Honors First Year Experience: Linked Courses

Water in the West: Science and Society and Mathematical Exploration of Water and the Environment

"Earlier in my life, I thought I was in love with the answers. I found out later that I was really in love with the questions . . . " - Roger Dunsmore.

HONR 194N Water in the West: Science and Society (Block 1) Water in the West: Science and Society is a general education course focused on the interrelationships between water and human activities from a science and policy standpoint.. This course will investigate water issues affecting the Rocky Mountain West and how water rights and allocations, water availability, snowpack and runoff, irrigation and hydrologic mining, and climate change are all impacting society and our environment. The course is designed to be a first year experience for both major and non-major students who are interested in societal and environmental issues. The course blends key readings with activities (e.g. data analysis, plotting, and exploration of simple models) designed to investigate the physical and chemical processes that determine water occurrence, movement, and quality.

HONR 194O Mathematical Exploration of Water and the Environment (Block 2) We will develop algebraic and numerical skills to extend students ability to model the relationships in water use, policy and a changing environment. The knowledge gained in the first course will allow students to make more realistic assumptions and approximations in their models. Students will consider the effects of water availability on the ecology, water use policy, agriculture and what might be possible in the future with climate change. The models will be used to investigate how to optimize water use to mitigate variability in water received from year to year.

We hope our students develop an appreciation and love for mathematics not just as an application to life's everyday needs, but for the beauty and elegance that exists in that discipline. -Larry Brazil

Honors First Year Experience: Linked Courses
The subject matter in these two courses will be interrelated and each course will substitute for general education requirements in each field of study. The purpose of Honors First Year Experience is to foster extended collaboration among students engaged in the study of ideas that transcend specific disciplines. These courses will emphasize active involvement and project completion. First Year Honors Linked Courses are an excellent way to begin your undergraduate explorations of Experience One. Students must register for both classes, one after the other during Blocks 1 and 2.
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Prerequisites:
HONR194N Water in the West: Science and Society (Block 1): Students must satisfy the Math Proficiency Standards (see page 8 of the catalog).
HONR 194O : Mathematical Exploration of Water and the Environment (Block 2) Students must satisfy the Math Proficiency Standards (see page 8 of the catalog).

Substitutions:
General Education in Mathematics: M119 :Number Theory or STAT121 Probability
General Education in Science: GEO 103: Intro to Environmental Geology or GEO 110: Weather and Climate

Instructors: Dr. Spruce Schoenemann and Dr. Joeseph Eason

Time: Fall 2018, Blocks 1 & 2,