UNL Department of Agronomy & Horticulture
Curriculum Coordinating Committee Minutes
Monday, Jan. 24, 2011, 3 p.m.
375 PLSH
I.
Call to Order – Lagrimini
The meeting was called to order by Dr. Lagrimini at 3 p.m. in 375 PLSH. The minutes were
approved as previously e-mailed.
Attendees were: Mark Lagrimini, Steve Mason, Ellen Paparozzi, Don Lee, Brian Waters, Dennis
McCallister, Richard Ferguson (Dist. Educ.), and Kathy Schindler, recorder.
II.
HORT 130 – McCallister
Dennis McCallister said the HORT 130 class is still in the UNL bulletin even though the class is
no longer being offered. On first glance, he thought the Curriculum Coordinating Committee
should officially delete the class. But he learned that there are implications for students who
transfer from UNO, Curtis, and the community colleges, if there isn’t an equivalent course for
them. Another option is to make UNO’s HORT 1300 equivalent to UNL’s HORT 131 and 133.
The department is moving toward the direction of having AGRO 131 plus the AGRO 133 lab act
as the equal to HORT 130. It was noted that the department has been giving transfer credit based
on historical precedence rather than an accurate equivalency. Committee members decided by
consensus to leave HORT 130 on the books, thus continuing the equivalence of HORT 1300 from
UNO.
Dennis McCallister will speak to Dann Husmann in the CASNR Dean’s office about leaving this
class in the bulletin.
A discussion followed about asking the department representative to the CASNR Curriculum
Committee to attend our department Curriculum Coordinating Committee meetings to improve
communication. The current representative to the CASNR Curriculum Committee is Martha
Mamo. Kathy Schindler said she would send an e-mail invitation to Martha asking that she attend
our meetings as her schedule permits. (Follow up: Martha accepted the invitation and said she
will try to get to as many meetings as possible.)
III.
Review of Organic Options proposals – Francis/McCallister (see Appendix A)
Dennis McCallister outlined an Organic Option for both the Agronomy & Horticulture majors
from Chuck Francis. Committee members reviewed the document that Chuck had proposed
There were several suggestions to make that would make the AGRO and HORT options mirror
each other better. Those suggestions included adding HORT 352 (2 credits) and then revising the
total number of credits. There are 128 credits required for the HORT major (so HORT students
have a better opportunity to get into graduate school), and 125 credits for the AGRO major.
Dennis said he would make revisions and send them out to everyone on the committee. These
options should proceed to the CASNR Curriculum Committee. Dennis will start the CASNR
Curriculum form and get the appropriate signatures.
IV.
Lack of Department Support for HORT Distance Graduate Certificates and Courses Paparozzi
Ellen said this is a follow up to previous e-mail and in-person discussions about AG*IDEA and the
Horticulture Certification programs. The three certification programs have not moved forward
because the CASNR Dean’s Office isn’t convinced that it has the support of the entire Agronomy
& Horticulture faculty. Other certificate programs have moved forward while these have not. She
asked what could be done to show the Dean’s office that there is support. Committee members
agreed that it’s good to have a unified stance from the department. Options include sending a
letter of support from the Curriculum Coordinating Committee, sending letters of support from
each sub-committee, or sending the 16 courses (reduced from 26) and the certification through the
formal curriculum process. If it was decided to go through the formal curriculum process, they
would start at Brian Waters’ graduate sub-committee since these are graduate courses.
Discussion followed. Ellen said she would like to see more horticulture faculty hired in the next
five years. This certificate program would attract faculty, graduate students and undergraduate
students to the department. By itself, UNL would not be able to offer as many horticulture classes
as it would when working in conjunction with the AG*IDEA program. In additions, the courses
would bring in additional tuition to UNL.
There is also an industry demand for classes that would advance careers but not require a full
master’s degree. A horticulture certificate program would fit that need and offer a competitive
advantage to Nebraskans who complete the program. This certificate program would also benefit
Extension educators and master gardeners. The department currently does not have a distance
master’s program in horticulture.
Ellen said that participation in the AG*IDEA program would enhance the department’s abilities to
serve Nebraska clientele and would allow the department to keep track of horticulture classes that
are offered through AG*IDEA.
Committee members said the certificate programs would help fulfill department goals. It was
decided to send the certificate programs and courses to Brian Waters’ graduate sub-committee.
Ellen said she would e-mail the information to Brian. The information about the courses includes
the target audience, objectives, and professors curriculum vitae (for new courses). The graduate
sub-committee would approve the certificates and courses and bring them forward to Curriculum
Coordinating Committee at either the Feb. 28 or March 28 meetings.
V.
VI.
Topics from the floor
None.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 3.58 p.m.
The next meeting is Monday, Feb. 28, 2011 at 3 p.m. in 279M PLSH.
Appendix A
Organic Farming & Food Systems Option: Students selecting the organic farming systems option
are concerned about the integrative systems aspects of the food and natural resource system, with
emphasis on certified organic production. They focus on long-term production, economics,
environmental and social impacts of the food system. There is an option for a one-semester fall study
in agroecology at UMB in Norway. Careers include private companies, technical consulting,, natural
resource management, government service, nonprofit sector, political or international work, farming,
or further graduate study.
Organic Option in Agronomy Major
College
Capstone
[select one]
AGRO/HORT 436
Or AGRO 405
Or AGRO 445
Plant and Soil Management
AGRO 204
AGRO 269
AGRO 366
AGRO/HORT 439
HORT 352
Agroecosystems Analysis
Crop Management Strategies
Livestock Range Management
Resource Efficient Crop Management
Principles of Soil Management
Soil Nutrient Relationships
Organic Farming & Horticulture
Production & Physiology of Horticultural
Crops
Crop Protection
3
15
3
3
4
3
2
AGRO 426
ENTO 308
PPLT 369
Invasive Plants
Management of Field Crop Insects
Introductory Plant Pathology
9
3
3
3
NRES 220
AGRO 435
Principles of Ecology
Agroecology
6
3
3
CHEM 105 and 106 or
CHEM 109 and 110
BIOS 109
AGRO/HORT 325
Chem in Context I and II or
General Chem I and II
Botany
Plant Physiology
Ecology
Natural Science
Business and Economics
AECN 316
AECN 325
HORT/AGRO 488
Agribusiness Management
Marketing Agricultural Commodities
Entrepreneurship in Horticulture and Agron
15
8
3
4
9
3
3
3
Option Total
57
Core
Requirements
Free electives
53-58
10-15
Grand Total
125
College
Capstone
[select one]
Organic Option in Horticulture Major
AGRO/HORT 436
Agroecosystems Analysis
OR HORT 488
Agricultural Entrepreneurship
OR HORT 469
Senior Landscape Design
OR HORT 462
Nursery Crop Production Management
3-4
13
Plant and Soil Management
Select HORT 352 in core
AGRO 204
AGRO 269
AGRO 366
AGRO/HORT 439
Resource Efficient Crop Management
Soil Management
Soil Nutrient Relationship
Organic Farming & Horticulture
3
3
4
3
AGRO 426
ENTO 403
PPLT 369
Invasive Plants
Management of Horticultural Crop Insects
Introductory Plant Pathology
9
3
3
3
NRES 220
HORT 435
Principles of Ecology
Agroecology
6
3
3
Crop Protection
Ecology
Natural Science
10
Select CHEM 109, BIOS
109, and either MSYM
109 or PHYS 141 in core
CHEM 110
CHEM 251
AGRO 325
Business and Economics
Select two of following:
AECN 316
AECN 325
HORT/AGRO 488
General Chem II
Organic chemistry
Plant Physiology
4
3
3
6
Agribusiness Management
Marketing Agricultural Commodities
Entrepreneurship in Horticulture and Agron
3
3
3
Option Total
47-48
Core Req.
65-67
Free Electives
Suggest:
Grand Total
PPLT lab
Plant Pathology Laboratory (1cr)
13-16
128