575.727.81 - Environmental Monitoring and Sampling

Course Structure

The course materials are divided into modules. A module will have several sections including the overview, learning guide, content, lectures, readings, discussions, and assignments. You are encouraged to preview all sections of the module before starting. Modules run for a period of seven (7) days. You should regularly check the Calendar for assignment due dates.

Course Topics

--Data Resources, Basics of Statistics, Data Analysis and Interpretation
--Statistics, Maps and GIS
--Air Pollutant Characterization, Monitoring Plan and Sampling
--Subsurface Characterization, Monitoring Plan and Sampling
--Surface Water Characterization, Monitoring Plan and Sampling

Course Goals

The course will impart an understanding of the significant aspects of environmental monitoring and sampling, including the data quality objective process; strategies and methods for sampling air, surface water, soil, and groundwater; and preparing planning documents. The course will require the application of these principles to develop a sample Sampling and Analysis Plan for monitoring and sampling contaminants in the air, surface water, soil, and groundwater of a project site.

By the end of this course you should be able to:

• Identify the sources, physical and chemical processes, and sampling and monitoring strategies for surface water, air, groundwater, and soils.
• Design Quality Assurance Project Plans for surface water, air, groundwater and soils that define the data quality objectives, analytical methodologies, and quality assurance procedures required to achieve the data quality goals of a project.
• Design plans for field and laboratory activities for surface water, air, groundwater, and soils that detail the sampling and field data gathering methods and the sampling resources required for the project.
• Access, download, assess usability and manipulate data from national databases for air, surface water, groundwater, and soil contaminants for your local area/region.
• Evaluate status and trends using monitoring data collected for surface water, air, groundwater, and soils.

Textbooks

Required textbook: Artiola, J.F., I.L Pepper, and M. Brusseau, eds. (2004). Environmental monitoring and characterization. Amsterdam: Elsevier Academic Press. ISBN 0-12-064477-0

Required Software

PDF Viewer:

You will need the free Adobe PDF viewer software to view PDF files provided for this course. Go to http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html

Office Software:

You will need access to word processing, presentation, and spreadsheet applications. Microsoft Office will, of course, work - however, an open source alternative is available at OpenOffice.org. http://download.openoffice.org/other.html#en-US.

Student Coursework Requirements

The instructors expect that each module will take approximately 8-16 hours per week to complete. Here is an approximate breakdown: completing the assigned readings (approximately 1-2 hours per week;) listening to the audio annotated slide presentations (approximately 1-2 hours per week;) solving graded Assignments (approximately 2-3 hours per week;) participating in class Discussions (approximately 2-3 hours per week;) and completing the individual project that will be due at the end of the course (approximately 3-6 hours per week.)

The course will consist of three basic student requirements:

1. Class Discussions (25% of Final Grade Calculation)

The students are responsible for carefully reading all assigned material, accessing required information via the Internet, and being prepared for discussion.

There are six discussion sections in the course. The first set of three discussion sections will include discussions prepared each week by individual students for modules 1, 2, and 3.

The second set of three discussion sections will be devoted to each media (air, groundwater and soil, and surface water) and each will last 3 weeks. Discussions will be prepared collaboratively by Teams of 2-3 students. The Team discussion sections for modules 4, 5, 6 (air); modules 7, 8, 9 (groundwater & soil); and modules 10, 11, 12 (surface water) will incorporate narrated Power point presentations as the discussion response. Specific guidance is in Modules 4, 7 and 10.

The students shall post their initial response and any related required material(s) to the discussion questions by the end of the first week of the discussion section. Posting a response to the discussion question is Part One of the grade for module discussions.

Part Two of the grade for class discussion is each student’s interaction (i.e., responding to classmate postings with thoughtful responses) with at least two classmates is required. Just posting a response to a discussion question is not sufficient; the instructors want each student to interact with their classmates. The student should be detailed in their postings and in their responses to classmates' postings. The student should feel free to agree or disagree with their classmates. The student should ensure that their postings are civil and constructive. The student should post their responses to classmates by the end of the second week of the discussion section for the module.

The instructors will monitor module discussions and may respond to some of the discussions as they are posted. In some instances, the instructors may summarize the overall discussions and post the summary for the module.
You are responsible for carefully reading all assigned material, accessing required information via the Internet, and being prepared for discussion.

2. Assignments (45% of Final Grade Calculation)
Weekly Assignments will be both quantitative and qualitative (e.g. literature reviews, document summaries). Include your name and the assignment identifier as part of the filename for all files submitted to support your work for an assignment. The students shall include a cover sheet with their name, assignment identifier, and submission date. They also should include student name and a page number indicator (i.e., page x of NumPages) on each page of their submissions. Each problem should have the problem statement, assumptions, computations, and conclusions/discussion delineated. All figures and tables should be captioned and labeled appropriately. Please make sure that your assignment filenames have your name and module number on all your files submitted (word, pdf, excel, power point, etc.).

Advice from the Prof’s: Module assignment deliverables provide you --the working professional graduate student- with "training" for preparation of a tech memo, brief tech report or summary report of your "work in progress" as a deliverable to your supervisor or your client. Your assignments need to be submitted as a typed document with cover page information with date submitted. For each problem or question included in the assignment the following items: problem statement, narrative response or summary of methods, data sources and calculations or discussion addressing the question; summary data tables and any plots or charts if required, and any reference citations used to prepare your deliverable document.  Scanned images of schematic diagram sketches or hand calculations are acceptable for insertion into your deliverable document.

Please see the attached excel sheets. This method of responding to assignment problems is an example of what is NOT appropriate as your response for a tech memo, tech report, or summary report of "work in progress". You need to present a summary data table to document data sources and a plot if needed to support your narrative response. You can then refer to your submitted excel file to support the details of your data sets and calculations etc.

Qualitative assignments are evaluated by the following grading elements:

• Each part of the question(s) is answered.
• Writing quality and technical accuracy are high. (Writing is expected to meet or exceed accepted graduate-level English and scholarship standards; that is, all assignments will be graded on grammar and style as well as content.)
• Rationale for answer is provided.
• Examples are included to illustrate rationale. (If a student does not have direct experience related to a particular question, then the student is to provide analogies versus examples.)
• Outside references are included.

All assignments are due according to the dates shown in the Calendar. Refer to the Assignment Rubric located in the Syllabus & Course Information section for information on assignment deliverable expectations.

3. Individual Course Project (30% of Final Grade Calculation)

The course project is described in detail in the Course Project Description. A presentation and participation and moderation in a Discussion of the course project by all students is required. Refer to the Project Description and associated grading rubric for information on project deliverable expectations.

Grading Policy

Student assignments are due according to the dates in the Calendar and as specified in the corresponding modules. The instructors will post grades within 1 week after assignment due dates.

A grade of A indicates achievement of consistent excellence and distinction throughout the course; that is, conspicuous excellence in all aspects of assignments and discussion in every week.

A grade of B indicates work that meets all course requirements on a level appropriate for graduate academic work. These criteria apply to both undergraduates and graduate students taking the course.

100–98 = A+
97–94 = A
93–90 = A−
89–87 = B+
86–83 = B
82–80 = B−
79–70 = C
<70 = F

In summary, final grades will be determined by the following weighting for each item	% of Grade
Discussions: Module 1,2 & 3 (7%); Air (6%), Groundwater/Soil (6%); Surface Water (6%)	25%
Assignments: Module 2 & 3 (9%), Air (12%), Groundwater/Soil (12%), Surface Water (12%)	45%
Course Project: General (3%), Air (8%), Groundwater/Soil (8%), Surface Water (8%), Discussion Responses (3%)	30%

 

Course Policies

Policies and guidelines of the Engineering for Professionals Program provide the overarching structure for the policies and guidelines that apply to this class. We strive for fairness and due process to all students. Students who wish to appeal a grade may do so in writing.

If you know that you will be late submitting an assignment or other deliverable product for the course, please communicate with the appropriate instructor to inform them of your particular situation and the reasons why you are not able to submit a deliverable on time. You are expected to show the same courtesy to the instructors about your ability to meet deadlines that you would show to your supervisor or client. Good communication skills are critical for professional success.

Late Penalty – Assignments up to 1 week late will be penalized as shown below. Assignments may not be accepted later than 1 week late for credit; they may still be reviewed for comment at the instructor’s discretion.

1st day late - 2%
2nd day late - 4%
3rd day late - 6%
4th day late - 8%
5th day late -10% 
6th day late -12% 
7th day late -14% 
over 14 days late – not accepted for a grade

Academic Policies

Deadlines for Adding, Dropping and Withdrawing from Courses

Students may add a course up to one week after the start of the term for that particular course. Students may drop courses according to the drop deadlines outlined in the EP academic calendar (https://ep.jhu.edu/student-services/academic-calendar/). Between the 6th week of the class and prior to the final withdrawal deadline, a student may withdraw from a course with a W on their academic record. A record of the course will remain on the academic record with a W appearing in the grade column to indicate that the student registered and withdrew from the course.

Academic Misconduct Policy

All students are required to read, know, and comply with the Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS) / Whiting School of Engineering (WSE) Procedures for Handling Allegations of Misconduct by Full-Time and Part-Time Graduate Students.

This policy prohibits academic misconduct, including but not limited to the following: cheating or facilitating cheating; plagiarism; reuse of assignments; unauthorized collaboration; alteration of graded assignments; and unfair competition. Course materials (old assignments, texts, or examinations, etc.) should not be shared unless authorized by the course instructor. Any questions related to this policy should be directed to EP’s academic integrity officer at ep-academic-integrity@jhu.edu.

Students with Disabilities - Accommodations and Accessibility

Johns Hopkins University values diversity and inclusion. We are committed to providing welcoming, equitable, and accessible educational experiences for all students. Students with disabilities (including those with psychological conditions, medical conditions and temporary disabilities) can request accommodations for this course by providing an Accommodation Letter issued by Student Disability Services (SDS). Please request accommodations for this course as early as possible to provide time for effective communication and arrangements.

For further information or to start the process of requesting accommodations, please contact Student Disability Services at Engineering for Professionals, ep-disability-svcs@jhu.edu.

Student Conduct Code

The fundamental purpose of the JHU regulation of student conduct is to promote and to protect the health, safety, welfare, property, and rights of all members of the University community as well as to promote the orderly operation of the University and to safeguard its property and facilities. As members of the University community, students accept certain responsibilities which support the educational mission and create an environment in which all students are afforded the same opportunity to succeed academically. 

For a full description of the code please visit the following website: https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/policies-guidelines/student-code/

Classroom Climate

JHU is committed to creating a classroom environment that values the diversity of experiences and perspectives that all students bring. Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. Fostering an inclusive climate is important. Research and experience show that students who interact with peers who are different from themselves learn new things and experience tangible educational outcomes. At no time in this learning process should someone be singled out or treated unequally on the basis of any seen or unseen part of their identity. 
 
If you have concerns in this course about harassment, discrimination, or any unequal treatment, or if you seek accommodations or resources, please reach out to the course instructor directly. Reporting will never impact your course grade. You may also share concerns with your program chair, the Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, or the Office of Institutional Equity. In handling reports, people will protect your privacy as much as possible, but faculty and staff are required to officially report information for some cases (e.g. sexual harassment).

Course Auditing

When a student enrolls in an EP course with “audit” status, the student must reach an understanding with the instructor as to what is required to earn the “audit.” If the student does not meet those expectations, the instructor must notify the EP Registration Team [EP-Registration@exchange.johnshopkins.edu] in order for the student to be retroactively dropped or withdrawn from the course (depending on when the "audit" was requested and in accordance with EP registration deadlines). All lecture content will remain accessible to auditing students, but access to all other course material is left to the discretion of the instructor.