Animal Science 311
Career Preparation in Animal Science
Spring Semester 2011
1131 NSRIC, Wednesdays 4:10 – 6:00 p.m.
Instructor:
Dr. C.R. Youngs, 2356B Kildee Hall, 294-1427, cryoungs@iastate.edu
Course Text:
None
Course Materials:
Students must have ten sheets of 8.5” X 11” sheets of notebook paper WITHOUT RAGGED
EDGES for in-class quizzes. No (zero) points will be given for quizzes turned in on paper
with ragged edges!
Information for this course will be placed on the AnS 311 class web site:
http://www.anslab.iastate.edu/Class/AnS311/
No username or password is required to access this site.
Instructor’s
Requests:
1. Please attend all lectures. Not all of the material discussed during lecture will be
placed on the class web site. In addition, student questions during lecture may
cause the instructor to deviate significantly from the planned lecture, and the
discussion that occurs cannot be adequately recreated.
2. If you must be absent from lecture, please obtain lecture notes from one of your
classmates. If, after reviewing the notes, you have questions, please contact the
course instructor.
3. Please turn off all cell phones before lecture begins. Even when on a “vibrate”
setting, cell phones make noise that is distracting to your classmates and the course
instructor. Also, by turning your cell phone off, there is no temptation to
send/receive text messages or surf the web with your phone during lecture.
4. Please don’t engage in private conversations during lecture. It is discourteous
to your classmates to have discussions that prevent them from hearing the course
instructor.
5. If you bring your laptop computer to lecture for purposes of taking notes, please
refrain from surfing the web (e.g., Facebook, e-mail) because it may be
distracting to your classmates.
.
6. If you must leave lecture early due to a job interview, medical care appointment or
similar situation, please inform the course instructor before lecture begins and
sit as closely to the classroom exit as possible so that you may quietly leave without
disrupting your classmates.
AnS 311 Career Preparation in Animal Science
Course Syllabus
Spring Semester 2011
Page 2
Instructor’s Goals:
1. To deliver an organized and effective lecture each day
2. To engage students in discussion during lecture
3. To stimulate student interest in their futures
4. To return draft resumes and cover letters no later than 3 weeks after they are submitted
Course Outcomes:
After completing this course, students will be able to:
1. present an updated resume and professional portfolio to a potential employer
2. demonstrate effective interview skills
3. identify manners, dress code and personal conduct appropriate for interviews
4. locate and assess career opportunities using the college placement office and other resources
5. author effective business communications for pre- and post-interview contacts
6. establish professional contacts that could lead to interviews and career positions
7. vision career opportunities and define personal goals and strategies to position for those opportunities
8. apply networking skills to investigate and foster development of career opportunities
9. evaluate graduate school and professional education opportunities and complete applications and
communications specific to continued education
10. identify strategies and techniques required for advancement and for lateral or upward mobility in
their chosen career
11. interpret and compare benefits packages and retirement programs offered by potential employers
12. develop a personal budget by tracking and analyzing personal spending habits
13. identify and utilize resources from ISU for continuing education or for pursuing an advanced degree
via distance education
AnS 311 Career Preparation in Animal Science
Course Syllabus
Spring Semester 2011
Page 3
Grading: This course is graded on a satisfactory-fail (S-F) basis. Class attendance and active participation are
expected! The final course grade earned by a student is dependent on the timeliness and quality of quizzes
and assignments.
There will be no examinations given during the semester; however, there will a quiz each week that we
meet as an entire class (January 12 through March 2), plus three “surprise” quizzes on or before March 2.
There will be NO MAKE-UP QUIZZES for students who miss class (irrespective of reason), arrive late to
class, or leave early from class.
NOTE: Students are expected to complete their own quizzes. If one student submits a quiz on behalf of
another student, such action is considered academic dishonesty. The penalty for academic
dishonesty in AnS 311 is a course grade of “fail”, not only for the student who submitted the quiz
but also for the student for whom the quiz was submitted.
Nine assignments will be given throughout the semester:
1) course interest assessment (due January 12, 2011)
2) cover letter – draft copy (due January 19, 2011)
3) resume – draft copy (due January 26, 2011)
4) cover letter – response to rough draft edits (due February 23, 2011)
5) cover letter – final copy (due February 23, 2011)
6) resume – response to rough draft edits (due March 2, 2011)
7) resume – final copy (due March 2, 2011)
8) individual appointment form (due March 2, 2011)
9) financial management analysis (due Friday March 4, 2011)
Separate handouts will provide further information on these assignments.
To receive a course grade of “satisfactory”, a student must:
a) earn a score ≥ 80% on 8 of the 10 quizzes
b) submit all 9 assignments. Eight of the 9 assignments must be on time, and the one permitted
“late” assignment must be submitted no more than 48 hours after the due date in order to count
as being submitted. (NO EXCEPTIONS, SO DON’T ASK!)
c) receive a grade of “satisfactory” on 8 of the 9 assignments
NOTE: If you have a documented disability that may affect your ability to participate fully in the
course or if you require special accommodations, you should contact the Student Disability
Resources Office, 1076 Student Services Building, 294-7220. The Student Disability Resource
Office will provide a Student Academic Accommodation Request (SAAR) form for this class
outlining the appropriate accommodations needed. Working with the Student Disability Resource
Office is the university’s approved procedure for receiving accommodations. Use of
accommodations in the classroom or in testing situations will remain confidential. Retroactive
disabilities related accommodations will not be granted.
Acknowledgement:
The course instructor gratefully acknowledges the contributions of Dr. M. Douglas Kenealy to
materials used in this course.
AnS 311 Career Preparation in Animal Science
Course Syllabus
Spring Semester 2011
Page 4
Tentative lecture schedule (subject to change)
Week 1 (1/12):
Course introduction
Cover letters -- introducing yourself and your resume
Week 2 (1/19):
Draft cover letter due by 4:10 p.m. (in class)
Registering and working with Ag Career Services; Guest: Mr. Mike Gaul
Resumes – marketing yourself to obtain an interview
Week 3 (1/26):
Draft resume due by 4:10 p.m. (in class)
Science with Practice presentation; Guest: Hannah Swanbom
Resources as you prepare for internships or post-graduation employment;
The first job or internship interview
Week 4 (2/02):
no class meeting - class assignment for the day is to go to Ag Career Day
*** AG CAREER DAY , 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Memorial Union ***
Week 5 (2/09):
The follow-up interview process/travel/etc
Accepting the job/moving between jobs/communications on the job
Week 6 (2/16):
AnS 399 internship presentation; Guest: Becca Moest
Application to professional schools: Veterinary Medicine/Medicine/Graduate/etc.
Resources as you prepare for professional school
What is life like as a veterinary student/graduate student?
Week 7 (2/23):
Final cover letter and response to edits due by 4:10 p.m. (in class)
Decisions about your financial future Guest: Mr. Doug Borkowski
Week 8 (3/02):
Final resume and response to edits due by 4:10 p.m. (in class)
Individual student appointment form due by 4:10 p.m. (in class)
Life in the “real world” after graduation Guest: Mr. Chuck Paulsen
Financial management analysis due by 4:00 p.m. Friday March 4 (via e-mail)
Week 9 (3/09):
Individual appointments to discuss career path / resume critiques
Week 10 (3/16):
SPRING BREAK ☺
Week 11 (3/23):
Individual appointments to discuss career path / resume critiques
Week 12 (3/30):
Individual appointments to discuss career path / resume critiques
Week 13 (4/06):
Individual appointments to discuss career path / resume critiques
Week 14 (4/13):
Individual appointments to discuss career path / resume critiques
Week 15 (4/20):
Individual appointments to discuss career path / resume critiques
Week 16 (4/27):
Individual appointments to discuss career path / resume critiques