Course Syllabus

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PLS3004C Principles of Plant Science

Instructor

Dr. Kara Casy

Phone Number

352-273-2215

Email

kcasy@ufl.edu

Office Hours

Fridays from 10:30-11:30am and by appointment

Teaching Assistant

Shatabdi Proma, shatabdi.proma@ufl.edu
 

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 Syllabus   

 

Course Schedule

This course is 100% online and asynchronous. Module lectures, assignments, and exams will be posted in Canvas.

 

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:

  • Create and evaluatehypotheses about processes that impact plant growth and
  • Analyze research results and use this information to draw conclusions about plant community dynamics and agricultural production based on the scientific method.
  • Identify and discuss key scientific concepts, including plant anatomy and physiology, genetics, soil health and chemistry, integrated pest management, and crop production practices.
  • Assess future agricultural production needs in relation to current challenges in agricultural and plant sciences.
  • Articulate differences between various crop production systems, pest and nutrient management

 

Course Requirements

Required textbook

None.

 

Supplemental reading (for students with limited or no plant science background)*:

McMahon. (2020). Plant science : growth, development, and utilization of cultivated plants (Sixth edition.). Pearson Education, Inc.

 

*Available used and new from several sources, including the UF library.

 

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)
  • 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, and Zoom.

 

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

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.

 

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 (2) 100 200
Final Exam 100 100
 Total Points 700

 

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

  • Schedule "class times" for yourself. It's important to complete 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's 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're 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:

 

Course Summary:

Course Summary
Date Details Due