[Plsfaculty] undergradute education

[Kenneth Feldmann]

I aim to give more undergraduate students an opportunity to major in plant
sciences. While students do not declare one of our four options early on, of
the 9 students that are graduating this spring, five are majoring in
Horticulture. I would ask the curriculum committee to meet to consider
several points and  questions and then possibilities for increasing the
number of undergraduates. I would ask faculty to contact one of your
colleagues on the curriculum committee to give your input on the following
questions/points.
 
I would like the committee to reexamine the courses required for a PLS
major. Is calculus relevant to an undergraduate degree in Horticulture,
Plant Pathology or Controlled Environment Agriculture? Is a plant
microbiology option relevant or should this be changed to plant pathology?
For the Plant Biology option, biochemistry is being changed to a two
semester course and only Organic I is required. Should Organic Chemistry II
be required? Are the elective courses still relevant for our major who do
the plant biology option? You will have other questions and points that you
want the committee to consider so please share them.
 
Please note that I am not interested in "watering down" our major but nor do
I want to have required courses that are irrelevant or less relevant that
other courses simply because that is always how it was done. 
 
Thanks in advance for your advice and contributions to the curriculum
committee on this important subject.
 
 
Kenneth A. Feldmann
Director and Professor
School of Plant Sciences
The University of Arizona
P.O. Box 210036
Tucson, Arizona 85721
Telephone: 520.621.1945
Fax: 520.621.7186
Email:  <mailto:feldmann at cals.arizona.edu> feldmann at cals.arizona.edu
 
Visit our School website at  <http://www.cals.arizona.edu/pls>
www.cals.arizona.edu/pls
 
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