The Maxwell School
Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Fall 2020
General information that you may need at the beginning of the semester.
No required textbook. Required readings will consist of selected articles assigned during the course of the semester.
This course focuses on applying interdisciplinary analyis to develop pragmatic solutions to concrete, real-world energy problems. Students will work in interdisciplinary teams to address issues arising in the Syracuse community or central New York region. The first few weeks of the semester will be devoted to development and refinement of term project proposals. The remainder of the semester will consist of weekly progress reports from the teams, along with the milestones discussed below. Grades will be based on quality of the interim progress reports and the final presentation and written report. Attendance is expected at all class meetings.
The term project will be carried out in a series of stages and will involve the following assignments or "milestones":
Primary and Alternate Proposals
Due 9/9. The team will be responsible for submitting two (2) preliminary project proposals. One should be the primary project the team would like to carry out, and one should be an alternate, second-choice, project the team would carry out if the first project fails its feasibility assessment (below) or runs into other serious obstacles.
Each preliminary project proposal should be 1-2 single spaced pages. It should be an executive summary of the project including each of the following:
The proposals will be submitted via Blackboard, preferably as PDFs.
Feasibility Assessments
Due 9/23. The team will submit feasibility assessments of the primary and alternate project proposals. The contents and structure of a feasiblity assessment are described in more detail here. The files will be submitted via Blackboard.
Draft Presentations
Due 11/4. The team will submit a complete presentation and will present it to the class. The team will then prepare and present a revised presentation the following week.
Final Presentation
Week of 11/18. Date to be determined depending on availability of outside participants.
As a pre-eminent and inclusive student-focused research institution, Syracuse University considers academic integrity at the forefront of learning, serving as a core value and guiding pillar of education. Syracuse University’s Academic Integrity Policy provides students with the necessary guidelines to complete academic work with integrity throughout their studies. Students are required to uphold both course-specific and university-wide academic integrity expectations such as crediting your sources, doing your own work, communicating honestly, and supporting academic integrity. The full Syracuse University Academic Integrity Policy can be found by visiting https://class.syr.edu, selecting, “Academic Integrity,” and “Expectations and Policy.”
Upholding Academic Integrity includes the protection of faculty’s intellectual property. Students should not upload, distribute, or share instructors’ course materials, including presentations, assignments, exams, or other evaluative materials without permission. Using websites that charge fees or require uploading of course material (e.g., Chegg, Course Hero) to obtain exam solutions or assignments completed by others, which are then presented as your own violates academic integrity expectations in this course and may be classified as a Level 3 violation. All academic integrity expectations that apply to in-person assignments, quizzes, and exams also apply online.
Students found in violation of the policy are subject to grade sanctions determined by the course instructor and non-grade sanctions determined by the School or College where the course is offered. Students may not drop or withdraw from courses in which they face a suspected violation. Any established violation in this course may result in course failure regardless of violation level.
Based on the specific learning outcomes and assignments in this course, artificial intelligence is permitted on assignments as described in the section on "Using AI Tools". Any AI use beyond that which is described in that section is explicitly prohibited except when documented permission is granted.
Syracuse University values diversity and inclusion; we are committed to a climate of mutual respect and full participation. There may be aspects of the instruction or design of this course that result in barriers to your inclusion and full participation in this course. I invite any student to contact me to discuss strategies and/or accommodations (academic adjustments) that may be essential to your success and to collaborate with the Center for Disability Resources (CDR) in this process.
If you would like to discuss disability-accommodations or register with CDR, please visit Center for Disability Resources. Please call (315) 443-4498 or email disabilityresources@syr.edu for more detailed information. The CDR is responsible for coordinating disability-related academic accommodations and will work with the student to develop an access plan. Since academic accommodations may require early planning and generally are not provided retroactively, please contact CDR as soon as possible to begin this process.
SU religious observances notification and policy, found at the URL below, recognizes the diversity of faiths represented among the campus community and protects the rights of students, faculty, and staff to observe religious holidays according to their tradition. Under the policy, students are provided an opportunity to make up any examination, study, or work requirements that may be missed due to a religious observance provided they notify their instructors before the end of the second week of classes for regular session classes and by the submission deadline for flexibly formatted classes. If you prefer, however, you can notify me directly by email. In either case, just check with me and we'll work out an arrangement that fits your schedule. More information is available https://chapel.syracuse.edu/spiritual-life/religious-observances-policy/.