11/1/07
Hello, Helene:
This letter addresses the Graduate Council need for
clarification from the Geosciences Department regarding
the Category 1 proposal to create a Graduate
Certificate in Water Conflict Management. As such,
below please find our response to the questions and
comments posed by the Graduate Council:
Committee Comment #1
How will the Graduate Certificate accommodate the 50%
rule? Note that in the section of the Graduate Catalog
on certificates it states: "Certificate students are
subject to all general policies governing the courses
for the master's degree." A graduate certificate needs
to have at least 50% of its credits as stand alone
graduate courses.
Response to Committee Comment #1
It is our intent that the proposed Graduate Certificate reflect
the educational mission of the university. This will be achieved
by:
1) Ensuring that the courses listed in this proposed
Graduate Certificate have at least 50% of its credits as
stand alone graduate courses;
2) Informing and monitoring all students seeking the
proposed graduate certificate or graduate minor, to
ensure that they understand and meet the specified
requirements; And,
3) Ensuring that the proposal (see new language added to
the first paragraph on page 6 of attached proposal) and
future general requirement documents include language
stating, “all students seeking a graduate certificate or
graduate minor are subject to all general policies
governing the courses for the master's degree. As such,
these students will be required to take a minimum of
50% graduate stand-alone courses. The remaining
credits may be the 500 component of 400/500 slash
courses.”
Committee Comments #2
Conversation between Geosciences and the Grad Council
led to the understanding that the CAT I proposal is
creating both a graduate certificate and a graduate
minor. If that is the intent, you will need to submit a
CAT II proposal to establish the graduate minor. The
option of a graduate minor is only automatic when there
is an existing graduate major.
Please contact Gina
Shellhammer in the academic programs office to learn
about the CAT II proposal process. I understand that
it is much quicker and easier than the CAT I process.
Response to Committee Comments #2
Regarding the establishment of a Graduate Minor in Water
Conflict Management and Transformation, and under the Grad
Council advisement, I (Lynette) met with Gina Shellhammer,
in the academic programs office to learn about the CAT II
proposal process. As a result of our conversation, we have
began the process of submitting a CAT II proposal and have
prepared a Curriculum Proposal Draft (#3349). You can access
our draft proposal here:
https://curriculum.bus.oregonstate.edu/XmlViewer.aspx?r
equestID=3349. We plan on completing the process this week.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not
hesitate to contact me via e-mail at
[email protected], or by telephone at 737-7013.
Sincerely,
Lynette
Lynette de Silva, Associate Director
Program of Water Conflict Management and Transformation
Oregon State University
Department of Geosciences
104 Wilkinson Hall
Corvallis, OR 97331
Phone: (541) 737-7013
Fax: (541) 737-1200
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://www.transboundarywaters.orst.edu/
Proposal for the Initiation of a
New Instructional Program Leading to
A Graduate Certificate in
Water Conflict Management and Transformation
November 2007
Oregon State University
College of Science
Geosciences
College of Liberal Arts
Anthropology
Speech Communication
Political Science
Sociology
College of Engineering
Biological and Ecological Engineering
College of Forestry
Forest Engineering
College of Agricultural Sciences
Agricultural and Resource Economics
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Water Certificate – Cat I Proposal – Nov 07
Index
Sections
Pages
1. Program Overview……………………………………………………..3
2. Course of Study………………………………………………………...4
3. Accreditation of the Program………………………………….…...…10
4. Evidence of Need………………………………………………………10
5. Similar Programs in the State………………………………………...13
6. Resources………………………………………………………………14
Appendices
Appendix A – Monitoring the Outcome of the Program……………….19
Appendix B – The Leadership Role of OSU……………………………20
Appendix C – More on the National and International Needs……......21
Appendix D – Library Evaluation………………………………………...24
Appendix E – Campus Facilities………………………………….…......25
Appendix F – Liaison with OSU Instructional Units……………...…….26
Appendix G – Letters of Support………………………………………...27
Appendix H – Budget Outline………………………………………........28
Appendix I – Faculty Vitae………………………………………...…......29
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Water Certificate – Cat I Proposal – Nov 07
1. Program Overview
a. Proposed CIP number 030205
b. Provide a brief overview of the proposed program, including a description of the
academic area and a rationale for offering this program at the present time.
The State of Oregon is no stranger to water resource conflicts. Water resources are the backbone
for our major activities and for those of most other Western states – agriculture, forestry, fisheries
and wildlife, industry, urbanization, recreation and tourism. With a projected fifty-four percent
increase in population in Western States by 2020, water use in all sectors will expand, placing
new demands on presently over-allocated rivers and aquifers. Independent of population growth,
increased claims for in-stream water needs, associated with state and federal environmental
policies will further heighten competition for limited supplies. Without strategies to anticipate,
address, and mediate between competing users, intractable water conflicts such as the ongoing
Klamath Basin conflict are likely to become more frequent, more intense, and more disruptive.
The opportunity costs associated with state resources lost to court cases and crises management
are not insignificant. For instance, in the Klamath Basin alone, between 1983 and 2004, over forty
Federal court cases have tied up human, legal, and financial resources that could have been
better spent elsewhere. Water which crosses boundaries – be they economic sectors, legal and
political jurisdictions, cultural divides, or international borders – sets the stage for inherent
disputes between users trying to safeguard access to a common and vital resource.
Current approaches to water resources education and research do not adequately address the
subtle challenges to water resources management inherent in conflict management and
transformation. We propose the Certificate Program in Water Conflict Management and
Transformation to fill this niche as a broader, more integrative approach that explicitly integrates
human and policy dimensions of water resources within the framework of scientific and
technological solutions. The certificate program is a flexible, coherent program that will offer
critical and underemphasized skills essential to preventing and resolving water conflicts; facilitate
dialogue on critical water issues across diverse values and perspectives; and, serve OSU
students, and citizens and officials in Oregon, the United States, and internationally.
This certificate program, administered through the Geosciences Department will assist in
achieving the goals of the OSU strategic plan, and integrates OSU’s mission of teaching,
research, and outreach in four of its five multidisciplinary thematic areas. Specifically, the
certificate program addresses the following elements of the OSU plan: (1) advances the arts and
sciences as the foundation for scientific discovery, social and cultural enhancement, and progress
in the applied professions by delivering strong research and curricular activities that are
strengthened by interdisciplinary connections with professional programs; (2) increases the
understanding of the origin, dynamics, and sustainability of the Earth and its resources by linking
social, ecological, economic, and political systems as they apply to water resources; (3) optimizes
enterprise, innovation, and economic development by helping to develop a network of
professionals capable of the success of emerging and growing organizations across natural
resource and technology sectors; and (4) helps in managing natural resources that contribute to
Oregon’s quality of life and growing and sustaining natural resources-based industries by
providing tools and skills to prevent or resolve conflict over water and move towards collaborative
and less confrontational approaches that build community – an essential component to the
existence of natural resources important to the state’s economy.
The program also addresses broader issues of importance to OSU:
3
Water Certificate – Cat I Proposal – Nov 07
Preparing professionals for the work force. Students participating in the programs will be
competitive and competent across broad disciplines. For example, students will be able to utilize
OSU’s Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database (TFDD) as a training lab for the integration
of information sciences, decision support systems, geographic and cartographic knowledge, and
public policy. Students using it as part of their coursework or research will gain vital competency
relevant to today’s workforce, particularly in the areas of information technology and public policy.
Inspiring student learning and enthusiasm: Case-based coursework and outreach-based
fieldwork within basins facing water conflict challenges are the core elements of the Certificate
Program in Water Conflict Management and Transformation. Interaction with world-class OSU
and international academics and practitioners will balance scholarly and practical approaches to
attract top tier students and professionals to OSU.
Increasing diversity on campus through international and minority student and faculty recruitment:
Due to its pivotal role in all aspects of human livelihoods, water tends to act as a unifying force
and brings people from all walks of society together more often than it sets them apart. A diverse
participant pool representing multiple values, cultures, political, and educational perspectives, is
vital to the success of achieving our research and educational goals. National and international
partnership networks will ensure the diversity of student and faculty membership in the Program
through outreach to international students, Native American students and other minorities. The
unique status of Native American treaty rights and its impact on water management issues in
Oregon and the American West, will guarantee active collaboration between tribes and the
university.
Furthermore, OSU Extended Campus (Ecampus) will provide support in the development and
delivery of the online version of this proposed graduate certificate in Water Conflict Management
and Transformation, as part of its mission to bring OSU educational programs to statewide,
national, and international audiences. It is hoped that this will also create an opportunity for parttime, evening, and weekend professional non-residents to participate in the program.
These, in addition to other important issues that the certificate in Water Conflict Management and
Transformation addresses will help to promote OSU’s role as a prominent international university.
c. When will the program be operational, if approved?
If approved, the program will be operational in Fall 2007. We will begin promoting the certificate
program as soon as we receive its approval. The first students will graduate from the program
during academic year 2007-2008
2. Course of Study
a. Briefly describe proposed curriculum.
The graduate certificate program in Water Conflict Management and Transformation is designed
to accommodate the needs of professionals and graduate students. Classes towards the
certificate can be taken on campus, while nonresident students can take the web-based OSU
classes. The certificate is designed to stand-alone, however the curriculum course work can be
used to supplement a student’s existing program at OSU or elsewhere.
The curriculum centers around case-based, interactive course and field work to provide an indepth look at water conflict, conflict transformation, and prevention issues and strategies across
four distinct and overlapping themes: Water Governance, Water and Ecosystems, Water and
Society, and Water and Economics (Table 1). Each theme incorporates several topics critical to
understanding water conflicts.
4
Water Certificate – Cat I Proposal – Nov 07
A highlight of the certificate program is a capstone course (WRP 599: Water Governance and
Conflict Management, to be offered Sp’ 07) coupled with an intersession practicum working with
watershed councils, landowners, and agencies in Northeast Oregon; and a guided and critiqued
project in which two teams take on, for example, the roles of Jordan and Israel to negotiate a
treaty for water resource allocation in a simulated water negotiation. These techniques will hone
student skills, understanding and thought development. Students will also take part in fieldwork in
a watershed or basin at risk of, or in, water conflict.
Students will learn about and practice conflict transformation skills during the Spring term. While
readings, lectures and class discussions will explore the literature, practices and applications of
negotiation and conflict resolution, the interactive and experiential nature of the class will give
students the roadmap for and experience of conflict transformation. From this, we will explore
what new institutional networks and relationships are needed, and how these can be achieved
through role-playing, in-class exercises, and guest lectures. Students will also be introduced to
leadership skills for guiding this type of change. Our emphasis on experiential learning and
debriefing is intended to bring to light an array of opportunities for conflict transformation from the
individual level to the societal level.
Table 1: Overall Programmatic Framework
Themes
Topics:
Foundation Phase
Topics
Water and
Ecosystems
Water and
Society
Water and
Economics
Hydrology and
Aquatic
Ecosystems
Watershed
Management
and IWRM
Risk,
Complexity,
Uncertainty
Water Use
and Society
Social and
Environmental
Capital
WCMT
Capstone and
Practicum/Internship
Population
and Health
Cultural and
Local Issues
Water
Economics
Globalization
and
Localization
Negotiation:
Principles,
Practice, Public
Participation
Water Law,
Policy, and
Institutions
Hydrodiplomacy:
Managing
Organizations
through Change
Capstone Course
Basin at Risk
Practicum/Internship
Topics
:
Integra
tion
Topics:
Focus Area Phase
Water
Governance
Certificate program students will be able to focus on these themes and topics through a variety of
courses that are presently offered at Oregon State University. Students are required to take two
courses (totaling 6 credits) from the WCMT Capstone and Practicum/Internship thematic area
(Table 1), and at least four additional elective courses (totaling a minimum of twelve credits).
Regarding the elective courses, at least one 3-credit course must be taken from each of the
remaining thematic areas (Tables 1). These credits are summed up in Table 2. The required
courses are specified in Table 3, it indicates that one 3-credit course be taken in a capstone
5
Water Certificate – Cat I Proposal – Nov 07
course and 3-credits be taken as a practicum or internship, for a total of 6 credits. Table 4
presents the selection of elective courses.
All students seeking a graduate certificate or graduate minor are subject to all general policies
governing the courses for the master's degree. As such, these students will be required to take a
minimum of 50% graduate stand-alone courses. The remaining credits may be the 500
component of 400/500 slash courses.
Table 2: Certificate Program Credits
Credits
(Minimum)
6
12
18
Credits for required courses
Credits for elective courses (minimum)
Total Certificate Program Credits (minimum)
Table 3: Required Courses
Theme
Required Courses
Course
Credits
WCMT Capstone and Practicum/Internship
Capstone Courses
WRP 599
Special Topic: Water
Governance and Conflict
Management
OR
OR
COMM
Bargaining and Negotiation
442/542
Processes
OR
COMM
Communication in International
446/546
Conflict and Disputes
Credits
WCMT Capstone and Practicum/Internship
Practicum/Internship
WRP 510
Internship
OR
WRP 599
Practicum
Offered
On-line
Credits
(Minimum)
3
3
3
3
3
3
Credits
Total Credits for Required Courses
3
6
Table 4: Elective Courses
Theme
Elective Courses
Water Governance
Water Resources Law and Policy
GEO
424/524
GEO
425/525
AREC
432/532
AREC 453/
553
AREC 599
COMM
440/540
FOR 462/
562
Course
Credits
International Water Resources
Management
Water Resource Management in
the US
Environmental Law
4
Public Land and Resource Law
4
Special Topics in Law and Policy
Theories of Conflict and Conflict
Management
Natural Resource Policy and
Law
4
3
6
Offered
On-line
Credits
(Minimum)
3
3
3
Water Certificate – Cat I Proposal – Nov 07
FOR 463/
563
PS 454/554
PS 474/574
PS 577
PS 475/575
WRP 599
Credits
Water and Society
Culture and Local Issues
ANTH
477/577
ANTH
481/581
PHL
440/540
PHL 443/
543
SOC
481/581
WRP 599
Water Use and Society
GEO
420/520
MRM
415/515
PS 577
ENVE 456/
556
FE 534
FE 535
SOC 580
SOC 585
Population and Health
H 512
H 427/527
H 528
H 429/529
H 540
H 441/541
H 512
H 514
CE 548
Environmental Policy and Law
Interactions
International Law and
Organizations
Natural Resource Policy and
Bureaucratic Polices
International Environmental
Politics and Policy
Environmental Politics and
Policy
Seminar: Oregon Water Law
and Policy
3
4
4
4
4
Yes
3
3
Cultural Ecology
3
Natural Resources and
Community Values
Environmental Ethics
3
World View and Environmental
Values
Society and Natural Resources
3
3
3/4
Seminar: Socio-technical
Aspects of Water Resources
3
Geography of Resource Use
3
Coastal Resources Management
4
International Environmental
Politics and Policy
Sustainable Water Resources
Development
Forest Watershed Management
Water Quality and Forest Land
Use
Society and Natural Resources
Consensus and Natural
Resources
4
Environmental and Occupational
Health
Case Studies in International
Health
Global Health Issues
International Health
Environmental Health I: Food
Production and
Water/Wastewater
Environmental Health II: Air
Quality and Hazardous Waste
Management
Environmental and Occupational
Health
Environment, Safety and Health
Seminar
Water Quality Dynamics
7
Yes
Yes
3
4
3
4
4
Yes
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
1
3
Water Certificate – Cat I Proposal – Nov 07
ENVE 531
ENVE 532
ENVE 534
Fate and Transport of Chemicals
in Environmental Systems
Aqueous Environmental
Chemistry
Physical and Chemical
Processes for Water Quality
Control
Groundwater Remediation
4
4
4
ENVE 554
4
Credits
Water and Ecosystems
Overview of Physical Hydrology and Aquatic Ecosystems
BRE 512
Physical Hydrology
3
FE 430/530
Watershed Processes
4
GEO 487
Hydrogeology
4
GEO 582
Geomorphology of Forests and
3
Streams
FW 479/579 Wetlands and Riparian Ecology
3
FE 537
Hillslope and Watershed
4
Hydrology
FE 532
Forest Hydrology
3
FE 533
Forest Hydrology Laboratory
1
FE 538
Field Hydrology
3
FE 630
Special Topics in Forest
1-3
Hydrology
Risk, Uncertainty, and Complexity
BRE
Nonpoint Source Pollution
3
448/548
Assessment and Control
Integrated Water Resources Management
FW 426/526 Coastal Ecology and Resource
5
Management
Credits
Water and Economics
Water Economics: Social and Environmental Capital, Globalization and Localization
AREC 505 Reading and Conference or
3
or 507
Seminar
AREC 534
Environmental and Resource
3
Economics
AREC 543
Applied Trade Analysis
4
AREC 550
Environmental Economics
3
AREC 551
Natural Resource Economics
3
Credits
Total Credits for Elective Courses (Minimum)
3
3
3
12
Admission Requirements
To enroll, candidates must be admitted to the university either into a graduate degree program or
into the graduate certificate program in Water Conflict Management and Transformation. Credits
earned at OSU prior to admission to the certificate program may be applied toward the certificate
as transfer credit. Per the current graduate credit transfer policy, up to six (6) credits may be
transferred toward an 18-credit graduate certificate.
The entrance requirements for this program are the same as OSU’s graduate requirements.
Prospective students should contact the Office of Admissions at the address below or visit the
admission to the graduate program web site.
Office of Admissions
104 Kerr Administration Bldg
8
Water Certificate – Cat I Proposal – Nov 07
Oregon State University
Corvallis OR 97331
Telephone: 541-737-4411
Fax: 541-737-2452
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: http://oregonstate.edu/admissions
b. Describe new courses. Include proposed course numbers, titles, credit hours, and
course descriptions.
No new courses will be developed.
c. Provide a discussion of any nontraditional learning modes to be utilized in the new
courses, including, but not limited to: (1) the role of technology, and (2) the use of
career development activities such as practica or internships.
A practicum and real-world problem solving is a requirement for completing the certificate
program and will be incorporated into the program through two capstone projects. A highlight of
the certificate program is a practicum which will hone student skills and thoughts through a oneweek, guided and critiqued project in which two teams take on, for example, the roles of Jordan
and Israel to negotiate a treaty for water resource allocation in a simulated water negotiation. To
gain understanding and practice at the local level, students will also take part in one to two weeks
of fieldwork in a watershed or basin at risk of, or in, water conflict.
d. What specific learning outcomes will be achieved by students who complete this
course of study?
Upon successful completion of the certificate program in Water Conflict Management and
Transformation, students will be able to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Improve their listening skills through practice and critiquing;
Increase their understanding of the culture and environment from multiple perspectives
and scales (both geographic and temporal) on water conflict issues;
Demonstrate an understanding of the complexity of the water resource systems and how
they interact with water uses;
Articulate the latest debates, insights, concepts, and tools in conflict management and
resolution;
Uncover and assess conflicting water use interests in the framework of policy objectives
and constraints;
Analyze the significance of institutional frameworks for water resources at multiple scales
– local, national, regional, and international – in terms of potential for cooperation and
conflict;
Demonstrate knowledge of a variety of management, negotiation, and decision-support
scenarios, and have the capacity to apply that knowledge to water resource conflict
problems at local, national, regional, and international scales;
Concisely summarize a personal position in current debates in water resources
management, accurately formulate leading concepts and latest understanding in the field,
and effectively select and apply suitable tools pertaining to preventing and resolving
water conflicts;
Successfully work and communicate in a multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural environment.
For information of how the outcomes of the program will be monitored, see Appendix A.
9
Water Certificate – Cat I Proposal – Nov 07
e. Is there a maximum time allowed for a student to complete this program? If so, please
explain.
Pursuant to the OSU Curricular Procedures Handbook, the graduate certificate program must be
completed by the time the associated post-graduate degree is conferred. If a student is admitted
to the university and admitted solely in the certificate program, the student has two years to
complete the program.
3. Accreditation of the Program
a. If applicable, identify any accrediting body or professional society that has established
standards in the area in which the proposed program lies.
There are many professional societies and accredited bodies in similar fields, below several of
them are listed along with their respective Web links:
1. The Association of Conflict Resolution - http://www.acrnet.org/
2. The International Association for Public Participation - http://www.iap2.org/
3. The International Coalition of Concerned Mediators (ICCM) http://www.concernedmediators.org/
4. U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution - http://www.ecr.gov/
5. The International Association of Facilitators (IAF) - http://www.iafworld.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1
6. The Oregon Mediation Association - http://www.mediate.com/oma/
b. If applicable, does the proposed program meet professional accreditation standards?
If it does not, in what particular area(s) does it appear to be deficient? What steps
would be required to qualify the program for accreditation? By what date is it
anticipated that the program will be fully accredited?
Though there are many accrediting bodies or professional societies listed above, none of the
present ones directly relate to the specialty discussed herein. For this reason, there are no
directly related professional accreditation standards for this type of program. We therefore deem
this inapplicable at this time.
4. Evidence of Need
a. What evidence does the institution have of need for the program? Please be explicit.
(Needs assessment information may be presented in the form of survey data;
summaries of focus groups or interviews; documented requests for the program from
students, faculty, external constituents, etc.).
OSU is a founding partner of the Universities Partnership for Transboundary Waters, a
consortium of expertise on the problems specific to shared water resources, which in turn has
been tasked with the training component for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - a lead water cooperation facility. UNESCO, through its recent
five-year program Potential Conflict to Cooperation Potential, identified key needs to alleviate the
conflict potential over shared waters, and found the lack of training in conflict management
among stakeholders and water managers to be of paramount importance. Of the universities
involved, OSU has the strongest core faculty and experience in these issues, and is thus poised
to take the lead in this international initiative.
On issues related to water conflict management and water governance programs, these courses
are demand-driven. They are the result of a year of extensive interviews of students and
professionals in the field who helped identify precisely what OSU can best do to help support this
complex, interdisciplinary field. The question was brought also to several watershed councils,
participants of the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board's biennial conference (e.g. citizens,
10
Water Certificate – Cat I Proposal – Nov 07
state and federal agencies, local governments and stakeholders), and to the State's “Salmon
Strategy Team” comprised of state and federal agencies and coordinated by the Governor's
Natural Resources Office.
Even without a formal program, OSU faculty have already led training efforts in water conflict
management throughout the US and the world, including for the US Bureau of Reclamation, the
US Army Corps of Engineers, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the US Agency for
International Development, the Water Ministry of Mexico, UNESCO, and the World Bank. OSU
faculty have been asked by the World Bank to design a course in international water conflict
management based on their bi-annual course for water ministers, to meet what they see as a
growing demand for the field at the professional and graduate student levels throughout the
world.
b. Identify statewide and institutional service-area employment needs the proposed
program would assist in filling. Is there evidence of regional or national need for
additional qualified individuals such as the proposed program would produce? If yes,
please specify.
Recent policy initiatives illustrate that such a program is a priority at the state, regional, and
national levels.
State and Local Need
Water rights, salmon recovery, dams, hydropower, water quality concerns, and urban water
supplies are frequently headline issues. There is a buzz as well about the implications of climate
change, demographic changes, and the end of cheap oil on the region's allocation and
management of its water resources. Addressing today's and tomorrow’s water issues requires
intense interdisciplinarity. By integrating water sciences and policy, and by forcing our work to be
grounded in the needs of the real world through this certificate program, students will be well
prepared to take their leadership roles in the management of our scarce natural resources.
Additionally, over the past decade over 90 local watershed councils formed as a result of the
water/watershed governance vision of Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds. These water
councils create a place for local stakeholders and agencies to come together to assess and
holistically address salmon and watershed restoration.
The scientific community at OSU is constantly bombarded by requests for technical input and
engineering assistance for those watersheds. Many of our best graduates are now leading the
technical staffing of these councils. Having students facile with the combination of technical skills,
as well as organizational and community skills will serve communities and the state well.
To learn more about the OSU’s leadership role, see Appendix B.
National Need
Water resources conflicts are also a priority across the Western U.S. region. As a Federal
response to the Klamath River Basin crisis of 2001, Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton made
the prevention of western water conflict a top priority through the Water 2025 initiative which had
a $20 million dollar budget for 2005. At the international level, on December 22, 2006, President
Bush signed the United States-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Act, a $50 million bill, to address
the lack of consensus between the U.S. and Mexico on the source and availability of future water
supplies along the border.
11
Water Certificate – Cat I Proposal – Nov 07
Within the U.S., expanding population, changes in demographic variables, and growing
economies influence water needs, with growing claims in industrial, municipal, agricultural, and
environmental sectors. Independent of population growth, increased claims for in-stream water
needs, associated with the implementation of state and federal environmental laws, will further
heighten competition for limited supplies. Without strategies to anticipate and address competing
water demands, U.S. water management stakeholders run the risk of increasing financial,
technical, and legal conflicts. To read more on the national and international front, see Appendix
C.
c. What are the numbers and characteristics of students to be served? What is the
estimated number of graduates of the proposed program over the next five years? On
what information are these projections based?
Based on our capacity to implement the certificate program, we are estimating 10 new students
will be served in the first 2 years – professionals and current graduate students, though we
believe that demand will surpass our capacity.
d.
Are there any other compelling reasons for offering the program?
Oregon State University is a member of the Universities Partnership for Transboundary Waters,
an international consortium of water expertise including ten universities on five continents,
seeking to promote a global water governance culture through professional and student
exchanges and training related to transboundary waters. Oregon State University has been the
coordinating hub for the Partnership since it was established in 2001. Partnership institutions
include the University of Zimbabwe, the University of Pretoria (South Africa), the Asian Institute of
Technology (Thailand), Yunnan University (China), Linköping University (Sweden), University of
Dundee (Scotland), the Universidad Nacional de Litoral de Argentina, the Universidad Nacional
de Costa Rica, the University of Tokyo, and the University of Southern Australia. It is our hope
that the Certificate in Water Conflict Management and Transformation offered at Oregon State
University will serve as the beginning of obtaining jointly accredited certificate programs with the
partnership institutions thus increasing the prominence and visibility of OSU and the Universities
Partnership for Transboundary waters as the leader in water resources management and conflict
resolution.
e. Identify any special interest in the program on the part of local or state groups (e.g.,
business, industry, agriculture, professional groups).
Oregon and National
Debbie Colbert, Senior Policy Coordinator
Oregon Water Resources Department
Telephone: (503) 986-0903
Ken Bierly, Acting Director
Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board
Telephone: (503) 986-0180
Mike Carrier, Director of Natural Resource Policy
Office of Governor Kulongoski
Telephone: (503) 986-6525
Dr. Peter H. Gleick, President
The Pacific Institute for Studies in Development,
Environment, and Security
Oakland, CA
Telephone:(510) 251-1600
Gene Derfler, Council Member, State of Oregon
Northwest Power and Conservation Council
Telephone: (503) 229-5171
Robert Lackey, Ph.D., Associate Director
U.S. EPA: Western Ecology Division
Telephone: (541) 754-4607
Stephanie Hallock
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
Telephone: (503) 229-5300
Geoffrey D. Dabelko, Director
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Environmental Change and Security Project
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Water Certificate – Cat I Proposal – Nov 07
Washington, D.C.
Telephone: (202) 691-4178
f.
Discuss considerations given to making the complete program available for part-time,
evening, weekend, and/or place-bound students.
With the development of the online version of the certificate program, being planned through
OSU’s Extended Campus (Ecampus), it is hoped that part-time, evening, and weekend
professional non-residents will have the opportunity to participate in the program while continuing
with their careers and family commitments. Furthermore, we are also exploring the possibility of
making some of the required courses available in the summer and on weekends.
As needed, Ecampus will assist in course development, training (initial and on-going), and
marketing, at no charge to the program. All online courses will be developed within Blackboard
using best practices in online learning. The academic unit will retain oversight of the curriculum
and instruction and will provide program leadership and advising. Ecampus revenue-share will
return 80% of the tuition generated by enrollment in the online courses to cover the cost of
ongoing instruction, which is intended to allow the online track of this program to be selfsustaining. Students can be provided with support services appropriate to online learners such
as phone and email support, searchable knowledge base, and communications to optimize their
opportunities for successful completion of the program. Full information is available on the OSU
Extended Campus website, http://ecampus.oregonstate.edu.
5. Similar Programs in the State
a.
List all other closely related OUS programs.
As home to post-graduate degree programs in Water Resources Science, Water Resources
Engineering, and Water Resources Policy and Management, and being the administrative hub of
the Universities Partnership for Transboundary Waters – a consortium of transboundary waters
programs in ten universities on five continents – to our knowledge, OSU will be unique in offering
the only Water Conflict Management and Transformation graduate certificate program in the
Pacific Northwest.
The Conflict Resolution Graduate Program at Portland State University is developing an
understanding and appreciation of the theoretical, conceptual, and methodological breadth of the
field and to develop expertise in the pursuit of their own particular interests in the study of conflict
resolution. In conjunction with the student's adviser, each student will design a program based
upon particular concerns within the field of conflict resolution, such as violence prevention,
mediation, negotiation, facilitation, restorative justice, nonviolent social change, international
conflict resolution, dispute systems design and evaluation.
The University of Oregon Law School Mediation Training is a 30-hour basic mediation
training focusing on communication, uncovering disputants' interests and helping the participants
find their own solutions. It is typically offered two times a year. This program is primarily designed
for U of O law students and does not focus on the technical and social aspects of water and other
environmental issues as they pertain to conflict resolution.
The University of Oregon Law School, Appropriate Dispute Resolutions Program integrates
dispute resolution principles and skills into many aspects of legal study. Mirroring modern
practice, the study of the law of business, environmental protection, mass torts, family, labor, real
estate, intellectual property, public planning, estate planning, and international law includes
consideration of a range of dispute resolution concepts. The program aims specifically at
providing students with the information and skills needed to be effective lawyers.
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Water Certificate – Cat I Proposal – Nov 07
The University of Oregon Law School, Master’s Degree in Conflict and Dispute Resolution
is a two-year program that is based on the foundational ideas and concepts of conflict resolution
theory, research, and practice. In addition to traditional mediation, negotiation, and adjudication
courses, the first-year curriculum explores the implications of ethical, cross-cultural and thirdparty dynamics in the field of conflict resolution.
b. In what way, if any, will resources of other institutions (another OUS institution or
institutions, community college, and/or private college/ university) be shared in the
proposed program?
All of the resources required for the certificate program are shared resources and faculty already
located at OSU. However, we will be drawing on the expertise of our colleagues in other OUS
institutions.
c. Is there any projected impact on other institutions in terms of student enrollment
and/or faculty workload?
No impact is expected.
6. Resources
a. Identify program faculty, briefly describing each faculty member's
expertise/specialization. Separate regular core faculty from faculty from other
departments and adjuncts. Collect current vitae for all faculty, to be made available to
reviewers upon request.
The OSU core faculty (Level 1) will oversee the certificate program, performing such tasks as
determining acceptable courses, approving new faculty and participating departments, and
working with the administration on procedural matters. They will also serve as advisors to
students in the certificate program, helping them to select appropriate coursework for a certificate,
and working out scheduling difficulties. Teaching faculty (Level 2), include the core faculty, as well
as other faculty who serve as instructors for one or more WCMT Program courses. And finally,
several adjunct faculty (Level 3) will share their technical expertise and research experience with
WCMT students.
Level 1: Core Faculty - Coordinating Committee
Agricultural Economics
William Jaeger, Associate Professor and Extension Policy
Specialist, Agricultural and Resource Economics
Biological and
Ecological Engineering
John Selker, Professor
Soil and Groundwater Quality, and Watershed Management
Desiree Tullos, Assistant Professor
Ecohydraulics, River morphology and restoration,
Bioassessment, Habitat and hydraulic modeling, Environmental
flows
Communications
Gregg Walker, Professor
Collaborative Learning, Conflict Management, Decision-Making,
and Communication
Forest Engineering
Jeffrey J. McDonnell, Professor
Watershed Hydrology, Runoff Processes and Modeling, Isotope
Hydrology, and Watershed Theory
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Water Certificate – Cat I Proposal – Nov 07
Geosciences
Aaron Wolf, Professor
Transboundary Water Conflicts and Conflict Resolution, Water
Basin Technical and Policy Analysis, Environmental Policy
Analysis
Munther Haddadin, Adjunct Professor
Water Policy and Management
Institute for Natural
Resources
Lisa Gaines, Associate Director
Human Dimensions of Environmental Risk, and Conflict
Resolution
Institute for Water
and Watersheds
Michael Campana, Director
Hydrogeologist and International Water Expert
Todd Jarvis, Assistant Professor
Transboundary aquifers, Online Dispute Resolution
Political Science
Brent Steel, Professor
Water policy and Management
Sociology
Denise Lach, Associate Professor
Water Management and Policy, and Climate Change
Water Conflict
Management and
Transformation
Lynette de Silva, Faculty Research Assistant, Geosciences
Associate Director
(CERTIFICTE PROGRAM CONTACT)
Water Management, Water Conflict Management, Earth
Science Education and Outreach
Water Resources
Mary Santelmann, Associate Professor, Geosciences
Director, Water Resources Management Graduate Program
Water Resources Management, Ecology and Biogeochemistry of
Wetlands
Level 2: Teaching Faculty
Anthropology
Bryan Tilt, Assistant Professor
Sustainable Development, Environmental Risk Assessment,
Natural Resources, and Fisheries Management
Agricultural Economics
William Jaeger, Associate Professor and Extension Policy
Specialist, Agricultural and Resource Economics
Biological and
Ecological Engineering
John Selker, Professor
Soil and Groundwater Quality, and Watershed Management
Desiree Tullos, Assistant Professor
Ecohydraulics, River morphology and restoration,
Bioassessment, Habitat and hydraulic modeling, Environmental
flows
Communications
Gregg Walker, Professor
Collaborative Learning, Conflict Management, Decision-Making,
and Communication
Forest Engineering
Jeffrey J. McDonnell, Professor
Watershed Hydrology, Runoff Processes and Modeling, Isotope
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Water Certificate – Cat I Proposal – Nov 07
Hydrology, and Watershed Theory
Geosciences
Aaron Wolf, Professor
Transboundary Water Conflicts and Conflict Resolution, Water
Basin Technical and Policy Analysis, Environmental Policy
Analysis
Munther Haddadin, Adjunct Professor
Water Policy and Management
Institute for Natural
Resources
Lisa Gaines, Associate Director
Human Dimensions of Environmental Risk, and Conflict
Resolution
Institute for Water
and Watersheds
Michael Campana, Director
Hydrogeologist and International Water Expert
Todd Jarvis, Assistant Professor
Transboundary aquifers, Online Dispute Resolution
Political Science
Brent Steel, Professor
Water policy and Management
Sociology
Denise Lach, Associate Professor
Water Management and Policy, and Climate Change
Water Conflict
Management and
Transformation
Lynette de Silva, Faculty Research Assistant, Geosciences
Associate Director
(CERTIFICTE PROGRAM CONTACT)
Water Management, Water Conflict Management, Earth
Science Education and Outreach
Water Resources
Mary Santelmann, Associate Professor, Geosciences
Director, Water Resources Management Graduate Program
Water Resources Management, Ecology and Biogeochemistry of
Wetlands
Level 3: Adjunct Faculty
Oregon State University
Universities Partnership for
Transboundary Waters
Das Gupta, Ashim, Professor, Asia Institute of Technology
(Thailand)
Doermann, Julia, Senior Water Policy Advisor, Oregon State
University (U.S.) – Institute for Water and Watersheds
He, Daming, Professor, Yunnan University (China)
López Ramírez, Alexander, Professor, Universidad Nacional de
Costa Rica (Costa Rica) – International Transboundary Water
Resources Policy and Management
Lundqvist, Jan, Professor, Linköping University (Sweden) –
Water Resources Policy and Management
Manzungu, Emmanuel, Professor, University of Zimbabwe
(Zimbabwe) – Watershed Management and Stakeholder
Participation
O’Leary, Marilyn, Professor, University of New Mexico (U.S.) U.S. Water Law
Tuchjneider, Ofelia, Professor, Universidad Nacional de Litoral
de Argentina (Argentina)
Turton, Anthony, Professor, Pretoria University (South Africa)
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Water Certificate – Cat I Proposal – Nov 07
van der Zaag, Pieter, Professor, UNESCO-IHE (The
Netherlands)
Wouters, Patricia, Professor, University of Dundee (Scotland) International Water Law
b. Estimate the number, rank, and background of new faculty members who would need
to be added to initiate the proposed program in each of the first four years of the
proposed program's operation (assuming the program develops as anticipated). What
commitment does the institution make to meeting these needs?
OSU has a large faculty in water resources and we will be able to offer this certificate program
with no additional hires. The program will be implemented with existing resources. Classes will be
taught as part of the instructors’ normal load.
c. Estimate the number and type of support staff needed, if any, in each of the first four
years of the program.
The Program of Water Conflict Management and Transformation (WCMT) is housed in the
Geosciences Department through the support of Dean Sherman Bloomer, College of Science.
The WCMT will manage the certificate program with the existing support staff within the WCMT.
The WCMT will handle both the administrative functions and advisory activities for this program. It
is anticipated that e-campus resources will also be utilized to administer the electronic
components of the program. The advisory activities will require 0.25 full-time equivalent (FTE)
hours.
d. Describe the adequacy of student and faculty access to library and department
resources (including, but not limited to: printed media, electronically published
materials, videotapes, motion pictures, CD-ROM and online databases, and sound
files) that are relevant to the proposed program (e.g., if there is a recommended list of
materials issued by the American Library Association or some other responsible
group, indicate to what extent access to such holdings meets the requirements of the
recommended list).
While new subscriptions and materials at the Valley Library are always a welcome addition,
resources at the library are currently adequate to handle the proposed certificate (see Library
Evaluation, Appendix D). Since we have existing programs in the Water Resources Graduate
Program, and Communications, the essential publications are already in place. We also have the
Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database (www.transboundarywaters.orst.edu), which tracks
water-related political interactions between countries over the world’s 263 international basins,
and within the United States.
e. How much, if any, additional financial support will be required to bring access to such
reference materials to an appropriate level? How does the institution plan to acquire
these needed resources?
Library resources are currently sufficient to support the certificate (see Library Evaluation,
Appendix D).
f.
Identify any unique resources (in terms of buildings, laboratories, computer
hardware/software, Internet or other online access, distributed-education
capability, special equipment, media, and/or other materials), beyond those now on
hand, necessary to offer this program. How does the institution propose that these
additional resources will be provided?
The certificate will be offered with existing facilities, equipment, and technology.
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Water Certificate – Cat I Proposal – Nov 07
Appendix A – Monitoring the Outcome of the Program
The level to which our outcomes are met will be monitored by a three-fold approach: (1) A Water
Conflict Management and Transformation Program Coordinating Committee will review the
program every 5 years in parallel with university graduate program reviews; (2) all students
graduating from the certificate program in the first 5 years will be given an exit interview where
they will be asked standard questions about how the program was successful and how the
program could be improved; and (3) regular follow-up of graduates will be done to track how
graduates are doing in terms of employment and satisfaction with the education they received
from the program.
Student learning assessments will mirror the procedures currently in place for OSU graduate
programs, where a combination of graded exams, term papers, presentations, and research
projects are used. Learning assessment will be embedded in the curriculum, with each course
requiring demonstration of mastery of subject matter.
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Water Certificate – Cat I Proposal – Nov 07
Appendix B – The Leadership Role of OSU
Oregon State University (OSU) is ideally positioned to provide leadership in addressing how to
improve agency coordination, public participation and multi-objective decision-making – elements
of the ecology of management that are often left out of formal water resources education
programs. With approximately eighty faculty in six colleges who teach and conduct research in
areas related to water and watersheds, OSU faculty are nationally and internationally recognized
for their activities related to the management of transboundary resources. Gregg Walker,
professor of communication, has been invited by state and federal agencies in thirteen states to
deliver workshops for diverse stakeholders on environmental conflict management, negotiation,
and collaborative learning. Other notable faculty contributions have broadened public awareness
of water resource information, for instance: activities of the new Institute for Water and
Watersheds (Michael Campana, Director), and Denise Lach (Sociology); and, research in
information technology resources for public participation in decision-making, John Bolte
(Bioengineering), Mary Santelmann (Geosciences) and Court Smith (Anthropology). OSU’s
Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database, a joint project of the Department of Geosciences
and the Northwest Alliance for Computational Science and Engineering, has drawn the interest of
researchers and negotiators from around the world.
OSU researchers have contributed to the growing number training and information-sharing
programs in transboundary waters issues at the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, U.S.
Agency for International Development, the World Bank, the United Nations Environment Program,
the United Nations Development Program, and UNESCO. With some honing of energy and
expertise to provide specialized programs specific to the needs of transboundary water
challenges, OSU is well-poised to become the preeminent U.S. institution for research, teaching,
and global service in transboundary water dispute prevention and resolution.
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Water Certificate – Cat I Proposal – Nov 07
Appendix C – More on the National and International Needs
Tensions between farmers, tribal interests, and environmentalists in the Klamath Basin in
Oregon, offers a case in point, with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation launching the Water 2025
initiative, precisely to head off “future Klamaths.” The initiative has produced a study of regions
throughout the western U.S. where tensions are likely to occur by 2025, as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Projected Water Crisis Regions in the US, 2025
International Need
On a larger scale, international organizations such as the United Nations, the World Bank, and
the International Conservation Union have begun to focus and fund large international river basin
projects to meet overlapping goals associated with assisting hostile countries to work together
and to protect their common water resources for current and future generations. These programs
place great emphasis on building the capacity of institutions through human resources training to
ensure a high level skill base across these large basins to address complex water resources
challenges before they become conflicts. Many federal agencies are collaborators in these
projects; the Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Geological
Survey, the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of State have technical
assistance programs to assist countries sharing a single watershed to identify joint water
development goals, and to cooperate rather than let tensions simmer.
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Water Certificate – Cat I Proposal – Nov 07
Throughout the world, water has been an underlying cause of tension and violence between
Israelis and Arabs, Indians and Pakistanis, and farmers and environmentalists. The problems,
and the need for solutions, are intensifying. Irretrievable water use worldwide has increased
more than 400% since 1950, (Kirda and Kanber 1999; Simon 1998; Postel et al. 1996), and there
is a developing consensus that much of the world will face a serious water crisis within the next
two decades. Given the variability of climates and the inertia of political and social institutions,
such a crisis appears to be unavoidable (Frederiksen 1997). A number of countries are already
dealing with an acute shortage of water, notably in the near east.
As both quality and quantity degrade, the potential for conflict, and the importance of finding
cooperative solutions, intensifies. The Basins at Risk Project at Oregon State University tracks
Number of Events by Year
160
140
120
100
Total
Conf lictive
Cooperative
80
60
40
20
19
48
19
50
19
52
19
54
19
56
19
58
19
60
19
62
19
64
19
66
19
68
19
70
19
72
19
74
19
76
19
78
19
80
19
82
19
84
19
86
19
88
19
90
19
92
19
94
19
96
19
98
0
Figure 2: International Water-Related Political Interactions
water-related political interactions between countries over the world’s 263 international basins
(www.transboundarywaters.orst.edu). Figure 2 shows how the number of interactions, both
cooperative and conflictive, are increasing exponentially in recent years.
All indications are that these trends will continue. Internationally, the ongoing water crisis will in
all likelihood engender severe conflicts as critical water supplies that have been taken for granted
for millennia reach their exploitable limits.
The recent damming of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers by Turkey, a country that has previously
been a minor stakeholder in these rivers, may leave Iraq and Syria with only 30% of historical
flows from rivers they have always depended upon (Simon 1998). By 2025 the Nile River, which
has blessed Egypt with abundant water for seven thousand years, will no longer be able to meet
21
Water Certificate – Cat I Proposal – Nov 07
national needs, and Egypt’s problems will be exacerbated by competition with other countries that
share the Nile, particularly Ethiopia.
Such water shortages induce strains that have economic, social, environmental and political
impacts. If political conflicts are added, the situation becomes worse. Such situations are further
exacerbated when there is more
than one party to the water
conflict. The competition for
water from the Jordan River and
West Bank aquifers is seen as a
primary obstacle to peace in that
region. Wolf et al. (2003)
assessed eighteen watersheds
as being in special risk of
political tensions over the next 35 years, as shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3: International Basins at
Risk
Likewise, many important
aquifers are shared between
countries. While surface water
conflicts have surfaced for some time, more is hidden in the subsurface groundwater. If focus is
made on the Middle East, for example, one notices that there are hardly any two neighboring
states that do not share a groundwater aquifer, renewable or non-renewable. Israel and
Palestine have to go through hard negotiations over their shared aquifers. Jordan and Syria,
Syria and Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, Iraq and Syria, face the complicated issues of
ground water sharing, protection and rational use.
References
Frederiksen, H. D. 1997. “Are current water management policies adequate to the task?”.
Proceedings of Theme A, International Association for Hydraulic Research (IAHR) 27th
Congress, San Francisco, CA, August 10-15. Marshall English and Andras Zsollosi-Nagy, ED.
Kirda, C., and Kanber, R. 1999. “Water, no longer a plentiful resource, should be used sparingly
in irrigated agriculture”. Developments in Plant and Soil Sciences, Vol 84: Crop Yield Response
to Deficit Irrigation”, Kirda, Mouteonnet, Hera and Nielsen EDs. Kluwer Academic Publishers,
London. Pp 1-20.
Postel, S. L., Daily, G. C. and Erlich, P. R. 1996. “Human appropriation of renewable fresh
water”. Science, V271, No. 9, pp 785-788.
Simon, Paul. 1998. “Tapped Out: the coming world crisis in water”. National Press Books,
Washington DC.
Wolf, A., S. Yoffe, M. Giordano. 2003. “International Waters: Identifying Basins at Risk.” Water
Policy. Vol. 5 #1. pp. 31-62.
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Water Certificate – Cat I Proposal – Nov 07
Appendix D – Library Evaluation
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Water Certificate – Cat I Proposal – Nov 07
Appendix E - Campus Facilities
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Water Certificate – Cat I Proposal – Nov 07
Appendix F – Liaison with OSU Instructional Units
Liaison Letter
Liaison Responses and Communication
Reply and Commentary to Liaison
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Water Certificate – Cat I Proposal – Nov 07
Appendix G – Letters of Support
General E-mail Correspondence
26
Water Certificate – Cat I Proposal – Nov 07
Appendix H – Budget Outline
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Water Certificate – Cat I Proposal – Nov 07
Appendix I – Faculty Vitae
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Water Certificate – Cat I Proposal – Nov 07