AGRI 340 – Issues in Agriculture
Spring 2014 - 2 Credits
School of Agriculture – Western Illinois University
Sections 1-2
Instructor: Dr. Thomas Bruening, 321 Knoblauch Hall Office: 298-1611 Office
Hours: M-W 8-10, Please send an email to make an appointment: E-mail: TBruening@wiu.edu.
Course Description: The study of current issues in Agriculture and the
development of skills to publicly address these issues. Section 1 meets at 2-2:50
(Monday and Wednesday) in Knoblauch 305 and section 2 meets
from 10-11:50 in room 226 Knoblauch on Thursdays.
Objectives:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Explain and analyze current issues in today’s agriculture.
Prepare a research paper on a current issue in agriculture.
Effectively present information on specific agricultural issue.
Formulate a position on a current agricultural issue.
Enhance writing skills and abilities.
Week
Topics
1 Jan 13-16
Introduction to the course and the expectations
for the semester & Topic Selection – writing
fundamentals
2 Jan 20-23
6 Feb 17-20
Writing, editing and using APA Style (no class
on Monday (1/20/14) – Dr. M.L. King Day)
Writing essentials – strategies to write a
research paper
Letter to the Editor,
Grammar exercises
Report Writing
No Class on Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday (Wed
2/12/14)
Thesis statement and paper section outline
7 Feb 24-27
Review first draft – two pages
8 Mar 3-6
Developing the opposing position - speaking
and writing
3 Jan 27-30
4 Feb 3-6
5 Feb 10-13
9 Mar 10-14
No class WIU spring break
10 Mar 17-20
Writing a critique (Mar 17th class is on line)
Review second draft – four pages, strategies for
giving a presentation
11 Mar 24-27
Presentations 1, Writing a Report
12 Mar 31- Apr 3
Presentations 2 – paper review, Writing a memo
13 Apr 7-10
Presentations 3 Review third draft – six pages
14 Apr 14-17
Presentations 4
15 Apr 21-24
Presentations 5 – Review fourth draft – eight
pages
16 Apr 28 – May 1
Presentations 6 – Turn in final paper for extra
credit - early
Finals week – final paper is due
17 May 5-9
* Note: The instructor reserves the right to change topics to meet the needs of the
students. Also, the pace of instruction changes from year to year based on the
preparation of students. In addition, not all topics are listed at the start of the
semester. Guest speakers and activities to enhance the writing process will be used
from time to time in the course.
Grading Scale
A 100-92% A- 91-90% B+ 89-88% B 87-82% B- 81-80% C+ 79-78% C 77-72% C71-70% D+ 69-68% D 67-62% D- 61-60% F <60%
Grades Based On:
Assignments
Points possible
Final Paper
100
Draft Reviews (4-20 points each)
80
Grammar exercises
25
Letter to the editor
50
Report
50
Your score
2
Memo
50
Peer Critique
50
Presentation
80
Attendance and participation
60
Total Points
545
Presentation: You will give a presentation on the topic
of your paper. The purpose of this presentation is to
help you organize the material, improve verbal
communication skills, and to receive feedback to help
you better prepare your paper. This speech should be 68 minutes long – be prepared to answer questions. A
schedule will be distributed. Be prepared for the day
you are scheduled, even if it appears unlikely that
you will present on that day. Points will be deducted
if you are not prepared. The focus of this presentation will be on balance
between support and opposition for your topic.
Issues Critique: You must take notes on presentations on the various issues
presented in class. For one presentation for each session, write at least 1⁄2 page
(content), detailing what you learned, strong and weak points of the presentation,
what you agreed and disagreed with, and why (important). Turn in one complete
critique for a grade. The critique you hand in must be one-page typewritten with a
maximum of 1 in. margins on all four sides. The written discussion should be
double-spaced.
APA style. APA stands for American Psychological Association. This writing
style will be used in this class. When editors or teachers ask you to write in APA
Style®, they are referring to the editorial style that many of the social and behavioral
sciences have adopted to present written material in the field. APA Style was first
developed 80 years ago by a group of social scientists that wished to establish
sound standards of communication. Since that time, it has been adopted by leaders
in many fields and has been used by writers around the world.
Letter to the editor, memo, and a report will be written so that students can gain
experiences writing about content within the discipline.
3
Final Paper: You will be assigned a topic about which you must write a paper of at
least 8 pages, double spaced, with margins of 1 inch on top, bottom and sides,
using 12 pt. Times New Roman font. The eight pages do not include the cover,
or the bibliography. If a paper were submitted that was less than eight pages in
length it will not be reviewed. The paper must include references and follow APA
style. The paper must include information about both sides of the controversial
issue. Wikipedia CANNOT be used as a reference in this paper. At least seven
different references should be used in this paper.
IMPORTANT: You must receive a passing grade on the final paper to pass the
class.
Draft reviews – to receive full credit, students will write one complete review
using the criteria noted for the final paper (above).
Excuses: Class attendance will be taken. If you are unable to attend class on a
certain day, you MUST contact the instructor prior to class either in person, or via
phone or email. In general, the only accepted excuses will be for official university
events, personal health if a doctor’s excuse is available, and verifiable family
emergencies.
Deadlines for all assignments will be strictly followed in order to keep the class
on schedule and not disrupt the progress of other students. A penalty of 10 points
will be assessed for each class period or week that an assignment is late. No
assignments will be accepted more than two weeks late.
Writing Center: You are highly encouraged to use the Writing Center in Simpkins
341. There are also satellite locations in Thompson and Bayliss/Henninger Halls.
See their webpage at:
http://www.wiu.edu/cas/english_and_journalism/university_writing_center/location
s.php
Harassment/ derogatory remarks: While debate on the issues, questions and
varied viewpoints are highly welcomed in the class, no harassment or
derogatory comments will be allowed toward any individual, or to that
individual’s viewpoint.
USE OF CELLULAR PHONES AND PAGERS
As a courtesy to other students and to the instructor, all cell phones and pagers
should be turned off prior to class. Continued disregard of this policy may result in
ejection from the course. If, due to medical or public safety
concerns, a student needs an exception to this policy he/she
should inform the instructor prior to class.
Dress: Hats off! Hats and caps will not be worn in class
during presentations. Students wearing hat/caps during
presentations will lose 25% of the points for the presentation.
4
Extra credit points could be awarded for business casual dress. Each student needs
to review the information at: http://www.wiu.edu/policies/acintegrity.php
Staplers: Assignments with multiple pages will have five points deducted if not
stapled together. I do not have a stapler that you can use.
Writing In The Discipline (WID) - This course has been designated to meet the
Writing Instruction in the Disciplines (WID) graduation requirement. WID courses
provide instruction in the processes and formats for the writing content and style
needed to be an effective professional in a student’s chosen field.
Written Work - All written assignments must be submitted in hard copy on the day
it is due (this includes PowerPoint® presentations). Written work must be typed,
spell-checked, and neatly formatted. Please include your name, the course number,
assignment number, and date at the top of the page or on a cover sheet. While an
occasional typo or editing error may slip through, the presence of several mistakes
indicates a lack of attention and will lower your grade. Specific formatting
conventions are negotiable, based on standards in your field and appropriateness for
your intended audience. All work must be professional looking and designed for
easy reading.
Documenting Sources - Do not cut and paste material from Web pages or other
documents without making evident the source of the information. This is called
plagiarism, which is a serious offense and subject to formal action by WIU.
Inadequately documented will not receive a passing grade. When in doubt,
document the source.
EXAMS – The final exam for this course is the final paper.
Attention Education Majors:
The changes within the state certification require all education majors to receive a
grade of a "C" or better in this course in order to meet these new
requirements. With the university +/- grading system, receiving a "C-" or below
will require you to retake this course or find a substitute course to meet School of
Agriculture graduation requirements.
In accordance with University policy and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),
academic accommodations may be made for any student who notifies the instructor of the
need for an accommodation. For the instructor to provide the proper accommodation(s) you
must obtain documentation of the need for an accommodation through Disability Resource
Center (DRC) and provide it to the instructor. It is imperative that you take the initiative to
bring such needs to the instructor’s attention, as he/she is not legally permitted to inquire
about such particular needs of students. Students who may require special assistance in
emergency evacuations (i.e. fire, tornado, etc.) should contact the instructor as to the most
appropriate procedures to follow in such an emergency. Contact Disability Resource Center
(DRC) at 298-2512 for additional services.
5