Welcome to Cuesta College and Introduction to Agriculture Business. My name is Amy Stapp and I will be your instructor for this course. This letter is to inform you of some of the important details prior to the start of this Spring 2025 class and help you decide if this class is a good fit for you. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have specific questions that aren't answered here.
***********************************IMPORTANT NOTE***********************************
CRN 34582 is an 18 week in-person course (1/21 - 5/23) that meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:30 - 11:50 on the SLO campus in Room 4113.
Instructor: Amy Stapp
Phone: 805.704.4728 (cell)
Email: amy_stapp@cuesta.edu
Welcome to AGB 202 Introduction to Agriculture Business. In this course you will be exposed to key business disciplines including Economics, Finance, Accounting, Marketing, Human Resources, Leadership, Management, International Business and Ethics, all through the lens of agriculture. You will become familiar with concepts and current thinking in each area, and will have the opportunity to analyze and apply these ideas to the agribusiness world. This is a course where you will bring your own work experience to our virtual classroom to create a robust learning environment. Expect your business acumen to grow through group discussions and thought-provoking case study analysis.
Please be prepared to spend 6 - 9 hours per week on coursework for this class. Are you wondering how successful you may be at a distance education course? Take the Self-Assessment Survey at http://www.cuesta.edu/student/aboutacad/distance/survey.htmlLinks to an external site..
This course is taught using Canvas and Connect. These platforms provide the framework for the AGB 202 class including PowerPoint presentations, student data files, the tools to receive and send course materials, and a grade book. Using Canvas you can communicate with other students, and you can share materials and ideas with other course participants via the discussion forum.
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Explain how economic principles relate to agriculture business management
- Recognize and describe agricultural business organizational structures including sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations, franchises, and cooperatives
- Develop an awareness of the basic laws, regulations, and regulatory agencies that interact with the agricultural community
- Describe the various styles of leadership
- Identify the role of the agricultural manager
- Recognize, evaluate, and propose solutions to problems in personnel, ethics, and communication
Canvas and Connect
Canvas (https://cuesta.instructure.com) is the online learning platform used by Cuesta College and this will be the central location for all course activity. You can find all you need to know about our course through Canvas. You will find the course syllabus, weekly assignments, announcements, and your updated grades. Please go to Canvas (link above) on the first day of class (Tuesday 1/21), use your my.cuesta.edu login and password, and familiarize yourself with our course. You will be able to access our Canvas class on Tuesday 1/21 once the semester officially begins but not before. Once you locate the site, please bookmark it or add it to your favorites for future reference.
For the entirely online section, Discussions are weekly assignments where you will do an initial post and then respond to your fellow classmates after that. The purpose of these posts is to create dialogue within our class and stimulate thinking. The class will be broken into smaller groups after the first couple of weeks of class when enrollment has stabilized. I look forward to reading your thoughts and being part of your discussions. These discussions are a key part of our class.
Canvas Quick Reference for Students:
http://www.cuesta.edu/student/documents/distance_ed_students/Canvas_Quick_Reference_Students.pdf
Course materials will be delivered digitally via Canvas through the Cuesta Inclusive Access program. Students will access the course materials through the Canvas website on the first day of class to make sure there are no issues in the delivery. Students will automatically have access to the course materials on Day One. After the Cuesta add drop date, the student's bursar account will be billed at a discounted rate (approximately $60) for the required course materials representing significant savings for students.
Understanding Business, 13th Edition, Nickels, McHugh, McHugh, McGraw-Hill, Paperback, Copyright 2021.
Computer Requirements:
The browser requirements and minimum qualifications required for this class are detailed in the following link:
https://www.cuesta.edu/academics/distance/faqs_technical.html Links to an external site.
First Assignment and Accessing Canvas:
Your first assignment is to log into the class through Canvas (cuesta.instructure.com)
- Your login ID is the same as your my.Cuesta login. It is: firstname_lastname.
- Your password is the same as your Cuesta password.
You will NOT be able to access Canvas until Tuesday 1/21. Once you locate the site, please bookmark it or add it to your favorites for future reference.
Canvas Quick Reference: http://www.cuesta.edu/student/documents/distance_ed_students/Canvas_Quick_Reference_Students.pdfLinks to an external site.
Technical Support: http://www.cuesta.edu/student/aboutacad/distance/technical_support.htmlLinks to an external site.
College Policies and Assistance:
Each student is required to follow all school guidelines and comply with all school deadlines including personal responsibility for adding and/or dropping this class. Drop dates are available on the academic calendar http://academic.cuesta.edu/admrreg/infodate.htmLinks to an external site.. Each student is responsible for obtaining updates or changes to the syllabus and/or assignments for the course.
Academic Honesty:
Students are responsible for being aware of and complying with the Academic Honesty Policy (refer to Cuesta College Schedule or Cuesta College Catalog). At the discretion of the instructor, students being academically dishonest (submitting another student’s work as your own, e.g. copying another student’s work) will be dropped from the course. If the drop deadline has passed, students will receive a failing grade in the course. In addition, a “Student Incident Report” will be filed with the Vice President of Academic Affairs office.
Student Resources:
- Please feel free to use the student help hours for additional instruction (or just to introduce yourself.) I’m here to help!
- Student Academic Services provides tutoring at no charge to students. Check that out here:
https://www.cuesta.edu/student/resources/ssc/index.htmlLinks to an external site.
- Library services are available here:
https://www.cuesta.edu/library/index.htmlLinks to an external site.
- Some students may experience learning disabilities or challenges that affect their academic performance. If you have any special concerns or disabilities that could affect your learning, please see me or contact DSPS at 546–3148 as soon as possible. DSPS requests that testing forms be submitted at least 7 days prior to the test. Exams and quizzes taken with accommodations must be taken with DSPS and must start or end during a regular class period. Please schedule your classes and other obligations such that accommodated exams and quizzes can occur concurrently with the class.
https://www.cuesta.edu/student/studentservices/dsps/index.htmlLinks to an external site.
- If you are a veteran, please contact Karen Andrews, Cuesta College's VA Certifying Official at 546-3142.
https://www.cuesta.edu/student/studentservices/veterans/index.htmlLinks to an external site.
- The college experience can compound other issues in one's life. If you feel you need to talk to someone or need help to maintain balance in your personal life, please contact the Counseling Center at (805) 546-3171.
I look forward to getting to know you.
Amy Stapp
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