New
classes being offered in Plant Science department
Lindsey Benne, posted Nov. 6, 2006
The winter
semester of 2007 will bring new courses to CAFNR. Three new
classes will be offered by the plant science department. The
classes will meet on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from
3 to 4:50 pm and will last five weeks.
Introductory
Floral Design will meet from Jan. 16 to Feb. 15 with Dr. Mary
Ann Gowdy instructing. “This class will teach students
the basic tools and techniques necessary to create floral
arrangements,” said Gowdy. “Students will learn
how to make bows, handle fresh cut flowers and create beginning
arrangements like bud vases and center pieces.” Students
will not have to buy a book for the course, but there is a
$10 per week expendable material fee. “Students will
get to take home all the arrangements that they create each
class period. It should be fun and will give students skills
they can utilize the rest of their life,” said Gowdy.
Students who would like to enroll in the class will find it
under Plant Science 3002, Section 1 in the schedule of courses.
Meeting
from Feb. 20 to March 23 will be Arboriculture and Pruning,
instructed by Dr. Chris Starbuck. “We will spend as
much time as possible outside on the campus,” said Starbuck.
“While there are practical limitations to the amount
of hands on experience we can provide, the students will get
some experience with pruning techniques and strategies.”
Other subjects covered in the course will be tree selection,
planting, fertilization and protection of trees from construction
damage. This course is under Plant Science 3002, Section 2
in the schedule of courses.
Gowdy
will also instruct the Bids, Specifications and Contracts
course beginning on April 3 and ending May 4. “My goal
for this class is to teach the students, regardless of their
area of emphasis or major, three things: how to determine
required inputs for the job and the associated cost of these
inputs, how to clearly and specifically communicate the job
bid to the client and how to anticipate problems or concerns
that might cause customer dissatisfaction,” said Gowdy.
When asked how the idea for this course came about, Gowdy
said, “The Bids, Specifications and Contracts course
is a direct result of conversations I’ve had with senior
level plant sciences students. When asked what subjects they
felt they needed more training, this course was their suggestion.”
Students will find this course under Plant Science 3002, Section
3 in the schedule of courses.
