Last edit made: 3/2/17
AGRI 1114
Principles of Horticulture
COURSE SYLLABUS SPRING 2017
Lecture: TuTh 11:00am – 12:15pm M181
Lab: Th 12:30pm – 2:15pm M181
Instructor: Lesley Smith
Division: Agriculture Department
Office Hours: TuTh 10:00am-11:00am, M181 or by appointment (To ensure a meeting time, it is
recommended that you make an appointment)
E-mail: [email protected]
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course will introduce students to the principles and practices underlying the propagation, production,
handling, and use of horticultural crops, landscape plants and turf. Time will be spent studying the science
of the plant process and the markets involved with the produce. Students will be introduced to the various
disciplines and commodities of horticulture including but not limited to various: houseplants, fruit and nut
trees, vines, vegetables, landscape plants, and flowers.
RATIONALE
This course should begin to fulfill the needs of college students who are planning careers in any part of
agriculture including agriculture business, agriculture communications, agriculture education, and
horticulture/crop science.
PREREQUISITES:
No Prerequisites.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:





To enable students to demonstrate a basic understanding of horticultural concepts through
classroom discussions, assignments, quizzes, and tests.
To enable students to utilize terminology related to horticulture through written and verbal
communication with the instructor and other individuals.
To introduce students to the technologies and practices involved in horticultural crop production.
To introduce students to various commodities and disciplines of horticulture.
To introduce students to aspects of the horticulture industry in Arkansas and the United States.
Last edit made: 3/2/17
RESOURCES NEEDED



Textbook- Horticulture, George Acquaah, 4th ed.
Notebook/paper to take notes
Pen/pencil, calculator, highlighter.
COURSE RESOURCES



Personal computer-The student is expected to have access to a computer with the ability to access
the internet and utilize Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel).
If you have any problems with your computer (i.e. computer crashes, internet goes down,etc.), it
is your responsibility to have a backup plan.
E-Mail Account- A Northark email account was issued to you automatically when you enrolled in
your classes. To access your email, navigate to Northark’s Web site at www.northark.edu. On the
Students tab, you should see a link that is labeled Student Email. You may also access your email
from web.mail.northark.edu. Your email address will be your [email protected].
ON-CAMPUS RESOURCES
· Your instructor: Please do not hesitate to stop by my office or make an appointment. E-mail is a
excellent way to communicate.
· The Library: Provides a study area and computers for your use.
ASSISTANCE FOR THE COURSE
If you are having any issues in your course, the first person you should contact is your instructor. If you
need technical assistance for logon issues, contact Mary Bausch (Northark IT department) at
[email protected] or 870.391.3285.
COURSE FORMAT
Class meetings
Lectures: The majority of this class will be taught in the classroom by lecture/discussion. The lectures
will be largely based upon readings from the textbook. However, some information will be presented
which is not in the text and not all information in the text will be presented verbatim in lectures nor will
all of the information presented in class be found in the textbook. Students are responsible for all of the
information in the assigned reading and that presented in lectures, as well as any information on handouts,
from guest lecturers, or reading assignments.
Labs: An important part of this class is the lab component. This part of the class gives students a chance
to learn “by doing”. There are points associated with the labs, based on both attendance and participation.
Good lab participation means that you are paying attention to what is being done and you are actively
participating in the assignment/activity that day. On some occasions, this time may be used for the
presentation of lecture material, exams, guest lectures, and field trips if necessary.
Last edit made: 3/2/17
Student Participation
Discussion and questions during lectures are encouraged. Students should feel free ask relevant questions
during the lecture. Similarly, the instructors may call upon students to answer questions relevant to the
discussion at hand, about reading assignments, or about homework.
If students do not participate, they may not gain attendance points for that day and the instructor may or
may not warn them about the deduction of points. It is important for students to participate and be active
in the class. Students can gain ideas and knowledge from the experiences and thoughts of their peers. In
most cases, questions and comments will be helpful to the entire class.
You are asked to abide by the following rules to maintain a good learning environment for everyone:



No disruptive behavior and no talking when the instructor, other students or guests are talking.
Pay attention to all announcements made in class.
Do not leave class or begin gathering your belongings until class is dismissed.
CELL PHONE POLICY
If the instructor sees students using cell phones in excess during class time, attendance/participation
points may be deducted with or without warning. There will be a 3 strike rule with cell phones. The third
time the instructor has to give you a verbal warning about your cell phone use, you will lose all extra
credit you have accumulated.
TARDINESS POLICY
As with any job, meeting, or appointment, it is very important to be at least on time, and try to be early.
That is the same with this class. Please be in the classroom, with all of your belongings in place as well as
your items for taking notes before class starts. We have a limited time together and do not need to waste it
on you not being ready for class. If you are more than 15 minutes late, you will be counted absent. If you
are tardy three times, it counts as one absence.
ATTENDANCE
By necessity, attendance is mandatory; missing a class means missing information, and interaction with
classmates and the instructor. There will be a portion of your grade that comes from attendance.
Attendance will be taken on a daily basis and you are responsible for all material covered and
announcements made in class. The following allowances and consequences will apply for the entire
semester:
**If you have a major illness or family crisis, please contact the instructor via email or in person and
arrangements may be able to be made. If you need to miss class due to a Northark event or another
class/club please contact the instructor and provide appropriate documentation and arrangements may be
able to be made. (See "Late Work")
Number of missed days:




0-4 No Consequence (aside from missing the 2 points of attendance/participation points)
5-8 Lose one letter grade off final grade
9-12 Lose two letter grades off final grade
>12 Fail the class
Last edit made: 3/2/17
If you miss over 4 days, you are putting yourself in a place to struggle in this class. YOU NEED TO BE
HERE TO SUCCEED!! It is the student’s responsibility to discuss any absences and the possibility of
makeup work with the instructor as soon as possible. It is best to do this BEFORE the absence occurs.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
Academic fraud and dishonesty are defined as follows:
· Cheating: Intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids
in any academic exercise.
· Facilitating academic dishonesty: Intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help another
commit an act of academic dishonesty.
· Test tampering: Intentionally gaining access to restricted test booklets, banks, questions, or answers
before a test is given; or tampering with questions or answers after a test is taken.
· Plagiarism: Intentionally or knowingly representing the words and ideas of another as one's own in
any academic exercise.
All work is expected to be your own. Source materials must be cited properly within your papers/projects.
If you are caught plagiarizing, you will receive a “0” for the assignment and, likely, an F for the course.
IN GENERAL, ALL WORK SHOULD BE YOUR OWN. IF YOU CONSULT A SOURCE, YOU
MUST INDICATE THIS. If the instructor suspects plagiarism, she may ask for copies of your written
work.
Academic dishonesty will not be permitted. It shall be at the instructor’s discretion to fail the student for
that assignment, remove the student from the class, reduce the student’s grade, or petition to have the
student suspended from the college.
COURSE SCHEDULE
There will be a 100 point test after each unit unless the instructor decides otherwise. This schedule is
subject to change due to the occurrence of guest speakers and labs. The instructor reserves the right to
change this schedule at any time throughout the semester.
Unit 1: Introduction to Horticulture
Principles, history, industries, importance to Arkansas, careers.
Unit 2: The Science of Horticulture
Taxonomy and plant classification, plant chemistry, cells/tissues/organs.
Reproduction, plant growth cycles/patterns, plant physiology, plant nutrition, plant environment.
Unit 3: Practices of Horticulture
Landscaping, plantscaping, turf/lawn management, nursery production, greenhouse
operations/production, fruit crops, vegetable crops, post-harvest handling, vegetable crops, floral industry.
Possible labs for this semester (subject to change):

Tour of greenhouse/facilities
Last edit made: 3/2/17








Plant identification
Pruning/grafting workshop
Plant anatomy
Plant propagation
Post-harvest handling
Plant environment/nutrition
Farm tours
Floral design
MINIMUM COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Lab reports/assignments: Laboratory reports may be required on occasion to present findings and
summarize experiments and/or demonstrations. Students will be notified in advance if there is a required
lab report. A grading rubric will be provided so students know what is to be included in the report and
when they are due.
Homework assignments: These may be given during the semester to prepare for and review difficult
topics. The due date for each assignment will be specified. Homework assignments will include various
types of exercises including writing (short essays, etc.), calculations, labeling diagrams, library research,
etc.
Project: There will be at least one class project that the student will be responsible for completing. This
will require oral communication in front of the class as well as a corresponding PowerPoint or Prezi
visual presentation. More information will be given after the midterm.
*All assignments will be graded on mechanics and grammar, logic, content and
thoroughness/completeness, format and style, and neatness.
Quizzes: About 10 short (5-10 minutes) quizzes will be given periodically throughout the semester.
These quizzes may not always be scheduled, so it is important for students to be properly prepared for
each class period by reviewing information discussed in previous class periods as well as keep up with
assigned reading or other material presented since the previous short quiz.
Tests: a minimum of 3 tests will be given in this course. Students are encouraged to create a study guide
of definitions, concepts, and ideas to prepare for each test. Students are encouraged to take detailed notes
throughout the semester to prepare for the tests. ALL material covered during class time may be used as
for test material including any outside speakers/labs.
Final Exam: The Final examination is a comprehensive exam and will be worth 200 points.
*All exams may utilize a variety of question types including answer recognition, short answer,
definition, matching, application, and short discussion.
COURSE EVALUATION
Students will be evaluated in this course and given grades A, B, C, D, or F based on their performance.
The class is set up to evaluate if students are learning and applying the information and concepts
presented in class.
Last edit made: 3/2/17
All work must be grammatically and structurally correct and follow the guidelines given for the
assignment. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that all written work is legible for the instructor
to be able to grade it. If work is not legible, the instructor may grant a 0%. If you have trouble writing
legibly, please speak with the instructor about options available. Typically, a paragraph is considered 5+
sentences. Unless instructed otherwise, all typed papers must be in Times New Roman, 12 point font, and
double spaced. All typed work is expected to have a header that lists the students name, date, class, and
assignment name. Typed work with more than one page should have page numbers allocated at the
bottom of the page. Points may be deducted if all of these requirements are not met.
GRADING SCALE





A- 90% - 100%
B- 80% - 89%
C- 70% - 79%
D- 60% - 69%
F- Below 60%
ALLOCATION OF POINTS
*There will be AT LEAST 750 points available in the class. The point system listed below is an
approximate estimation of how points may be allotted. This may change at any time as the class
progresses and assignments increase/decrease (weather could affect points such as attendance, etc.).







Unit Tests-100 points per test
Final-200 points
Quizzes-10 points per quiz
Homework-10 to 25 points per assignment
Attendance/Participation-2 points per class/lab
Lab reports- Approximately 25 points per report
Project-50 points
LATE WORK
If you happen to miss an assignment or a class period, CONTACT ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I can't
keep up with everyone's missed assignments. It is your responsibility to contact me to see what you
missed. If you are aware of an upcoming absence, it is best to contact me to make arrangements beforehand. Unless you have prior permission from the instructor before missing the assignment, late work will
be subject to a 10%/day penalty. Homework assignments can be turned in up to 3 days after the class
period they were due. Assignments that are turned in after the class period they were due (even if it is on
the same day) will be subject to a 10% per day deduction. Assignments outside of homework (tests,
projects, presentations, etc.) may be subject to a 0% if there is not a doctor’s note or other form of
tangible proof that extenuating circumstances occurred presented. Failure to complete a test during the
class period the test is given without prior permission, tangible proof of extenuating circumstances, or an
email from someone at the college stating that you were on a college-related trip by the next class period
you return to will result in a 0% on the test and no chance for making the test up. If a student misses
class/lab for an excused absence, once they return to class they will be able to submit late work until the
next class period. If they miss a week or more of classes (2+ class periods) due to an excused absence,
they will have one week since they returned to class to submit their work.
Last edit made: 3/2/17
COMPREHENSIVE FINAL TEST
The final test will be worth 200 points and will be turned in to the instructor during the designated class
time for the class’s final. The purpose of the final test is to give the student an opportunity to demonstrate
mastery of the course’s concepts. More details about this topic will be covered in class.
EXTRA CREDIT
Extra credit in this class may be earned in the following ways:


Participation in Northark Agri Club: You will be able to earn up to 25 extra credit point by
participating in 5 meetings or events through the Agri Club (5 points each event/meeting)
Other pre-approved events in the community that relate to horticulture or classroom discussion
topics.
GENERAL IMPORTANT DATES






January 10 (Tu) Class begins.
February 27 - March 3 (M-F) Mid-term examinations
March 20 - 24 (M-F) Spring Break, No classes, offices TBA
May 1 - 5 (M-F) Last week of classes/Finals
May 6 (Sa) Graduation 10:00 a.m.
May 9 (Tu) Final grades due by 9:00 a.m.
WITHDRAWAL
If you find yourself in need of dropping this class, you do have the opportunity to drop this class and it
will show up as a “W” for withdrawal on your transcript. That is much better than taking an “F”.
According to Northark policy, you have to drop yourself from this class, I CANNOT DROP YOU.
ADA STATEMENT
North Arkansas College complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans
with Disabilities Act of 1990. Students with disabilities who need special accommodations should make
their requests in the following way: (1) talk to the instructor after class or during office hours about their
disability or special need related to classroom work; and/or (2) contact Special Services in Room M154H
and ask to speak to Kim Brecklein.
PROVISION FOR CHANGES
The instructor will notify students of any updates/changes in the course syllabus