Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Geospatial Research Project (Capstone Project) (Face-to-Face)

GEOG 4500-01

Course: GEOG 4500-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: GEOS
CRN: 31237

Course Description

Student capstone project is required for all students that complete the GIS certificate program. Projects are designed and submitted two (2) semesters before signing up for this course. Students will enroll the semester they are ready to present and defend their research project. A minimum grade of "C" (2.0 or above) must be earned in this course before it can be counted in a Geosciences major or minor or as a prerequisite for any other course. (Fall, Spring) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Prerequisite(s): GEOG 4150 and GEOG 4400 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: C

Required Texts

No textbook is required for this course

Learning Outcomes

Develop a project proposal with clearly defined objectives, spatial questions, data needs, analytical methods, and expected outcomes
Acquire, manage, and preprocess geospatial datasets, vector and raster, LiDAR, GPS, and remote sensing data
Ensure data quality, metadata documentation, and ethical used of collected data
Synthesize geospatial knowledge and skills from prior coursework to plan, design, and execute GIS-based project
Integration of geospatial technologies, such as GPS, UAVs, Online GIS, scripting and modeling
Produce professional-quality outputs, including statis maps, dashboards, web maps or geo-visualization
Communicate project outcomes effectively through written reports, and visual presentations
Demonstrate project management and collaboration skills for planning, time management, working with teams

Course Requirements

Course Objective/Learning Outcomes: This course is designed to give the student real world experience through completing a project through all stages. The culmination of all their skills will be required (see below for requirements). Written, verbal, and cartographic presentations are required from each student. Student will be able to verbally defend their findings and results, discuss with the instructor and fellow students the methods used and be able to explain possible alternative methods. The student will present the project through hard copy cartography, verbal presentation, and written final report. ELO: Inquiry & Analysis, Communication, Digital Literacy

Student Expectations: Students are expected to keep a weekly schedule and work on their project on a regularly basis.  The first meeting with the instructor a time will be set for a weekly meeting and review session of each students progress.  The student must schedule to meet these assigned meeting times. Absences will only be excused with prior notice.  Weekly assignments are due and reported on in the next meeting.  A student will need to keep a journal and log their progress, notes, findings, and research sources daily and summarize before the weekly meeting. (this journal will be used later and included in it's entirety as an appendix in the final write up). There is always the possibility that the project as some points that must be revised for variety of reasons, so if the project is not on track the student is required to document the required revisions needed to hit the deadlines.  Class participation is expected and will be greatly beneficial to the student in preparation for the projects, even though a weekly meeting is scheduled, additional times with the instructor are usually necessary.  Students are expected to participate in the group discussions as scheduled by the instructor, usually a gathering of all the students working on their GIS capstone projects. Be prepare to share your findings and ask others for advise. The student is required to present their final project during finals week to all the students in the GIS courses, as an alternative a project might be more suitable for presenting at a GIS conference, this will be determined my the student in cooperation with the instructor. In addition certain projects will want to consider also submitting their paper to a journal or conference proceeding as well.

Course Outline

Schedule weekly review
Syllabus Review
Literature Review & Research Sources/Sites

Project Proposal
Project Schedule - Time Table - Gant Chart
Daily - Weekly Journal Entries

Project Presentation 1 (Instructor) Interactive Live Demo
Project Presentation 2 (Campus)Verbal
Project Presentation 3 (Conference or focus group) Verbal - Demonstration
Written Project Paper - Comprehensive coverage - Story map presentation

Cartographic Presentation (large format)
Cartographic Presentation (small format)
Cartographic Presentation (Interactive format)

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Late assignments: Student must plan for the verbal presentation and submit any require abstract for the required conference.  There is no planned make up conference presentations.  The student may choose to present the the interest group (ie town council) instead of a conference.  Student are also required to present to fellow student at the end of the semester.  There are no make up times for these presentations.

Attendance Policy

Attendance: There is no regularly scheduled course times.  Students are required to set a schedule to meet with the instructor and mentor frequently throughout the semester to help them stay on tract and be successful.   

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.