AGSC 198 – Agriculture Marketing Special Topics
Great Basin College Syllabus
Basic Course Information
AGSC 198 Special Topics in Agriculture: Agriculture Marketing 1 credit, Section: 1001
Course Catalog Description:
Selected agricultural topics offered for general interest in the agricultural community. Not a
program requirement. No prerequisite. Repeatable to a maximum of nine credits. (Formerly
AGR 198)
Course Goals and Objectives: In this course, we will study the components of Livestock
Marketing, most especially cattle. Several different selling and marketing methods will be
covered for each of the different life stages of cattle. This course is designed to prepare
students for competition in livestock marketing competitions at the collegiate level.
Instructor Name & Contact Information
Semester Offered: Fall 2013
Instructor: Tracy Shane
Office: Lundberg Hall RM 109B
Email Address: tracy.shane@gbcnv.edu
Formats: Live course lecture – Thursday 12:15-1:00
Credits: 1.0
Office Hours: MW 9-11:00am
TH 1:30-2:30pm
Office Phone: 775-753-2344
Cell Phone: 775-934-5646
Field Trips Possible
Course Textbook and Materials
Required Textbook:
Livestock Merchandising: A complete guide to livestock advertising and promotion. R. Cutrer.
Tops Printing. ISBN: 978-0-615-56124-0
Additional Material: Various articles and other materials provided by instructor.
Learning Outcomes and Measurements
Learner Outcome
Measurements:
Apply the 4 P’s to marketing livestock
Class homework and project
Practice the use of visual/graphic arts in construction of Class homework and project
marketing materials
Implement the use of written communications in
Class homework and project
preparation of promotion materials
Practice verbal communications for preparation for final Class homework and project
competition presentation
Practice verbal communications for preparation for final Class homework and project
competition presentation
Assess marketing strategies and compare and contrast Class homework and project
these marketing strategies for different livestock
species.
Expected Learner Outcomes:
Course Requirements
Required Course Assignments (please see schedule at the end of the syllabus for your
assignment schedule):
GRADED MATERIAL
POINTS
Marketing projects/assignments
100
Presentation
100
Student Participation
100
Field trip/Guest speaker Summaries
100
Total
400
To determine the final course grade, your individual grades will be calculated on a percentage
scale and then recorded as the corresponding grade point value and letter grade as shown
below. Passing grades for this course range from “A” through “D”. Grade values are as follows:
A = 90-100%
B = 80-89%
C = 70-79%
D = 60-69%
F = 59% or less
Course Grading:
Student Requirements
Attendance/Participation
Attending all class sessions and field trips will be essential for, not only each student’s success,
but the success of the entire class. Students will be expected to be engaged and participate in
all class discussions and class projects, and all student participation grades will be recorded
accordingly.
Absences arranged with instructor prior to missed class may be considered an authorized
absence at the discretion of the instructor. With authorized absences, it is the responsibility of
the student turn in any due assignments prior to the absence, arrange for any make-up work,
and get class notes from another student. In the event of an unauthorized absence (no phone
call to instructor prior to missing class), the student will not be able to make-up work missed that
day.
Late or Missed Assignments
Course work is due on the day it is assigned. No late assignments will be accepted. All
assignments, including discussion posts and replies, are due in class on Thursdays.
Submitting Assignments
All assignments will be handed in during class on Thursdays.
Drop and Add dates
If you feel it is necessary to withdraw from the course, please see GBC Calendar for full details
on the types of withdrawals that are available and their procedures. For Fall 2013, the last day
for dropping the class is October 28. If you stop participating after Oct. 28 without
withdrawing by the deadline, I must give you an F, not a W. This is a new NSHE policy that
started this 2013-2014 academic year. Incompletes will only be given under extenuating
circumstances.
Subject to change notice
All material, assignments, and deadlines are subject to change with prior notice to benefit the
learning of students in the course. It is your responsibility to stay in touch with your instructor,
review the course site regularly, or communicate with other students, to adjust as needed if
assignments or due dates change.
Accessibility Statement
Great Basin College is committed to providing equal educational opportunities to qualified
students with disabilities in accordance with state and federal laws and regulations, including
the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. A
qualified student must furnish current verification of disability. This course is designed to be
compatible with most universal screen readers. If you are a student needing video and/or audio
captioning, GBC's Disabilities Office will provide captioning for you in this course. The Students
with Disabilities Office, located in Berg Hall, will assist qualified students with disabilities in
securing the appropriate and reasonable accommodations, auxiliary aids, and services. For
more information or further assistance, please call 775-753-2271.
AGSC 198: Special Topics in Agriculture: Agriculture Marketing
Fall 2013
Lecture Schedule*
Chapters
Assignments
Date
Lecture Topic
in Text
Week 1
Introduction, Syllabus, Book
Intro
Intro Discussion
Week 2
Marketing purebred livestock and trends
1&2
Week 3
Components of Livestock Promotion
3
Week 4
Print Advertising
4
Week 5
Livestock photography/video
Guest speaker
5
Week 6
Brochures & Catalogs
6
Week 7
Livestock web design
7
Week 8
Signage, Marketing commercial cattle
8
Week 9
Role of livestock shows in marketing
9
Week 10
Social media
10
Week 11
Email marketing
11
Week 12
Creating your advertising budget
12
Week 13
Field trip to sire collection service (TBA)
Sire promotion basics
13
Field trip Summary
Week 14
Ethics in Livestock Marketing
14
Video/photography due
Week 15
Customer service
15
Week 16
Final presentation & putting it all
together
16
Guest speaker
summary
Livestock web research
due
Social media homework
due
Final presentation due
* This schedule is tentative for the semester. It will be followed as closely as possible.
However, unforeseen circumstances such as inclement weather or school closings may
necessitate changing the schedule. Students are responsible for being aware of all date
changes.