All course information is listed within this syllabus.
TURF 235: The Turfgrass (3 credits). Characterization of the primary plant species used for sports, lawns, and turf; includes turfgrass morphology, environmental adaptation, and cultural requirements.
Prerequisites: None
Instructor
Dianne Petrunak
Instructor
Academic Adviser, Turfgrass Science and World Campus
Department of Plant Science
242 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building
University Park, PA 16802
Phone (Office): 814-863-0139
E-mail: Use Canvas Inbox
Course Overview
TURF 235 provides the foundation on which the other courses (ENT 317, PPATH 412, TURF 238, TURF 434, TURF 425, TURF 435 and TURF 436W) build. The focus of TURF 235 is to introduce students to the concepts, terminology, and processes involved in turfgrass management. This course provides a broad overview of turfgrass management; its coverage includes turf quality, turfgrass growth and development, turfgrass species, the turfgrass environment (including atmospheric and soil components of the environment), cultural practices (e.g., mowing, fertilization, irrigation, cultivation, topdressing, etc.), pest management (weeds, diseases, insects and other pests), and turf establishment.
TURF 235 is the logical "first course" in the certificate program in Turfgrass Management offered through the World Campus at Penn State. It is a 15-week cohort-based course which means that your course has an established start and end date and that you will interact with other students throughout the course. The units of study are all located within our password-protected course website. Like taking a course on campus, it will be important for you to keep up with the coursework. For a more detailed look at what this course will entail, see the schedule below.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of TURF 235, students will have:
- developed an understanding of concepts related to turfgrass management including:
- how turfgrasses grow and develop
- the nature of the physical environment in which turfgrasses occur
- the cultural operations performed in turfgrass management, and
- turfgrass species characteristics, including identification, environmental adaptation, cultural requirements and uses
- applied concepts to solve simple problems in turfgrass management
- communicated and worked together with other students through the course materials
Course Schedule
For due dates, refer to the Course Summary on the Syllabus page in Canvas.
Course Materials
Required
ISBN: 978-1-7332881-0-1 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 978-1-7332881-1-8 (Digital PDF)
Turgeon, A. J., & Kaminski, J. E. (2019). Turfgrass Management Edition 1.0. Turfpath, LLC.
Either format can be purchased. Students purchase from the Turfpath website. Although ebook versions are available for purchase, make sure to choose either the hardcover or digital PDF version of the book.
Assignments/Exams
The three practicum exercises are 36% of your grade. The first three are worth 50 points each, totaling 150 points for the course. The last practicum question is worth 20 points and does not have a required team discussion.
- Practicums consist of essay questions that focus on situations or problems relevant to the materials that are being studied.
- While each individual will be assigned questions to complete, the teams share responsibility for the satisfactory completion of the entire set of practicum questions.
- Individual grades for each practicum exercise are determined as follows:
- 10 points for "Initial Answer Post" are due on Sunday by 11:59 p.m. EST to your team's discussion.
- Criteria: timeliness and completeness. Practicum answers will be submitted via the course tools provided in the course pages.
- 10 points for "Questions on Teammates Post" are due Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. EST by posing at least two original questions to each of your teammates, based on the answers they provided to their assigned questions. (Questions may be of several types: challenge questions, in which you take issue with something contained in an answer; clarification questions, in which you request a clearer statement in an answer; and elaboration questions, in which you request additional information in an answer.)
- Criteria: insight, responsiveness, and constructive criticism.
- 10 points for "Response to Teammates Questions" due by Sunday at 11:59 p.m. EST by adequately responding to the questions posed by your teammates (and, in some cases, the instructor.)
- Criteria: quality, comprehensiveness, and accuracy.
- 20 points for "Final Practicum Assignment" are due by Sunday at 11:59 p.m. EST. Submit your Practicum Assignment.
- Criteria: timeliness and completeness, quality, comprehensiveness, and accuracy. Practicum answers will be submitted as an assignment.
There are sample practicum questions available for your review within your course.
Quizzes
There are 24 quizzes within the course—one for each module for a total of 100 points. You'll have 30 minutes to complete each quiz. You have up to 5 attempts for each quiz with the highest score being recorded. The questions are just like those you will find on the exams.
Practice!
Exams
There are three exams. Exam 1 and Exam 2 are worth 50 points each and the final exam is worth 100 points. All exams are online and multiple-choice.
The turnaround time for graded assignments is generally one week or less.
Grading Policy
The following table is the grading criteria for the course.
Requirement | Cumulative Point Value |
---|---|
Team Discussions | 90 |
Practicum Reports | 80 |
Quizzes | 100 |
Exams | 200 |
TOTAL: | 470 |
The following table is the grading scheme for the course.
Letter Grade | Percentage |
---|---|
A | 100% – 94% |
A- | < 94% – 90% |
B+ | < 90% – 87% |
B | < 87% – 83% |
B- | < 83% – 80% |
C+ | < 80% – 75% |
C | < 75% – 70% |
D | < 70% – 60% |
F | < 60% |
Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Undergraduate Courses for additional information.
Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please see "Graduation" under World Campus Student Resources.
Online Students Use of the Library
As Penn State students, you have access to many of the materials that the library offers to students. The library website has a lot to offer but can be overwhelming. A guide has been created to serve as your introduction to important library resources, services, and important pages within the library. The Online Student Library Guide is updated regularly by the online librarian. It is intended to provide a level of comfort through an introduction to help you feel comfortable navigating the library website to find valuable information for your coursework.
Technical Requirements
This course is offered online and it is assumed you possess the minimum system requirements and computing skills to participate effectively. A list of technical requirements is listed on World Campus' Penn State Technical Requirements page.
Minimum Skills
- You should have an understanding of basic computer usage (creating folders/directories, switching between programs, formatting and backing up media, accessing the internet).
- You must be able to conduct word processing tasks such as creating, editing, saving, and retrieving documents.
- You must be able to use a web browser to open web pages, download files, and search the internet.
- You must be able to use an e-mail program to send and receive messages and to attach and download documents/files.
- You must be able to download and install programs or plug-ins from the internet.
Getting Help With Canvas Courses
Canvas support is available 24/7 via chat or phone.
It is in your own best interest to be as specific as you possibly can. Try to include information such as the specific course page, quiz question, etc. you were on; what you attempted to do when that failed; the exact language of any error message displayed on your screen; the date and time when your problem occurred; and any other pertinent information (does the problem happen consistently and always in the same way, etc.).
Support Services
As a student, you have access to a variety of services and resources, including advising, tutoring, library services, career services, and more. Please visit the following resources for more information:
- World Campus Student Services
- Penn State Student Support Resources for University Park and Commonwealth campuses
Accessibility Information
Netiquette
The term "Netiquette" refers to the etiquette guidelines for electronic communications, such as e-mail and discussion postings. Netiquette covers not only rules to maintain civility in discussions but also special guidelines unique to the electronic nature of messages. Please review Virginia Shea's "The Core Rules of Netiquette" for general guidelines that should be followed when communicating in this course.
Penn State Policies
Login Policy
Students are expected to log in regularly to keep up to date with announcements, discussions, etc. The class will progress at a regular pace throughout the semester and there are specific due dates and times for assignments, etc.
Course Availability
Your course will be available to you beginning the first day of class and will remain open for one year. After one year the course will close.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest, and responsible manner. Academic integrity is a basic guiding principle for all academic activity at The Pennsylvania State University, and all members of the University community are expected to act in accordance with this principle.
According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity, an academic integrity violation is "an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically." Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean's List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
You can learn more at The College of Agricultural Sciences Academic Integrity Information for Students.
Educational Equity Statement
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Copyright Notice
All course materials students receive or to which students have online access are protected by copyright laws. Students may use course materials and make copies for their own use as needed, but unauthorized distribution and/or uploading of materials without the instructor's express permission is strictly prohibited. University Policy AD40, Recording of Classroom Activities and Note-Taking Services, addresses this issue. Students who engage in the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials may be held in violation of the University's Code of Conduct, and/or liable under federal and state laws.
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
Many students at Penn State face personal challenges or have psychological needs that may interfere with their academic progress, social development, or emotional well-being. The University offers a variety of confidential services to help you through difficult times, including individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, consultations, online chats, and mental health screenings. These services are provided by staff who welcome all students and embrace a philosophy respectful of clients' cultural and religious backgrounds, and sensitive to differences in race, ability, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
- Counseling and Psychological Services at University Park (CAPS): 814-863-0395
- Counseling and Psychological Services at Commonwealth Campuses
- Penn State Crisis Line (24 hours/7 days/week): 1-877-229-6400
- Crisis Text Line (24 hours/7 days/week): Text LIONS to 741741
Accommodations for Persons With Disabilities
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources website provides contact information for every Penn State campus. For further information, please visit the Student Disability Resources page.
In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
Accommodations for Military Personnel
Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or spouses with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, disabilities, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.
Use of Trade Names
Where trade names are used, no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by World Campus, Outreach and Cooperative Extension, the College of Agricultural Sciences, or The Pennsylvania State University is implied.
Subject to Change Statement
Please note that this Course Syllabus is subject to change. Students are responsible for abiding by such changes.
Course Availability
If you're ready to see when your courses will be offered, visit our public LionPATH course search to start planning ahead.
Course Availability
If you're ready to see when your courses will be offered, visit our public LionPATH course search to start planning ahead.