Course Syllabus
Contact Information
Dr. Sarah Little
Assistant Professor
Landscape Architecture
Office Hours: by appointment via Zoom
Email: sarah.little@ou.edu
Zoom link: https://oklahoma.zoom.us/j/93199682926?pwd=a0VmVTF6YmhjbXNZZjdJLzIvamtrZz09
Meeting ID: 931 9968 2926
Password: *%F67T2A
Course Details
For a list of course activities, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Course Materials
There is no required textbook for the course. All readings will be provided on Canvas.
Grades
Breakdown
| Module | Description | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Week 0 | Introduction | 0 |
| Week 1 | Environment and behavior | 5 |
| Week 2 | Environment and human development: Ecological Systems Theory | 5 |
| Week 3 | Environment and human development: Probabilistic Epigenesis | 5 |
| Week 4 | The social and cultural environments | 5 |
| Week 5 | The influence of stress | 5 |
| Week 6 | Mid-term essay (weeks 1-5) | 15 |
| Week 7 | Research methods | 5 |
| Week 8 | Behavior mapping | 5 |
| Week 9 | Affordance | 5 |
| Week 10 | Behavior setting | 5 |
| Week 11 | The Death and Life of Great American Cities and prospect refuge | 5 |
| Week 12 | Defensible space and The Image of the City | 5 |
| Week 13 | Final essay (weeks 9-12) | 15 |
| Week 14 | Thanksgiving--no class; enjoy your break! | 0 |
| Week 15 | Work on final project. | 0 |
| Week 16 | Final project presentation and paper due | 15 |
| Total | 100 |
Scale
A (90-100 points): "A" work must be outstanding in design, graphic, written, and spoken quality and content, as applicable on a case-by-case basis. The work must demonstrate an effort to excel beyond simply fulfilling a particular assignment with evidence of having "pushed" to explore, improve personal skills, and to apply and understand essential and finer points of the given subject matter.
B (80-89 points): "B" work is good to very good but does not demonstrate the extra push to excellence. Earning of a B requires going beyond fulfilling of the particular assignment and reflects a respectable effort and achievement.
C (70-79 points): "C" work is that which fulfills the minimum requirements of the course or assignment but shows inadequate evidence of exploration or personal challenging.
D (60-69 points): "D" work is below average.
Course Components
Weekly modules
In order to receive full credit for the weekly module, all required activities within the module must be completed within that week.
Essays
The mid-term assesses your understanding of the Environment--Human Development Theories (weeks 1-5) and final essay assesses your understanding of the Urban Systems Theories (weeks 9-12). Each essay is worth 15 points. The best way to ensure receiving as many points as possible is to follow the rubric provided.
Final project
The final project allows you to design and conduct a research project and relies heavily on the Research Methods readings. Sections of the final project are due throughout the semester, and week 15 is devoted to finishing up the assignment. Deliverables for the final project include a 15 page paper (Don't worry. You'll have lots of images to fill these pages.) and a presentation to be made on Wednesday, December, 16 from 4:30-6:30 pm via a live Zoom session.
Course Policies
Communication
The best way to communicate is through either Canvas or your OU issued email. I usually respond to emails sent during the week within 24 hours. Emails sent on the weekend will be returned on Monday. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with questions. I'm always available to meet via Zoom.
Late Policy
Work shall be turned in on time and in a professional and complete manner. Unless prior arrangements have been made with the instructor, assignments will be considered late if not turned in before the module ends. Assignments turned in late will be penalized a letter grade for every 24-hour period they are late.
University Academic Policies and Student Support
Course Catalog
Search the OU Course Catalogue.
Student Handbook
Please familiarize yourself with the OU Student Handbook.
Online Library
Access digital materials and other resources at OU Libraries.
Academic Misconduct
In addition to the course conduct policies outlined by your professor in the Course Syllabus in the online classroom, please review the Graduate Student Handbook.
It is the responsibility of each student to be familiar with the definitions, policies, and procedures concerning academic misconduct. The Student Code is available from the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, and is contained in the Student's Guide to Academic Integrity.
This site also defines misconduct, provides examples of prohibited conduct, and explains the sanctions available for those found guilty of misconduct.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the most common form of academic misconduct at OU. There is basically no college-level assignment that can be satisfactorily completed by copying. OU's basic assumption about writing is that all written assignments show the student's own understanding in the student's own words. That means all writing assignments, in class or out, are assumed to be composed entirely of words generated (not simply found) by the student, except where words written by someone else are specifically marked as such with proper citation. Including other people's words in your paper is helpful when you do it honestly and correctly. When you don't, it's plagiarism.
For more information about plagiarism, watch this video and then take this short course offered by University Libraries. Plagiarized assignments will not be accepted and you will not receive credit for plagiarized work. Whole paper plagiarism may result in expulsion from the University. Please make sure to watch the video from University Libraries.
Reasonable Accommodation for Disabilities
The University of Oklahoma is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for all students with disabilities. Students with disabilities who require accommodations in this course should contact their professor as early in the semester as possible.
Students with disabilities must be registered with the Disability Resource Center prior to receiving accommodations in this course.
If you have a disability and you would like to make a request for reasonable accommodation, please see the Graduate Student Handbook or get in touch with the Accessibility and Disability Resource Center.
Adjustments for Pregnancy/Childbirth Related Issues
Should you need modifications or adjustments to your course requirements because of documented pregnancy-related or childbirth-related issues, please contact me as soon as possible to discuss your options. Generally, modifications will be made where medically necessary and similar in scope to accommodations based on temporary disability. Learn more about the rights of pregnant and parenting students by consulting the FAQ sheets provided by the Institutional Equity Office.
Title IX Resources
For any concerns regarding gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, stalking, or intimate partner violence, the University offers a variety of resources, including advocates on-call 24/7, counseling services, mutual no contact orders, scheduling adjustments, and disciplinary sanctions against the perpetrator. Please contact the Sexual Misconduct Office at 405-325-2215 (8-5, M-F) or OU Advocates at 405-615-0013 (24/7) to learn more or to report an incident.
Religious Holidays
It is the policy of the University to excuse absences of students that result from religious observances and to provide for the rescheduling of examinations and additional required classwork that may fall on religious holidays without penalty. It is the responsibility of the student to make alternate arrangements with the instructor at least one week prior to the actual date of the religious holiday.
Copyright Policy
It is illegal to download, upload, reproduce, or distribute any copyrighted material, in any form and in any fashion, without permission from the copyright holder or his/her authorized agent. The University of Oklahoma expects all members of its community to comply fully with federal copyright laws. If such laws appear to have been violated by any user, the university reserves the right (1) to terminate that user’s access to some or all of the university’s computer systems and information resources and (2) to take additional disciplinary actions as deemed necessary or appropriate. Repeat offenders will be sanctioned and their privileges terminated.
Registration and Withdrawal
If you choose to withdraw from this course, you must complete the appropriate University form and turn the form in before the deadline. If you stop attending the course and doing the coursework without doing the required paperwork, your grade will be calculated with missed homework and examination grades entered as zero. This could result in receiving a grade of F in the course. Deadlines are shown in the Academic Calendar, which is available from the Office of the Registrar.
Student Grievances
In addition to any policies outlined related to submitting an informal or formal grievance by your professor in the Course Syllabus in the online classroom, please review the Graduate Student Handbook for more information about the process of submitting a formal grievance.