Taskforce on Ocean Governance

Teaching & Mentorship

Teaching about oceans governance can be a highly rewarding experience, but it can also be challenging to balance the many diverse facets of this complex topic. Students need some knowledge of the natural science to evaluate governance options and impacts, but they also need a nuanced understanding of the social, political, and economic systems that ultimately shape governance in particular areas. Fitting all of this into a single course is difficult, and teachers often focus on the social elements that they know best, including the law, sociology, geography, political science, or economics. Perhaps the most difficult part of teaching about oceans governance is ensuring that students don’t get mired down in the stories of governance failure during this age where anthropogenic stressors are at unprecedented levels. Members of this cluster think deeply about these and many other aspects of fostering the next generation of advocates, scholars, and decision makers in oceans governance. It is a place to share syllabi, textbook recommendations, classroom activities, and questions about teaching or mentoring students. In general, the focus is on college-level or above, but we welcome members who are interested in teaching about this topic to people of any age-group.

We are still looking for a leader or leadership team for this cluster. If you’d like to volunteer for this position, please fill out this form and send to d.g.webster@dartmouth.edu.  Cluster leaders keep track of the membership list, keep an eye out for bot or troll activity on the cluster page, and screen working group applications to make sure they fit cluster goals and the ESG science plan. They should also be prepared to help working groups/cluster members with networking and mentorship as needed. Leaders sign on for a 2-year term, but, as the cluster becomes more active, more leaders can be added to spread the responsibilities.

Cluster membership will be opened once the leadership role has been filled.