Introduction
Welcome to the eighth Ohio Watershed Academy class, an educational program for watershed professionals and volunteers. The purpose of this course is to provide you with the basic knowledge and skills you will need to lead or participate in a watershed group through the challenging process of developing and implementing a watershed action plan.
The Ohio Watershed Academy is funded in part by a grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and receives on-going support from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Soil and Water Conservation. The content of the course was developed through collaborative efforts between OSU Extension and a number of collaborators from these and other governmental agencies.
Staff and Instructors
Joe Bonnell and Anne Baird are the co-directors for the course.
Joe is located in Kottman Hall on the Columbus campus of the Ohio State University. You can contact him via e-mail bonnell.8@osu.edu or by phone 614-292-9383.
Anne Baird is also located in Kottman Hall. Her e-mail address is abaird@postoffice.ag.ohio-state.edu and her phone number is 614-292-8603.
Josh Hause is a Graduate Research Associate in the School of Environment and Natural Resources. He will be assisting with many of the activities you will be participating in during the class. You can contact Josh at hause.6@osu.edu
Web Developer
Brian Weaver is the web developer responsible for the Ohio Watershed Academy website. Contact Brian if you have problems accessing the website, downloading materials, or submitting assignments. Brian's e-mail address is watershedweb@ag.ohio-state.edu and his phone number is 614-688-4729.
A number of other instructors have assisted with developing modules and reviewing assignments. You will be introduced to them as you complete the modules.
Lesson Modules
There are a total of sixteen lesson modules divided into four areas: Human Dimensions: Collaborating; Human Dimensions: Understanding and Influencing the Social Environment; Ecological Dimensions: Monitoring and Assessment; and Putting It All Together: Watershed Planning and Implementation.Introduction
Each Lesson Module includes an introduction that provides background information on the topic covered by the lesson.Background Readings
Many modules also include a list of background readings. Some of these readings are labeled "Required" -– you must complete these readings in order to complete the assignments. All of the required readings will be made available to you in hard copy form or on-line. Other background readings are offered under the heading "Additional Resources," for those students who wish to learn more about a particular topic. These readings are not required to complete an assignment.
Assignments
The Academy assignments have been designed to enable you to interact with a watershed group, stakeholders, and agency professionals in your area whenever possible. Although we understand that not all students will be working for or with a watershed group while enrolled in the Academy, we believe that talking to other people who are engaged in water resource management can significantly enhance your learning experience.
There are a number of assignments to choose from. You are required to complete 9 in order to graduate and receive your certificate of completion. Assignments PT1-1, " Watershed Planning and Implementation: An Overview,", and HDC4-1, " Stakeholder Involvement, " are required.
Refer to the Academy Calendar for assignment due-dates.
Assignments are due on Tuesday throughout the course. Due dates will be listed in the course calendar. Overdue assignments must be submitted for credit but may not be reviewed by the Course Instructors. Notify the instructors if you will be submitting an assignment after the due date.
All assignments should be single-spaced and in MS Word format. They should be submitted by noon on the due date.
Instructions for Submitting Assignments
All assignments are to be submitted via the Ohio Watershed Academy website. See the Course Website Introduction for a demonstration of the assignment submission process.
Instructor's Note: It is VERY IMPORTANT that you name your assignment documents appropriately. Please name your document as your last name followed by the assignment number.
Contact Brian Weaver (weaver.300@osu.edu) or Joe Bonnell (bonnell.8@osu.edu) if you have any trouble submitting your assignments.
Evaluation and Feedback
Rather than assigning a number or letter grade to your work, the Course Instructors will keep a record of completed assignments. If the instructors determine that you have not sufficiently completed an assignment, you will be asked to re-submit the assignment, incorporating the necessary changes.
You must complete 9 assignments to receive your certificate of completion at the final face-to-face meeting.
Although you will be evaluated solely on the basis of the successful completion of each assignment, we strongly encourage you to submit assignments by the due date to assure that they will be reviewed. Graduates of the Academy have indicated that the constructive feedback they received from Instructors was one of the most beneficial aspects of the course.
Instructor’s Note: We recognize that life happens and ordinary circumstances may make it impossible for you to submit an assignment on time. In these instances, contact your Course Instructor as soon as possible to arrange for a suitable alternative deadline.
Face-to-Face Meetings
In order to create opportunities for students to learn from each other and develop new professional relationships, we have included two face-to-face meetings in the Watershed Academy curriculum. Be sure to notify the Course Instructor as soon as possible if you are unable to attend a face-to-face meeting.
Refer to the Academy Calendar for date, time, and location of the face-to-face meetings.
General Discussion Forum
As a way to facilitate communication among current and former Academy students, we have created a general forum for you to post questions or ideas. You will find a link to the forum on the home page of the Academy moodle site, under "Course Information". You may use the forum to post ideas or pose questions on any topic related to watershed planning and implementation.
Other Learning Opportunities
During the ten-week course, in addition to the face-to-face meetings and instructional modules there will be other opportunities for you to learn about various watershed related topics. Several times during the course, we will offer live, web-based workshops. You can participate by calling in with any phone (we recommend a speaker phone) and an internet connection. The web-based workshops are an excellent way to learn from specialists in a variety of fields and to interact with other watershed students and professionals.