Course Syllabus
Contact Information
Dr. Sarah Little
Assistant Professor
Landscape Architecture
GH 325; MW 9:30AM--11:45AM
Office Hours: by appointment in GH 253
Schedule a meeting with Dr. Little
Course Details
For a list of course activities, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Course Materials
Required Text:
- Site Engineering for Landscape Architects, Strom, Nathan & Woland, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey, Sixth Edition, 2013.
- Additional Readings and handouts will be provided.
Required Supplies:
- Roll of 12” trace
- Drafting dots
- Corrugated cardboard (don’t buy, salvage)
- Carbon paper
- Scissors to cut cardboard
- Elmer’s glue sticks
- Blue marker or paint
- Scientific calculator (your smartphone is sufficient)
- Architect and engineer scales
- Protractor
- Triangles
- Circle templates
- Drafting pens of at least (3) different line weights
Grades
Breakdown
| Qty. | Activity | Points | Description | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Exercises | 5 | During labs on Wednesday, you will complete exercises that reinforce the lessons from the lecture. | 40 |
| 5 | Comprehensive problems | 10 | Comprehensive problems integrate multiple concepts we covered during lecture. For the last half of the semester, you will complete comprehensive problems during lecture and lab. | 50 |
| 1 | Final exam | 30 | The final exam will cover concepts learned throughout the semester. | 30 |
| 1 | Class participation | 30 | You attend (both physically and mentally) every lecture and lab. You arrive to class on time and stay for the entire period. You turn in all assignments when they are due. | 30 |
| Total | 150 |
Scale
A (150-135 points): "A" work must be outstanding in design, graphic, written, and spoken quality and content, as applicable on a case-by-case basis. The work must demonstrate an effort to excel beyond simply fulfilling a particular assignment with evidence of having "pushed" to explore, improve personal skills, and to apply and understand essential and finer points of the given subject matter.
B (134-120 points): "B" work is good to very good but does not demonstrate the extra push to excellence. Earning of a B requires going beyond fulfilling of the particular assignment and reflects a respectable effort and achievement.
C (119-105 points): "C" work is that which fulfills the minimum requirements of the course or assignment but shows inadequate evidence of exploration or personal challenging. To maintain good academic standing as a graduate student, an overall 3.0 or B average must be maintained.
D: "D" work is unacceptable at a graduate level.
Course Components
Exercises
During lecture, we will cover concepts that are reinforced during lab exercises.
Comprehensive Problems
The second half of the semester will be spent in tackling comprehensive problems that incorporate multiple concepts covered in lecture.
Final Exam
The final exam will cover all content covered over the semester.
Course Policies
Communication
The best way to communicate is through Canvas email. I usually respond to emails sent during the week within 24 hours. Emails sent on the weekend will be returned on Monday. You can schedule a meeting with me through Bookings--a link is on the course homepage. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with questions.
Late Policy
Work shall be turned in on time and in a professional and complete manner. Unless prior arrangements have been made with the instructor, assignments will be considered late if not turned in by the deadline. Assignments turned in late will be penalized a letter grade for every 24-hour period they are late.
University Academic Policies and Student Support
Covid-19 Policy
For the most current information about the University's response to Covid-19, please refer to the following sites:
- Return to campus plan
- Vaccination requirements
- Getting vaccinated at OU
- Schedule a Covid-19 test
- Masking policy
Course Catalog
Search the OU Course Catalogue.
Student Handbook
Please familiarize yourself with the OU Student Handbook.
Online Library
Access digital materials and other resources at OU Libraries.
Academic Misconduct
In addition to the course conduct policies outlined by your professor in the Course Syllabus in the online classroom, please review the Student Handbook.
It is the responsibility of each student to be familiar with the definitions, policies, and procedures concerning academic misconduct. The Student Code is available from the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, and is contained in the Student's Guide to Academic Integrity.
This site also defines misconduct, provides examples of prohibited conduct, and explains the sanctions available for those found guilty of misconduct.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the most common form of academic misconduct at OU. There is basically no college-level assignment that can be satisfactorily completed by copying. OU's basic assumption about writing is that all written assignments show the student's own understanding in the student's own words. That means all writing assignments, in class or out, are assumed to be composed entirely of words generated (not simply found) by the student, except where words written by someone else are specifically marked as such with proper citation. Including other people's words in your paper is helpful when you do it honestly and correctly. When you don't, it's plagiarism.
For more information about plagiarism, watch this video and then take this short course offered by University Libraries.
Reasonable Accommodation for Disabilities
The University of Oklahoma is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for all students with disabilities. Students with disabilities who require accommodations in this course should contact their professor as early in the semester as possible.
Students with disabilities must be registered with the Disability Resource Center prior to receiving accommodations in this course.
If you have a disability and you would like to make a request for reasonable accommodation, please see the Student Handbook or get in touch with the Accessibility and Disability Resource Center.
Adjustments for Pregnancy/Childbirth Related Issues
Should you need modifications or adjustments to your course requirements because of documented pregnancy-related or childbirth-related issues, please contact me as soon as possible to discuss your options. Generally, modifications will be made where medically necessary and similar in scope to accommodations based on temporary disability. Learn more about the rights of pregnant and parenting students by consulting the FAQ sheets provided by the Institutional Equity Office.
Title IX Resources
For any concerns regarding gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, stalking, or intimate partner violence, the University offers a variety of resources, including advocates on-call 24/7, counseling services, mutual no contact orders, scheduling adjustments, and disciplinary sanctions against the perpetrator. Please contact the Sexual Misconduct Office at 405-325-2215 (8-5, M-F) or OU Advocates at 405-615-0013 (24/7) to learn more or to report an incident.
Religious Holidays
It is the policy of the University to excuse absences of students that result from religious observances and to provide for the rescheduling of examinations and additional required classwork that may fall on religious holidays without penalty. It is the responsibility of the student to make alternate arrangements with the instructor at least one week prior to the actual date of the religious holiday.
Copyright Policy
It is illegal to download, upload, reproduce, or distribute any copyrighted material, in any form and in any fashion, without permission from the copyright holder or his/her authorized agent. The University of Oklahoma expects all members of its community to comply fully with federal copyright laws. If such laws appear to have been violated by any user, the university reserves the right (1) to terminate that user’s access to some or all of the university’s computer systems and information resources and (2) to take additional disciplinary actions as deemed necessary or appropriate. Repeat offenders will be sanctioned and their privileges terminated.
Registration and Withdrawal
If you choose to withdraw from this course, you must complete the appropriate University form and turn the form in before the deadline. If you stop attending the course and doing the coursework without doing the required paperwork, your grade will be calculated with missed homework and examination grades entered as zero. This could result in receiving a grade of F in the course. Deadlines are shown in the Academic Calendar, which is available from the Office of the Registrar.
Student Grievances
In addition to any policies outlined related to submitting an informal or formal grievance by your professor in the Course Syllabus in the online classroom, please review the Student Handbook for more information about the process of submitting a formal grievance.