Texas A&M University - RPTS 402 - Park Planning and Design

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COURSE SYLLABUS

Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences Printable Course Syllabus Park Planning and Design, RPTS 402 Spring 2008

Instructor: Scott Shafer 207 Francis Hall 845 3837 sshafer@tamu.edu office hrs. TR 9:30 - 10:30 (or by appointment)		Teaching Assistant: Beatriz Rivera 307 Francis Hall 845-4618 bbtrack2002@yahoo.com

Lecture: Room 112 Chemical Engineering, TR @ 8:00 to 9:15 Lab: Room 208 Francis Hall sec 501 - W @ 9:10 - 11:10 sec 502 - W @ 12:40 - 2:40 sec 503 - W @ 3:00 - 5:00 Students in this class needing accommodations relating to a disability should feel free to call or come by Scott Shafer's office. The location and phone number are listed above. Purpose of Course This course is about people and their relationships with places. In particular, it is about places where people spend leisure time. The course reviews the importance of an environmental and social ethic in planning and design, the process and products, and how planning and design of a place can influence people. You should complete the course having gained knowledge that will help you to contribute to a planning or design process and be able to critically examine various types of plans and designs. The course should provide you with a better understanding of physical and social environments and the role that parks and tourism places can play in sustaining them. Course Objectives The following objectives will guide the information presented and the exercises completed in this course. RPTS 402 is intended to help students: 1) understand how an environmental ethic can guide planning and design; 2) develop an understanding of the planning process; 3) better understand sustainable planning and design practices; 4) gain experience with "tools" that can be used to help in the planning and design process and to include diverse stakeholders; 5) observe and evaluate characteristics related to how and why places are perceived and used by people; 6) gain first hand experience in the planning and design process including the use of specific computer software to work with spatial information. Readings Required Packet Readings have been compiled to support lecture materials and lab work. The packet is available through Notes-N-Quotes, 701 University Drive (at the intersection of University and Nagle, across from Blocker). Web Site Additional readings will be assigned and posted on the RPTS 402 web site for you to access as needed. Book Kaplan, R., Kaplan, S. & Ryan, L. (1998). With People in Mind: Design and Management of Everyday Nature. Island Press: Washington D.C.

Costs Associated with the Course		Cost
Readings packet		$50
Textbook		$30
You may need to purchase a few supplies for lab work.		$10

Approximate Total Cost		$90

Grade (Your final grade will be based on work in five areas:)

1) Two written assignments (@ 10% each) 2) Exams (2 regular and a final) 3) Participation (quizzes, attendance) 4) Lab exercises 5) Choose or Lose 100		20% 35% 10% 25% 10%
Total		100%

Description of Work Written Assignments You will be required to complete two written exercises during the semester. These will be reviews of public meetings. See the assignment pages for more detailed information and the course calendar for due dates. Exams There will be three exams given. Two will be during lecture periods and the third will be given during the final exam period. The final exam will be comprehensive. Exams will generally include objective items, such as true/false and multiple-choice questions, combined with short answer responses. Exams have been scheduled as indicated in the course calendar. Participation This requires attendance, participation in class and the completion of exercises and/or unannounced quizzes. Quizzes cannot be made up, however, you will be allowed to drop one. Lab Work During the semester we will review some of the practical aspects of planning and design in the lab. Exercises will be assigned regularly to help you develop skills in gathering spatial information, map reading, interpreting graphics, use of computer software and other areas. You will be expected to complete several small projects as a part of your lab work. Choose or Lose The idea is to give you a choice in what you do for part of your grade. Toward the end of the semester you will need to select a topic area we have covered related to recreation, park and/or tourism planning/design and develop a product of some type to submit for a grade. The product can be anything from a drawing to a poem, an interview to a critique of a park or slide presentation on the value of designing with native plants. These will be graded primarily on quality and sincerity of effort. Whatever you submit must have both a visual and written/verbal component. See the choose or lose assignment sheet for more details. Policy Assignments handed in after the set date and time will be penalized based on the following scale. There is a loss, before grading, of 10% of total possible points for every day after the original due date down to 0 points after 10 days (includes weekend days). For example, a student turns in a paper worth 100 points on Monday that was due the previous Thursday. This paper would be considered 4 days late and the student would loose 40% and start with a 60/100 prior to grading. A documented University excused absence can be used to mitigate this penalty. Exams and Participation If an exam is not taken with the class on the assigned date a student must have a university excused absence, as stated in the University Rules and Regulations, in order to make it up. The student should take this make-up exam no later than one week after the original exam date. You will have several unannounced quizzes during the semester; make-ups are not provided but one can be dropped to make allowances. Your attendance will also be calculated into your participation grade. Communication A key to helping the course run smoothly is communication among you, Beatriz and me. If you have a question or concern talk with us don't just let it slide. We will do our best to work with you in unusual circumstances. Scholastic Honesty According to the University Rules and Regulations, scholastic honesty is violated when a student cheats on an exam, plagiarizes or accepts prohibited assistance, etceteras. Regulations prohibit students from giving or receiving assistance on class projects unless the instructor authorizes it. This does not prevent you from using tutors or participating in study groups. Each student is expected to read and understand the departmental handout regarding plagiarism. These can be obtained from the departmental advisor or taken from resident files in the computer lab. All assignments and reports should include the appropriate citations for published documents and other information sources used. At the discretion of the instructor, instances of scholastic dishonesty will be punished by a failing grade on the assignment or for the class overall. Major infractions will be formally reported to the Aggie Honor System Office. In accordance with regulations, students found guilty of two infractions will be dismissed from the curriculum, regardless of when or in which courses the infractions occurred. Please see http://www.tamu.edu/aggiehonor/ for more on policies regarding scholastic honesty.