AGBM 200: Introduction to Agricultural Business Management Syllabus

AGBM 200: Introduction to Agricultural Business Management (3 credits). Application of management principles and processes to agricultural business firms in their planning and operating in domestic and international markets.

Prerequisites: None

Instructor

Adrian Timms
Assistant Teaching Professor, Agribusiness Management

Office: 214-A Armsby Building
Phone: 814-867-0109
E-mail: Use Canvas Inbox
Office hours: Via Zoom, by appointment (through Canvas Inbox)

I will do my best to respond to your e-mails within 24 hours, and I will let you know if I'm going to be unavailable for any length of time.

Course Overview

AGBM 200 is a course for people who want to add a business management foundation to a technical major from the College of Agricultural Sciences. The combination of your technical and business management skills is what employers most desire when they look for potential employees. This is why the faculty in your department made this a required course.

Regardless of your major, most people find themselves as business managers at some time during their careers managing time, money, and people. When you complete AGBM 200 successfully you will have a solid knowledge of the critical agribusiness skills and their application so you will be able to handle just about any management situation you may encounter.

No prior business experience is required or expected to succeed in this course.

Course Objectives

Helping You Learn the Stuff You Need Out There to Be Successful!

At the end of AGBM 200 you will be able to explain:

1. how agribusiness firms operate in a global agri-food system that stretches from those who provide farmers and ranchers with the things they need to produce a crop all the way to those who put food on our tables—"From Dirt to Dinner!"
2. how what you do during your career to expand and improve the global agri-food system will determine whether the world will continue to be able to feed its growing population
3. the role that business management has in the successful operation of an agribusiness firm
4. the common business management principle that unifies everything a manager does is the desire to maximize the long-run profits of the firm by profitably satisfying customers' needs; maximizing long-run profits means you're using all your resources efficiently—you are sustainable; profitably satisfying customers' needs means you are effective—you are doing the right things; you will do all this while enhancing the economic well-being of your customers, employees, and investors
5. the interrelated nature of the four functions of management—planning, organizing, controlling, and directing—and how they help agribusiness managers accomplish their goals
6. why agribusiness management is an art supported by science
7. the difference between managing things and leading people
8. how the quality of the people you employ and how well you lead them makes the difference between success and failure
9. the two golden rules of agribusiness management—be the kind of boss you would like to work for and treat the customers the way the customers want to be treated.

Course Schedule

For due dates, refer to the Course Summary on the Syllabus page in Canvas.

Course Materials

Canvas module materials cover the required material. Lesson readings and assignments are based on the textbook detailed below.

Optional

ISBN: 978-1478605669
Beierlein, J. G., Schneeberger, K. C., & Osburn, D. D. (2014). Principles of Agribusiness Management (5th ed.). Waveland Press, Inc.

For pricing and ordering information, please see the Barnes & Noble College website. Materials will be available at Barnes & Noble College approximately three weeks before the course begins. Alternatively, you may obtain these texts from other favorite bookstores. Be sure you purchase the edition/publication date listed.

Course Outline

The course progresses a series of weekly modules, designed to introduce Agribusiness management fundamentals, and then touring the planning, organizing, controlling, and directing functions of operating an agribusiness firm. For details of module content, schedule, and assignments, refer to the corresponding course tabs in Canvas.

It is important to read announcements in Canvas on a regular basis. I use Canvas announcements to supplement the instructional content of the modules. Mostly this is via weekly feedback on the prior week’s module assignment you submitted. There may be other feedback and guidance in the comments when your submitted quizzes are graded.

The key topics covered in each weekly module are listed below. Subject to change ‐ see the course modules in Canvas for latest organization.

• Global Agri‐Food System and the Agribusiness Manager
• The Role of Marketing
• Marketing Management
• Understanding Consumer Demand
• Forecasting and Budgeting
• Organizing for Success and Choosing a Legal (Entity) Structure
• Organizing Production Using Economic Principles
• Production and Inventory Management
• Basic Accounting Statements
• Developing Pro Forma Cash Flow Budgets
• Capital Budgeting
• Human Resource Leadership and Staffing
• Personal Selling
• Developing a Workable Approach to Agribusiness Management

Class Policies and Procedures

The policies and procedures described herein will be strictly enforced to ensure fairness for all students.

Attendance and Exam Policy

There is no live class attendance in this course, but I teach under the assumption that you have completed all assignments prior to the next module. I therefore expect you to submit all Canvas assignments on time. The late penalty is to remind you of the importance of timely submission; developing a backlog of missing assignments causes extra work for you and for those grading, and jeopardizes your ability to succeed in later assignments and exams. Be sure to alert me if something out of your control looks like hindering your ability to submit on time.

The weekly module assignments are in Canvas Quiz format and can be found at the end of each lesson module. All submissions are directly in the quiz. They are single attempt and without time limit, other than the due date indicated. A couple of modules are rich in calculation concepts; be sure to use the practice quiz for such a module before completing the assignment quiz. Reach out if you need help understanding any of the concepts; try Canvas mail first, and if necessary, we can meet by zoom.

The due date is (no later than) Sunday ending the week, unless indicated otherwise. You might not see answer feedback until grading is complete, so be sure to check when that week’s grade is released for the module and look for an announcement with feedback comments for the entire class.

Both exams are quiz assignments, programmed to be available in Canvas only during their respective schedule week. They are single attempt and with a time limit for completion. Both exams are taken online, and you schedule them to suit yourself, within the window of availability.

Please reach out to me if you need academic accommodation with any of the above.

Use of Generative AI Tools

Subject to Penn State policies, use of tools like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot (Bing AI Chat), and so forth
on AGBM 200 is acceptable (but not mandatory) for the following use cases:

Researching module topics to expand your own understanding of the module concepts. In this manner, it is like consulting alternate textbooks for explanation of concepts. Remember, however that the assignments and exams are designed to test your knowledge of the module concepts, using the terminology, and as expressed in the Canvas modules.

Checking the language quality of an essay or long text answer that you have composed. The AI tool can make recommendations for you to improve readability, grammar, and generally make your writing more professional.

If you do use a generative AI tool, you should use Microsoft Copilot (Bing Chat) on the Penn State enterprise account. Precise mode is recommended.

Use of such tools is not acceptable for the following use cases:

• composing answers to the questions in assignments and exams with little or no writing and thinking on your part. It is similarly not acceptable to compose such answers by copy/paste of module text
  • In addition to academic integrity violation, and exposing yourself to plagiarism and copyright issues, such methods defeat your learning experience and skills development. Your final answer should be in your own words and should convey your understanding of the concepts.
• Answering quiz and essay questions without relating them to the learning concepts and language used in the corresponding lesson module.
  • Remember, it is not about whether you can look up a correct answer, it is about whether you can apply the lesson concepts.

See the Penn State policies under Academic Integrity. Bear in mind also that only level 1 (i.e., non-confidential) information per Penn State Policy AD95 should be entered into an AI tool.

Netiquette

The term "Netiquette" refers to the etiquette guidelines for electronic communications, such as e‐mail and discussion postings. Netiquette covers not only rules to maintain civility in discussions, but also special guidelines unique to the electronic nature of messages. Please review Virginia Shea's "The Core Rules of Netiquette" for general guidelines that should be followed when communicating in this course.

Assignments

Your grade will be determined by the total number of points you earn on the two exams and your homework assignments. I will do my best to have your assignments graded within one week.

The first examination covers Modules 1–7. It is worth 210 points.

The final examination covers Modules 8–14. It is worth 210 points.

End of Module Assignments

Each assignment is worth 28 points (unless otherwise indicated).

Late homework will not be accepted without prior approval.

To receive full credit for the answers to the short answer questions you must answer all the questions assigned. To receive full credit for case solutions, you must submit at least 250 words.

Grading Policy

The following table is the grading criteria for the course.

The following table is the grading scheme for the course.

Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Undergraduate Courses for additional information.

NOTE: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines.

Online Students Use of the Library

As Penn State students, you have access to many of the materials that the library offers to students. The library website has a lot to offer but can be overwhelming. A guide has been created to serve as your introduction to important library resources, services, and important pages within the library. The Online Student Library Guide is updated regularly by the online librarian. It is intended to provide a level of comfort through an introduction to help you feel comfortable navigating the library website to find valuable information for your coursework.

Support Services

If you encounter difficulties, be sure to use your Penn State support network. As a Penn State student, you have access to a variety of services and resources, including advising, tutoring, library services, career services, and more.

Please visit the Student Affairs PSU site for more information.

If you experience technology problems of any kind in Canvas, please select the Help icon and select "Report a Canvas Problem," "Chat with Support," or "Call Support." It is in your own best interest to be as specific as you possibly can. Vague descriptions of a problem only delay assistance. Try to include information such as: the specific course page, quiz question, etc. you were on; what you attempted to do when that failed; the exact language of any error message displayed on your screen; the date and time when your problem occurred; and any other pertinent information (does the problem happen consistently and always in the same way, etc.).

Penn State Policies

Login Policy

Students are expected to log in regularly to keep up to date with announcements, discussions, etc. The class will progress at a regular pace throughout the semester and there are specific due dates and times for assignments, etc.

Course Availability

Your course will be available to you beginning the first day of class and will remain open for one year. After one year the course will close.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest, and responsible manner. Academic integrity is a basic guiding principle for all academic activity at The Pennsylvania State University, and all members of the University community are expected to act in accordance with this principle.

According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity, an academic integrity violation is "an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically." Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.

Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean's List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.

You can learn more at The College of Agricultural Sciences Academic Integrity Information for Students.

Educational Equity Statement

Penn State takes great pride in fostering a diverse and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff. Acts of intolerance, discrimination, or harassment due to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, or veteran status are not tolerated and can be reported through Educational Equity on the Bias Response page.

Privacy Policies

For information about Penn State's privacy statement and what it encompasses, please read their Web Privacy Statement. Visit Penn State's FERPA Guidelines for Faculty and Staff page for information regarding its rules governing the privacy of student educational records.

Copyright Notice

All course materials students receive or to which students have online access are protected by copyright laws. Students may use course materials and make copies for their own use as needed, but unauthorized distribution and/or uploading of materials without the instructor's express permission is strictly prohibited. University Policy AD40, Recording of Classroom Activities and Note-Taking Services, addresses this issue. Students who engage in the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials may be held in violation of the University's Code of Conduct, and/or liable under federal and state laws.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

Many students at Penn State face personal challenges or have psychological needs that may interfere with their academic progress, social development, or emotional well-being. The University offers a variety of confidential services to help you through difficult times, including individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, consultations, online chats, and mental health screenings. These services are provided by staff who welcome all students and embrace a philosophy respectful of clients' cultural and religious backgrounds, and sensitive to differences in race, ability, gender identity, and sexual orientation.

• Counseling and Psychological Services at University Park (CAPS): 814-863-0395
• Counseling and Psychological Services at Commonwealth Campuses
• Penn State Crisis Line (24 hours/7 days/week): 1-877-229-6400
• Crisis Text Line (24 hours/7 days/week): Text LIONS to 741741

Accommodations for Persons With Disabilities

Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources website provides contact information for every Penn State campus. For further information, please visit the Student Disability Resources page.

In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.

Accommodations for Military Personnel

Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or spouses with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, disabilities, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.

Use of Trade Names

Where trade names are used, no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by World Campus, Outreach and Cooperative Extension, the College of Agricultural Sciences, or The Pennsylvania State University is implied.

Subject to Change Statement

Please note that this Course Syllabus is subject to change. Students are responsible for abiding by such changes.