Teaching

Resources and Communities in the Department of Mining Engineering

Courses

Nicole currently teaches the following courses at the Colorado School of Mines

Communities and Natural Resource Developments

Communities and NR Dev

Course description

This course explores the relationship between natural resource developments and communities that are involved with, impacted by, and live in and around these developments. Energy and mineral developments often compete with communities’ livelihoods, land and resource claims, and environmental concerns. Yet there are also instances where communities initiate, lead, and support natural resource developments and become active agents in these developments. Through geographically focused case studies, this course examines areas of conflict and cooperation among communities, governments, non-governmental organizations, and corporations and draws from these case studies to conceptualize future directions for sustainable natural resource development.

This course serves as an undergraduate elective for students from all majors on campus.

Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate Social Responsibility

Course description

Businesses are largely responsible for creating the wealth upon which the well-being of society depends. As they create that wealth, their actions impact society, which is composed of a wide variety of stakeholders. In turn, society shapes the rules and expectations by which businesses must navigate their internal and external environments. This interaction between corporations and society (in its broadest sense) is the concern of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). This course explores the dimensions of that interaction from a multi-stakeholder perspective using case studies, guest speakers and fieldwork.

This course serves as an undergraduate elective for students from all majors on campus.

Sustainable Development and Earth Resources

Sustainable Development and Earth Resources

Course description

Earth resource industries are increasingly being called on to contribute to sustainable development in the communities and regions where they operate. In this graduate level course, students develop an understanding and appreciation of the ways in which mineral and energy projects can contribute to sustainable development.

The course is framed around the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and includes the following elements:

  1. examination of sustainable development principles relevant to mineral and energy projects and current best practices and continuing challenges
  2. critical assessment of necessary elements of corporate social responsibility policies and practices
  3. evaluation of stakeholder roles and specific strategies for effective stakeholder engagement
  4. identification of criteria for engineering and management that contribute to sustainable development
  5. evaluation of real cases that demonstrate where social license to operate was either gained or maintained or not granted or withdrawn

This is a graduate course that counts towards the Earth Resources Development Engineering (ERDE) graduate program. Students from all graduate degree programs are welcome to enroll in the course.

Energy, Natural Resources, and Society

Energy, Natural Resources, and Society 

Course description

This is a graduate level course that applies a social science lens to understanding the intersections between energy and mineral developments and communities. In this course, we examine these intersections through a case study approach that includes directed readings, such as ethnographies and peer-reviewed journal articles, and that incorporates student-led discussions and research projects. By exploring various development initiatives, such as oil and gas, mining, wind, solar, nuclear, hydropower, and geothermal, students gain a comprehensive understanding of the energy-mineral-society nexus and the role communities play in both furthering and limiting these developments.

This course that is required for graduate students enrolled in the Natural Resources Energy Policy (NREP) program in the Humanities, Arts and Sciences Division (HASS). Students from all graduate degree programs are welcome to enroll in the course.

Our Team

Learn more about our faculty and staff.

Want to Learn More?

Are you looking for more information? Contact us and we’ll be happy to help!