Houston Community College
Horticulture Department
HALT 2308: Greenhouse Management
Credits: 3
Syllabus
Instructor Information
Johnny Hackett, B.S.; M. Ag. Ed.; M.Ed.
Email: thehackettgroup@consolidated..net
Office Hours: Before and after class or some prearranged conference time set
Cell Phone: (281) 725-3788
Office Location: HCC Northwest College, Katy Campus; Ste. 395A
Mailing Address: 1550 Foxlake Dr., Mail Code 1396, Houston, TX 77084
Course Description
Fundamentals of greenhouse construction and operation. Topics include architectural styles,
construction materials, environmental systems and controls, growing media, fertilizers, postharvest handling, marketing, and business management.
Course Goals
The student will compare architectural styles and materials for greenhouse construction and
select appropriate equipment and determine appropriate cultural and business methods necessary
for profitable crop production.
The student will be required to turn in a computer generated research paper and will also
be required to give an oral presentation
Please read all chapters in the book to stay current with the class. We will start with
chapter one & two the first night and two chapters each week thereafter
Prerequisites
None
Statement of Foundation Skills
A study was conducted for the Department of Labor by the American Society for Training and
Development which identified seven skills U.S. employers want most in entry level employees.
These skills are motivation to learn, communication, teamwork, critical thinking, career
development and leadership.
HCCS is committed to preparing every student with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed
in today’s dynamic work environment. The following course goals are included in this course:
Evaluation for Greater Learning Student Survey System (EGLS)
 At Houston Community College, professors believe that thoughtful student feedback is
necessary to improve teaching and learning. During a designated time, you will be asked
to answer a short online survey of research-based questions related to instruction. The
anonymous results of the survey will be made available to your professor and division
chairs for continual improvement of instruction. Look for the survey as part of the
Houston Community College System online near the end of the term.
SCANS SKILLS
 Acquire/evaluate data-Student will be assigned a class project and/or research paper
that relate to the class material and then present an oral presentation to the class.
 Individual Responsibility-Student will be responsible for reading each chapter of the
assigned text to keep current with each weekly class.
Text Book
Greenhouse Operation & Management by Paul V. Nelson. 6th ed. ISBN NO. 0-13-010577-5
Lab Requirements (if any), held weekly
Syllabus Change: Instructor reserve the right to change the syllabus as deemed appropriate
for class instruction. Students will be notified of any changes in syllabus in a timely manner.
Please be alert to any communication as to any change(s) that might be made.
Student Discipline: “Adult behavior is expected. Disruptive behavior / activities which interfere
with teaching and / or learning will not be tolerated, and may result in an administrative
withdrawal without refund.” “This includes not obeying the posted electronics policy in the
classroom
Electronics in the Classroom: All cell phones and other electronic devices must be turned off
unless I specifically approve of them.
Students and Disabilities
“Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing,
etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Services
Office at the respective college at the beginning of each semester. Faculty is authorized to
provide only the accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services Office."
For questions, contact Donna Price at 713-718-5165 or the Disability Counselor at each college.
Also visit the ADA web site at: http://www.hccs.edu/students/disability/index.htm. Faculty
Handbook/Faculty Orientation is also available at
http://www.hccs.edu/students/disability/faculty.htm
Academic Honesty
Academic dishonesty (cheating), plagiarism, and or collusion will not be tolerated. If an
individual is caught, punishment will be enforced according to the Student Policies Handbook.
Attendance and Withdrawal Policies
Students are expected to attend classes regularly. Class attendance is checked daily by
instructors. Although it is the responsibility of the student to drop a course for non-attendance,
the instructor has the authority to drop a student for excessive absences. A student may be
dropped from a course for excessive absences after the student has accumulated absences in
excess of 12.5% of the hours of instruction (including lecture and laboratory time).
Students will accrue 6.25 points per class for daily attendance for a possible score of 100 to
factor in grade at end of course.
State Mandate: Failure of a student to withdraw officially from a class will result in an F.
Evaluation
Percentage
Grade
100-90%
A
89%-80%
B
79-70%
C
69-60%
D
59% & below
F
Course Requirements and Grading Policy
The students will be tested several times through the semester. A midterm and final exam will
be given. Quizzes will be given periodically through the semester.
Testing
The tests and quizzes cover material administered in class and the reading assignments.
Student will periodically be given test on a weekly basis over the material covered during class
room instruction. A midterm and final exam will be given.
Make-up Policy
If the student meets college policy requirements, make-up exams are discussed with the
student and the instructor and scheduled per college policy. It is necessary to make
arrangements with the instructor to schedule a make-up exam.
If you do not call or come by to see me before the test date, a grade of 0 will be recorded.
Projects, Assignments, Portfolios, Service Learning, Internships, etc.
Various projects may be assigned by instructor.
Course Content
Week
Topic
1 Introduction
 Floriculture & Plant Production– A global Industry
2 Greenhouses
 Construction & type of greenhouses
 Financing, Locating, and sizing a greenhouse
3
Environmental Control System
 Types of control
 Greenhouse heating and cooling
4 Constructing a Quonset style greenhouse –class project
5. Environmental Factors for Greenhouses
 Light & temperature & gases
6. Watering & Fertilization
7 Growing Media
 Root Substrate
 Root Substrate Pasteurization
6 Field Trip
7 Mid- Term Exam
8 Plant Propagation
 Sexual
 Asexual
9 Oral presentation on assigned research topic
10 Growth Regulators
11 Insect Control & Disease Control
12 Postproduction Quality – Marketing
13 Business Management – TQM
14 Oral presentation on assigned research topic
15 Course Summation & Review for Final
16 Final Exam
Projects – an assigned research paper must not be less than 3 pages long (Doubled spaced)
with no more than one page being pictures or examples. Student will then present report to
the class.
Topic selection will be given in class with further instructions. Two grades will be given
Student Information (clubs, tutoring, web resources, etc.)
Ag. Consortium of Texas (ACT)
Texas Junior College Ag. Association (TJCAA)
Texas Nursery & Landscape Association (TNLA)
To access your student email from www.hccs.edu; Click on http://webmail.hccs.eduFrom the
Faculty and Staff Link look for Employee Support and click on the Webmail
https://webmail.hccs.edu