Syllabus AgBus 147 - International Agricultural Marketing

Outcomes

Understand the function and structure of the agricultural value chain.
Develop basic technical sales skills.
Identify opportunities to move commodity products into higher value markets.
Use the four P's of marketing to develop marketing strategies for differentiated products.
Understand how to effectively organize group marketing and procurement efforts.

Description

This course is designed to give students broad exposure to a variety of case studies and encourage practical application of principles of value chain analysis to evaluate local value chains. Through iterative analysis, students will learn how to look for opportunities and overcome constraints to increase value. Students will also gain experience in technical sales, teaching, and group presentation. Concepts discussed are related to gospel principles throughout the course.

Learning Model Architecture

As in all BYU-Idaho courses, this course will utilize the BYU-I Learning Model. You will prepare by completing the assigned readings each week and taking a quiz. Teaching one another will occur as you complete activities in which you teach family members, friends, and others, participate in discussion boards. Finally, you will Ponder and Prove by demonstrating understanding through applying the principles you have learned and taking exams. You will complete several case analyses throughout the semester, based on both readings and local products. Giving and receiving feedback to each other is an important element in the learning process.

Course Expectations

The following are recommendations for success in this class:

The BYU-Idaho standard for the student workload in courses is 3 - 4 hours per week per credit hour. Thus, you should plan to spend at least nine hours per week on this course. You may need to spend more, depending upon your own learning style and skill set.
Read all material in every course page, including Lesson Overviews and Announcements. Do NOT rely exclusively on the Calendar to inform you of work to be accomplished. Some course pages do not have due dates associated with them, thus, they will not appear on your calendar. However, each page contains important information!
Plan your time so that you work consistently throughout each lesson. You will have a quality learning experience and less stress if you spread the work throughout each lesson.

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Required Materials

Access to a computer with internet connection and appropriate technical setup Test your setup by following the instructions in the Technical Setup section of the Orientation to Online Learning found in the Introduction Lesson.
Microsoft Word. If you do not already have access to this software, you may download it for free from the BYUI Bookstore. Go to http://www.byui.edu/informationtechnology/help-categories/microsoft-office for instructions on how to do this for PC and Mac.
Readings are supplied within the course.
You will need to set up a googledoc to use for your reflection journal. If you do not have a google account, you will want to set that up.

Course Work

Assignments and activities are designed to increase the depth of your learning. Through these, you will apply the principles you have learned to situations similar to those you will encounter professionally and personally.

Study Guide: There is a study guide included with each lesson. You should download this and use it as you work through the lesson preparation. You may use your study guide when you complete the preparation quizzes and in your Teaching Activities.
Gospel Connections: There are Gospel Connections in each lesson, 02 through 13. You will be asked questions about what you read and watch, and will add your write-up to a googledoc Reflection Journal.
Readings: Most of your preparation assignments are readings within the course. However, some readings in the Teach One Another modules are case studies located on other websites.
Teaching Activities: For the first half of the semester you will teach what you have learned to a friend, family member, or business associate. In Lessons 10-14 you will plan and conduct a group presentation based on what you have learned throughout the semester.
Case Analysis: Each week you will read a case and analyze it based on principles you have studied. You will post your analysis to a discussion board, and then learn from the analyses of your classmates.
Local Case Analysis: From Lesson 02-05 and Lesson 06-09 you will conduct two local case analyses, based on a local product or commodity.
Quizzes: The quizzes are based on the preparation activities for the week.
Discussion Boards: Most weeks you will share your case analysis and your local case analysis with your classmates on discussion boards. By looking at your classmates' analyses you will learn from and teach each other.
Research: The second half of the semester you will use your local case analysis research, along with the skills you are working on, to conduct research.

Typical Weekly Pattern

There are three due dates each week. The pattern is as follows:

Due Date #1 = Wednesday 8 a.m. Mountain Time

Preparation readings and quiz.
Feedback to Local Case Analysis Discussion Board from previous week

Due Date #2 = Friday 8 a.m. Mountain Time

Teaching Activity
Case Analysis

Due Date #3 = the following Monday, 8 a.m. Mountain Time

Local Case Analysis
Response on Case Analysis Discussion Board

Grading Policies

You will be graded on a linear scale (not curved). An "A" is a merit that will require dedication and mastery of subject matter. Just completing the minimum expectations does not denote "A" effort. You will need to take the time to study, understand, and apply the principles taught in order to get an "A".

Grading Scale

This course will use the standard BYU-Idaho Grading Scale:

A 93 - 100%

A- 90-92%

B+ 87-89%

B 83-86%

B- 80-82%

C+ 77-79%

C- 70-72%

D+ 67-69%

D 63-66%

D- 60-62%

F 0-59%

Grade Components

Grades will be determined as follows:

Case Analysis 13%

Quizzes 13%

Writing Assignment 12%

Teaching Activity 12.5%

Journal 5%

Local Case Analysis 15%

Research 12.5%

Total 100%

Due Times

Make sure your computer is set to your local time so that the due date shown on I-Learn 3.0 will be accurate. Otherwise it will show due date as BYU-Idaho time.

Late Work Policy

Students should complete their work on time, and generally, late work will not be accepted. However, the instructor has discretion to accept late work or extend due dates in case of extenuating circumstances.

Tutoring Options

Tutoring options for online students are available through the Academic Support Centers. There are tutors available to help you with writing questions and there may be course specific tutoring available. Check the details in the link provided.

Honor Code

BYU-Idaho's Dress and Grooming standards apply to all students, including online students. By adhering to the Honor Code you will create a learning environment, "consistent with the ideals and principles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." For more detailed information, see the Honor Code webpage.

Disclaimers

Each student has a responsibility to carefully read assigned materials and instructions. Questions should be noted and directed to your instructor. You also have the responsibility to contribute to others' learning through your participation in discussion boards and review material with partners.

This syllabus and the course schedule may be changed at any time prior to or during the semester as the need arises based upon circumstances. Any changes will be available to view on the course documents.

Students with Disabilities

In compliance with applicable disability law, qualified students with a disability may be entitled to "reasonable accommodation." It is the student's responsibility to disclose to the instructor any special need he or she may have by the end of the first week of the semester.

University Policies

Read the University Policies found in the I-Learn folder titled, "Welcome." See information about the following: Student Honor, Students with Disabilities, Sexual Harassment, and Complaints and Grievances.

Honor Code

Following the Honor Code is of great importance as you strive to be a disciple of Christ. Your commitment to live the Honor Code will contribute to the overall BYU-Idaho community. Your actions should be respectful and should foster an environment where all can feel the Spirit.BYU-Idaho's dress and grooming standards apply to all students, including online students. By adhering to the Honor Code you will create a learning environment, "consistent with the ideals and principles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." For more detailed information, see the Honor Code webpage.

Academic Honesty

As followers of Christ, all BYU - Idaho students, staff, and faculty are expected to be honest in all their dealings. This also applies and extends to behavior and actions related to academic work. It is critical for students to understand the seriousness of academic dishonesty and misconduct, which are not tolerated by the University, and strive to produce and submit only the results of their own effort and original work. To copy another person's work from the internet, a book, or from any other source and claiming it to be your own work, is plagiarism. Read the official definitions of plagiarism and cheating from the Academic Honesty portion of the Honor Code.It is worth remembering that while students are encouraged to work with one another and share ideas, the sharing of text, code, or anything like unto it is inappropriate. When working on a group project, you have the responsibility to assure that others in the group do not plagiarize. Remember: There is never an acceptable excuse for plagiarism or cheating.

Penalties for Academic Dishonesty

Although the Academic Honesty section of the University Policies explains what constitutes each of the many forms of academic dishonesty as well as procedures and guidelines for handling such incidents, specific application of consequences are left up to each individual instructor.In this course, instructors will be responsible for creating and applying their own policy regarding penalties for academic dishonesty, which may vary from point deductions up to the score of a zero on the entire assignment, and clearly communicating that policy to students at the beginning of the semester. Cases will be analyzed on an individual basis and penalties applied according to the severity of the misconduct.

Getting Started

To begin your work in the course, finish reading this syllabus, then, read all information in the Welcome Module and proceed to the Lesson 01 Overview.

Course Navigation

Each week, you should begin the lesson by reading the appropriate lesson overview. Use the schedule information in the overview to plan when you will accomplish each task for the week. To navigate through a lesson, pay attention to cues within the pages regarding the sequence of activities. Be sure you fully read the instructions in each page. Generally, you will work through the items in each lesson folder in the order in which they appear in the navigation menu at the left. However, at times, you may need to return later to a specific activity, such as a discussion board in order to fully complete it.