HTI Student Guidelines

Welcome to the Horticultural Therapy Institute! We are glad that you have chosen to study horticultural therapy through our AHTA accredited certificate program. Your success is important to us! Please let us know how we can meet your needs and help make this a positive learning experience for you. You can find information regarding classes (including dates, content, and enrollment deadlines) at www.htinstitute.org.

Contact us:

• Christine Capra, Program Manager – [email protected]
• Rebecca Haller, Director and Lead Instructor – [email protected]
• Phone: 303-388-0500
• Mail: HT Institute, P.O. Box 461189, Denver, CO  80246

Attendance and Conduct:

• For maximum benefit to you, plan to be in attendance the full time that class is in session. Out of courtesy to your fellow students and instructors, be on time for class. Please inform the Institute of any planned absences in advance.
• Please save internet, email, voicemail and texting use for breaks and lunch time. Further student conduct guidelines are available below.

Assignments:

• Completion of in-class and out-of-class assignments is necessary to pass a course and for maximum learning. Plan to spend approximately 20-30 hours outside of class to prepare for class and complete assignments. All classes have pre-class reading and assignments. In addition, each have assignments due during or after the class meets.
  • Fundamentals of HT: Some assignments are due in class, and others one day after class.
  • HT Techniques: Some assignments are due in class, and others three weeks after class.
  • HT Programming: Assignments are due three weeks after class.
  • HT Management: An on-line component is due two weeks before class, a draft assignment is due between Parts 1 & 2, with most assignments due three weeks after Part 2 of class.
• Please let us know three weeks in advance of any accommodations needed for accessibility, so that we can assist you in completing each course successfully.
• Plagiarism is not tolerated at the Institute and will result in a failing grade. Please do your own work and credit any quoted materials appropriately.
• To facilitate a timely review of your work, meet assignment deadlines (and let instructors know if an assignment will be late). Points are deducted for work that is received after the due date at a rate of 10% per week. No assignments are accepted beyond two weeks past the due date.

Technology:

• Microsoft Word is required to complete assignments. (Note that you don’t have to create the documents on Word but must save and submit them in that format.) Online classes, require use of a desktop or laptop computer connected to the internet – a phone is insufficient.

Photo Release & Student Survey:

• A student survey and photo release are necessary for class attendance. Note that we routinely make visual and/or audio recordings of class experiences (both in-person and on Zoom).

Publications required:

Assigned pre-class reading for each class may include textbooks, the Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture, and online materials.

Author(s)	Book Title	Year	Publisher	HTI class
Haller, Kennedy & Capra	The Profession & Practice of Horticultural Therapy	2019	CRC Press (Routledge)	Fundamentals of HTHT TechniquesHT ProgrammingHT Management
Haller & Capra	Horticultural Therapy Methods: Connecting People and Plants in Health Care, Human Services, and Therapeutic Programs 2nd Edition	2017 2nd Ed.	CRC Press (Routledge)	HT TechniquesHT Programming
Marcus & Sachs	Therapeutic Landscapes: An Evidence-Based Approach to Designing Healing Gardens and Restorative Outdoor Spaces	2014	John Wiley & Sons	HT Management

Online Facebook Forum:

• All current and past HTI students are invited to join the private online forum, HTI Community Link: A Professional Forum. This is a networking tool to enhance and continue the learning opportunities that begin in the classroom. In addition, the site serves as a place to find ride shares, roommates and connect with other students prior to classes.
• You may request permission to join the forum when you enroll in Fundamentals of HT. Go to: https://www.facebook.com/groups/htiforum/ and ask to join.

Grading:

• The grading scale for all courses is: A = 100-92%, B = 91-84%, C = 76-83%, D = 70-75%, with point cutoffs for the grade levels provided in each class. Students who sign up for academic credit through Colorado State University are assigned a letter grade. All others are given a total score. To successfully complete each class and the certificate, students need a grade/score of C or above.

Prerequisites:

• Students must complete (with a C or above) all listed prerequisite courses to be eligible to enroll in advanced courses. In some individual circumstances the instructor may give permission to enroll without a prerequisite or take a class out of sequence.

Enrollment:

• Please enroll by the deadline to allow time for us to prepare course materials for you. You may enroll on-line through our web site, or by mail or phone. Payment for certificate courses is due in full at the time of enrollment.

Cancellation Policy: No cash refunds will be given. Students who are unable to attend a class will be given credit towards future class tuition if they notify HTI at least three weeks prior to class. A $150 processing and materials fee will be charged at the time of subsequent enrollment. Credit must be used within 12 months. If you cannot attend a course, notify us as soon as possible so that other students on a waiting list may attend the class. Class credits cannot be redeemed for cash.

Student Conduct Expectations

To ensure an optimal and positive learning situation for all, the Horticultural Therapy Institute expects students to maintain standards of personal integrity in harmony with its educational goals and to respect the rights and property of other people.

• Students are expected to do their own work on assignments, avoid plagiarism, and give credit to any sources used.
• Audio or video recordings of class in any form are only authorized in special circumstances by permission of the lead instructor. This applies to face-to-face as well as on-line classes. Photographs are usually allowed at face-to-face class sites with respect for any guidelines regarding client privacy.
• Students are expected to be courteous to everyone involved in the class, including students, staff, and instructors. This includes self-monitoring of comments and materials shared with the class.
• Disruptive behavior that interferes with teaching, classroom or other educational interactions is prohibited. It is important to respect the time of others, the leadership of the instructor, and maintain personal integrity in classroom discussions and interactions.

The Institute reserves the right to modify these expectations as it determines necessary.