AGENDA ITEM NO: 13.2
UNIVERSITY COUNCIL
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS COMMITTEE
REQUEST FOR DECISION
PRESENTED BY:
Gordon Hill, Vice-Chair, Academic Programs Committee
DATE OF MEETING:
June 19, 2008
SUBJECT:
Agriculture & Bioresources: reinstatement of the Agronomy major
DECISION REQUESTED:
That Council approve reinstatement of the Agronomy field of specialization
at the major level in the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture program.
PURPOSE:
The Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (BSA) field of specialization in Agronomy is an academic program
at the University of Saskatchewan.
SUMMARY:
The College revised this major in 2004, as described in the attached materials.
The major in Agronomy will consist of the common core courses from the BSA degree program and from
the Plant Science program in the Department of Plant Science. Students who complete the Agronomy
Diploma program will be eligible to continue toward this degree. The Agronomy major integrates principles
of economical and sustainable field crop production. The addition of four new courses in agronomy created
out of major revisions to the Diploma in Agriculture will significantly expand the offerings in Agronomy.
These courses will be approved through Course Challenge following college-level approval.
ATTACHMENTS:
Proposal documentation
Proposal for Curriculum Change
to be approved by Council or by Academic Programs Committee
1. PROPOSAL IDENTIFICATION
Title of proposal: Agronomy
Degree(s): BSA
Level(s) of Concentration: Major
Degree College: Agriculture and Bioresources
Department: Plant Sciences
Contact person(s) (name, telephone, fax, e-mail):
Bruce Coulman, Head
Department of Plant Sciences
College of Agriculture and Bioresources
966-1376
Bruce.coulman@usask.ca
Dan Pennock
Associate Dean (Academic)
College of Agriculture and Bioresources
966-4056
dan.pennock@usask.ca
Date: March12, 2008
Approved by the degree college and/or home college: March 6, 2008
Proposed date of implementation: September, 2008
2. TYPE OF CHANGE
Addition of a higher Level of Concentration to an existing Field of Specialization. The Agronomy theme in
the Plant Science major will be reestablished at the Major Level of Concentration.
3. RATIONALE
Agronomy was reduced from a Major to a Theme within the PLSC Major in response to the SPR process of
2000-2001. Agronomy was rated as a B program in the SPR process and the course content of the program
was well regarded by the reviewers. The major weakness identified was the lack of an administrative home
and inconsistencies in the advising received by students (at the time of SPR there were advisors for
Agronomy in PLSC, SLSC, and AGEC).
In response to the SPR process Agronomy, along with Majors in Crop Science, Horticulture Science, and
Plant Ecology/Rangeland Resources, was reduced to a theme within a unified PLSC Major. As of Sept. 25
2007 there were 53 students in the Agronomy theme, 5 in Horticulture, 6 in Plant Improvement, 2 in
Rangeland, and 19 in general PLSC or undecided. The Agronomy theme is the 2nd largest “program” in the
College (following ANSC at 133 students and ahead of EVSC at 51 students).
At the time that Agronomy was reduced to a theme there was a hope that themes could be listed on the
transcript. This has not occurred, and is not likely to occur in the near future.
We believe that Agronomy should be re-established as a Major for the following reasons:
1) The Agronomy theme is the second largest “program” in the College and has considerable potential
for growth in student numbers. As a theme in lacks the visibility in recruitment efforts (e.g. University
website, SESD print materials) that would allow it to achieve its full enrolment potential.
2) The College has recently established a Diploma in Agronomy which has been designed to ladder
into a degree program. The Diploma cannot directly ladder into the existing PLSC major but the
proposed Agronomy Major allows a full 2+2 laddering (i.e., 60 cu of credit for the 2 year diploma).
3) The re-positioning of Diploma-level courses as Degree-level courses lead to the creation of four
new degree-level courses in Agronomy that significantly expand our course offerings in Agronomy.
As well, several degree-level courses to support the Agronomy programs are under development by
Agricultural and Bioresource Engineering. This significant expansion in Agronomy courses
differentiates the proposed Agronomy major from the existing PLSC Major.
4) The administrative home for the proposed Agronomy major will be the Department of Plant Science.
This addresses the major issue raised in the SPR document.
4. DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM CHARACTERISTICS
The proposed major in Agronomy includes a common core from the BSA degree as well as one from the
Plant Science major in the Department of Plant Sciences. The Agronomy major integrates principles of
economical and sustainable field crop production. The addition of four new courses in agronomy created
out of major revisions to the Diploma in Agriculture significantly expands the offerings in Agronomy.
Graduates will have practical skills in field agronomy and diagnostics along with an understanding of the
biological, ecological and economic principles of crop production and soil management, and an appreciation
of the short and long term effects of agricultural production on the environment.
Table 1: Courses of the proposed Agronomy Major. College Core 39 cu AGRC 111.3 Soil/Plant/Environment AGRC 112.3 Animal/Food AGRC 113.3 Agri‐Food Issues and Institutions BIOL 120.3 The Nature of Life CHEM 112.3 Struct. Bonding and Prop. Materials CHEM 250.3 Organic Chem ECON 111.3 Price Theory and Res. Alloc 3 cu HUM, FA, SS 3 cu HUM, FA, SS 3 cu English RCM 300.3 Communications AGRN 492.3/496.6 Term Paper/Thesis MATH 101.3 or 110.3 Required SLSC 240.3 BIOL 222.3 BIOL 226.3 BIOL 331.3 PLSC 213.3 PLSC 220.3 PLSC 222.3 PLSC 314.3 PLSC 335.3 SLSC 312.3 BPBE 320.3 PLSC 401.3 PLSC 417.3 Restricted Electives 6 cu from BIOL 345.3 EVSC 420.3 PLSC 340.3 PLSC 345.3 PLSC 234.3 SLSC 313.3 ANSC 375.3 3 cu from SLSC 322.3 SLSC 343.3 ABE 309.3 SLSC 430.3 ABE 205.3 3 cu from BPBE 343.3 BPBE 420.3 BPBE 435.3 BPBE 346.3 3 cu from PLSC 418.3 PLSC 420.3 PLSC 422.3 PLSC 441.3 PLSC 451.3 ANSC 410.3 Minor Open Electives 39 cu Agricultural Soil Science The Living Plant Genes to Genomics Introductory Plant Physiology Principles of Plant Ecology Fundamentals of Horticulture Introduction to Field Crops Statistical Methods Integrated Pest Management Soil Fertility and Fertilizers Introduction to Farm Business Management Sustainable Crop Production Crop Physiology 15 cu Introductory Plant Pathology Env. Fate and Transport Toxic. Sub. Weed Biology and Ecology Pesticides and Crop Protection Weed Control in Organic Agriculture Environmental Soil Chemistry Animal Agriculture and the Environment Applied Soil Physics Soil Microbiology Water Management Agroforestry for Environmental Management Agricultural Machinery Management I Grain and Livestock Market. Farm and Agric. Business Operations Management Agricultural Finance and Appraisal Principles of Selling Management of Arable Grassland Grain Chemistry and Technology Rangeland Ecology and Management Fruit Science Vegetable Science Grazing Animal Production 18 cu (minors in Field Crop Production, Horticulture, and Rangeland resources are not permitted) 9 cu Calendar Entry
First Year (30 credit units)
AGRC 111.3, Agricultural Science I; BIOL 120.3,The Nature of Life; ECON 111.3, Price Theory and
Resource Allocation; CHEM 112.3, General Chemistry I; CHEM 250.3, Intro to Organic Chemistry; AGRC
112.3, Agricultural Science II; AGRC 113.3, Agri-Food Issues and Institutions; BIOL 222.3, The Living Plant;
6 cu chosen from Social Science, Humanities or Fine Arts.
Second Year (27 credit units)
RCM 300.3, Effective Professional Communication; SLSC 240.3, Agricultural Soil Sciences; MATH 101.3,
Elementary Calculus OR MATH 110.3, Calculus; BIOL 226.3, Genes to Genomics; PLSC 220.3,
Introduction to Horticulture; PLSC 213.3, Principles of Plant Ecology; PLSC 222.3, Introduction to Field
Crops; one of ENG 111.3, 112.3, 113.3 or 114.3; PLSC 314.3, Statistics; plus a 3 cu open or restricted
elective chosen from the third and fourth year of the program
Third and Fourth Year (63 credit units)
Required (36 cu): PLSC 335.3, Integrated Pest Management; BIOL 331.3, Plant Physiology; SLSC 312.3,
Soil Fertility and Fertilizers; BPBE 320.3, Intro to Farm Business Management; PLSC 401.3, Sustainable
Crop Production ; PLSC 417.3, Crop Physiology; AGRC 492.3 or 494.6, Thesis, plus 15 credit units from the
following:
6 cu chosen from
BIOL 345.3, Introductory Plant Pathology
EVSC 420.3, Environmental Fate and Transport of Toxic Substances
PLSC 340.3, Weed Biology and Ecology
PLSC 345.3, Pesticides and Crop Protection
PLSC 234.3, Weed Control in Organic Agriculture
SLSC 313.3, Environmental Soil Chemistry
3 cu chosen from
SLSC 322.3, Applied Soil Physics
SLSC 343.3, Soil Microbiology
ABE 309.3, Water Management
SLSC 430.3, Agroforestry for Environmental Management
ABE 205.3, Agricultural Machinery Management I
3 cu chosen from
BPBE 343.3, Grain and Livestock Marketing
BPBE 420.3, Farm and Agricultural Business Operations Management
BPBE 435.3, Agricultural Finance and Appraisal
BPBE 346.3, Principles of Selling
3 cu chosen from
PLSC 418.3, Management of Arable Grassland
PLSC 420.3, Grain Chemistry and Technology
PLSC 422.3, Rangeland Ecology and Management
PLSC 441.3, Fruit Science
PLSC 451.3, Vegetable Science
ANSC 375.3, Animal Agriculture and the Environment
ANSC 410.3, Grazing Animal Production
Restricted Electives (18 cu): Students can choose to complete a minor (not including Field Crop Production,
Horticulture or Rangeland Resources) or a selection of courses approved by an advisor.
Open Electives (9 cu)
5. RESOURCES
No new resources will be required. Repositioning Agronomy as a major in the BSA can be accomplished
within existing departmental resources. New courses available to students in agronomy are the result of
repositioning diploma-level courses as part of the major revision to the Diploma in Agriculture.
6. RELATIONSHIPS AND IMPACT OF IMPLEMENTATION
The College believes that Agronomy can be much more effectively marketed as a Major and that significant
growth in student numbers can be achieved by joint marketing of the Agronomy Diploma and BSA
Agronomy Major. Since the SPR process new Minors in Food and Bioproduct Entrepreneurship and in
Agribusiness have been approved in the College and we believe that the combination of an Agronomy major
and one of these two Minors will be very popular with students.
7. BUDGET
Please indicate if budget allocations within the department or the college will change due to this program.
Consult with the College’s Financial Analyst (Financial Services Division) and submit the Budget
Consultation form if allocations are required.
No – there are no new courses associated with this change.