To Contact Instructor

Students wishing to reach the instructor by phone can call his office phone (985-4405).  Calls will be returned as soon as possible when you leave telephone number(s) and days and times when you can be reached.  I am also available by e-mail (outwater@csulb.edu).

Required Readings

1. Interpreting the City:  An Urban Geography, (4th Edition), Truman  Hartshorn,  John Wiley and Sons, 1997.
2. Other materials distributed in class.

There will be three exams during the semester and a final exam.  Each exam can   be comprehensive but will generally emphasize new material (text and   lecture/discussion).  The final exam will have two parts--one of new material and the other a comprehensive review of the entire course content.  The type of exams will vary but the specific types of questions on each exam will be discussed in class before each exam is given.  There will be an exam emphasis on course material covered in lecture and discussion in class.

Total points will be determined by adding the scores of the two highest exams and the final exam score (maximum 100 points).  Note that only two of the three regular exam scores will count in determining the final course grade.  It is strongly recommended that students take all three exams.  There will be no make-up exams given unless the circumstances are very unusual.  Students will be given the opportunity to earn up to 10 bonus points for participation in a field experience.  Bonus points will be added only after the final grade distribution point break points are determined.

It is the instructor's general policy not to issue incomplete (I) grade in this course.  If, by the end of the semester, a student's work is incomplete the final grade will be based upon work completed by the end of the final exam.

CRITICAL DATES

Wednesday, September 29:  Exam No. 1
Friday, October 1:  San Gorgonio Field Experience departs CSULB
Wednesday, October 20:  No regular class meeting - Coastal Zone Field Experience
Monday, October 25:  Exam No. 2
Monday, November 22:  Exam No. 3
Wednesday, December 15:  Final Exam, 2:45 p.m. -  4:45 p.m.

POINT SUMMARY
 

 

2 of 3 EXAMS AT 100 POINTS EACH	200
BONUS POINTS (Field Project)	10
1 FINAL EXAM	100
	_____
TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS	310

Students may earn up to 10 bonus points for participation in and completing required assignments of one (you may participate in more than one experience, but can only earn bonus points for only one) of the following field experiences:

This experience explores the urban recreational uses of the southern California National Forest lands in a hands-on way.  The trip originates from CSULB at 7:30 AM Friday morning October 1 and departs for the Fish Creek trail head (3 hour drive by university provided transportation) in the San Gorgonio wilderness.  From the trail head it is a 5-mile backpack to Fish Creek Saddle at an elevation of 10,000 feet where a base camp will be established.  Arrival at the base camp will be at about 5:00 pm after about 4-5 hour walk from the trailhead. Saturday will involve a hike to the summit of Mt. San Gorgonio, at over 11,500 feet, where we will experience the sun set over the urbanized Los Angeles basin from the highest point in southern California.  We will return to the base camp Saturday that evening spending the 2nd night here.  The trip returns to the trailhead by noon and to CSULB on Sunday,  October 3 before 6:00 pm.  This field experience is limited to students in good physical condition and previous backpacking experience is desirable, but not required.  Students will be required to fill out an application and get the permission of the instructor to participate.

Click here for pictures of last years trip!!

The coastal zone of Seal Beach, Surfside and Huntington Beach will be the field site for the study of urban land development issues.  The trip includes 3 hours (Wed. October 20 from 3:30 to 6:30 pm) of field work and a brief written paper (2 - 3 pages).  Paper is due on or before Nov. 3trd.  This field trip experience is open to all students.