Courses taught and negotiation simulation material (click titles for documents)

Environmental Planning Methods, CEE 171
Use of microeconomics and mathematical optimization theory in the design of environmental regulatory programs; tradeoffs between equity and efficiency in designing pollution control programs; choice of policy instruments -- direct regulation, Pigouvian taxes and tradable pollution permits; techniques for predicting adverse effects in environmental impact assessments; information disclosure requirements; and voluntary compliance of firms with international environmental norms.

Sustainable Water Resources Development, CEE 265A
Alternative criteria for judging the sustainability of projects. Application of criteria to evaluate sustainability of water resources projects in several countries. Case studies illustrate the role of political, social, economic, and environmental factors in decision making. Influence of international aid agencies and NGOs on water projects. Evaluation of benefit-cost analysis and environmental impact assessment as techniques for enhancing the sustainability of future projects.

Environmental Governance, CEE 277C
Interaction among private, public and civil sectors in decision-making that influences environmental sustainability.  Governance on global to local scales, including U.S. and international case studies.  Theoretical concepts of environmental policy design and implementation: common property and collective action, citizen participation and sustainable cities.  Significance of non--state actors: ecological modernization, shifts in corporate environmental norms, ISO 14,001 and green supply chains, and global institutions for constraining carbon emissions. 

Research Approaches for Environmental Problem Solving, IPER 330
How to develop and implement interdisciplinary research dealing with environmental and natural resources.  Assignments include development of research questions, a preliminary literature review, and the summer funding proposal.  Course is structured around peer reviews and student presentations of work in progress.  Co-requisite: IPER 398, to be taken with a faculty member chosen to explore a possible dissertation topic.  (NB: Professor Ortolano no longer teaches this course, but his syllabus from the time he did teach it is provided for the benefit of beginning Ph.D. students interested in resource materials useful in formulating research questions and preparing dissertation proposals.)

Negotiation Simulation: Environmental Regulatory Enforcement, Instructor's Manual
The manual provides instructors with guidance for use of a simulation-based teaching approach that helps university students learn about negotiation in the context of environmental regulatory enforcement.  The approach centers on negotiation of a penalty between government agencies and a fictitious corporation that has violated provisions of the U.S. Clean Water Act.  The exercise teaches negotiation and environmental problem solving skills by providing a realistic situation similar to ones encountered by environmental professionals.  In comparison to traditional teaching methods, students (in several successive courses) reported an increased understanding of environmental enforcement procedures and environmental negotiation processes.  The simulation can be modified for potential application in other educational contexts, such as high school or professional development short courses.