AG244:
The focus of this course is on the role of agriculture in today’s economic system. The course provides an understanding of the economic relationships coordinating the food and fiber industry. Economic principles and concepts are studied in terms of American agriculture.
Meeting Times, Location, & Course Delivery Details
Contact Information
Upon successful completion of this course....
- The student will be able to comprehend the economics and policies underlying food and fiber production, distribution, and consumption.
- The student will be able to describe the use of environmental and natural resources.
- The student will be able to define agricultural vocabulary used in agricultural economics.
Textbook
Name: Introduction to Agricultural Economics
Edition: 7
ISBN: 013460282X
Author: J. Penson
Publisher: Pearson
For Hybrid Traditional Courses: In Hybrid Traditional courses students will be required to attend each scheduled class session on Monday & Wednesdays. On Fridays, I will post a pre-recorded lecture for your viewing.
Tentative Schedule
Subject to change during the semester. Adequate notice of changes will be given.
| Date -2025 | Content |
| January 13th | Introduction |
| January 15th | What is Agricultural Economics – Ch. 1 |
| January 17th | What is Agricultural Economics – Ch 1, Online |
| January 20th | MLK Holiday - No Class |
| January 22nd | Chapter 1 work day |
| January 24th | The U.S. Food and Fiber Industry – Ch 2, Online |
| January 27th | The U.S. Food and Fiber Industry - Ch 2 |
| January 29th | Theory of Consumer Behavior – Ch 3 |
| January 31th | Theory of Consumer Behavior - Ch 3, Online |
| February 3rd | Consumer Equilibrium & Market Demand - Ch 4. |
| February 5th | Consumer Equilibrium & Market Demand - Ch 4 |
| February 7th | Exam I - In person |
| February 10th | Measurement & Interpretation of Elasticities - Ch 5. - Online |
| February 12th | Measurement & Interpretation of Elasticities - Ch 5. - Online |
| February 14th | Online quiz |
| February 17th | Introduction to Production & Resource use - Ch 6 |
| February 19th | Introduction to Production & Resource use - Ch 6 |
| February 21st | Economics of Input & Product Substitution - Ch 7. - Online |
| February 24th | Practice problem work day |
| February 26th | Economics of Input & Product Substitution - Ch 7 |
| February 28th | Online quiz |
| March 3rd | Market Equilibrium & Product Price – Ch 8 |
| March 5th | AGGIES Livestock Judging Contest – NO CLASS |
| March 7th | Product Price and Market Equilibrium – Ch 9 Online |
| March 10th | Spring Break – No Class |
| March 12th | Spring Break – No Class |
| March 14th | Spring Break – No Class |
| March 17th | Product Price and market Equilibrium practice problems |
| March 19th | Review for Exam II |
| March 21nd | Exam II – In person |
| March 24th | Natural Resources & Agriculture – Ch 10 |
| March 26th | Natural Resources & Agriculture – Ch 10 |
| March 28th | Government Intervention in Agriculture - Ch 11 - Online |
| March 31st | Government Intervention in Agriculture - Ch 11 |
| April 2nd | Product Markets & National Output -Ch 12 |
| April 4th | Macroeconomic Policy Fundamentals -Ch 13, Online |
| April 7th | Consequences of Business Fluctuations - Ch 14 |
| April 9th | Consequences of Business Fluctuations – Ch 14 |
| April 11th | Exam III - In person |
| April 14th | Macroeconomic Policy and Agriculture - Ch 15 |
| April 16th | Macroeconomic Policy and Agriculture - Ch 15 |
| April 18th | Good Friday – NO CLASS |
| April 21th | Agricultural Trade and Exchange Rates – Ch 16 |
| April 23th | Why Nations Trade – Ch 17 |
| April 25th | Summarize - Online |
| April 28th | Review for Final Exam |
| April 30th | Complete missed exam or quiz |
| May 2nd | Last day of class |
| May 5th | Final Exam (10:15 – 12:15am) – In person |
Please see the evaluation of work section for the breakdown of assignments. Each week, besides exam weeks, a homework assignment will be assigned. The assignment will be assigned Monday and be due Friday by 11:59 p.m. to WC Blackboard.
Assignments (10) 10 points each 100 points
Quizzes (10) 20 points each 200 points
Exams (3) 100 points each 300 points
Final Exam 100 points 100 points.
This course will have several small assignments throughout the course for students to demonstrate
their understanding of economic concepts. The assignments will involve students answering selected
study questions from the lectures (weeks where there are no scheduled exam). All assignments are expected
to be handed in on time and late assignments will not be accepted.
A student will be permitted to retake one missed exam or quiz (not both) of their choice on the final day of final examinations at the end of term at 5:00 p.m.
The quizzes will be by advance notice. The quiz will cover the topics that were addressed in the
week’s lecture. Quizzes will occur on Friday. However, the professor may change the date of the
quiz at their discretion.
The midterms and the final will be in person and will be closed book, time restricted to one hour,
and, designed to test students’ understanding of topics covered. Multiple styles of questions will
be asked from true or false, fill in the blank, multiple choice, short answer and extended response.
The grading scale will be as follows:
| Grading | A=Above 95.99% | A-=95.98-91% |
| B+=90.99-88% | B=87.99-85% | B--84.99-82% |
| C+=81.99-79% | C=78.99-76% | C-=75.99-72% |
| D+=71.99-69% | D=68.99-65% | F = Below 65% |
Instructor Course Policies
The College accepts these four categories of excused absences:
1. Activities in which the student serves as an official representative of the College (e.g.,
musical performances, athletic contests, field trips)
2. Personal illness, with documentation by the College nurse or a physician, if possible.
3. Family or personal emergencies
4. When severe weather makes travel to campus dangerous
After the third unexcused absence, the student will receive a 5-percent reduction in total points
in the course for each day missed. I do recognize that students may occasionally encounter
irresolvable
scheduling conflicts. Absence due to illness or family emergency cannot always be anticipated in
advance and does not require prior notification. Should a student be absence for illness, a doctor’s
note will make the absence excused and not count toward the allotted three absences.
See the current Student Handbook for the college’s Attendance policy, especially as it pertains to
excused absences.
Course Learning Objectives
An introduction to the economics and policies underlying food and fiber production, distribution, and consumption as well as the use of environmental and natural resources.
There will be 6 units that will be covered throughout the duration of the course. Through these 5 units, student will be able to demonstrate basic economic knowledge through assignments, exams, and situational problem activated performed during class. At any given time, the units may be adjusted to better meet time allotted throughout the semester.
a) Introduction
b) Understanding Consumer Behavior
c) Business Behavior and Market Equilibrium
d) Government in the Food and Fiber Industry
e) Macroeconomics of Agriculture
f) International Agricultural Trade
Institutional and Program-Level Policies
All exams will follow the Final Exam Schedule. Students scheduled to take three or more final examinations on one day may request to arrange their examination schedule, so no more than two exams occur on one day.
Requests for early or late exams are considered only under extreme circumstances. Prior to the exam period, the student must file a written request on the Early/Late Exam Form available in the Student One Stop Center, Academic Records, and on the WC portal. The form must be signed by the Instructor and the Academic Dean, approving the alternate exam time. This process must be completed prior to the scheduled exam period.
Out-of-class Work Expectation A minimum of 2 hours of out-of-class student work is expected for each hour of in-class time for traditional face-to-face courses. For online and hybrid courses, the combination of face-to-face time and out-of-class work should be equal to 3 hours per credit hour per week. |
Instructional Course Delivery |
Academic Integrity Policy The use of generative AI is prohibited except where expressly allowed in assignment instructions. |
Academic Misconduct - Examples [10/24]
ACADEMIC CODE OF CONDUCT
This policy is directly related to the first Testimony, which is part of the Student Code of Conduct. “I will practice personal and academic integrity.” The initial responsibility for dealing with academic misconduct lies with the individual faculty member in whose classroom or course of study the offense occurs. The responsibility includes determination of the consequences for the offense. The goal is for faculty to confront cheating and plagiarism, to teach ethical behavior, and to provide an appropriate consequence based on the nature of the incident. Faculty are encouraged to explicitly address academic misconduct and its consequences in the course syllabus.
EXAMPLES OF ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT
A. Examination offenses include, but are not limited to, the following:
1.Taking unauthorized materials into or out of the examination room.
2.Leaving the examination room without authorization before completing an examination.
3.Talking in the examination room without authorization.
4.Discussing the examination outside the examination room during the course of the examination.
5.Attempting to observe the work of another student.
6.Taking an examination for another person or permitting someone else to do so.
7.Collaborating improperly by discussion, joint research, or joint effort in any way expressly prohibited by the instructor. This includes using a cell phone or other device to access information from another source or another student.
8.Improper knowledge of contents of an examination - No student shall knowingly acquire unauthorized knowledge of an examination or any part of an examination, or solicit, offer, or give information about any part of an examination.
B. Student work offenses include, but are not limited to, the following, which are expressly prohibited in the absence of prior written approval of the instructor or instructors involved:
1.Resubmission of work - Submitting work which has been previously submitted for credit.
2. Plagiarism - Submitting work done wholly or partly by another, including the unattributed copying of all or parts of a published work or internet document. Using generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) sources to produce work (when not expressly permitted) is also a form of plagiarism. Some instances of plagiarism are the result of ignorance rather than dishonesty. When plagiarism is encountered, the instructor should be sure that the student knows proper procedures for attributing content.
3.Prohibited sources - Consulting material or persons contrary to the directions of the instructor.
4.Improper collaboration - Engaging in any discussion, joint research, or joint effort of any kind expressly prohibited by the instructor.
5.Deception - Misrepresenting the authenticity of sources, citations, or principles in any written work.
6. Sharing work – Students who share their work with others are responsible for how that work is used. For example, if a student shares a paper with another student to help him or her understand an assignment, and that student submits the work as their own, the author of the paper shares responsibility for the plagiarism committed by the other student.
D. Other misconduct - Engaging in any other improper conduct as specified by the instructor.
E. Lying – deliberately providing false information relevant to academic matters, such as misrepresenting the inability to take an examination because of illness.
F. Disruptive or disrespectful classroom behavior – causing a disturbance in the classroom, interrupting instruction, speaking rudely or threatening students or faculty.
Class Attendance Policy |
ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)
Students with Disabilities
In accordance with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973), Wilmington College provides access through reasonable accommodations to students with documented physical and psychological disabilities.
Students who wish to access Services need to meet with the Director of Accessibility and Disability Services and provide verification of their disability. To register with Accessibility and Disability Services, students submit an Application for Services. In addition, the student must provide the Disability Verification form accompanied by current disability documentation from a licensed professional. For more information, contact the Director of Accessibility and Disability Services at accessibility@wilmington.edu or 937.481.2444, 114 Robinson Communcation Center.