Working Group One Questions for May 25 subcommittee meeting
Sustainable Plant Systems—BS
1. We are a bit concerned about the ramifications of switching the choice of majors “midstream” for students who specifically selected the original majors. Can you explain what
will happen to the students who are currently majoring in Crop Science, Landscape
Horticulture and Turfgrass Science? i.e., what will their transcripts say? Will students
have the option of completing the major they are enrolled in but not admitting any more
new students? Have you gotten student feedback about this specific issue?
We originally were told transition students could remain in the quarter majors or switch
to the new. A transition plan was developed with the assumption that rising sophomores
would switch to the new major, rising seniors would stay in the old majors, and rising
juniors would choose to remain or stay depending on what courses they had already
taken. Then we were told all students had to transition to the new major and the
transition plan that was submitted was developed. Now, after having time to more
thoroughly think this through, regardless of how the university decides to handle old
majors, we will have all students convert to the appropriate SPS specialization. Advisors
will work with each student to help her or him choose appropriate courses both before
and after the transition.
Even though the SPS major is new, the specializations reflect the old majors except for
the horticulture specialization which is new although it could be followed in either the old
Crop Science or Landscape Horticulture majors. What this means is that students in the
old majors will not have a difficult time switching to the appropriate specialization in the
new major.
We have conducted several formal and informal sessions with students to get their
feedback on the new major vs the old ones. Students overwhelmingly favor the new
major and revised requirements. Several who will graduate before the transition have
expressed regret that were not able be in the SPS curriculum. We have already begun
and will continue to have group and individual advising sessions with our transition
students.
As for what is on the transcript, that is a university decision. We are assuming that the
transcript will show quarter classes and majors until Su 2012 after which it will show
semester classes and majors.
2. Have you submitted the other majors (Crop Science, Landscape Horticulture and
Turfgrass Science) for termination?
Did not think we had to do this because we were told “they would just disappear” when
semesters started, but we will submit to have them terminated upon the start of semesters
if that is necessary.
3. Can you change the numbers on the front page to match the entire degree? As of now, the
front page only shows the total number of hours required to complete the major, but the
rest of the proposal reflects the numbers for the whole degree (major + GE)
The requirements for this table giving the breakdown of required vs elective hours inside
and outside the major that has been a bone of contention and source of confusion from
the very beginning. We did it for GE + majors and were told that was wrong and to do it
for major hours only. Here are the numbers for major + GE.
Program credit hour requirements
C) Number of credit hours required for
proposed program (Semesters)
Total minimum credit hours required for completion
of program
Required credit hours offered by the unit
Minimum
Required credit hours offered by the unit
Maximum
Required credit hours offered outside the unit
Minimum
Required credit hours offered outside the unit
Maximum
Required prerequisite hours not included above
Minimum
Required prerequisite hours not included above
Maximum
121
29
45
76
92
0
0
4. Under the program learning goals, item #3 is missing a word. Currently it reads: “to grow
and maintain healthy in an efficient…”
Not sure what is wanted here. The goal looks correct in the system as we view it.
Here is the goal as it appears in what we see in the online system.
 Have translational plant science competency, i.e., the ability to apply horticulture, and
agronomic principles to grow and maintain healthy in an efficient, economically sound,
environmentally compatible, and socially responsible way.
As part of developing our curriculum assessment process, we have looked at these goals and
would like to submit a modified version for CAA’s approval. We are including what we are
considering as measurable outcomes to perhaps help you understand our thinking/reasoning.
H&CS Undergraduate Learning Goals and Outcomes: Upon successfully completing
their degree program, H&CS undergraduates will:
1. Be competent in critical thinking and research.
Measurable outcomes:
1. Ability to acquire, analyze, and interpret information/data
2. Ability to reach logical and reasonable conclusions from information and data.
2. Understand the concept of sustainability and be able to use sustainable practices in
horticulture and crop science. Formerly goal 4
Measurable outcomes:
1. Ability to define and discuss the concept of sustainability .
2. Ability to create a sustainably sound landscape design and/or include
sustainable practices in projects that focus on the production or maintenance of
plants.
2
3. Have the ability to integrate the fundamentals of physical and biological sciences with
the scientific principles of plant science to develop and maintain sustainable plant
systems. Combination of former goals 2 and 3
Measurable outcomes:
1. Ability to calculate discipline-related quantitative measurements.
2. Ability to predict the effect of environmental conditions on plant growth.
3. Ability to understand the relationship between organization management
practices and scientifically based plant production and maintenance methods
(see goal 5 below).
4. Be able to disseminate information effectively through all forms of communication
(oral, electronic, written, visual, etc.) at a professional level.
Measurable outcomes:
1. Ability to effectively and professionally present information gathered for
reports and projects.
2. Ability to effectively interact with peers, other professionals, and lay persons.
5. Understand the fundamentals of management of horticulture and crop science
enterprises, e.g. planning for sufficient labor and equipment to meet crop needs such as
planting, maintaining, and harvesting; estimating landscape design and maintenance
costs; having the appropriate materials (irrigation system components, pots, growing
media, fertilizers, golf pro-shop sales items, etc.) available at the right time, compliance
with applicable laws and regulations, fundamentals of professional behavior. Formerly
goal 6
Measurable outcomes:
1 Ability to set personal and professional goals and develop plans and strategies
and to meet those goals
2 Ability to work with and supervise personnel made up of a diverse array of
individuals
3 Ability to use best practices for customer service, economics, compliance with
regulations, etc .
4 Ability to present themselves professionally to peers and clients.
6. Have an appreciation for life-long learning through self-awareness and evaluation,
seeking knowledge, and using evaluation and synthesizing skills.
Measurable outcomes:
1. Ability to locate and use continuing education opportunities such as short
courses, workshops, and seminars.
2. Ability to achieve success through continuous professional development and
promotion
3. Demonstration of increasing leadership responsibility
4. Ability to perform self-evaluations (this is a requirement in several HCS
classes including the required senior capstone class).
7. Have developed an appreciation of and respect for diversity.
Measurable outcomes:
3
1.
Ability to work with a people with varying cultures, backgrounds, ideas,
ideals, and status.
8. Develop the skills to act in a responsible and ethical way.
Measurable outcomes:
1. Ability to properly credit sources of information.
2. Ability to perform effectively as a contributing team member.
3. Ability to demonstrate a positive work ethic through performance in the
classroom, university sanctioned extracurricular activities, and internship
duties.
5. Regarding goal 6 – do all students take Fisher College of Business courses to meet this
objective? Or is business related content being covered in your courses? If it is the latter,
has concurrence been sought?
We realize that they way we worded the original goal, that it did look like we were
infringing on FCB’s “turf”. That was not our intent. What we want is to have our
students to be ready to handle the situations that would be somewhat unique to
horticulture and crop science enterprises. Preparing our students for these situations has
been a part of many of our courses for many, many years. For example, students in the
greenhouse management classes have been learning how to plan for labor supply and
early ordering of supplies for the seasonal ups (spring) and downs (rest of the year) in the
bedding plant business since at least the 1960’s. Similarly, crop science students have
always been taught how to plan to have sufficient labor and the proper equipment on
hand at the right time to handle crop planting and harvesting. More recently students in
the organic farming class learn how to follow the legal requirements to become certified
as organic growers. Students in landscape learn how to estimate costs of designing,
installing and maintaining landscapes as well as how to develop and present proposals to
clients. We do depend on the GE(C) to provide some of the information to meet some of
this goal, e.g. the required econ class as well as others.
See Goal 5 above in the revised goal list to see how it has been re-worded to more
accurately reflect what we want to accomplish.
6. Does the required internship need to be completed in the summer, or could students add it
to a term with 16 hours or less?
Students can sign up for internship credit during any semester or summer session. The
May session can be included with the 2nd term of spring to also serve as an internship
period. However, we understand that under the new fee structure students with more than
18 hours pay by credit hour. Thus, wherever possible the internship credits (2) will be
added to a semester/session with 16 or less hours.
7. Can you confirm that students can reasonably complete the Gen Ed requirement of two
Global Issues courses and one course on Social Diversity with the limited number of Gen
Ed options they have?
Students can easily complete all GE requirements by taking the required RurSoc/Soc
course as well as appropriate courses in the required Historical Study, Cultures and Ideas,
Literature, and Art categories.
8. Any update on whether the two science courses for which you are seeking GE approval
have been approved? If they are not, what will happen to these requirements?
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Email confirming approval of the 2 courses as GE courses:
From: Meyers, Catherine [mailto:meyers.255@osu.edu]
Sent: Friday, January 28, 2011 3:35 PM
To: 'metzger.72@osu.edu'
Cc: Van Der Heijden, Merijn
Subject: HCS 2202/E, 2201/E
Hi James,
The CCI Assessment subcommittee has reviewed your submission for HCS 2201, 2201E, 2202, and
2202E. The course has been approved for GE status under semesters. The committee noticed the
syllabus attached did not follow the correct formatting for Arts and Sciences GE approved courses. Below
is a link to the handbook with a guide to syllabus format.
http://asccas.osu.edu/curriculum/resources
You will not need to re-submit the revised syllabus to the committee, just something to be aware of as we
move to semesters.
Best,
Cat
Catherine Meyers
Assessment Coordinator
The Ohio State University
College of the Arts and Sciences
Curriculum and Assessment Office
154 Denney Hall
164 W 17th Ave
Columbus, OH 43210
Phone: 614-292-6248
Fax: 614-292-6303
http://artsandsciences.osu.edu/currofc
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