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AGRI 1010 Syllabus

Course Syllabus

AGRI 1010 - Introduction to Agricultural Business

3 Credit Hours

Course Information

Course Description:

This course is an introduction to the field of agricultural business and some of the basic tools and concepts of decision making. Concepts are illustrated in terms of selected current social and economic issues in the industry of production agriculture, agricultural business, and the computer application of those concepts.

Course Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to: 

  • discuss supply and demand factors
  • discuss competition among agribusiness firms within the U.S. and abroad
  • discuss microeconomic and macroeconomic theory related to the firm and the agribusiness complex
  • discuss rural diversity and development issues
  • discuss international development issues
  • discuss agricultural society and its role and relationship to the overall economic system
  • discuss consumer income issues
  • demonstrate producer decision-making process
  • demonstrate enhanced computer skills through use of D2L and the Internet to supplement lecture material and complete test and assignments
Prerequisites & Co-requisites:

None

Course Topics:
  • Agricultural Economics
  • Macroeconomics
  • Microeconomics
  • Laws of Supply and Demand
  • Agribusiness Practices and Procedures
Specific Course Requirements:

Students should know how to use software such as Microsoft Word, or similar programs, as some assignments must be uploaded in a word document file.

Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements

Required Textbooks:

Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course. Move your cursor over the "Books" link in the navigation bar and select "Textbooks & Course Materials." Select your Program, Term, Department, and Course; then select "Submit."

Supplementary Materials:

None

Hardware and Software Requirements:

Minimum hardware requirements can be found here.

Minimum software requirements can be found here.

Common applications you might need:

Web Resources:

Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab (for APA, MLA, or Chicago style)

The Writing Center Online Writer's Handbook

Student Resources:
  • Technical support information can be found on the TN eCampus Help Desk page.
  • Smarthinking virtual tutoring is available FREE of charge. to access Smarthinking, visit the course homepage and select Smarthinking under Course Resources. You also view sample sessions to see what Smarthinking offers and how it works.
  • Information on other student issues or concerns can be located on the TN eCampus Student Resources page.

Instructor Information

Please see "Instructor Information" in the Getting Started Module for instructor contact information, virtual office hours, and other communication information. You can expect to receive a response from the instructor within 24-48 hours unless notified of extenuating circumstances.

Participation, Assessments, & Grading

Grading Procedures:
Grading Scale:

Letter grades for this course will be assigned based on the following scale.

Point RangeAssigned Grade
90 - 100%A
80 - 89%B
70 - 79%C
60 - 69%D
under 60%F

Graded Items:

DescriptionPercentage
Chapter Discussions (16 Discussions)10%
Chapter Assignments (16 Assignments)20%
Chapter Quizzes (16 Quizzes)20%
Exams (4 Exams)50%
Total Points100%

Schedule: This course is broken up into four separate module that contain four chapters apiece. The table below indicates what chapters will be covered each week of the semester.

Week of SemesterMaterial to be Covered
Module 1 
Week 1Chapter 1: The Food Industry (Introduction)
Week 2Chapter 2: Introduction to Agricultural Economics
Week 3Chapter 3: Introduction of the Agricultural Economist
Week 4Chapter 4: The Firm as a Production Unit
Module 2 
Week 5Chapter 5: Costs and Optimal Output Levels
Week 6Chapter 6: Supply, Market Adjustments, and Input Demand
Week 7Chapter 7: Imperfect Competition and Government Regulation
Week 8Chapter 8: The Theory of Consumer Behavior
Module 3 
Week 9Chapter 9: The Concept of Elasticity
Week 10Chapter 10: Money and Financial Intermediaries
Week 11Chapter 11:The Circular Flow of Income
Week 12Chapter 12: Monetary Policy
Module 4 
Week 13Chapter 13: Fiscal Policy
Week 14Chapter 14: International Trade
Week 15Chapter 15: Agricultural Policy and Chapter 20: Farm Service Sector
Assignments and Projects:

All assignments will be completed and turned in through the Dropbox tool within this course. In the event of a link not being available, Dropbox submissions can be emailed directly to your instructor at the email address posted in Instructor Information section. However, the assignment must be emailed to the instructor prior to the deadline posted in the course for that particular assignment.

Weekly Assignments: Each week you will be given an assignment on the chapter we are studying that week. You will need to review the Reading and Study material provided to best respond to the assignment. All assignments will be submitted through the Dropbox linked within the Activities sub-module. There will be one submission for each chapter. Each assignment is worth 10 points and all assignments together makeup 20% of your overall grade.

Weekly Discussions: Each week you are expected to participate in a discussion post related to the material we are studying. Discussion topics are linked within Activities sub-module. You are expected to post, and then engage at least two classmates to get full credit for the discussion. Each discussion topic is worth 10 points and will equal 10% of your final grade.

Weekly Quizzes: There will be a quiz given each week based on the materials covered. Your best approach to preparing is to review and learn the materials that have been provided. The quiz is linked within the Activities sub-module, but can also be accessed through the Evaluation navigation link, under Assessments. Each quiz is worth 10 points and together, the quizzes will equal 20% of your final grade.

Exams: At the end of each module, students will be given an exam over the material from four chapters. Prepare for these exams by going over the previous assignments, quizzes, discussion posts, and materials provided in each chapter sub-module. Each chapter is worth 100 points and together, the exams will equal 50% of your final grade. The fourth exam will be over the last four chapters in Module 4. It is not comprehensive to the entire course.

Class Participation:

Class participation will be reflected in your discussion grade. As this is an online class, discussion boards will be the primary method of class participation.

Late Policy:

All assignments must be completed by the posted deadline. Any assignment that is turned in after the due date will not be graded and the student will be assigned a 0 for that particular assignment.

Course Ground Rules

The following two statements (1., 2.) were derived from the TBR System-wide Student Rules document, released January 2012:

RULES OF THE TENNESSEE BOARD OF REGENTS STATE UNIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM OF TENNESSEE SYSTEMWIDE STUDENT RULES CHAPTER 0240-02-03 STUDENT CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINARY SANCTIONS

Read the document in its entirety here.

1. Standards of Conduct:

  • Students are required to adhere to the same professional, legal and ethical standards of conduct online as on campus. In addition, students should conform to generally accepted standards of "netiquette" while sending e-mail, posting comments to the discussion board, and while participating in other means of communicating online. Specifically, students should refrain from inappropriate and/or offensive language, comments and actions.

2. Review the TN eCampus Academic Integrity/Academic Honesty Policy:

  • In their academic activities, students are expected to maintain high standards of honesty and integrity. Academic dishonesty is prohibited.

Such conduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • an attempt by one or more students to use unauthorized information in the taking of an exam
  • to submit as one's own work, themes, reports, drawings, laboratory notes, computer programs, or other products prepared by another person,
  • or to knowingly assist another student in obtaining or using unauthorized materials.

Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited.

Students guilty of academic misconduct, either directly or indirectly through participation or assistance, are subject to disciplinary action through the regular procedures of the student’s home institution.  Refer to the student handbook provided by your home institution to review the student conduct policy.

In addition to other possible disciplinary sanctions that may be imposed, the instructor has the authority to assign an "F" or zero for an activity or to assign an "F" for the course.

Other Course Rules:

Students are expected to:

  • Participate in all aspects of the course
  • Communicate with other students
  • Learn how to navigate in Brightspace
  • Keep abreast of course announcements
  • Use the assigned course management (Brightspace) email address rather than a personal email address
  • Address technical problems immediately:
  • Observe course netiquette at all times.

Guidelines for Communications

Email:

  • Always include a subject line.
  • Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases.
  • Use standard fonts.
  • Do not send large attachments without permission.
  • Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.
  • Respect the privacy of other class members

Discussions:

  • Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Be a lurker then a discussant.
  • Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.
  • Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of other’s ideas.
  • Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.
  • Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks.
  • Be positive and constructive in group discussions.
  • Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.

Library

The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in TN eCampus programs and courses. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading will be included within the course modules. To access the Virtual Library, go to the course homepage and select the Virtual Library link under Course Resources.

Students with Disabilities

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

Syllabus Changes

The instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board.

Disclaimer

The information contained in this syllabus is for general information purposes only. While we endeavor to keep this information up-to-date and accurate, there may be some discrepancies between this syllabus and the one found in your online course. The syllabus of record is the one found in your online course. Please make sure you read the syllabus in your course at the beginning of the semester. Questions regarding course content should be directed to your instructor.


Last Revised on July 12, 2021