Special Topics in Crop and Soil Science Farming Today for Tomorrow A Seminar Series Concerning Issues of Sustainable Agriculture Soil Quality CSS 499/599
The overriding theme of most issues in agriculture today is sustainability in all its various facets - environment, economics, and social impacts. Each winter term, the department of Crop and Soil Science presents an undergraduate seminar series entitled Farming Today for Tomorrow that will deal with a specific theme of agricultural sustainability.		Videotape Speakers and Topics Links to related web pages and other resources Class Requirements and Grading Instructor

Class Overview – Soil Quality

This is a one-credit pass/no-pass class consisting of nine videotapes each approximately one hour in length. Each tape is a recording of a seminar pertaining to Soil Quality and was presented during the on-campus CSS199 seminar series offered Winter Term 2001 by the Crop and Soil Science Department of Oregon State University. This particular seminar series focuses on the interaction between soil quality and agricultural sustainability. The intent of this seminar series is to present both results from scientific research on sustainable agricultural and from the experience of growers seeking to use sustainable agricultural methods in their operations. Agricultural sustainability involves many factors, and scientists and natural resource users have always recognized the importance of soil tilth and soil chemistry. There is also a recognized need to determine the relationships between physical, chemical and biological soil properties with regard to their effects on plant growth and soil quality. This seminar series explores some of these relationships and presents research involving soil quality in agricultural settings.

The course requirements are simple - watch each tape, take a short on-line quiz, and write a 3-5 page final paper on some aspect of Soil Quality. Details on these requirements are given below. A web site is maintained for the class with information links.

Beginning Spring term 2002, this class can be accessed through the OSU's teaching and learning portal (Blackboard). Students enrolled in CSS 499/599 classes are encouraged to use this system to participate in on-line discussion groups about issues related to Soil Quality with other students in the course.

Students will need to order the videotapes for this course from the OSU bookstore, by calling the toll free number (800) 595-0357. The videos will be sent by mail, or they can be picked up at the textbook counter on the lower level of the bookstore. There is a $25 rental fee for the videos for each class. If the videos are not returned, there is an additional $50 charged to the student’s account. This fee is nonrefundable.

Class Requirements and Grading

The class is graded pass/fail. To pass students must do the following:

1. View all video tapes.
2. Take a short on-line quiz pertaining to the important concepts and ideas presented in the video tape.
3. Write a three-page Final Paper with at least five references (journal article, magazine articles, web page sites, etc.) on the issue of pertaining to Soil Quality. Examples of a final papers and bibliography are posted on each class Blackboard site. Papers are to have one-inch margins on all sides and be 12 point font, Times Roman, single spaced.
4. Those students who are taking the class for graduate credit (CSS599) a five page Final Paper must be written on a topic relevant to the class material.
5. All Final Paper topics must be approved in advance by the instructor.
6. Grading for the course is based on 100 total points. At least 70 points must be accumulated by the student in order to get credit. There are a total of 45 possible points available from the exams, and 55 possible points assigned to the final paper. Any combination of point will allow the student to pass the course.

Videotape Speakers and Topics

Instructor

Kimberly Hannaway
Expertise Area: Educational Design
Office: Crop Science Building 022
Phone: 541-737-5036
Fax: 541-737-1589
Email: kimberly@oregonstate.edu

Mailing Address:
Department of Crop and Soil Science
Crop Science Building 107
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR 97331-3002