If you are looking for an inspiring course or two to take for a few days during Flagstaff's beautiful summers, the Master of Arts in Sustainable Communities Summer Institute offers a number of short courses either for credit or as non-credit workshops. Here are the courses being offered this summer:
Agricultural Alternatives for a Sustainable World — Miguel Vasquez, PhD
Available for 1 unit of graduate credit as MLS 599 (Section 801, Class #1991) or as a non-credit workshop ($125.00) [Registration form]
Friday, May 30, 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 31, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 1, 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
For over 30 years, Dr. Vasquez, applied anthropologist on the NAU faculty, has farmed and worked with farmers in Norway, Mexico, Guatemala, the San Joaquin Valley and on Hopi, Navajo and Havasupai lands. This class will explore local and global alternatives to peak-oil agriculture, and will include discussion, guest speakers, videos, and a field trip to innovative regional agricultural producers.
Conflict & Collaboration in Community and Natural Resource Decision — Tahnee Robertson, Charles Pregler and Dexter Albert
Available for 1 unit of graduate credit as MLS 599 (Section 801, Class #1992) or as a non-credit workshop ($125.00) [Registration form]
Saturday and Sunday, July 26-27, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Tired of endless litigation and natural resource gridlock? Wondering how citizens and agencies can begin to work collaboratively toward a common vision for sustainable communities and landscapes? In this interactive two-day workshop, students and community practitioners will learn how to understand and design collaborative decision making processes in complex natural resource management and community development settings. Emphasis in this skill-building workshop will be on the front-end: situation assessment, process design, joint fact finding and visioning. Learning methods will include large and small group discussion, field visit and work on a local case, practitioner case clinics, and a special session on working with tribes. Instructors: Tahnee Robertson, Director, Southwest Decision Resources; Charles Pregler, Community Networking Specialist, Prescott National Forest; BLM Partnership Series Training Coordinator Dexter Albert, Facilitator and Co-Founder, Intrinsic Consulting.
Ecological Thinking — Marcus Ford, PhD
Available for 1 unit of graduate credit as MLS 599 (Section 801, Class #2128) or as a non-credit workshop ($125.00) [Registration form]
June 2, 4, 6, 9 and 11, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
In the 20th century most Western philosophy has focused on human experiences and language. Whitehead’s philosophy of organism is a brilliant exception to this rule. What if, he suggested, we seek to explain all of reality in terms of organisms and their interrelations? As we will see in this class, Whitehead’s philosophy is particularly relevant to an age characterized by ecological challenges.
Gifts of Nature, Gifts of Culture: Who Owns the Commons? — William deBuys, PhD, Alison Hawthorne Deming, Vernita Katchatag Herdman, Don Snow
Available for 2 units of graduate credit as MLS 599 (Section 802, Class #1990) or as a non-credit workshop ($375.00).
This course is given in conjunction with the Island Institute and the 24th Sitka Symposium in Sitka, Alaska. It may be taken for 2 units of graduate credit or as a non-credit workshop. All participants are responsible for their travel and meal expenses. Limited housing will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. It is strongly recommended that reservations be made three months in advance. Visit www.islandinstitutealaska.org for more information. [Registration form]
June 18-22
Human beings inherit, create, and share an extraordinary common wealth. The air we breathe and water we drink are fundamental among the countless assets of the natural world we so often take for granted. Discussions about the commons most often involve questions about these natural assets—about public and private land ownership, rights and responsibilities, use and abuse of natural resources. But the many gifts of the commons also include those that are cultural—inventions, folklore, music, works of art, and our incalculable inheritance of ideas. Just as the commonwealth of nature is under threat, so are these gifts of culture. The 2008 Symposium will explore the remarkable features of the commons, the forces that work against the concept, and the innovative approaches being taken by individuals, groups, and communities to ensure that these shared assets are held as our common wealth for generations to come. Our conversations will inspire new thinking about ways that we, as individuals, can live lives that contribute to and sustain this shared well-being for all. Please contact us for pre-reading assignments and more detailed information.
Globalization and Its Implications for Good and Sustainable Societies — Miguel Vasquez, PhD
Available for 1 unit of of graduate credit as MLS 599 (Section 801, Class #1989) or as a non-credit workshop ($125.00) [Registration form]
June 20, 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM; June 21, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM & 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM; June 22, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM & 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM
This weekend course will examine gobalization and its implications for good and sustainable societies. Topics include outsourcing, immigration, free trade, HIV/AIDS, cultural preservaton, industrial agriculture, grass roots resistance, and sustainability. Dr. Miguel Vasquez, applied anthropologist on the NAU faculty, has worked with globalizations issues in the U.S., Latin America and the Southwest for the past 30 years.
Permaculture Design Certificate Course — Josh Robinson, M.A., and Lisa Rayner
Available for 4 units of graduate credit as MLS 599 (Section 801, Class #2130 and Section 802 Class #2224 – you much register for both) or as a non-credit workshop ($600.00) [Registration form]
Enrollment is limited; a $200.00 non-refundable deposit to be applied to the balance of the workshop fee will confirm your workshop enrollment. This course involves field trips, travel, site visits, hiking, and overnight camping.
June 13-15 and 20-22, July 25-27, August 1-3
Learn how permaculture design can meet human needs by turning human gardens and communities into fully functioning ecosystems. Receive hands-on experience on how to apply the principles of ecological design in your own home, neighborhood, and city. Topics include: Permaculture ethics & design principles; understanding natural patterns; creating healthy soils; plant selection, plant guilds & food forests; site analysis & design; mapping & microclimates; water harvesting; bioregional theory and permaculture; community land access; local food systems; co-housing, eco-villages and city repair; design for peak oil; and ecological economics. Instructors: Josh Robinson, M.A., Ecological Landscape Design and co-founder of Eden on Earth; Lisa Rayner, Permaculturalist and author of Growing Food in the Southwest Mountains. Guest Speakers: Brad Lancaster & Andrew Millison.
Sustainability in the Southwest: Lessons from Puebloan Culture — Miguel Vasquez, PhD
Available for 2 units of graduate credit as MLS 599 (Section 801, Class #2129) or as a non-credit workshop ($250.00) [Registration form]
August 1, 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM; August 2, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM; August 3rd, 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM; Day trip to Hopi, August 8, 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM; Field trip to New Mexico: August 9, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM; Field trip continued: overnight camping August 10, 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM; Return to Flagstaff.
This two weekend course offers students a chance to explore Puebloan adaptation to the Southwest landscape of northern Arizona and New Mexico. Dr. Miguel Vasquez, a cultural anthropologist at NAU, has worked with Native communities in the Southwest for the past 18 years.
To enroll for course credit, register on-line at www.nau.edu/louie. To enroll without course credit, please download and complete the appropriate registration form and return with payment to:
Master of Arts in Sustainable Communities Program
Northen Arizona University
P.O. Box 6031
Flagstaff, AZ 86011
Here's a registration FAQ to help you with questions about registration deadlines, late fees, etc. Please email other questions to Holly Hulen or call the office at (928) 523-9359.