100
Cheney
Decision ABM/FIM Making in the Agri-Food System
Spring 2012
Decision Making in the Agri-Food System
ABM/FIM 100 Spring Semester 2012
Tu Th 1:00 2:20 PM
http://angel.msu.edu
Instructor:
Office:
Phone:
Fax:
E-mail:
Dr. Laura Cheney
301-D Agriculture Hall
432-0089
432-1800
[e-mail]
Office Hours: Monday, 10:45 12:00 noon
or by appointment
Secretary:
Ms. Ellen Schueller
Room 1, Ag Hall
353-4519
Required Coursepack: Available at Collegeville Textbooks (a new bookstore located next to Barnes
and Noble on Grand River)
Grade Requirement Notice for ABM and FIM Majors:
All students entering the ABM and FIM majors after June 1, 2001, are required to complete this
course with a grade of 2.0 or higher if it is used as a CORE course. Students with questions about
this requirement should contact the ABM/FIM academic advisor.
ANGEL System: We will be using Michigan State Universitys course management system
ANGEL in order to post grades, assignments and lecture notes, communicate with students, and
provide links to critical web sites required for class. ANGEL can be accessed at
http://angel.msu.edu. If you have log on problems, you might want to try using
https://angel.msu.edu (notice the s after the http). A few important tips/notices: 1) ANGEL
allows the instructor to track who has entered the site and when, and 2) you may want to change
your system setting to make sure mail settings are set to your forwarding address (such as your
pilot account, gmail, etc.) and preferred forwarding mode. To do this, click on the Preferences
icon in the left margin of ANGEL, choose System Settings and then choose where and how youd
like to have your mail forwarded.
Academic Honesty: Academic dishonesty, including plagiarism, will not be tolerated. In cases
of academic dishonesty, the official University Policy will be followed and students will be
prosecuted to the fullest extent. For further information, see:
(1) http://splife.studentlife.msu.edu/regulations/general-student-regulations
(2) http://splife.studentlife.msu.edu/regulations/student-group-regulations-administrative-rulingsall-university-policies-and-selected-ordinances/integrity-of-scholarship-and-grades.
Course Description: Organization and operation of the agri-food system. Economic analysis of
agri-food firms, including agricultural input suppliers, producers, assemblers, food processors,
manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and consumers. Application of economic and management
principles to decision making in the agri-food system.
Honors Option: There is an honors option available in this course for students who are in the
Honors College. If this applies to you and you are interested in learning more about the honors
option, please see me before the first exam for further information.
ABM/FIM 100: Course Syllabus, Spring 12
1
ABM/FIM 100
Cheney
Decision Making in the Agri-Food System
Spring 2012
Course Objectives:
1. To understand the U.S. agri-food system its players, functions, and major trends.
2. To improve understanding of some major economic behavior patterns of firms in various parts
of the agri-food system.
3. To understand the interactions of various parts of the agri-food system, how the system is
coordinated, and how its performance can be evaluated.
4. To aid in developing an analytical approach and decision-making framework for some major
economic decisions facing firms in the agri-food system.
5. To examine some of the key problems facing firms in the agri-food system and to use
economic analysis in understanding these issues and exploring alternatives.
Desired Outcomes: By the end of this course, you should be able to:
1. Outline and accurately describe the main players, characteristics, functions, and trends of the
agri-food system and explain why each one of these is important.
2. Correctly describe the economic behavior of firms in the agri-food system and how this
behavior affects other firms in the agri-food system and the performance of the system.
3. Describe the role and operation of prices in coordinating economic activity in the U.S. agrifood system.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of economics in analyzing the decisions of firms in the agrifood system.
5. Successfully enter other ABM and FIM courses with a broader understanding of the agri-food
system and the foundations of economic principles as they relate to the agri-food system.
Course Grading and Logistics:
Grading:
Important Dates:
Thursday, February 23,
2012
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Exam 1
15%
Exam 1:
Exam 2
15%
Exam 2:
Final Exam
20%
CLASS CANCELLED
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Assignment 1
15%
Assignment 1 Due:
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Assignment 2
15%
Assignment 2 Due:
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Problem Sets
15%
Final Exam:
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
12:45 2:45 p.m.
Attendance/Participation
5%
Course Grading Scale:
Overall Course
Percentage
90% and above
Course
Grade
4.0
Overall Course
Percentage
70.0 - 74.9%
Course
Grade
2.0
85.0 89.9%
3.5
65.0 69.9%
1.5
80.0 84.9%
3.0
60.0 64.9%
1.0
75.0 79.9%
2.5
Less than 60%
0.0
ABM/FIM 100: Course Syllabus, Spring 12
2
ABM/FIM 100
Cheney
Decision Making in the Agri-Food System
Spring 2012
Exams: Two midterm exams and one final exam will be given. Exams may be a combination of
T-F, multiple choice, short answer, and problem-solving questions. Bring a ruler or straightedge,
pencils, and a calculator. Cell phones may not be used as calculators. The nature of economics
requires that concepts learned early in the class are the foundation for concepts learned later. The
final exam is comprehensive. No make-up exams will be given.
Assignments and Problem Sets: Two major assignments and 6 to 8 problem sets will be
assigned during the semester. All assignments and problem sets are due the at beginning of class.
For your two major assignments, in addition to the hard copy handed in at the beginning of class
on the due date, you must also submit an electronic copy to the instructor via a drop-box on the
ANGEL system. For problem sets, it is strongly encouraged that you work together. However,
each individual is expected to submit his or her own problem set and answer questions in his or
her own words.
When turning in assignments and problem sets please do not put your name on the paper.
Submit all assignments/problem sets by writing your PID number and your row-seat number on
the upper right hand corner of your paper.
Late Policy: All assignments and problem sets are due at the beginning of class. Any
assignment not handed in at the beginning of class will be considered late. Late assignments will
be discounted at 5 points per day, including each weekend day and including assignments handed
in on the due date, but beyond last call at the beginning of class. Assignments and problems
sets may not be turned in once corrected ones are returned.
Class Participation/Attendance Policy and Expectations: Your primary opportunity to gain
understanding of the course concepts and the agri-food system is through a professional level of
involvement and active participation during class. I welcome and encourage questions and
discussions and it is expected that everyone will respect others opinions and time. Because
participation requires that you are in the class, class attendance points are worth 5% of your course
grade. Class attendance is taken daily and is implemented by use of a seating chart. Leaving class
early or at a break will result in a class participation deduction. At the same time, it is recognized
that absences due to illness and emergency situations may be unavoidable. For this reason, up to 4
absences are allowed without any impact on participation/attendance points. Points are assigned at
the end of the semester based on the following scale:
Number of Absences
4 or less
5
6
7
8
9 or more
Participation/Attendance Points
(as % of final grade)
5%
4%
3%
2%
1%
0%
There is a 10-minute window at the beginning and end of class for a student to arrive late or leave
early and still be counted as present for the day. If you arrive to class more than 10 minutes late or
leave more than 10 minutes early, you will be counted as absent.
ABM/FIM 100: Course Syllabus, Spring 12
3
ABM/FIM 100
Cheney
Decision Making in the Agri-Food System
Spring 2012
Cell Phones and Laptop Computer Policy: Cell phones must be turned off and put away
during class. Phone calls and text messaging are disruptive and discourteous to others in the class.
Laptop computers can be a great learning tool when used appropriately. However, using e-mail,
going on Facebook, checking out Pinterest, and IMing are examples of inappropriate uses of a
laptop during the class period. Unprofessional use of cell phones and laptops during class may
result in a deduction in participation/attendance points.
Current Events and Extra Credit Policy: Throughout the semester, we will be discussing
current events in the agri-food system. Students are encouraged to submit a current article
regarding the agri-food system. If the student=s article is chosen as one to discuss in class, the
student will receive 5 extra credit points attached to his or her lowest scoring assignment. For
instance, if a student earns an 88% on assignment one, but has an article selected for discussion
during the semester, the students grade for assignment one will be bumped up to 93%. The last
day to turn in extra credit articles is Thursday, April 12, 2012.
Up to three articles may be submitted to the instructor throughout the semester, but recognize that
submission of an article does not guarantee extra credit points. To earn the extra credit, your
article must be selected as one to discuss in class. Articles are selected based on relevance to the
class and ability to generate discussion. Good sources of articles include the Wall Street Journal,
local and national newspapers, trade magazines such as the Supermarket News, Progressive
Grocer, Feedstuffs, and commodity specific magazines.
To submit an article for extra credit the following requirements must be met:
1. A copy of the full article must be submitted to the instructor and it must be clearly readable
(please, no poor photocopies).
2. On a separate piece of paper, include your PIN number, your row-seat number, the full
reference for the article according to the reference style used for class, and a very brief
paragraph why this article would be a good choice for a class discussion. Staple the article
and the submission together and submit to the instructor.
3. Articles will not be returned to the student.
Professional Expectations: Whether you are writing the quarterly report for Mark Zuckerberg or
a text to your BFF, you need to know your audience and how to address it. In this course, a
degree of professionalism is expected for all correspondences and submissions. A quality
problem set or assignment will meet these criteria:
It is correct
It is clear
- the grammar and spelling are correct.
- the work is well-written and contains thoughtful analysis; graphs
are clearly labeled and all is legible.
It is complete - all questions asked in the assignment or problem set are answered.
It is concise - avoid unnecessary repetition and wordiness.
In addition, when submitting your problem set or assignment, please include the following:
The name of the course.
The problem set or assignment number (e.g., Problem Set #1 or Assignment #1).
The title of the assignment (not necessary for problem sets).
Your PID number, row number and seat number (please do not include your name).
ABM/FIM 100: Course Syllabus, Spring 12
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