Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

Pests and Pest Management (Face-to-Face)

AGSC 3230-01

Course: AGSC 3230-01
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: ASNS
CRN: 10091

Course Description

Course description: A survey of pests of economic importance.  It will cover weed, insect, disease and miscellaneous pest identification and life cycles. Emphasis will be placed on methods of prevention and control particularly using IPM.  Organic methods will also be covered. It will include the safe use and application of pesticides.  Students will be required to take a Utah Pesticide Applicator’s test.  
(Spring) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Co-requisite(s): AGSC 3235 

Required Texts

Text: None (resource material will be provided)

Learning Outcomes

Student Learning Outcomes: 
-Students will be able to define what a pest is.
-Students will become familiar with several pests of economic importance. 
-Students will gain a general knowledge of the current techniques of pest management.
-Students will become familiar with pesticides, pesticide application, and safety.
-Students will learn about pesticide laws and regulation.
-Students will take a Utah Pesticide Applicator’s test.

Course Requirements

Grading: 65% - 3 tests - tentative dates; Wed. Feb. 25; Fri. Apr. 17; final (take home) – Apr. 23 due at 9am
                        - the intent will be to do them on Canvas.
              15% - paper, presentation, class assignments, attendance and participation
                        There will be 1 paper and 1 presentation due: the paper will be due on Mar. 6, and the presentation                            will be planned for Mar. 30. One will be on a Plant Pest and the other will be on an Animal Pest. It                              will be your choice which you want to do for the paper and for the presentation (ie. plant paper and                            animal presentation or vice versa).
              20% - lab quizzes and exercises, the pesticide applicator test, participation & attendance.

-because the lab supplements and overlaps with the lecture, lab and lecture scores will be combined. The same grade will be given for both unless you desire otherwise.

Course Outline

Course outline                                                  
Introduction                                                         
Prevention & control                                           
Weeds                                                                  
Insects                                                                  
Diseases                                                               
Misc. pests                                                          
Pesticides                                            
Pesticide laws                                                      
Application & application equipment          
Transport, storage, disposal, etc.        

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Course policies and notes:
-Students are responsible for all material discussed in class, whether in attendance or not.  It is your responsibility to obtain notes from missed classes from someone other than the instructor. 
-Assignments will be due on the days and times indicated. Late papers may be penalized by up to 20% each day an assignment is late. There will be no extra credit assignments. 

Attendance Policy

Course policies and notes:
- Regular attendance at all class meetings is encouraged however, if you are feeling sick, stay home. The class will be recorded on Zoom so it can be viewed later. It will not be available during class time.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.