College in the Schools - Course Offerings
Agronomy (Agro 1103: Crops, Environment, and Society
FAQs about CIS Program
FAQs about CIS Agronomy
Sample Syllabus, Syllabus Resources, and Course Materials
Sample Lab Schedule
Sponsoring U of M Academic Department: Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics (College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences)
Credits: Four University of Minnesota semester credits
Course Description: Plants that supply food, fiber, beverages, and medicine to humans. Plant identification, plant physiology, plant breeding/biotechnology, plant ecology, crop culture/management. Lecture and discussion are supplemented by use of WebCT and laboratories.
Student Prerequisites: Students enrolling in Agronomy 1103 should be juniors or seniors in high school and in the top 50 percent of their class, or have instructor approval, to participate.
Teachers or schools that are interested in offering Agronomy 1103 should contact Julie Williams at 612-626-8179 or juliew@umn.edu for more information.
Textbooks:
* Lecture notes: Agro 1103, Crops, Environment, and Society (Approximately $12.50)
* Lab manual: Agro 1103, Crops, Environment, and Society (Approximately $12.05)
Lecture notes and manual are available in St. Paul Books Underground.
Internet usage: Students use the Internet to obtain information necessary for completion of some assignments.
Materials: See materials list. Please speak with faculty coordinator, Vern Cardwell, about content and cost specifics (cardw001@umn.edu or 612-625-6754)
Faculty Coordinator:
Agronomy is coordinated by Vernon Cardwell, Professor, Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics (612-625-6754 or cardw001@umn.edu). Vern is a Morse-Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Minnesota in the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, where he has taught for the past 39 years. He earned his M.S. degree in 1961 from Colorado State University, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences and Ph.D. from Iowa State University in 1967. He was inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Teachers in 1981, upon receipt of the University’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education. Vern also served as the President of the American Society of Agronomy from 1999-2000 and the Crop Science Society of America from 1993-1994. He is a "Fellow" of the ASA, CSSA, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is a 2006 winner of the University of Minnesota Community Service Award.
Sample Syllabus for CIS Agronomy
U of M Syllabus Resources and Requirements
Detailed Course Description
Course Materials and Equipment List
Seed List
Agronomy Videos List
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the texts and readings specified or mandated by the University of Minnesota? If not, what are some of the choices?
This class does not use a published text—the lecture notes and lab manuals that are used to teach agronomy are available through the University of Minnesota bookstore. Teachers have choices in the supplementary materials that they use. The current Agronomy instructor on the campus is Craig Sheaffer who is writing a text that should be available for fall 2008.
Do teachers have choice in assignments? Are there required assignments?
Teachers are required to cover the material, but they have some flexibility in how they cover it. Individual teachers adjust the syllabus to fit their school’s schedule and may choose to go into greater depth on some topics.
Who creates the exams?
Sample exams for the course are created by University of Minnesota faculty and will be posted on a secure Web site. Teachers may schedule quizzes and exams to fit their class schedule. Exam questions used in CIS should include 25 percent or more of the questions used on campus. Grades are based on total points at the end of the term.
Is there a training and mentoring system for Agronomy teachers new to CIS?
Yes. When you begin teaching agronomy you will be joining a group of high school teachers who share ideas and materials with each other through e-mail and teacher workshops. New teachers also benefit from an orientation to College in the Schools that will familiarize them with the support available through CIS as well as prepare them for administrative tasks such as registering students and posting grades.
High school class schedules vary; can a teacher in the block system teach Agronomy?
All courses offered through CIS have the same minimum number of contact hours as the on-campus sections (75 hours +/- 5 hours) but teachers adapt the course content to match the schedules at their high schools.
What happens at typical teacher workshops?
CIS teachers attend professional development workshops each term to stay current with U of M curriculum and the CIS program, to learn about innovative research, to network, and to share materials. In-service training is provided by special sessions at the annual MAAE conference during the summer and at the High Tech conference in January. Workshops serve as faculty meetings with course and program development discussions with special attention dedicated to content, pedagogy, and assessment of the college courses.
What happens at typical student field days?
Student field days provide an opportunity for CIS students to meet their peers, practice skills they have learned in class, and explore the Twin Cities campus. Agronomy student field days may also be used to meet certain lab requirements.
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