NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE COURSE SYLLABUS*

 

Course Title: Sustainable Agriculture- Online
Course Prefix & Number: AGCR 1371	Section Number:  340	Semester: Spring 2020
Semester Credit Hours: 3	Lecture Hours: 48	Lab Hours: 16
Course Description (NCTC Catalog): Introduction to history, principles, and practices of sustainable agriculture as applied to local and global agriculture. A comparison and evaluation of sustainability of conventional agricultural practices will be made from the environmental, economic, and social perspectives ("planet, profit, and people"). Case studies and other tools will be used to relate principles of sustainable agriculture to basic farming practices.
Course Pre-requisite(s): None
Required or Recommended Course Materials: None

 

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Name of Instructor:	Madison King
Campus/Office Location:	1603 on Gainesville Campus
Telephone Number:	940-668-7731 ext. 4353
E-mail Address:	mmking@nctc.edu

 

OFFICE HOURS

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
9:30- 11:30			9:30 – 11:30
3 – 4:30	1:30- 4:30	3 – 4:30

ALL OTHER TIMES BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

 

GRADING CRITERIA

# of Graded Course Elements	Graded Course Elements	Percentage or Point Values
3	Exams	300
4	Assignments	400
10	Discussions (20 points each)	200
1	Final	100

 

 

FINAL COURSE GRADE

Overall course grades are determined as follows:

A= 900+ points

B= 800- 899 points

C= 700- 799 points

D= 600- 699 points

F= 0- 599 points

 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

	At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:
1.	Describe and demonstrate various techniques and management practices used to optimize agriculture from an environmental, social, and financial perspective
2.	Identify environmental, social and financial factors which are important in both sustainable and conventional
3.	Express and discuss the importance of sustainable agriculture as it compares to conventional agriculture
4.	Utilize computer programs and agriculture related programs associated with this course and various aspects of the agriculture related industry
5.	Demonstrate the implementation of planning, establishing, and maintaining agricultural operations under sustainable practices

 

 

Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students in all classes for which

they have registered.

• All absences are considered to be unauthorized unless the student is absent

due to sickness or emergencies which are approved by the instructor, or due to

participation in an approved college-sponsored activity (which requires written

approval from the appropriate Dean or Director).

• The instructor is responsible for judging the validity of any reasons given for

absence. Valid reasons for absence however, do not relieve the student of the

responsibility for making up required work.

• Students will not be allowed to make up an examination missed due to absence

unless they have reasons acceptable to the instructor. A student who is compelled

to be absent when a test is given should petition the instructor, in advance if

possible, for permission to postpone the exam.

• Students may be dropped from a class by the Registrar upon recommendation

of the instructor who feels the student has been unjustifiably absent or tardy a

sufficient number of times to preclude meeting the course's objectives.

• Persistent, unjustified absences from classes or laboratories may be considered

sufficient cause for College officials to drop a student from the rolls of the College.

• Students may be dropped from a developmental course required for the Texas

Success Initiative (TSI) purposes for non-attendance. Official NCTC TSI rules state

that students not passing all sections of the THEA, Compass, or the TSI

Assessment test must be enrolled in at least one area of remediation each

semester they are enrolled or until all sections are passed or all remedial

requirements have been met.

• Simply logging into an online course does not constitute attendance. The U.S.

Department of Education calculates last date of attendance by the last time a

student participated in an online discussion or made contact (interacted) with a

faculty member and this standard is applied to online courses.

 

Instructor Policies

 

It is expected that you will behave in a respectful manner throughout all class activities.

 

Discussions

 

There will be a discussion board almost every week with some of the topics being controversial with many different opinions. Appropriate responses include: your opinion stated, why you feel that way, and kind language. No posts with rude comments, political viewpoints, or bullying language will be tolerated. Instructor has the right to remove said comments at their discretion and the student will receive a zero for the assignment.

 

This is done in an effort to create a safe environment for all to be effective learners. Discussions are an integral part of classroom participation.

 

Small group discussions will be assigned throughout the semester and groups will be chosen at random. You will be responsible for participating in your group discussion for the week they are assigned.

 

Exams

 

Exams are given during the week listed in the syllabus schedule. If there is a change to those plans, it will be discussed in class and plenty of notice will be given.

 

If you miss an exam, you have until the following Tuesday at midnight to complete. It will be the responsibility of the student to contact the instructor and ask to take the exam late. The instructor will not automatically open the exam for the student without prior communication. The point deduction for a late exam will be 15 points. There will be no exceptions to this rule.  

 

The final exam will be cumulative of all previous exams and topics. It will be conducted online the same as other exams and be available to you May 11 at 12:01 AM and close May 13 11:59 PM. No late final exams will be accepted. Grades are due the final week of school and I cannot extend the due date for the final exam. No exceptions. Plan ahead for any inconveniences.

 

 

Date	Topic
Week 1	Syllabus, Introduction, History of Sustainability Assignment Discussion
Week 2	Conventional vs. Sustainable Agriculture Assignment
Week 3	Genetically Modified Organisms Discussion Official date of Record (Feb. 4th)
Week 4	Pesticides, Fertilizers Discussion
Week 5	Cover Crops Discussion
Week 6	Exam: History, Conventional, Sustainable, GMOs, Pesticides, Fertilizers, Cover Crops
Week 7	Food Waste Assignment
Week 8	Greenhouse Gases Discussion
	SPRING BREAK
Week 9	Climate Change Discussion
Week 10	Grass fed Beef Discussion Last Day to withdraw with a “W” (April 3rd)
Week 11	EXAM: Food Waste, Greenhouse Gases, Climate Change, Grass fed Beef
Week 12	Farm and Ranch Economics Discussion
Week 13	Public Perception Assignment Discussion
Week 14	Marketing, Real Operations Discussion
Week 15	EXAM: Economics, Public Perception, Marketing
Week 16	FINAL The final will be cumulative of all previous topics. It will open May 11 at 12:01 AM and close May 13 at 11:59 PM. No late exams accepted due to graduation being so soon.

 

 

Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is April 3, 2020.

 

The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides accommodations for students who have a documented disability. On the Corinth Campus, go to room 170 or call 940-498-6207. On the Gainesville Campus, go to room 110 or call 940-668-4209.  Students on the Bowie, Graham, Flower Mound, and online campuses should call 940-668-4209.

North Central Texas College is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, ADA Amendments Act of 2009, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-112).   http://www.nctc.edu/StudentServices/SupportServices/Disabilityservices.aspx

 

CORE CURRICULUM FOUNDATIONAL COMPONENT AREA______________________________  

o         Communication

o         Mathematics             

o         Life and Physical Science

o         Language, Philosophy & Culture

o         Creative Arts

 

o         American History

o         Government/Political Science

o         Social and Behavioral Sciences

o         Component Area Option

o          Critical Thinking

o          Communication

o          Empirical and Quantitative

 

o          Teamwork

o          Personal Responsibility

o          Social Responsibility