Course Syllabus
Green vs. Gray: Improving and Sustaining Urban Ecosystems
GenEd Area: Science and Technology
Fall 2025
LARC 0852, Section 702, CRN 56659
Instructor: Bess Yates
Course Format: asynchronous online with no online meetings; we will use Zoom for office hours
The course syllabus will provide you with the course schedule, course objectives, basic information on assignments and assessments, grading policies, and instructor contact information.
Please read it carefully. You should have a familiarity with the schedule and process of the course once you review this page.
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Basic Course Information
Welcome!!
Welcome to Green vs. Gray: Improving and Sustaining Urban Ecosystems Canvas site. We’ll be spending the semester together in an exploration of the intricacies of urban ecological dynamics and how to help improve and sustain urban and suburban environments. Along the way, you’ll also get an opportunity to learn a variety new skills, such as how to identify urban environmental degradation and steps you can take to make your world a better place for all plant, insect, and animal life.
Asynchronous and how this will work:
While we will not meet every week, I will be readily available every day by email and will hold office hours three times a week via Zoom. You will also have the opportunity to work with one another on projects.
General Education: This course fulfills the General Education area of Science and Technology
Instructor Information
About your instructor, Bess Yates. Please refer to me as Bess.
I joined the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture faculty as a lecturer in fall 2008. After receiving my Master of Landscape Architecture from University of Virginia in 2004, I served as a community planner and designer with E² Inc., now called Skeo Solutions, an environmental consulting firm based in Charlottesville, VA. There I helped lead community land use planning and design projects related to Superfund Sites located across the southeast and Midwest.
I also have worked with the Arnold Arboretum in Boston, MA as a horticultural intern, and with The Bioengineering Group in Salem, MA as an ecological restoration designer of environmentally impaired riparian areas and habitats. Prior to joining Temple's LA-Hort faculty, I worked with Casey Trees in Washington, DC as a Planning and Design Fellow, where I helped win and Maryland and Potomac ASLA Merit Award for my work on Casey Tree’s “Tree Space Design Report." I also assisted with tree planting details, led the summer high school internship’s design project, and helped design urban tree box retrofits.
I taught “Analytical Landscape Drawing and Drafting” at Washington DC’s USDA Graduate School and served as a “Teaching and Technology Support Partner” with University of Virginia Architecture School faculty. I received my B.A. in Geology from Wellesley College. At Temple, I teach a history of landscape architecture and horticulture course called Landscape Traditions. And hope to begin teaching the Trees in the Urban Landscape again at some point soon. I put together and ran this course, Green vs Gray, in 2010 to help students build and develop life-long learning knowledge and skills -- to serve as environmental stewards.
My Contact Information: wellborn@temple.edu or bess.wellborn@temple.edu
Please reach out to me at any time for assistance with the course or just to chat about the field or navigating university life. The best way to reach me is to send me a message directly to wellborn@temple.edu. I will generally respond within 24 hours, Monday through Friday. I very much appreciate follow up emails if you have not heard from me for whatever reason.
Student Drop-In Hours via ZOOM at the following Zoom Link
- Mondays from 1:00-2:00pm,
- Wednesdays between 11:30am-1:30pm
- Fridays from 11:30am-1:30pm
- also by appointment - please email me at wellborn@temple.edu
Seeking out individual assistance from the instructor is a normal part of the learning process. We can discuss the course content, your progress on the assessments, your future in the field, or anything else you need to talk about. If my regular Drop-In Hours don’t fit your schedule, please email me to make an appointment. I want to help you succeed!
Purpose of the Course
Overall Purpose
This General Education Arts Science and Technology course expands the breadth of your knowledge and skills, adding to the depth acquired in your major. This course emphasizes the critical competencies of critical thinking, oral/written communication, and information literacy while delving into the science of environmental stewardship and sustainability.
Course Overview
Green vs. Gray explores urban ecosystems and methods of improving and sustaining urban environments using the City of Philadelphia as a living laboratory. Students learn about urban ecology, urban field experiments, and the work required to sustain green infrastructure within a city landscape. As a Community-Based Learning (CBL) course, students engage in four to six hours of field work and environmental stewardship which can range from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's Tree Tender training, tree planting, restoring urban ecological systems and vacant lots, working in sustainable urban agriculture and/or greening school rooftops.
Three credit hours
General Education Competencies and Area Learning Goals:
Competencies: https://bulletin.temple.edu/undergraduate/general-education/#Program_Competencies
Area Goals: https://bulletin.temple.edu/undergraduate/general-education/#GenEd_Courses ]
Our Learning Environment
How Class Will Be Conducted:
This is an online asynchronous course with no set meeting times. You can choose when to complete your work throughout the week, but most successful students block off specific times in their schedule to dedicate to the class and log in several times a week.
The course is organized into weekly and biweekly modules, each containing a combination of readings, multimedia content, and assignments. You can expect a mix of video lectures and interactive activities designed to reinforce the material.
I will post weekly announcements to keep you on track and informed, and I will check discussion boards regularly to engage with student posts and answer questions. Written or video feedback on assignments is typically provided within one week of the submission deadline. Please reach out with any questions or concerns at any time.
Let's be civil
Please treat your classmates and instructor with respect in all communication. Our differences, some of which are outlined in the University's nondiscrimination statement, will add richness to this learning experience. All opinions and experiences, no matter how different or controversial they may be perceived, must be respected in the tolerant spirit of academic discourse. Please consider that sarcasm, humor, and slang can be misconstrued in online interactions and generate unintended disruptions. Remember to be careful with your own and others' privacy. In general, have your behavior mirror how you would like to be treated by others.
For more information, please visit the IDEAL website.
Course Materials and Accessibility
This course has no required course materials that must be purchased. All course materials (readings, videos, etc.) are available digitally in the weekly modules via Canvas.
Software and Other Supplies: If you need access to basic software for creating documents, slideshows, or spreadsheets, you have free access to Microsoft 365.
Whether you use a paper or digital tool, you should have a calendar for managing your schedule. Similarly, I suggest taking notes while reading course materials and during lectures, but the choice is yours whether to use software or paper.]
Accessibility
It is important to me that every student has the opportunity to succeed in this course. Please reach out to me if any obstacle is in the way of your success.
Any student who has a need for accommodations based on the impact of a documented disability or medical condition should contact Disability Resources and Services (DRS) located in the Howard Gittis Student Center South, 4th Floor at drs@temple.edu or 215-204-1280 to request accommodations and learn more about the resources available to you. If you have a DRS accommodation letter to share with me, or you would like to discuss your accommodations, please contact me as soon as practical. I will work with you and with DRS to coordinate reasonable accommodations for all students with documented disabilities. All discussions related to your accommodations will be confidential. Students can learn more about the accommodation process and pre-register on the DRS website. Students may register at any time during the semester, but accommodations are not active until you register, so I recommend doing so as early in the semester as possible.
Information regarding accessibility for additional technologies is provided below: [add/delete as appropriate]
Resources and Support
Sometimes the biggest factors impacting student success are things happening beyond the scope of the individual classroom. Temple provides a wide array of resources both to help you overcome academic challenges and those not directly related to the educational challenges of the course. Please reach out to me if you need help deciding which resources might be right for you.
Undergraduate Research Support
Disability Resources and Services
If you are experiencing food insecurity or financial struggles, Temple provides resources and support. Notably, the Temple University Cherry Pantry is in operation, as well as a variety of resources from the Division of Student Affairs.
Library Resources
Temple University Libraries provide resources to assist Temple students with their class projects and research needs. Visit the Libraries’ website to find millions of articles, books, video, and other resources, both in print and online.
The site also provides tutorials to help you start your research, as well as subject and research guides to help you identify resources that may be particularly useful for this class.
Contact the library at any stage of the research process. You can chat with a librarian 24/7 or make an appointment with your subject librarian, who can help you explore a topic, craft a research question, and identify and cite sources.
Course Schedule
See Temple's Academic Calendar for key dates for calendar year 2025-2026
under construction - check back soon!
Grading & Assessment Guidelines
This syllabus uses the term Assessment rather than Assignment to emphasize the importance of instructor feedback on student work. An Assignment is a task to be completed for the benefit of the assignor. An Assessment is a task that serves the needs of the performer, as it yields useful feedback on their performance.
Grading Scale
|
Percentage |
Letter Grade |
|---|---|
|
94-100 |
A |
|
90-93 |
A- |
|
87-89 |
B+ |
|
84-86 |
B |
|
80-83 |
B- |
|
77-79 |
C+ |
|
74-76 |
C |
|
70-73 |
C- |
|
67-69 |
D+ |
|
64-66 |
D |
|
61-63 |
D- |
|
0-60 |
F |
Course Minimum Grade
A grade of “C-” or better is required in all GenEd courses for you to satisfy a General Education requirement.
I will do my best to warn you if you are in danger of not meeting this minimum, but you should reach out to me if you become worried about not achieving the minimum needed grade.
Assessment Summary
The assessments in this course have been created for two reasons: (1) For you to demonstrate your progress towards the learning goals for the course and receive useful feedback. (2) For you to practice skills and develop ways of thinking that will be of use to you in the future.
Assignments and Weighting Details
-
- Discussion posts: 20%
-
Review questions: 25%
-
Assessing and Creating a Sustainable Backyard (or vacant lot or schoolyard) - parts 1-3: 25%
- Urban Ecological Stewardship project: 30%
Total = 100%
When planning your semester, I recommend adding due dates to your calendar.
Late Submissions:
Life gets in the way for all of us from time to time. Please notify me if you may miss a deadline or an exam/quiz as soon as possible. Please do not delay in informing; as soon as you suspect a problem, let me know. Depending on the timing and the specific assessment, I may ask you to give me a copy of your current draft. Whether you will be given an additional opportunity to complete the assessment will be decided on a case-by-case basis.
Course Participation:
Because this is an online asynchronous course, there are no required meeting times. However, consistent engagement throughout the week is expected and counts as your "attendance" in the course. At a minimum, students should log in at least two to three times per week to view course materials, complete assignments, and participate in discussions. Most assignments will have weekly deadlines, and some activities, such as discussion boards or collaborative projects, may require you to log in more frequently. Staying active and on schedule is essential for your success in the course.
School-Life Conflict
Many unpredictable things can happen over the course of a semester. If you find yourself struggling to balance your education and your other commitments, please reach out to me immediately so that we can work together to build a plan for your success. Some of the resources in the next section may also be of use to you.
Religious Holidays
It is your right to observe religious holidays without impacting your opportunity to learn and succeed in this course. Please reach out to me at the start of the semester so that deadlines can be reviewed in advance of your religious observations. You will still be held responsible for course content and any assignments, but you will not lose points for attendance and participation on days important to your faith.
Caregiver Responsibilities
I have great respect for students who are pursuing their education while responsible for the care of children or other family members. Please contact me if you encounter challenges that require you to miss a class session or if your caregiving responsibilities are interfering with your success in the course. Together, we may be able to find some flexibility to support your learning.
Course Withdrawal
If you are considering withdrawing from the course after the add/drop date, please don’t make that decision alone! Withdrawing from the course without talking to me first eliminates the possibility of finding a path to success for you. Furthermore, it is extremely important that you consult your academic advisor before withdrawing. They will be able to walk you through how the withdrawal would impact your progress towards your degree and your graduation date.
Please check the academic calendar for the last day to withdraw from a course.
Incomplete coursework
A student will be eligible for a grade of “Incomplete” only if the student:
1) has completed at least 51% of the work at a passing level,
2) is unable to complete the work for a serious reason beyond their control, and
3) files a signed agreement with the instructor outlining the work to be completed and the time frame in which that work will be completed.
The student is responsible for initiating this process, and all incomplete forms must be sent to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs prior to the start of study days in that semester.
Please refer to the following for further details: Temple University’s Incomplete Policy. (Policy #02.10.13).
Technology Guidelines
Technology Requirements
To participate in this course, you will need the equipment, software, and internet access necessary to reliably use Zoom and Canvas, as well as “productivity tools” like word processors and slide show creators.
Limited resources are available for students who do not have the technology they need for class. Students with educational technology needs, including no computer or camera or insufficient Wifi access, should submit a Student Technology Assistance Application located in TUPortal and linked from the Dean of Students Support and Resources. The University will endeavor to meet needs, such as with a long-term loan of a laptop or Mifi device, a refurbished computer, or subsidized internet access.
Note that there are technology resources available for students, including on-campus computers available for student use, the Tech Center computer labs and free laptop and battery borrowing at Charles Library, software that is available for free download and other specialty software that may be available for remote access through ITS.
Technical Support
For a listing of technical support services available to Temple University students, see the Tech Support page.
Live Chat or Request Help: help.temple.edu
Phone: 215-204-8000
Email: help@temple.edu
Website: its.temple.edu
Location: The TECH Center, Room 106
Privacy and Data Protection
Please see the links below to become familiar with the privacy policies for each of the following:
AI Policies
The use of generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft CoPilot, etc.) are not permitted in this class; therefore, any use of AI tools for work in this class may be considered a violation of Temple University’s Academic Honesty policy and Student Conduct Code, since the work is not your own. The use of unauthorized AI tools will result in a warning first, and then a failing grade if the coursework is not revised using your own words.
Academic Guidelines
Academic Freedom
Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. I have the freedom and responsibility to design and facilitate our learning environment to best achieve the promise of the course as outlined in its official description. You have the responsibility to engage with the course in good faith and freedom from mistreatment when your opinion differs from mine. Note that it is not an abuse of this freedom for me to require that you support relevant opinions with clear argumentation and solid evidence. For more on academic freedom, consult the official Temple policy on the matter.
Academic Integrity
Temple University believes strongly in academic honesty and integrity. Plagiarism and academic cheating are, therefore, prohibited. All work you submit for assessment should be your own efforts. For more on this topic, consult the relevant portions of Temple Bulletin and the Student Conduct Code.