1.1 Proposal Identification Â

Title of proposal: Bachelor of Science in Renewable Resource Management Degree [B.Sc. (RRM)], College of Agriculture and Bioresources, University of Saskatchewan

Degree(s): Bachelor of Science in Renewable Resource Management  Â

Field(s) of Specialization: Resource Science, Resource Economics and Policy

Level(s) of Concentration: Major                                                Â

Option(s):

Degree College: Agriculture and Bioresources   Â

Department: Soil Science and Bioresource Policy, Business, and Economics

Home College: Agriculture and Bioresources

Contact persons (name, telephone, fax, e-mail):

D. J. Pennock, Associate Dean (Academic)

College of Agriculture and Bioresources








  University of Saskatchewan








  51 Campus Drive








  Saskatoon, S7N 5A8








  Ph  306.966.6852

Fax: 306.966.6881








  Email: 



dan.pennock@usask.ca

Date:

Approved by the degree college and/or home college:  May 11, 2007

Proposed date of implementation: September 2008

1.2 Type of Change
Requiring approval by Council
X new Degree-Level program or template for program.

1. A new Field of Specialization at the Major or Honours Level of Concentration or template for a major or honours program
2. Conversion of an existing program from regular to special tuition program.
3. A change in the requirements for admission to a program
4. A change in quota for a college
5. Program revisions that will use new resources
6. A replacement program, including program deletion
7. A program deletion (consult Program Termination Procedures, approved by Council in May 2001)

2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Sustainable use of renewable resources is an enduring theme of public discourse in Canada. In Western Canada the direct use of renewable land, biotic, and water resources is a major economic driver. As well, the impacts of the extraction of non-renewable petroleum and mineral resources on the air, land and water base is an ongoing concern in the environmental sector. Wise use of renewable resource is a hallmark of aboriginal land management and the need for training in this area grows as the land base directly managed by aboriginal people increases.

The proposed B. Sc. in Renewable Resource Management (RRM) will be an applied science degree that will prepare students for careers in renewable resource management. The degree will focus on management of land, biotic, and water resources and will provide sufficient technical skills to ensure that graduates are highly employable in the resource sector. We will also ensure that students are provided with the broader intellectual context that is the hallmark of university-level education.

The proposed program will include an option for students from resource management programs at SIAST’s Woodland Campus to enter the B. Sc. RRM program with advanced credit given for their SIAST training. The SIAST programs have a considerable aboriginal enrollment and this linkage with SIAST will provide an avenue for entry of First Nations students into the University environment. The proposed program will also provide a means for students who have completed the Indigenous Peoples Resource Management Program at the certificate-level University of Saskatchewan to further pursue training in resource management at the degree level.

The B.Sc. RRM will be a four-year degree in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources. There will be two Fields of Specializations at the Major Level of Concentration: Resource Science and Resource Economics and Policy. The Department of Soil Science will be responsible for the Resource Science Field of Specialization and the Department of Bioresource Policy, Business, and Economics for Resource Economics and Policy. The Program Development Committee includes faculty from Animal and Poultry Science, Bioresource Policy, Business, and Economics, Applied Microbiology and Food Science, Plant Sciences, Soil Science, Geography (College of Arts and Science), and Agriculture and Bioresource Engineering (College of Engineering). The Committee is chaired by Dr. Dan Pennock, Professor, Soil Science.

The program will be built around five core courses in Renewable Resource Management:Â introductory-level courses in Renewable Resources and Environment and in Renewable Resource Economics and Policy; a 200-level Technical Communications course; a 300-level course in Group Project Design; and a 6-cu capstone Group Project course in the fourth year to apply the principles and practice of management. Additionally, students in the Renewable Resource Sciences major will attend a new Field Camp in the third year of their program. Other disciplinary core courses will be selected to ensure that all students graduate with a core bundle of skills of direct use in the employment market. Several of the technical skills courses in aerial photographic interpretation and geographical information systems will draw upon existing courses in the Department of Geography. Finally existing Minor programs that will deepen training in specific areas will be adopted.

Specific Minors will be adopted to ensure that RRM students who wish to pursue graduate studies have sufficient disciplinary training to pursue graduate studies in disciplines such as soil science, plant ecology, and resource economics. As well the students from the RRM program will be very well positioned to pursue studies in interdisciplinary graduate programs such as those proposed through the School of the Environment and Sustainability and should provide a pool of applicants for those programs.

The Group Project courses and Field Camp require intensive contact between faculty and students and place a very real enrollment cap on this program. Based on a wide experience in the teaching of field programs, the faculty involved in this program estimate that only 24 students can be accommodated in the 300-level field camp; hence the enrollment in the Resource Science major for U. of S. students will be capped at 24. Each Group Project will have a faculty advisor assigned to it, and the number of faculty available suggest that only eight group projects can be held in any year. We estimate a maximum group size of 7 students, and hence initially a total of 56 students can be admitted into the program. We estimate that 15 SIAST students will, on average, transfer into third year of the program. Therefore for a total program enrollment of 56 students per year, the enrollment in the Resource Economics and Policy major would be capped at 15 to 17 students per year. Hence at full enrollment there will be 190 students enrolled in this program over all four years.

The two primary departments associated with this program (Soil Science and Bioresource Policy, Business, and Economics) have identified a core group of seven faculty whose teaching will support the RRM program. This core group of seven faculty (plus the new lecturer position discussed below) will provide all of the program-specific courses and advising for this group of 190 students.Â

The field camp and group project courses also require a high amount of time devoted to logistics, group coordination, and liaison with external groups involved in the projects. We are requesting a new lecturer-level position to handle these coordination tasks. The lecturer will also instruct a new 200-level course in Taxonomy and Mapping that students require before beginning their field camp in year three of the program. Other courses required in the program consist of courses in the College traditionally undersubscribed by BSA students and hence the proposed program will make more efficient use of College teaching resources.

We are proposing that high school students will be able to apply for direct admission into the B.Sc. (RRM.) program and that the high school subjects required for admission into the program will be the same as those for the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture degree.

A program budget was prepared by Laurel Sawatzki, Business Analyst, College of Agriculture and Bioresources. The complete budget information is included in section 6 of this proposal.

3. RATIONALE FOR THE PROGRAM Â

3.1 Program Background and Objectives

The rapid expansion in both renewable and non-renewable resource sectors in western Canada has created a growing market for graduates with specific training targeted at these sectors.  At the same time that this demand for graduates in this area has increased there has been an expansion in the teaching and research expertise of faculty in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources; indeed the adoption of the new College name is the most visible manifestation of this recent expansion. Expertise exists in areas such as bioremediation of contaminated land, evaluation of ecological goods and services, forestry and agroforestry systems, indigenous peoples' resource management, and greenhouse gas dynamics in wetlands (for example) that are far outside even a broad definition of agriculture. Courses taught by these faculty in the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (B.S.A.) have traditionally been undersubscribed relative to mainstream agricultural courses in plant, food, and animal science.
At the same time as this expansion in expertise occurred in the College the demand for students trained in sustainable resource use has grown dramatically in western Canada. Sustainable use of renewable resources is an enduring theme of public discourse in Canada. In western Canada the direct use of renewable land, biotic, and water resources is a major economic driver. As well, the impacts of the extraction of non-renewable petroleum and mineral resources on the air, land and water base is a major focus of public concern and of activity in the environmental sector. Wise use of renewable resource is a hallmark of aboriginal land management and the need for training in this area grows as the land base directly managed by aboriginal people increases.

The proposed B. Sc. in Renewable Resource Management (RRM) will be an applied science degree that will prepare students for careers in renewable resource management. The degree will focus on management of land, biotic, and water resources and will provide sufficient technical and analytical skills to ensure that graduates are highly employable in the resource sector. We will also ensure that students are provided with the broader intellectual context that is the hallmark of university-level education.

The proposed program will include an option for students from resource management programs at SIAST's Woodland Campus to enter the B. Sc. (RRM) program with advanced credit given for their SIAST training. The SIAST programs have a considerable aboriginal enrollment and will provide an effective transitional experience for First Nations students into the University environment.

We will also develop a mechanism for the maximum possible credit to be granted to students who have completed the IPRMP certificate at the University of Saskatchewan. The program committee includes a representative from this program and we will ensure that continuing interaction between the two programs occurs.

3.2 Rationale for the Proposed Degree Name

The proposed name for the new degree is Bachelor of Science in Renewable Resource Management, which will be abbreviated as B.Sc. (RRM). This form of degree name has many precedents on campus, including the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (B.S.A.), Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness [B.Sc.(Agbus)], Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.), Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology [B.Sc. (Kin.)] and Bachelor of Science in Nutrition [B.Sc. (Nutr.)].

The proposed degree name effectively captures the scope of the degree. The emphasis on renewable indicates that non-renewable resources such as mineral and petroleum resources will not be a primary focus and students interested in these areas will be directed to other programs such as the B. Sc. and B. E. Ideally the program would include courses on wildlife and fisheries but this content is covered within the Biology Field of Specialization and students interested in these areas will be directed to the B. Sc program.

3.3 Need for the Program

An undergraduate, degree-level Renewable Resource Management Program is not offered at either the University of Saskatchewan or the University of Regina at this time. Training in this area is available through the SIAST system Graduates from the SIAST programs would find enhanced professional opportunities with University training. The proposed program provides an opportunity for these SIAST students to obtain a University degree through building on the base of their technical expertise. The SIAST programs have a large aboriginal enrolment and hence the U of S-SIAST collaboration will increase the number of aboriginal students in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources.

The proposed degree is an applied science program that has a major emphasis on technical skills. As such it complements the more "pure" science offerings in related aspects of environmental science available through the College of Arts and Science. The proposed program is entirely consistent with the proposed Undergraduate program in the Environment and has a clear niche within the programs that will share that platform.

3.4 Demand for the Program

Our conversations to date with our partners in SIAST, graduates who are currently working in this area, and contacts in the resource and environmental consulting sectors have all indicated that there will be a strong and sustained demand for the graduates from this program. We have made contact with private sector employers in this area through the Canada Land Resource Network and are embarking on a collaborative process with this group to define the core competencies required by graduates in this sector.

3.5 Uniqueness and Expertise of the Sponsoring Unit

Within the University of Saskatchewan the proposed program is closest in content to the three Environmental Science (ES) programs offered at this university. The major distinction is that the proposed program is explicitly an applied science program, whereas each of the existing ES programs has a distinct focus that does not overlap significantly with the proposed program. The two College of Arts and Science programs (Environmental Earth Science and Land Use and Environmental Studies) provide sound training in fundamental concepts in environmental science but both were criticized in their SPR for a lack of experiential field and laboratory courses. The ES program in the B.S.A. degree is primarily an agricultural degree and is not attractive to students who want broader training in renewable resources. All three of the existing degrees were criticized in their SPR documents - the EES program received a B overall and the remaining programs a C. We believe that the proposed RRM degree is an opportunity to build a nationally and internationally preeminent program in this area that is distinct from existing ES programs.

There is no comparable degree at the University of Regina. The University of Regina offers an Environmental Biology major within its B. Sc. degree; indeed this major currently accepts transfer students from the SIAST Woodlands campus and has done so for 10 years. The emphasis of the training at U of Regina is on broader training in the basic natural and social sciences. The FNUC offers a B. A. Resource degree focused on human health issues and their interaction with the environment.

The proposed program is distinctive within western Canada (Table 1). There are natural resource B. Sc. degrees offered through the Forestry program at UBC and at the University of Northern B.C. but both have a primary focus on forestry. The Global Resource System program at UBC has an international focus.

We believe that the creation of an applied science degree with an explicit focus on renewable resources will be very readily marketed among this array of environmental degrees. Our focus on inquiry-based learning and the ample opportunities for practical experience will further differentiate us within this field. As well the proposed program will be housed in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources which has a long history of delivering applied science training in a single renewable resource sector and instruction in the proposed program will be strengthened by this experience. This positioning of the program also distinguishes from the resource programs at U.B.C. and U.N.B.C., both of which have a primary forestry focus.

Table 1: Resource and environmental programs in western Canadian universities (current as of January 2007).

Academic leadership for the program will be housed in the Departments of Soil Science (Resource Science) and Bioresource Policy, Business, and Economics (Resource Economics and Policy). Both Departments have a core group of faculty who teach and research in resource areas outside of the agricultural sector including forestry economics, ecological goods and services, remediation of contaminated land, agroforestry, wetland processes and indigenous peoples resource management. The expertise of this faculty is under-utilized within the current B.S.A. program, and enrolment in courses taught by these faculty members is relatively low. The creation of the new degree will make much more efficient use of the courses offered by these faculty members.

Once established the proposed program will be managed by an over-arching B.Sc. RRM program committee similar in structure to the B.S.A. program committee.

3.6 How this Proposal Relates to the Department/College Plans, Systematic Program Review (SPR), Other Recommendations

What is the relationship between the proposal and the Framework for Planning approved by Council (1998)?

The proposal is well positioned within the Framework for Planning. The proposed program would clearly improve the quality of instructional programs by strengthening core offerings in the renewable resource area. The major Field Camp and the cross-disciplinary group project would be significant additions to the current College offerings. Moreover, this improvement would primarily occur by making use of under-utilized teaching resources in the College, rather than through the addition of new resources.

The field camp and group project courses outlined above would also foster the teacher-student model at the University. By creating a program more directly aligned with the research strengths of the faculty - in areas such as agroforestry, wetland processes, remediation, and economic evaluation of ecological good and services - the faculty can readily include current issues and practices into their teaching. By attracting a new pool of students into the RRM program we will also increase the pool of possible graduate students in cognate areas such as physical geography, plant ecology, resource economics, and soil science, which is central to intensifying research efforts.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the proposed program will directly respond to the needs of aboriginal people. The major increase in the land base directly managed by aboriginal people requires a new generation of managers such that the benefits of this land can be fully realized by the aboriginal groups. The new Indigenous Peoples Resource Management Program meets this need at the certificate level; the B. Sc. RRM will ensure that degree-level training is also available for advancement to more senior resource management positions. The proposed linkage with the SIAST program at Woodland Campus will also enable students from the SIAST program to enter the University after meeting the requirements of their Diploma training.

How does this proposal fulfill the University's goals and objectives?

Given the strengths of the faculty involved in this program we believe that the B. Sc. RRM will be an academically preeminent program that will meet the highest national and international review standards. Both the Soil Science and Bioresource Policy, Business, and Economics Fields of Specializations received A ratings in Systematic Program Review. Currently courses offered by these Departments in resource management are under-subscribed due to their location in the B.S.A. program and the barriers to access to the courses for students in the College of Arts and Science. Creation of this new program would allow these courses to be fully utilized in an appropriate, academically challenging program.

The overall intent of the program is to ensure the wise use of Canada's renewable resources and hence the program will be imbued with a deep sense of place. All students in the program will be involved in experiential education in the field through the field camps and group projects, further reinforcing the strong bond with the land. Finally through both formal course work and inclusion of Aboriginal students in the program we will ensure that all students open a dialog for inclusive management proposals.

Is the proposed program appropriate to a university?

As an applied science program the proposed degree will necessarily involve considerable technical content such as that taught in the SIAST program; we would not otherwise produce students that would be immediately employable. We would ensure, however, that students would be engaged with the humanities, social sciences, and core natural sciences through their course work such that the intellectual breadth inherent to superior university-level education is achieved.

What is the relationship of the proposed program to other programs offered by the sponsoring unit?

The Department of Soil Science currently supports the Soil Science and Environmental Science Majors in the College. Recently the Soil Science Major has not attracted large numbers of students and these students could be accommodated through Soil Science Minors in the B.S.A. and B. Sc. RRM programs. The Environmental Science Major has typically attracted 5 to 15 students per year who want an agricultural core linked to environmental science training. All the EVSC courses offered by Soil Science are also relevant for the RRM program and would continue to be offered.

Bioresource Policy, Business, and Economics currently supports an Agricultural Economics Field of Specialization in the B.S.A. and the new B. Sc. Agribusiness degree. The RRM program will complement existing programming, with the required courses of the RRM program also being relevant to the Agricultural Economics major and Agribusiness degree However, the RRM program, with its focus on renewable resources, will take advantage of teaching and research resources that are underutilized by the existing programs.

How does this proposal fit with the current College academic plan?

The proposed program is consistent with the vision of the Collegeof Agriculture and Bioresources. The vision of the College is for a high and sustainable quality of life supported by the responsible utilization, conservation, and management of the world's natural resources. The College takes a holistic approach toward the goal of managing renewable resources to produce goods and services that communities and individuals require for a high and sustainable quality of life. The recent adoption of a broader College name was explicitly done to ensure that new Bachelor-level programs could be developed and administered by the College and attract new students to the University of Saskatchewan.

Is another program going to be deleted by the sponsoring unit as part of this proposal?

The proposed program is largely built on under-utilized resources in the College. The proposed program can be mounted and supported without requiring the deletion of existing programs.

Timetable for Program Review
The first students will be accepted into this program in 2008-09, and the first full graduating class will graduate in Spring Convocation, 2011. The RRM program will be reviewed by the College of Agriculture and Bioresources in summer 2014 (i.e., after four classes have graduated) to assess if it has met its targets and has remained financially viable.

3.7 Response to Cross-College and Planning Committee of Council Consultations

The Planning Committee raised three main questions (letter from Dr. Rigby, November 29, 2006, Appendix 4).
The queries, and our response to them, follow:

1. Linkages with the School of Environment.
The Planning Committee wants to ensure that the program and Schools proposals inform and support each other. Linkages between the School of Environment and the College of Agriculture & Bioresources programs, including this program, should be identified and discussed. In particular, please include the teaching expectations for School of Environment faculty positions in this program.

Response: Since submission of the Notice of Intent the teaching roles of members of the School of the Environment and Sustainability have been clarified. Our understanding is that members would teach at least one Undergraduate course. At this point no members have been selected so the specific teaching roles that they might play cannot be identified; however the addition of six new undergraduate courses in environment and sustainability will strengthen all undergraduate programs in this area and we will move to include the new courses in our program wherever appropriate.

2. Aboriginal relationships.
The relationships between this program and the Certificate program approved last year should be clarified in the final proposal. It was also suggested that discussions take place with Aboriginal organizations regarding demand for graduates.

Our response: The Indigenous Peoples Resource Management Program (IPRMP) graduated its first class this spring and a second cohort of students has started their programs. This program is primarily designed for mid-career Aboriginal land managers, and hence it is unclear how many graduates from this program would want to transfer into the RRM program. Nonetheless we have worked with the staff of the IPRMP to ensure that students from this program who wishes to transfer into the RRM program could do so with no loss of credit. Additionally the lecturer position that is identified in this proposal has a support role in course delivery of the IPRMP program.
The experience gained in the IPRMP program in the development and delivery of programming of relevance to land management issues in Western Canada is invaluable. The Associate Dean (Academic) will ensure that the experience gained in the IPRMP is transferred to the RRM program.

The IPRMP program also gives the College access to the greatest source of employment of aboriginal graduates in resource management, which are the First Nations themselves. Once the RRM program is approved we will work to ensure that the interaction between the IPRMP and the RRM program is ongoing and mutually supportive.

3. Relationship between Arts & Science and Agriculture & Bioresources students and programs.
The relationship between this program and the "platforms" concept should be clarified.  The new program should also be consistent with other Bachelor of Science programs at the University.

The Head of the RRM Program Committee, Dr. Dan Pennock, is also the co-chair (with Dr. Lawrence Martz) of the Undergraduate Program Working Committee that has worked to develop the Undergraduate Platform in Environment. This has insured that the RRM program submission is entirely consistent with the proposed Platform model. The version contained in this document is entirely consistent with the Platform that has been submitted to Planning Committee of Council in May 2007.

Responses to the proposal were received from the Departments of Geological Sciences, Biology, and Economics (Appendix 3). The response from each was very supportive of the program overall. The specific issues that were raised and our response to them are:

Geological Sciences:
Dr. Ansdell suggested that the name of EVSC 110.3 be changed to Renewable Resources and Environment to better reflect its content. We agree and this change has been made throughout. We also added GEOL 121 to the list of electives so that students could receive instruction in the area on non-renewable resources.

Biology:
Dr. Messier suggested adding the new course in ecology and ecosystems (BIOL 228.3) to the program. We agree and this change was made.

Economics:
Dr. Altman suggested that coordination with Economics was necessary for students in the Resource Economics and Policy Field of Specialization. Additionally he suggested development of a B. A. of B. Sc. in Economics with a minor in Resource Economics that could draw upon the content in the RRM program. We are very supportive of the idea of cross-college minors and recent initiatives by the Academic Program Committee of Council should make this adoption of cross-college minors much easier in the future.

4. Description of Program Characteristics

4.1 Program Description

The B.Sc. in RRM will be a four-year degree in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources. The program follows the general requirements of the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture program in terms of the core requirements, number of core science, social science, and humanities courses, and balance between required and elective courses. The RRM degree only requires 120 c.u. (rather than the 126 c.u. required in the B.S.A.); the 120-cu requirement is the norm for B. Sc. programs in the College of Arts and Science.

There will be two Fields of Specializations at the Major Level of Concentration: Resource Science and Resource Economics and Policy. The Department of Soil Science will be responsible for the Resource Science Field of Specialization and the Department of Bioresource Policy, Business, and Economics for Resource Economics and Policy. The Program Development Committee includes faculty from Animal and Poultry Science, Bioresource Policy, Business, and Economics, Applied Microbiology and Food Science, Plant Sciences, Soil Science, Geography (College of Arts and Science), and Agriculture and Bioresource Engineering (College of Engineering).

The emphasis throughout the program will be on inquiry-based learning. We define inquiry-based learning as incorporating the following features (adapted from January 2007 University Affairs, p. 29):

• Problem or question-driven
• Involves critical discourse
• Requires self-direction
• Involves students in research activities such as information gathering, synthesis, and communication of results
• Evaluation of students is appropriate to foster inquiry-based learning.

The program will be built around five core courses in Renewable Resource Management: an 100-level introductory-level course in Renewable Resources and the Environment and a 200-level course in Renewable Resource Economics and Policy; a 200-level Technical Communications course; a 300-level course in Group Project Design, and a 6-cu capstone Group Project course in the fourth year to apply the principles and practice of management. Additionally, students in the Resource Sciences Major will attend a Field Camp in the third year of their program. The Group Project courses and the Field Camp will be the main innovative courses in this program in terms of inquiry-based teaching although we will attempt to incorporate in the features outlined above into as many courses as possible.

We have to ensure that this selection of students occurs before they have proceeded too far into the program to allow complete transfer of their courses into other related programs. We suggest that this selection should occur through an application process after the first 30-cu of courses are completed. We have ensured that the first-year requirements match the proposed University-wide Environmental Science platform and hence students who complete the first year but who are not selected to proceed on in the program will be able to transfer to other Environmental Science programs in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources or the College of Arts and Science.

Other disciplinary core courses will be selected to ensure that all students graduate with a core bundle of skills of direct use in the employment market. Several of the technical skills courses in aerial photographic interpretation and geographical information systems will draw upon existing courses in the Department of Geography. Finally existing Minors will be adopted that will deepen training in specific areas, especially those leading to graduate studies.

4.2 Program Syllabus

The B. Sc. RRM has two Fields of Specialization at the Major Level of Concentration: Resource Science and Resource Economics and Policy. The two majors share a core of 17 courses (54 cu). This core includes four courses that (as of March 15, 2007) form the proposed Environmental Science platform at the University of Saskatchewan.

RRM Core (taken by students in both Fields of Specialization)

ES Environmental Science platform core course

Both majors include 24 to 27 cu of restricted electives and 18 cu of open electives. The restricted electives can be used to fulfill the requirements of 18-cu Minors, but it is not mandatory to complete a Minor. We believe that this degree of choice is essential to allow students to tailor there programs to meet their independent learning objectives in the spirit of inquiry-based learning.

Students entering the Resource Science major from the SIAST program will receive 60 cu of advanced training. The program for SIAST students is included in this document, and the SIAST courses taken prior to transfer to U. of S. are included as Appendix A.

4.2.1 Resource Science Field of Specialization

ES Environmental Science platform core course

4.2.2 Resource Science Field of Specialization: SIAST Transfer
60 cu transfer credit

ES Environmental Science platform core course

4.2.3 Resource Economics and Policy Field of Specialization

*New courses to be delivered by Bioresource Policy, Business, and Economics
** Recommended name or number change
ES Environmental Science platform core course

4.3 Draft Calendar Entry

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN RENEWABLE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM (B. SC. (RRM))

The B. Sc. in Renewable Resource Management (RRM) is an applied science degree that prepares students for careers in renewable resource management. The degree focuses on management of land, biotic, and water resources and provides technical skills to ensure that graduates are highly employable in the resource sector. As well, students are provided with the broader intellectual context that is the hallmark of superior university-level education.

The emphasis throughout the program is on inquiry-based learning, which we define as instruction that incorporates the following features:

• Problem or question-driven,
• Involves critical discourse,
• Requires self-direction,
• Involves students in research activities such as information gathering, synthesis, and communication of results,
• Evaluation of students that is appropriate to foster inquiry-based learning.

We accomplish this approach through group-learning experiences at all levels of the program and through major group project courses involving real-world resource management in the third and fourth year of the program. Ample scope is also given to students to design their own areas of concentration through selection of restricted and open electives.

Students enrolled in renewable resource programs at SIAST may be able to enroll in the upper years of the RRM program with credit for their SIAST courses. Students interested in this opportunity should contact advisors at SIAST and the RRM program for further information.

FIELDS OF SPECIALIZATION

• Resource Science
• Resource Economics and Policy

First Year Requirements - All Students (30 Credit Units)

EVSC 110.3; BIOL 120.3; BIOL 121.3; CHEM 112.3; GEOG 120.3 or GEOL 206.3; ECON 111.3; MATH 101.3 or MATH 110.3; NS 105.3 or NS 106.3; 6 cu Open Electives.

SPECIALIZATIONS

RESOURCE SCIENCE

Second Year
EVSC 201.3;RRM 212.3; RRM 215.3; RRM 290.3; SLSC 232.3; PLSC 213.3 or BIOL 228.3 or GEOG 271.3; GEOG 222.3; EVSC 203.3; 6 cu Open Electives

Third Year
EVSC 310.3;RRM 301.6; RRM 321.3; AGEC 3XX.3; GEOG 322.3; PLSC 314.3; 3 cu Restricted/Minor; 6 CU Open

Fourth Year
RRM 421.6; EVSC 410.3; 21 cu Restricted/Minor

RESOURCE ECONOMICS AND POLICY

Second Year
EVSC 201.3; RRM 212.3; RRM 290.3; ECON 211.3; ECON 277.3; STATS 245.3 or PLSC 314.3; PHIL 226.3 or
GEOG 280.3; 3 cu from MATH 213.3 or MATH 264.3 or ECON 305.3 or ECON 306.3; 6 cu Open.

Third Year
AGEC 330.3; AGEC 315.3; AGEC 361.3; AGEC 3XX.3; EVSC 310.3; RRM 321.3; 9 cu Restricted/Minor; 3 cu Open

Fourth Year
RRM 421.6; AGEC 430.3; EVSC 410.3; 15 cu Restricted Electives/Minor; 3 cu Open Electives.

RESTRICTED ELECTIVES: Groupings of electives are shown for programming purposes [Course titles are included as Appendix 2]

Water Science ABE 309.3; ABE 432.3; FAMS 212.3; FAMS 3 60.3; FAMS 430.3; BIOL 412.3; BIOL 475.3; CHEM 375.3; GEOG 225.3; GEOG 328.3; GEOG 332.3; TOX 301.3; TOX 321.3.

Ecology BIOL 323.3; BIOL 424.3; FAMS 430.3; EVSC 430.3; PL SC 412.3; GEOG 371.3; PL SC 418.3; PL SC 422.3; PL SC 423.3; PL SC 425.3; EVSC 380.3.

Soil Science EVSC 220.3; SLSC 312.3; SL SC 313.3; SL SC 322.3; SL SC 343.3; SL SC 460.3; SL SC 480.3.

Geological Sciences GEOL 121.3, GEOL 311.3, GEOL 312.3, GEOL 329.3, GEOL 330.3

Techniques ABE 481.3; GEOG 323.3; GEOG 385.3; GEOG 386.3; LUES 401.3.

Resource Economics and Policy (for RS students) AG EC 330.3; AG EC 430.3; AGECÂ 315.3; ECON 211;Â ECON 275.3; ECON 277.3.

Physical Geography GEOG 225.3; GEOG 233.3; GEOG 235.3; GEOG 271.3; GEOG 280.3; GEOG 323.3; GEOG 328.3; GEOG 332.3; GEOG 351.3; GEOG 371.3.

Policy POLS 111.3 or POLS 112.3; AGEC 342.3; AGEC 432.3; AGEC 434.3; AGEC 451.3; COMM 201.3; ECON 231.3; ECON 347.3; GEOG 385.3; LUES 401.3; POLS 225.3; POLS 226.3; POLS 326.3; POLS 328.3; POLS 425.3.

Aboriginal Land Management ANTH 111.3; ANTH 224.3; ANTH 329.3; ARCH 255.3; COMM 347.3; GEOG 381.3; GEOG 462.3; HIST 170.6; HIST 451.6; IPJP 301.3; IPJP 302.3; LAW 436.3; LAW 437.3.

Northern Studies NRTH 101.3; GEOG 351.3; BIOL 312.3; NRTH 321.3; NRTH 322.3; NRTH 331.3; NRTH 332.3.

4.4 Saskatchewan High School Subjects Required for Admission

Bachelor of Science in Renewable Resource Management Program

Applicants must have complete secondary level standing in Saskatchewan or the equivalent.

Prerequisite Subjects:

1. Mathematics B30
2. Mathematics C30
3. Biology 30
4. Chemistry 30
5. 30-Level English

An admission average will be calculated based on University of Saskatchewan criteria for the calculation of admission averages. A minimum overall average of 70% is required.

Applicants may be admitted with one deficiency. Such deficiency must be removed during the first year in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources.

Special (Mature) Admission is available to Saskatchewan applicants who do not meet the requirements for regular admission.

5. RESOURCES

The proposed program involves the introduction of seven new courses (Table 2).

EVSC 110.3 (Renewable Resources and Environment) and 212.3 (Introductory Resource Economics and Policy) will serve a larger University role as well as forming the core introductory courses for the RRM program. They will be staffed by re-allocation of teaching responsibilities of faculty from the Department of Soil Science and Bioresource Policy, Business, and Economics.

RRM 290.3 (Technical Communications) is a communications course that will be developed along with the College of Agriculture and Bioresources redevelopment of the B.S.A. communications course. Staffing for this course will follow from those College-wide deliberations.

RRM 215.3 (Identification of Saskatchewan Plants and Soils), 301.6 (Field Camp), 321.3 (Group Project Design), and 421.6 (Group Project in RRM) will be staffed by a new Lecturer-level position. RRM 215.3 involves a considerable laboratory-instruction component (T2). RRM 301.6 (T1) is a four-week field camp that involves week-long instructional periods for existing College faculty. The lecturer will be responsible for logistics for the camp and day-to-day supervision of the students. Both 321.3 (T2) and 421.6 (T1T2) are group projects, and the lecturer will be responsible for initial group set-up, selection of group projects, liaison with the external groups involved in specific group. In both classes faculty involved in the RRM program will act as resource people for the group and will directly supervise one group each. Currently there are 7 faculty whose teaching has been allocated to this program and this caps the number of group projects at seven.

The other courses involved in the program within the College of Agriculture and Bioresources have been traditionally undersubscribed and the students in the RRM program can be readily absorbed into these courses. All of the costs associated with this have been factored into the Budget projections for the program.

Field costs for the Field Camps will be borne by the students. Students will use the Kenderdine campus for two weeks in the fall, which will make use of this facility at a time when otherwise it was underused.

The student numbers proposed for the program can otherwise be borne within the existing College secretarial support, equipment, information technology, and library resources.

Table 2: New courses proposed for the RRM program

5.1 College of Agriculture and Bioresources Statement

TO: Trever Crowe, Chair, Academic Programs Committee of Council

FROM: Ernie Barber, Dean
College of Agriculture and Bioresources