Course Syllabus

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PLS3004C Principles of Plant Science

Instructor

Gerardo Celis

Phone Number

352-273-2215

Email

celis@ufl.edu

Office Hours

Tuesday & Friday 10:45 - 11:30am Eastern Time

Teaching Assistants

Micah Dettweiler, Office hours Thursday 12:50-2:45pm Eastern Time

Hannah Rusch, Office hours Monday 10:45 - 11:30am & Friday 12:50-1:40pm Eastern Time

TA office hours are open for all students. However, to maximize help needed for students to be successful in the course, each student will be assigned to a specific TA for communication beyond TA hour to discuss any specific questions, issues, exams, and homework assignments. Each TA will form a group in canvas to communicate with the assigned students.

Credit Hours

3 credits

For questions about course content, your grade or other personal issues, use the Canvas mail tool.  Expect a response within 24 hours.

 

Syllabus pdf

PLS 3004C Spring 2021 Syllabus.pdf   

 

Course Schedule

The course will meet on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Monday and Wednesday will be HyFlex (in-person and online) and Friday everyone will be online. The Zoom link is the same for all meeting times.  

 

Course Information

Introduction to the principles and practices of plant production systems. An overview of plant evolution, anatomy, physiology, improvement, pest, water and nutrient management as applied to a variety of plant production systems. 

The purpose of this course is to prepare students with specific competencies they need for a fundamental understanding of plant biology and production. The course is designed to provide the student with basic knowledge of plant anatomy, genetics, physiology, soils, plant diseases and production practices of various crops. Upon completion of this course, the student will possess an understanding of plant production systems and the impacts they have on the ecosystems they occupy.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course the student should be able to:

  • Apply the theoretical knowledge covered in the course to production situations and make scientifically sound recommendations.
  • Formulate hypotheses about the processes that impact plant growth and develop and propose experiments that could be developed to test hypotheses based on the scientific method.
  • Communicate in both oral and written forms about key scientific concepts related to plant anatomy, plant genetics, plant physiology, soils and crop production practices to different audiences to inform them about issues of concern related to agricultural production.
  • Assess future agricultural production needs and opportunities to identify potential career paths in the agricultural sciences.

 

HyFlex Teaching and Learning

What is HyFlex?

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, UF is adopting a HyFlex model, short for Hybrid-Flexible, which combines online and classroom-based instructional components. Classrooms equipped with HyFlex technology provide instructors the ability to teach in-person and remote learners simultaneously and to record their lectures for their online sections while teaching face-to-face. In a HyFlex course, all learning content and materials are designed for both classroom and online learning environments and address all learning outcomes, regardless of the delivery medium. This way, whether a student attends class in a face-to-face environment, remotely through their computer, or by watching a recording if a recording is available, the learning objectives and outcomes will remain equivalent. (Source: Teaching in a Classroom with HyFlex - Center for Instructional Technology and Training - University of Florida)

For more information on learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, refer to the UF Keep Learning website: Keep Learning - eLearning - University of Florida

What to expect during the class session?

You have registered to attend the class sessions in person or remotely. 

If you are joining a class session remotely, practice using Zoom ahead of time. Plan to have access to a microphone, speakers or headphones, and a webcam. Most laptops should have all these components. In cases of slow Internet connectivity, you can participate through your phone (audio only) by joining the Zoom meeting via a telephone number. (Keep Learning - eLearning - University of Florida)

The URL to the live class sessions will be shared via Canvas with students. The link to the Zoom can be found here.

Zoom sessions will be recorded and will be available the following week. The link to we be available in the "Zoom links" page.

Course Requirements

Required textbook

None.

 

Prerequisites

Course prerequisite: BOT 2010C or BSC 2010.

 

Minimum technology requirements

The University of Florida expects students entering an online program to acquire computer hardware and software appropriate to his or her degree program.  Most computers are capable of meeting the following general requirements.  A student’s computer configuration should include:

  • Webcam
  • Microphone
  • Speakers or headphones
  • Broadband connection to the Internet and related equipment (Cable/DSL modem)
  • Your instructor might request that you obtain the Iclicker Cloud (Reef) (free for students) to respond to polls and in-class quizzes
  • Microsoft Office Suite installed (provided by the university)

Individual colleges may have additional requirements or recommendations, which students should review prior to the start of their program.

 

Minimum technical skills

To complete your tasks in this course, you will need a basic understanding of how to operate a computer, how to use Microsoft Office software, Zoom, and iClicker.

 

Materials/Supply Fees

There is no supply fee for this course.

 

Honorlock

Honorlock is an online proctoring service that allows students to take exams on-demand 24/7. There are no scheduling requirements or fees.

You will need a laptop or desktop computer with a webcam, a microphone, and a photo ID. The webcam and microphone can be either integrated or external USB devices.

Honorlock requires that you use the Google Chrome (Links to an external site.) browser; furthermore, the Honorlock extension (Links to an external site.) must be added to Chrome.

For further information, FAQs, and technical support, please visit Honorlock.

 

Zoom

Zoom is an easy to use video conferencing service available to all UF students, faculty, and staff that allows for meetings of up to 100 participants.

You can find resources and help using Zoom at https://ufl.zoom.us.

 

Course Policies

Class attendance is expected. Each unexcused absence will result in a 10-point reduction in the final grade. Excused absences are consistent with university policies in the undergraduate catalog (catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/academic-regulations/attendance-policies/ ) and require appropriate documentation.

Late essays or incomplete presentations will not be accepted. Students should arrange with the instructor for makeup material, and the student will receive one week to prepare for any makeup assignment, if circumstances allow it. 

Requirements for make-up exams, assignments, and other work in this course are consistent with university policies that can be found at catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/academic-regulations/attendance-policies/

As this is an online class, you are responsible for observing all posted due dates, and are encouraged to be self-directed and take responsibility for your learning.

Be on time. If you join the class session remotely, try and join the session at least 5 minutes before the class starts. Before your very first class session, try joining about 10-15 minutes to make sure that everything works.

 

Grading Policy

I will make every effort to have each assignment graded and posted within one week of the due date. 

Course Grading Policy

Points Each Total Points
 Activities (5) 20 100
Exams (3)  100 300
Projects (3) 100 300
Crop report 200 200
Final Exam 100 100
 Total Points 1000

 

Grading Scale

Percent

Grade

Grade Points

93 – 100.0

A

4.00

90.0 – 92.9

A-

3.67

87.0 – 89.9

B+

3.33

83.0 – 86.9

B

3.00

80.0 – 82.9

B-

2.67

77.0 – 79.9

C+

2.33

73.0 – 76.9

C

2.00

70.0 – 72.9

C-

1.67

67.0 – 69.9

D+

1.33

63.0 – 66.9

D

1.00

60.0 – 62.9

D-

0.67

0 – 59.9

E

0.00

See the current UF grading policies for more information.

 

UF Policies

University Policy on Accommodating Students with Disabilities: 

Students with disabilities requesting accommodations should first register with the Disability Resource Center (352-392-8565, https://disability.ufl.edu/) by providing appropriate documentation.  Once registered, students will receive an accommodation letter that must be presented to the instructor when requesting accommodation.  Students with disabilities should follow this procedure as early as possible in the semester.

 

University Policy on Academic Conduct:

UF students are bound by The Honor Pledge which states, “We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honesty and integrity by abiding by the Honor Code.  On all work submitted for credit by students at the University of Florida, the following pledge is either required or implied: "On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment."  The Honor Code (http://www.dso.ufl.edu/sccr/process/student-conduct-honor-code/) specifies a number of behaviors that are in violation of this code and the possible sanctions.  Furthermore, you are obligated to report any condition that facilitates academic misconduct to appropriate personnel.  If you have any questions or concerns, please consult with the instructor or TAs in this class.

 

Netiquette and Communication Courtesy: 

All members of the class are expected to follow rules of common courtesy during, before, and after class, in all email messages, threaded discussions, and chats. 

 

Getting Help

Technical Difficulties:

For issues with technical difficulties for Canvas, please contact the UF Help Desk at:

Any requests for make-ups due to technical issues should be accompanied by the ticket number received from the Help Desk when the problem was reported to them. The ticket number will document the time and date of the problem. You should e-mail your instructor within 24 hours of the technical difficulty if you wish to request a make-up.

 

Health and Wellness

  • U Matter, We Care:  If you or someone you know is in distress, please contact umatter@ufl.edu, 352-392-1575, or visit umatter.ufl.edu to refer or report a concern and a team member will reach out to the student in distress.
  • Counseling and Wellness Center:  Visit counseling.ufl.edu or call 352-392-1575 for information on crisis services as well as non-crisis services.
  • Student Health Care Center: Call 352-392-1161 for 24/7 information to help you find the care you need, or visit shcc.ufl.edu.
  • University Police Department: Visit police.ufl.edu or call 352-392-1111 (or 9-1-1 for emergencies).
  • UF Health Shands Emergency Room/Trauma Center: For immediate medical care in Gainesville, call 352-733-0111 or go to the emergency room at 1515 SW Archer Road, Gainesville, FL 32608; ufhealth.org/emergency-room-trauma-center.

 

Academic and Student Support

 

Course Evaluations

Students are expected to provide professional and respectful feedback on the quality of instruction in this course by completing course evaluations online via GatorEvals. Guidance on how to give feedback in a professional and respectful manner is available at https://gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/students/. Students will be notified when the evaluation period opens, and can complete evaluations through the email they receive from GatorEvals, in their Canvas course menu under GatorEvals, or via https://ufl.bluera.com/ufl/. Summaries of course evaluation results are available to students at https://gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/public-results/.

 

Tips for Success

Taking a HyFlex can be a lot of fun! Here are some tips that will help you get the most of this course while taking full advantage of this format:

  • Schedule "class times" for yourself. It is important to do the coursework on time each week. You will receive a reduction in points for work that is turned in late!
  • Read ALL of the material contained on this site. There is a lot of helpful information that can save you time and help you meet the objectives of the course.
  • Print out the Course Schedule located in the Course Syllabus and check things off as you go.
  • Ask for help or clarification of the material if you need it.
  • Do not wait to ask questions! Waiting to ask a question might cause you to miss a due date.
  • Do your work well before the due dates. Sometimes things happen. If your computer goes down when you are trying to submit an assignment, you'll need time to troubleshoot the problem.
  • To be extra safe, back up your work to an external hard drive, thumb drive, or through a cloud service.

 

Privacy and Accessibility Policies

For information about the privacy policies of the tools used in this course, see the links below:

 

COVID-Related Practices

In response to COVID-19, the following policies and requirements are in place to maintain your learning environment and to enhance the safety of our in-classroom interactions.

  • You are required to wear approved face coverings at all times during class and within buildings. Following and enforcing these policies and requirements are all of our responsibility. Failure to do so will lead to a report to the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution.
  • This course has been assigned a physical classroom with enough capacity to maintain physical distancing (6 feet between individuals) requirements. Please utilize designated seats and maintain appropriate spacing between students. Please do not move desks or stations.
  • Sanitizing supplies are available in the classroom if you wish to wipe down your desks prior to sitting down and at the end of the class.
  • Follow your instructor’s guidance on how to enter and exit the classroom. Practice physical distancing to the extent possible when entering and exiting the classroom.
  • If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms (guidance from the CDC on symptoms of coronavirus), please use the UF Health screening system and follow the instructions on whether you are able to attend class. Find more information in the UF Health guidance on what to do if you have been exposed to or are experiencing Covid-19 symptoms.
  • Course materials will be provided to you with an excused absence, and you will be given a reasonable amount of time to make up work. Find more information in the university attendance policies.

Our class sessions may be audio-visually recorded for students in the class to refer back and for enrolled students who are unable to attend live. Students who participate with their camera engaged or utilize a profile image are agreeing to have their video or image recorded.  If you are unwilling to consent to have your profile or video image recorded, be sure to keep your camera off and do not use a profile image. Likewise, students who unmute during class and participate orally are agreeing to have their voices recorded.  If you are not willing to consent to have your voice recorded during class, you will need to keep your mute button activated and communicate exclusively using the "chat" feature, which allows students to type questions and comments live. The chat will not be recorded or shared. As in all courses, unauthorized recording and unauthorized sharing of recorded materials is prohibited.

 

Course Summary:

Course Summary
Date Details Due