Credits: Variable credits in the Spring and Fall semesters.

Fall Class Schedule:

Laboratory: 2-5 pm Thursday, Location: Poole Agricultural Center E142.

Spring Class Schedule:

Lecture: 10:10-11:00 am Wednesday, Location: 114 Lehotsky Hall.

Instructors: 
Dr. Elena Mikhailova
216 Lehotsky Hall
Phone: 656-3535
Email: eleanam@clemson.edu
Office hours: TBA

Course Description: Soil Judging is a hands-on project designed to master the techniques used to interpret soil and landscape characteristics with the application to real-life issues in the United States and abroad. It provides hands-on experience in soil morphology and classification. Participants will learn to describe, classify and interpret the soil characteristics and their suitability for agricultural use, urban development, and subsurface water treatment. Students will participate in the project.

Prerequisites: None.

Course Learning Outcomes: Students will learn fundamental soil science concepts and definitions, and their application in the field.

Attendance Policy: You are expected to attend every lecture/laboratory unless classes have been officially canceled by the University.  Attendance will be recorded at every lecture/laboratory and it is used in grade calculation (see Grading Policy). Students who miss more than 2 class meetings (without an official excuse, e.g. doctor's note etc.) will be dropped from the course.  If you miss a class, you are responsible for the material covered during that class.  If the professor is more than 15 minutes late for class, the class is considered canceled and the students may leave.

Email: Please check your Clemson email address at least once a day for potential messages dealing with this course. Do not forward your Clemson mail to another account (Yahoo, AOL, etc.) as those accounts tend to have issues like full in-boxes and limitations on attachments.

Special Needs: Please see me privately if you have special needs in this course.

Reading Text(s):

• TBA.

Grading Policy: For grade.

Based on class attendance and participation in the regional and national soil judging contests.

Grading Scale:

Code of Conduct: Field trips and the Soil Judging Competition will involve a high degree of interaction with students, faculty and staff from other institutions. Consequently, students not only represent themselves professionally, but also represent Clemson University.  All students are expected and required to act professionally while on field trips. Students exhibiting unprofessional behavior during creative-inquiry project and field trips, as determined by the faculty, will be immediately dismissed from the competition and the creative-inquiry project. Travel to and from field trip sites will only take place in university vans, except for special permission granted by the instructor. The use of alcohol or illegal (or illicit) drugs will not be tolerated during field trips. Students who violate the alcohol or drug policy will be dismissed immediately from the creative-inquiry project, will be subject to disciplinary action by Clemson University, and will receive a failing grade.  For more information on general student regulations required by Clemson University consult the Student Handbook.
(http://www.clemson.edu/administration/student-affairs/student-handbook/universitypolicies/index.html).

Clemson University Academic Integrity Statement: "As members of the Clemson University community, we have inherited Thomas Green Clemson's vision of this institution as a 'high seminary of learning.' Fundamental to this vision is a mutual commitment to truthfulness, honor and responsibility, without which we cannot earn the trust and respect of others. Furthermore, we recognize that academic dishonesty detracts from the value of a Clemson degree. Therefore, we shall not tolerate lying, cheating, or stealing in any form. In instances where academic standards may have been compromised, Clemson University has a responsibility to respond appropriately and expeditiosly to charges of violations of academic integrity."

"When in opinion of a faculty member, there is evidence that a student has committed an act of academic dishonesty, the faculty member shall make a formal written charge of academic dishonesty including a description of the misconduct, to the Dean of the Graduate School. At the same time, the faculty member may, but is not required to, inform privately the student charged of the nature of the allegation."

Clemson University defines academic dishonesty as follows:

1. "Academic dishonesty includes giving, receiving or using unauthorized aid on any academic work.

2. Plagiarism, a form of academic dishonesty, includes the copying of language, structure or ideas of another and attributing the work to one's own efforts.

3. All academic work submitted for grading contains an implicit pledge and may contain, at the request of the instructor, an explicit pledge by the student that no unauthorized aid has been received.

4. Academic dishonesty includes attempts to copy, edit or delete computer files that belong to another person or use of Computer Center account numbers that belong to another person without the permission of the file owner, account owner or file number owner."

Final Examinations/Final Papers: "The standing of a student in his/her work at the end of a semester is based upon final papers, daily class work, tests or other work, and final examinations. Faculty members may excuse from the final examination all students having the grade A on the coursework prior to the final examination. For all other students, final examinations must be given or due on the dates and at the times designated in the fianl examination schedule, except in laboratory and one-credit hour courses where the final exam will be given at the last class meeting."

Retention of Examinations: "Clemson University faculty who exercise their right to retain student examinations are required to retain those examinations on file for the 90 (ninety) calendar day duration (exclusive of summer) allocated for final grade protests in the form of academic grievances."

Posting of Grades: "The United States Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) prohibits the public distribution of grades or graded work. This is commonly understood to include posting grades by student names, initials, or student social security number. It also is understood to include placing of graded material in a public place where students go through the material to find their own graded work."

Disability Access Statement from the Office of Student Disability Services: “It is University policy to provide, on a flexible and individualized basis, reasonable accommodations to students who have disabilities.  Students are encouraged to contact Student Disability Services to discuss their individual needs for accommodation.”

"Qualified students with disabilities needing appropriate academic adjustments should contact me as soon as possible to ensure your needs are met in a timely manner.  “Qualified students” are those who present a Faculty Accommodation Letter from Student Disability Services when we meet.  Student Disability Services is located in G-20 Redfern (656-6848; sds-l@clemson.edu).  Accommo­dations are not retroactive." 

The Director of Student Health Services reminds students that it is not responsible behavior to expose classmates to infectious diseases.

Copyright Statement: "Materials in some of the courses are copyrighted.  They are intended for use only by students registered and enrolled in a particular course and only for instructional activities associated with and for the duration of the course.  They may not be retained in another medium or disseminated further.  They are provided in compliance with the provisions of the Teach Act.  Students should be reminded to refer to the Use of Copyrighted Materials and “Fair Use Guidelines” policy on the Clemson University website for additional information:  http://www.lib.clemson.edu/copyright/ "

Equal Opportunity Statement: "The Clemson University Title IX (Sexual Harassment) statement must be included: Clemson University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, veteran’s status, genetic information or protected activity in employment, educational programs and activities, admissions and financial aid. This includes a prohibition against sexual harassment and sexual violence as mandated by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. This policy is located at http://www.clemson.edu/campus-life/campus-services/access/titleix/. Mr. Jerry Knighton is the Clemson University Title IX Coordinator. He also is the Director of Access and Equity. His office is located at 110 Holtzendorff Hall, 864.656.3184 (voice) or 864.565.0899 (TDD)."