NRES 715: Plant Resources and Humans On-line Section -- is a one credit graduate course offered through the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.  It will provide an overview, explore background information, discuss importance, investigate threats, research issues, review values, and examine how the continued existence of humans is linked to the conservation of plant diversity resources.

Topics include the utilization of plant resources to provide food, medicine, fiber, shelter and other needs of past and present cultures throughout the world; evolutionary ecology of domesticated plants; preservation of traditional knowledge of useful plants; and conservation strategies and techniques for maintaining plant diversity for future generations.

The effects that economics, education, politics, and lifestyle have on this topic will also be addressed.  

Course activities will include expert testimony on video (text version available), exploration of pertinent websites, online discussions, chat rooms and other on-line activities.

This course is open to on-campus students by permission of instructor only. 

Course Mission:

To increase plant utilization literacy and to develop participant interest in plant diversity resources conservation by:

�         Engaging participants in coursework that enables them to comprehend what plant resources diversity is, why it is important in human cultures, what threatens it and how it can be preserved.

�         Exposing participants to various levels of private and governmental organizations, institutes and agencies working to sustain plant resources utilization and diversity.

�         Increasing participant's awareness of the urgency of the problem � both in magnitude and long-term implications.

Location: On-line

Estimated Tuition:  WI Graduate Credit: 100% payment $329.00 (A $60.00 distance fee is included)

Start/End Dates for Fall Semester 2005:

October 31, 2005 - November 28, 2005

Meeting times: This is a semi-synchronous course over a 4 week period, that is, you work at your own convenience but progress at more or less the same pace as the others.

Instructor: Dr. Mai Morshidi Phillips

Grading: Grades will be based on a contract system. Each letter grade has a designated assignment that you must complete to earn that grade. Each assignment must be quality work. Quality work is defined as complete, considered responses to questions. Responses should be written in complete, grammatically correct sentences.

NRES 715 Grading Scale:

A � Completion of all required readings, and assignments in four units and participation in all online discussions.

B � Completion of all required readings, and assignments in three of the units and participation in three online discussions.

C � Completion of all required readings, self-quizzes, and assignments in two of the units and participation in two online discussions.

D � Completion of all required readings, assignments in one of the units and participation in one online discussion.

Acknowledgments: The development of this course was funded in part by the Institute of Global Studies, UW-System; the College of Natural Resources Mini-Technology Grant Program , UWSP; and the Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education Education through grants to Mai Morshidi Phillips 2002.  This course was developed in cooperation with the UWSP Extension Office of Credit Outreach, the UWSP Telecommunications and Distance Learning Program, the Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education, and the Global Environmental Management (GEM) Education Center, College of Natural Resources, UWSP.