Electronic submission
The preferred format for all written assignments is electronic. You can always use OSU's web mail service (at https://webmail.osu.edu/) even if your own computer is not working for some reason. Most assignments should be submitted as Word documents but the factual presentation should be a Powerpoint file. Please use filenames for all assignments that show what they are and who they came from. (e.g. mknee_resume.doc). An alternative for those creating an electronic portfolio is to direct me to your Tripod site.

Job description
Generate a one-page description of your ideal job. Do this as if you were advertising for someone for the position. Give a job title, brief indication of the role in the company a longer description of specific duties and a list of required qualifications. If you intend to go to graduate school you could write a description of the kind of job that you would ultimately hope to get. Alternatively, if you intend to be self employed after graduation produce a one page description of your business. This should include a brief statement of the kind of company, the intended clientele, the area in which it will operate, a description of the products and services that you will offer, plans for obtaining a share of the market and expanding the company.

Résumé
In class we will discuss what makes an effective résumé. If you have one already please give me a copy as soon as you can. If not please generate one in Word following the guidelines given in class and turn it in by October 3. I will review your drafts and return them with suggestions for revision. The content should be as laid out in the template and one way of completing the assignment would be to copy (Ctrl c) and paste (Ctrl v) sections of your Word file into a downloaded copy of this file.

Application letter
This follows on from and is based on your job description. You are applying for a position in a horticultural operation. It is good to have a place in mind: a place where you were an intern or one of the places you visited during the HCS 401.01 or 401.02 Study Tours (but please address the letter to an anonymous or fictitious address). This requires more than a cover letter saying, "Please look at my resume". It should show some appreciation of the kind of business that you are applying to and explain why your qualifications and experience are appropriate for the position you decribed. If you are thinking of graduate school this letter could be your "statement of purpose". Why are you qualified for graduate school, what do you hope to accomplish there and where do you think it will take you? Alterrnatively if you took the self-employed route this letter could be to persuade a bank to lend you money to finance your business. You will ned to show that you have a quality service or product, that you know your potential market and that you have realistic plans for expansion.

Persuasive presentation
You have to persuade a client, members of the public, your peers or your boss to do something or buy something. The presentation should announce its purpose, gather the relevant facts, organize them logically and arrive at a persuasive conclusion. There will be a sign-up sheet for presentations between October 15 and November 12. You can select from the list of possible topics and sign up on the list circulated in class. You can write in your own idea for a topic but you will have to persuade me that it is worth presenting. You should submit a first draft one week before the date of presentation, and a final revision based on feedback in class one week after the presentation. The draft should be the text of your presentation in Word format. The final version can be in the same format, or if you choose to use Powerpoint in class you should submit in this format, using the notes section of Powerpoint for the text. The text should be in full sentences, more or less as you would speak them. A list of headings or bullets is not acceptable. Save the Word or Powerpoint file as a web page using the filename "xyzpresent1.htm" and transfer it to your Tripod account.

Factual Presentation
This is a brief talk to colleagues or clients about a horticultural topic. This is how something works, how to do something or how to recognize plants, pests etc. You can select from the list of possible topics and sign up on the list circulated in class. You can write in your own idea for a topic but you will have to persuade me that it is worth presenting. The draft due November 7 must include the text of the presentation, which should be in Word format and a list of sources that you have used. A Powerpoint presentation of about 10 slides is required for the final submission. You should have at least five images to support your presentation. Extra credit will be given for your own digital photographs or artwork. You can include brief titles and descriptions on the slides themselves but you must provide the full text of what you say in the "Notes" section of Powerpoint. Suggestions for Powerpoint layout are given elsewhere.

Oral Presentation:
You will make your factual presentation to the class a the end of quarter.

Current research
We may use some of our time in class looking at current research in OSUE and OARDC. The topics will be selected from the Ornamental Research Circulars that are available online:

Group discussion
You will be organized into groups of 4 to 5 students. Time will be set aside in class for group activities. You will be asked to review each other's assignments before submission and to identify topics for general class discussion. I will provide feedback on your topics and we will come to agreement on those that will be used. The group will research its topic and lead a class discussion. A group can decide to invite a guest to contribute to the discussion, but not just to give a lecture. Each group should select a "secretary" who will keep a record of preparations leading up to the discussion of their topic in class. Include copies of notes and emails from other group members so that I can evaluate individual contributions.

Portfolio
During the quarter each student should assemble a portfolio of work that demonstrates their competence in the broad field of landscape horticulture. Include no more than six items in the portfolio. This could include but is not limited to assignments completed for this class. It could be papers that you have written, designs that you have created, or a slide show of photographs of your own work or projects that you were involved in. (Photographs should be prints mounted on paper, with appropriate explanation or could be digital in a Powerpoint presentation with explanatory titles. Do not submit a bundle of unmounted photographs or individual image files on a disk.)

The whole portfolio can be electronic and you could use the free Tripod web-hosting service (at http://www.tripod.lycos.com/) as the platform for presentation. If you were in H&CS 560 you may want to build on the site that you used for that class. If you will use your H&CS 560 site please let me know its address by October 3 so that I will be able to see what work you have done for this class at the end of quarter. Alternatively you could include electronic media (CD or floppy) in the folder with hard copy of other assignments or the whole portfolio could be on a CD. Please use commonly available software such as Word and Powerpoint to compile an electronic portfolio on disk.