John Gerber's Courses at UMass

You are invited to take one or more of the following courses with me. Most of my courses have something to do with sustainability. If you want to know more about how I teach, have a look at My Teaching Philosophy. To learn more about the specific courses, have a look below. Namaste............ John M. Gerber

PLSOILIN 100 – Botany for Gardeners – FALL – MWF 9:05am-9:55am (GenEd – “BS”) - I take a holistic view of plants including ecology, plant form and function, inheritance and evolution, and the relationship between plant life and human life. The class is taught using world food, agricultural and gardening examples as much as possible. A free UMass OIT account is required to access the PowerPoints on SPARK. 3credits. For more information, see… PLSOILIN 100

PLSOILIN 100 – Botany for Gardeners ONLINE –Summer and January terms (GenEd – “BS”) – this course is an on-line version of my fall semester class. The lectures and video’s are the same as the “live” version, however the open-book exams are taken on-line. For a description and examples of lessons and exams see: class description. 3credits. To register for this class see the UMass Amherst Continuing and Professional Education.

PLSOILIN 185 – Sustainable Living ONLINE – offered in January (3 week), Summer (5 week) and Spring Semester (14 week) terms. (GenED – “I”). This is the online version of my “live” class. See the syllabus here. To register for this class see the UMass Amherst Continuing and Professional Education

PLSOILIN 185 – Sustainable Living – SPRING ONLY –TuTh 4:00-5:15pm (GenEd – “I”). This course is for anyone wanting to learn how to live more lightly on the planet. Global issues of sustainability will be discussed including; energy, food, land, waste, housing, personal health, and community. The focus is on personal change. The course includes stories from people and organizations that are on the path toward sustainability as well as presentations from experts in their discipline. A free UMass OIT account is required to access the readings and homework on SPARK. See… PLNTSOIL 185.

PLSOILIN 265 – Sustainable Agriculture – FALL ONLY – T 1:00pm-5:15pm (lecture & field trip or workshop) and TH 1:00pm-2:15pm (lecture) – This course is designed for agriculture students who want to learn about the economic, social and environmental impacts of food production systems, and how their own choices impact sustainability. A systems project and team-based presentation will be included. There will be a field trip to a local farm or organization on Tuesday afternoons early in the semester. Classroom instruction may include lectures, workshops and discussions. A free UMass OIT account is required to access the readings on SPARK. 3 credits. For information, see… PLSOILIN 265

PLSOILIN 298G – GardenShare Practicum – FALL AND SPRING SEMESTERS – This is a student led project designed to introduce you to the science and art of gardening. One credit, Pass/Fail only. You can take this class for credit up to three times. To register, go to SPIRE. Check out the web page at… http://courses.umass.edu/plnt298g/ for more information. Whether you take this class for credit or just join for fun, please sign up for the “google listserve” to receive announcements on activities etc. at http://groups.google.com/group/GardenShare

PLSOILIN 382 – Writing for Sustainability –Spring semester. Satisfies Junior Writing requirement for PSIS students. See the syllabus here. A free UMass OIT account is required to access the readings on SPARK. Prerequisite; PLSOILIN 265 Sustainable Agriculture.

PLSOILIN 391A – Sustainability Dialogue – FALL AND SPRING – Wednesday afternoon; 2:30pm-4:25pm. in the fall and 4-6pm in the spring. This is a classroom dialogue intended to introduce students to issues related to the quest for sustainability, explore diverse perspectives, and learn and practice mindful speaking and listening techniques. Examples of issues that may be included are; personal sustainability, organic agriculture, peak oil, alternative economies, spirituality and transformation, industrialization of life, the purpose of higher education and others suggested by students. This class practices mindfulness communication. 1 credit Pass/Fail only. See… PLSOILIN 391A.

!	If you are interested in sustainability….

I advise Plant, Soil, and Insect Sciences Students interested in our new major called Sustainable Food and Farming. See this link, stop by 308 Bowditch Hall, or contact me for an appointment at jgerber@psis.umass.edu.

I do not advise graduate students at this time and only advise a few BDIC students interested in growing food.

For a list of upper division courses suggested by students as good courses related to sustainability, see...Sustainability Course

If you want to study sustainability, I encourage you to think about a sustainable living experience. Check out the Living Routes courses that are accredited by the University of Massachusetts.

I'm also willing to sponsor an internship or Independent Study experience if I'm qualified in your area of interest. Some guidelines for doing a Plant, Soils and Insect Sciences Internship or Independent Study are here.

To get occasional updates on courses and activities in the area relating to sustainability, join my listserve at… http://lists.topica.com/lists/sustliving

For more information on sustainability, see the links on my web page.

And finally, for those of you who are graduating this year, here are a few thoughts on transitions.