565.686.8VL - Sustainable Coastal Engineering

Course Structure

The course materials are divided into modules which can be accessed by clicking Modules on the menu. You should regularly check the Announcements for assignment due dates. 

Course Topics

• Introduction to Sustainable Coastal Engineering
• Mathematics of Growth
• Introduction to Sustainable Energy
• Wind, Wave, and Tidal Energy
• Introduction to Sustainable Aquaculture
• Sustainable Food Production
• Oyster Restoration
• Introduction to Sustainable Shore Protection
• Rubble Mound Structures and Living Shorelines
• Beach Nourishment

Course Goals

To study sustainable engineering in Coastal Engineering including sustainable shore protection, sustainable energy, and sustainable food production.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)

• Investigate sustainable shore protection designs such as living shorelines and sills, beach nourishment, and other sustainable methods in order to adapt to coastal hazards such as hurricanes, tsunamis, and sea level rise.
• Investigate sustainable energy such as coastal wind energy, wave energy, tidal energy, and other sustainable energy sources and be introduced to alternative energy design.
• Investigate the importance of sustainable food production such as ocean aquaculture, shellfish aquaculture, and other sustainable food production and be introduced to aquaculture system design.

Textbooks

None.

Required Software

WORD/POWERPOINT/EXCEL

You will need access to a recent version of Microsoft Office: WORD, PowerPoint and EXCEL. 

Student Coursework Requirements

Students are expected to participate/submit the following: 

• Homework Assignments
• Class Discussions
• Final Project
• Exams

Homework Assignments 

Homework will be assigned throughout the semester. The following grading system will be used:

√+ Effort demonstrated on ALL HW problems (100%) 

√ Effort demonstrated on some HW problems (75%)

0 Minimal or no effort shown on HW problems (0%) 

Final Project

Each student team will give a presentation on their topic scheduled during the semester followed by a final project report due on the last day of class. 

Exams

Exams will be administered to assess students’ achievement of learning objectives.  Exams will be individual efforts unless assigned otherwise and may be given during class or as take-home exams. 

Grading Breakdown: 

Item	% of Grade
Homework Assignments	25%
Final Project	25%
Exams	50%

Any assigned project or homework that is late will have the grade reduced for lateness. Late exams will not be accepted and will receive a "0".

Grading Policy

EP uses a +/- grading system (see “Grading System”, Graduate Programs catalog, p. 10).

Letter grades will be assigned based on the numerical course average according to the scale below. For averages which fall between grades (e.g. 89.5%), I reserve the right to round up or down based on overall student effort, participation, and performance. 

Score Range	Letter Grade
100-97	= A+
97-93	= A
92-90	= A−
89-87	= B+
86-83	= B
82-80	= B−
79-77	= C+
76-73	= C
72-70	= C−
69-67	= D+
66-63	= D
<63	= F

Course Policies

All work including homework, exams, and projects should be individual efforts unless allowed by the instructor. No course materials from previous semesters may be used. Please refer to the Academic Misconduct Policy below. 

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. 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. Our courses are designed with a proactive approach to accessibility to minimize the need for disability disclosure and accommodation requests, but we recognize that you may need additional support. 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 EP Student Disability Services at 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 Student Conduct Code website.

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.