
GE 3850 |
3 |
On demand |
|
|
GE 5850 Advanced Groundwater Engineering and
Remediation |
|
3 |
Spring |
|
|
a
Offered alternate years beginning with the 2000-2001 academic year b Offered
alternate years beginning with the 2007-2008 academic year c Offered
alternate years beginning with the 2004-2005 academic year d Offered
alternate years beginning with the 2005-2006 academic year e FW
4370 can satisfy the course requirements from either the “Natural Systems” or
the “Physical Hydrology and Engineered Water Resources Systems” categories, but not both. |
||||
7. New
course descriptions.
UN 5XXX. Center for Water and Society Colloquium: 1 credit, spring.
Seminar based class covers relevant, current topics in water resources.
Objectives: (1) build towards a common literacy on water resources issues; (2)
identify areas of common interest among students and faculty with an eye
towards potential areas of collaboration on research projects or other
initiatives, in the area of water resources. Open to all graduate students and
undergraduate students with permission of course instructor(s)
Course Add Proposal
Form is attached.
8. Library and other learning resources.
No new library or other learning resources are required.
9. Computing Access Fee.
No additional computing access fee is required for students on campus and enrolled in post-baccalaureate degree programs at Michigan Technological University. In the future, as we explore extending the certificate program to non-degree seeking students and course delivery via distance education, online, or at remote sites, we will develop appropriate mechanisms for charging computer access fees.
10. Faculty resumes.
Resumes for the
following faculty can be found at the Center for Water and Society web site: http://www.mtcws.mtu.edu/participants3.html. These faculty include the Director and members
of the Advisory Committee for the Center for Water and Society, and have
endorsed this proposal. Affiliations and research expertise are indicated for
each faculty.
Nancy Auer,
Department of Biological Sciences, Fish Biology, Zooplankton Ecology,
Limnology, Conservation Biology
William
Breffle, School of Business & Economics, Natural Resource Economics
John Gierke,
Department of Geological & Mining Engineering & Sciences, Chemical Fate
in the Environment, Remote Sensing for Hazard Mitigation
Kathleen
Halvorsen, Department of Social Sciences, Sociology of Natural Resources,
Natural Resource and Environmental Policy
Alex Mayer, Department
of Civil & Environmental Engineering and Director, Center for Water and Society, Water Resources Management
Tom Pypker, School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Ecohydrology
Noel Urban, Department
of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Environmental Geochemistry
11. Description of available/needed equipment.
No equipment is needed.
12. Program
costs
The Center for Water and Society Colloquium will be team taught and rotated among the faculty participants in the Center for Water and Society. Deans of the Colleges and Schools participating in the Center for Water Society have assured that faculty time will be made available to teach the course (see attached memos).
13. Space.
No space is required.
14. Policies, regulations and rules.
The certificate will be administered by the
Center for Water and Society Advisory Committee and the
This certificate program will follow current
(as of 12/1/08)
All coursework counted towards the certificate
must be completed with a grade of “B” or better.
15. Accreditation requirements.
No accreditation is required.
16. Internal status of the proposal.
Proposal
has been reviewed by Center for Water
and Society Advisory Committee and the Dean of the
17. Planned implementation date
As soon as approved.
Introduced to Senate: 21 October 2009
Adopted by Senate: 04 November 2009
Approved by Administration: 06 November 2009