Great Lakes Policy & Management: Assessing the Future of the World’s Largest Freshwater Ecosystem - ENVIRON 462

3 credits

Prerequisites: None

Satisfies requirements for: PitE Practical Experience and Social Science requirement for Environment majors. Students should contact their department advisor for major/minor exception requests.

Meets: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday

Instructor: Mike Shriberg

Course Description:

This course will not only provide an overview of the key policy management and policy challenges facing the Great Lakes but will utilize case studies to conduct in-depth analysis of several issues. Case studies begin with readings and discussions at the Biological Station, continue with site visits to physically explore the issues and meet with practitioners working on the issues, and then conclude with a class-wide simulation of the various stakeholders and right holders. Throughout the course, students simulate being the head of Michigan’s Office of the Great Lakes as a way to tie the material together and practice professional decision making. Overall, this hands-on experience is designed to equip students to be future decision makers in the Great Lakes or other ecosystems around the country and world.