Dr. Walid H. Shayya School of Agriculture, Business, and Technology

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Spring 2024

Brightspace Access of Course Material Online (for students enrolled in the course)

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INSTRUCTOR:

Dr. Walid H. Shayya

Instructor's Contact Information Office: Room 135 - Marshall Hall Phone: (315) 684-6526 (dial 6526 when using campus phone) E-mail: shayyaw@morrisville.edu Web:  http://people.morrisville.edu/~shayyaw/ School Website: https://www.morrisville.edu/school-of-agriculture-business-technology College Website: https://www.morrisville.edu/

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GENERAL COURSE DESCRIPTION:

ATR 213 involves a basic introduction to geospatial technology, focusing on the practical applications of geographic information and global positioning systems in mapping natural and renewable resources. The basic principles of geospatial technology and geographic information systems (GIS) are discussed, emphasizing computer-assisted mapping. The focus will be on learning QGIS, an open-source GIS software, and its application in several assigned class projects. Students are also expected to understand how to create thematic maps and use GPS measurements and digital orthoimages to generate geographically-referenced spatial data, which forms the basis for geospatial analysis.   

Course Format: Lecture (Hybrid), Laboratory (Face-to-Face)
Meeting Times/Locations: Lecture (Tue. @ 8:00-9:15 AM in Marshall 101), Laboratory (Fri. @ 9:00-10:50 AM for 01L, and Thurs. @ 2:00-3:50 PM for 04L, in Bicknell 208)
Semester Start Date: January 22, 2024
Semester End Date: April 5, 2024

Prerequisite: NATR 113 or permission of instructor
2 credits (1.5 lecture hours, 2 laboratory hours), spring semester, first ten weeks

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EXPECTED COURSE OUTCOMES:

Upon the successful completion of NATR 213, the student is expected to have:

1. Developed the skill for utilizing the QGIS software to create, maintain, and utilize geospatial data.

2. Applied the global positioning system to collect data on natural and man-made geographically referenced features.

3. Utilized digital orthoimagery to construct features within the framework of geospatial databases.

4. Understood how various geospatial technology tools are utilized in multiple contexts, including generating different thematic maps.

5. Understood the basic principles of geographic information systems (GIS).  

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STUDENT HOURS:

The instructor has the following designated student hours per week during the spring semester:

• Mondays: 11:00 to 11:50 AM

• Tuesdays: 11:00 to 11:50 AM

• Wednesdays: 11:00 to 11:50 AM

• Thursdays: 11:00 to 11:50 AM

• Fridays: 8:00 to 8:50 AM

If necessary, students are also encouraged to make appointments to meet the instructor at other times.

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CONTACT HOURS AND CLASS SCHEDULE:

NATR 213 is a two-credit hour course that runs during the first ten weeks of the spring semester. It includes three-and-a-half contact hours per week of lecture and laboratory (one section of the lecture and two laboratory sections are offered during the 2024 Spring semester). The lecture meets from 8:00 to 9:15 AM on Tuesdays in Room 101, Marshall Hall. The two laboratory sections meet in 208 Bicknell Hall, with section 01L meeting from 9:00 to 10:50 AM on Friday and section 04L meeting from 2:00 to 3:50 PM on Thursday). The course runs from Tuesday - 23 January 2024 (the 1^st week of the spring semester) to Friday - 5 April 2024 (the 10^th week of the spring semester). An in-person, one-hour comprehensive final examination is scheduled during the laboratory in Week#11.

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TEXTBOOK(S):

Two manuals to be used in NATR 213 are available from the campus bookstore. The specifics of the course manuals are as follows:

1. Shayya, W.H. 2024.  Basics of Geospatial Technology: Course Manual (2^nd Edition). XanEdu Publishing Inc. (ISBN: 979-8-82277-934-1 ).

2. Shayya, W.H. 2023.  Introductory Exercises Using QGIS Desktop (10^th Edition). XanEdu Publishing Inc. (ISBN: 979-8-82279-198-5).

The QGIS Desktop manual will be used during eight laboratory exercises in NATR 213. The course manual includes the instructor's PowerPoint presentations (printed in handout format) and pertinent reading material to be used in NATR 213. Numerous resources are available online on geographic information systems (GIS.COM, USGS) and global positioning systems (Trimble). Students are encouraged to be actively involved in acquiring some pertinent knowledge from these sources.

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CLASS POLICIES:

• Attendance: First and foremost, students must always plan to be in class on time. Given the nature of the course, all students are urged to attend all classes. Attendance will be taken during each class session, and appropriate actions will be taken when students have more than one unexcused absence during the semester. A student with a few or no class absences during the semester will receive favorable consideration during the grading process if the student is close to receiving the next higher letter grade.  

• Student Behavior: As students in a technical program are preparing for a professional career, all students are expected to conduct themselves as professionals (in both manner and dress). 

  • Eating, drinking, or consuming any tobacco products is prohibited in all in-person classroom settings (classroom, laboratory, or field). Doing so may result in the student's dismissal from that class period and count as an unexcused absence.

  • Cell phones and pagers must be turned off during instruction time. The use of these devices may result in the student's dismissal from the class period, and the student’s absence will be marked as unexcused.

• Assignments: This course will include several laboratory assignments and six class projects involving the use of QGIS. Class assignments and projects will account for 60% of the final grade. Therefore, students complete their assignments accurately, neatly, and on time. Late assignments received past the due date will be devalued 5% for each day the item is late. No late student's class assignment will be graded (for credit) once the assignment is corrected and returned to the class. 

• Examinations/Quizzes: The class includes one comprehensive final examination administered during the laboratory in week#11. The final examination will cover class material, laboratory assignments, projects, and assigned readings. Starting from week#1, please note that there will be a weekly online quiz on the material covered during the weekly lecture. The weekly quiz must be completed under Brightspace between 5:00 PM and midnight on Thursdays. A student missing a weekly quiz will receive a grade of zero. At the end of the semester, however, the quiz with the lowest grade for each student will be dropped.

• Honesty Policy and Discipline (Due Process): Honesty and integrity are significant elements in professional behavior and are expected of each student. Any assignment (including those in electronic media) submitted by a student must be of the student's original authorship. Representation of another's work as the student’s own shall constitute plagiarism. In any form, cheating is unacceptable in all college courses. Students having academic problems should consult their academic advisor or a college counselor. Cheating will be dealt with according to SUNY Morrisville policy. The standards of academic honesty and due process procedures for SUNY Morrisville are in the Rules, Regulations, and Expectations section of the Student Handbook.

• Safety Guidelines: Certain class assignments may require the student to be absent from the professor's direct supervision. Whether the student is under immediate supervision or not, safe conduct and safe use of equipment shall be the ultimate rule. Failure to comply with prudent safety practices and/or willful disregard for class participants and/or equipment may cause immediate dismissal from that particular class session by the professor. Any subsequent unacceptable activity may be cause for dismissal from the course by the Dean.

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GRADING/EVALUATION OF THE STUDENT:

Evaluation is a shared responsibility between the teacher and the student. The evaluation aims to demonstrate how well the professor has taught and the student has learned specific course materials, the principles, concepts, and terms relevant to the covered topics. Evaluation is also intended to assess the student's ability to utilize the acquired knowledge in problem-solving.

The breakdown of grading in this course will be as follows:

• Class Work Ethic and Participation ==> 5% of the final grade
• Quizzes ==> 10% of the final grade
• Laboratory Assignments ==> 10% of the final grade
• Class Projects ==> 50% of the final grade
• Final Exam ==> 25% of the final grade

The distribution of grades in this course will be based on the A-F College grading scheme. The letter grades correspond to the following percentage scale: A (90-100%), A- (87-89.9%), B+ (83-86.9%), B (80-82.9%), B- (77-79.9%), C+ (73-76.9%), C (70-72.9%), C- (67-69.9%), D+ (63-66.9%), D (60-62.9%), and F (<60%).

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STARFISH EARLY ALERT SYSTEM:

This course participates in the Starfish Early Alert System, an early intervention system designed to enable academic success, student persistence, and graduation. When an instructor observes student behaviors or concerns that may impede academic success, the instructor may raise an alert flag that notifies the student of the matter, requests an individual contact to discuss the issue, and (in most cases) refer the student to the academic advisor. If you receive an email notification of an early alert, you must contact the instructor as soon as possible to discuss the issue. The purpose of the contact is to determine the severity of the issue, accurately assess its potential impact on your academic success, and plan actions to prevent negative consequences and enable academic success. For more information about the Early Alert system, contact your academic advisor. 

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OUTLINE OF TOPICS:

*The topics and corresponding dates listed in the table above are tentative and may be subject to change during the semester.

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COLLEGE-WIDE POLICIES:

To view the College-wide policies page, please click on this link.  

Joint Appointment in the Division of Environmental and Renewable Resources and the Division of Animal & Plant Sciences and Agricultural Business   Website developed and maintained by Dr. Walid Shayya, Professor; School of Agriculture, Business, and Technology; State University of New York at Morrisville. Last modified on February 05, 2024.