AG239:
Meeting Times, Location, & Course Delivery Details
This course meets in person on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:40–11:10 AM. Class sessions will include a mix of lectures, group discussions, hands-on activities, and multimedia content.
Active participation is expected and strongly encouraged. Students should come to class prepared, having completed any assigned readings or pre-class work. While most instruction will occur during scheduled class periods, supplemental materials and assignments will be posted to Blackboard, which students are expected to check regularly for updates, deadlines, and announcements.
There is no separate laboratory component for this course, but several class activities will involve applied exercises related to soil sampling, survey interpretation, and real-world soil management practices relevant to the Midwest region.
Contact Information
1.0
Upon successful completion of this course...
1. The student will discuss the background on soils around us.
2. The student will describe the formation of soils.
3. The student will explain the productivity of soils.
4. The student will describe the impact of fertility on the cropping systems.
5. The student will define soil profiles.
6. The student will effectively utilize Soil Survey tool.
There is no required textbook for this course. All readings, peer-reviewed articles, and supplemental materials will be provided by the instructor and posted on Blackboard. Students are expected to check Blackboard regularly for updates, reading assignments, and class resources.
Describe the formation, characteristics, and importance of soils in the Midwestern United States.
Interpret soil survey data and evaluate how soil properties influence land use and crop production.
Demonstrate understanding of basic soil sampling techniques and the use of soil test results in fertility management.
Identify key physical, chemical, and biological indicators of soil health.
Explain the role of cover crops, amendments, and conservation practices in maintaining and improving soil function.
Analyze the relationship between soil and water, including management practices that reduce erosion and improve infiltration.
Apply soil science principles to real-world agricultural and environmental decision-making in the Midwest.
Tentative Schedule:
| Week | Date | Topic | Assignment |
1 | 19-Aug | Syllabus/ Ohio Weather | |
21-Aug | Ohio Soils | Assignment 1: Importance of Soils | |
2 | 26-Aug | Soil Survey | |
28-Aug | Soil Fertility | Assignment 2: Soil Survey | |
3 | 2-Sep | Soil Sampling | |
4-Sep | Soil Degradation | Assignment 3: Soil Sampling | |
4 | 9-Sep | Soil Amendments | |
11-Sep | Soil & Water Management | Assignment 4: Soil Amendments | |
5 | 16-Sep | Soil Health | |
18-Sep | Soil Microbes | Assignment 4: Journal Article | |
6 | 23-Sep | Cover Crops | |
25-Sep | Soil Conservation Practices | Assignment 5: On-Farm Research Summary | |
7 | 30-Sep | Soil Climate Resilience | |
2-Oct | Final Exam |
Subject to change during the semester. Adequate notice of changes will be given.
This course includes a variety of assignments designed to reinforce lecture material, connect students to real-world applications, and build critical thinking skills. Assignments include short written reflections, soil survey and sampling exercises, and a research paper review. The final exam, worth 100 points, will assess overall comprehension of course concepts.
Each assignment is weighted according to its complexity and importance to the course objectives. See the table below for a full breakdown:
Assignment | Points |
| Assignment 1: Importance of Soils | 20 |
| Assignment 2: Soil Survey | 20 |
| Assignment 3: Soil Sampling | 20 |
| Assignment 4: Research Paper Review (Journal Article) | 20 |
| Assignment 5: On-Farm Research Summary | 20 |
| Final Exam | 100 |
| Total | 200 |
The grading scale will be as follows:
Letter Grade | Percentage Range |
| A | 100 – 96 |
| A− | 95.9 – 91 |
| B+ | 90.9 – 88 |
| B | 87.9 – 85 |
| B− | 84.9 – 82 |
| C+ | 81.9 – 79 |
| C | 78.9 – 76 |
| C− | 75.9 – 72 |
| D+ | 71.9 – 69 |
| D | 68.9 – 66 |
| F | Below 65.9 |
Instructor Course Policies
Regular attendance is expected and strongly encouraged in this course. While attendance is not graded directly, it is essential for participating in in-class activities, discussions, and applied assignments, which often cannot be replicated outside of class. Missing class may result in missed opportunities to earn points or fully understand course material.
If you must miss class due to illness, a family emergency, or other extenuating circumstances, please notify me as soon as possible. In some cases, alternative arrangements may be made at the instructor’s discretion, but unexcused or frequent absences may affect your performance in the course.
It is your responsibility to stay caught up on announcements, assignments, and content posted to Blackboard.
Please refer to the current Student Handbook for the college's full Attendance Policy, including guidelines for excused absences.
All students are expected to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity. This means submitting your own work, properly citing sources, and collaborating only when explicitly permitted. Acts of academic dishonesty, including plagiarism, cheating on exams, falsifying data, or unauthorized collaboration, will not be tolerated.
Any violation of this policy will result in disciplinary action, which may include a zero on the assignment, failure in the course, or referral to the college’s academic conduct board. If you are ever unsure about what constitutes appropriate collaboration or citation, please ask before submitting your work.
See the current Student Handbook for the college's Academic Integrity policies as they pertain to examinations, plagiarism, classroom behavior, and the process for handling academic misconduct charges.
Institutional and Program-Level Policies
All exams will follow the Final Exam Schedule. Students scheduled to take three or more final examinations on one day may request to arrange their examination schedule, so no more than two exams occur on one day.
Requests for early or late exams are considered only under extreme circumstances. Prior to the exam period, the student must file a written request on the Early/Late Exam Form available in the Student One Stop Center, Academic Records, and on the WC portal. The form must be signed by the Instructor and the Academic Dean, approving the alternate exam time. This process must be completed prior to the scheduled exam period.
Undergraduate: SP26 Final Exam Schedule
Out-of-class Work Expectation A minimum of 2 hours of out-of-class student work is expected for each hour of in-class time for traditional face-to-face courses. For online and hybrid courses, the combination of face-to-face time and out-of-class work should be equal to 3 hours per credit hour per week. |
Instructional Course Delivery Definition of Courses |
Academic Integrity Policy The use of generative AI is prohibited except where expressly allowed in assignment instructions. Academic Integrity Policy |
Academic Misconduct - Examples [10/24]
ACADEMIC CODE OF CONDUCT
This policy is directly related to the first Testimony, which is part of the Student Code of Conduct. “I will practice personal and academic integrity.” The initial responsibility for dealing with academic misconduct lies with the individual faculty member in whose classroom or course of study the offense occurs. The responsibility includes determination of the consequences for the offense. The goal is for faculty to confront cheating and plagiarism, to teach ethical behavior, and to provide an appropriate consequence based on the nature of the incident. Faculty are encouraged to explicitly address academic misconduct and its consequences in the course syllabus.
EXAMPLES OF ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT
A. Examination offenses include, but are not limited to, the following:
1.Taking unauthorized materials into or out of the examination room.
2.Leaving the examination room without authorization before completing an examination.
3.Talking in the examination room without authorization.
4.Discussing the examination outside the examination room during the course of the examination.
5.Attempting to observe the work of another student.
6.Taking an examination for another person or permitting someone else to do so.
7.Collaborating improperly by discussion, joint research, or joint effort in any way expressly prohibited by the instructor. This includes using a cell phone or other device to access information from another source or another student.
8.Improper knowledge of contents of an examination - No student shall knowingly acquire unauthorized knowledge of an examination or any part of an examination, or solicit, offer, or give information about any part of an examination.
B. Student work offenses include, but are not limited to, the following, which are expressly prohibited in the absence of prior written approval of the instructor or instructors involved:
1.Resubmission of work - Submitting work which has been previously submitted for credit.
2. Plagiarism - Submitting work done wholly or partly by another, including the unattributed copying of all or parts of a published work or internet document. Using generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) sources to produce work (when not expressly permitted) is also a form of plagiarism. Some instances of plagiarism are the result of ignorance rather than dishonesty. When plagiarism is encountered, the instructor should be sure that the student knows proper procedures for attributing content.
3.Prohibited sources - Consulting material or persons contrary to the directions of the instructor.
4.Improper collaboration - Engaging in any discussion, joint research, or joint effort of any kind expressly prohibited by the instructor.
5.Deception - Misrepresenting the authenticity of sources, citations, or principles in any written work.
6. Sharing work – Students who share their work with others are responsible for how that work is used. For example, if a student shares a paper with another student to help him or her understand an assignment, and that student submits the work as their own, the author of the paper shares responsibility for the plagiarism committed by the other student.
D. Other misconduct - Engaging in any other improper conduct as specified by the instructor.
E. Lying – deliberately providing false information relevant to academic matters, such as misrepresenting the inability to take an examination because of illness.
F. Disruptive or disrespectful classroom behavior – causing a disturbance in the classroom, interrupting instruction, speaking rudely or threatening students or faculty.
Class Attendance Policy Institutional Class Attendance Policy |
ADA and Students with Disabilities
Wilmington College and the Office of Compliance and Integrity are committed to ensuring equal access to students with disabilities, including physical, medical, and psychiatric disabilities. If you are a student with a disability and feel you may need a reasonable accommodation to fulfill the essential functions of this course, you are encouraged to connect with Nathan Flack, Academic Resource Center Manager/ADA Coordinator by visiting the Academic Resource Center located in Robinson Communication Center, Room 103 or connecting via email/phone at nathan.flack@wilmington.edu or 937-481-2208 (TTY: Ohio Relay 711 for deaf/hard of hearing). Please understand that formal eligibility communication from the Office of Compliance and Integrity must be presented prior to the coordination of accommodations for this course.