ENS 220: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
Fall 2002 Syllabus
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:20-5:10 pm
SC 109 (classroom) and SC 120 (computer lab)

Course Description:

This class will introduce you to the fundamental concepts of computerized geographic information systems (GIS). It will combine an overview of the general principles of GIS and spatial data management with training on one of the most widely used desktop GIS software packages, ArcView (Environmental Systems Research Institute, or ESRI). The course will be divided between lectures covering both the theory and practical applications of GIS, and computerized data operations and labs in which you will use ArcView to manipulate data and create maps.

This year we will regularly use our Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and map out features around Alfred, adding the spatial data to our “local” GIS.

The second half of the course is devoted to an individual project of your design. You may use a spatial data set of your own, collected with our GPS for example, or you can use any of the hundreds of data sets that we have already available. Your project will consist of a series of related maps that you create from scratch. Many more details on my expectations will follow.

Textbook:

Concepts and Techniques of Geographic Information Systems by C. P. Lo, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc., 2002

Grading:

Basic GIS and ArcView Competency Quiz 20%
Weekly Lab Work 10%
Summaries of GIS articles 15%
Project (maps, analyses, etc.) 35%
Final Exam 20%

Attendance:

Each class period will begin promptly at 3:20 pm, and there can be no eating or drinking in the computer room. It is impossible to miss class periods and learn GIS simultaneously, particularly over the course of a single semester. Therefore, regular attendance is mandatory in this class. Two (2) class meetings may be missed without an excuse, and after that, 5% will be deducted from your final grade with each absence. There will be no exceptions made for travel mishaps, computer woes, or the like.