AGBS 76 Syllabus

California State University, Fresno

Department of Agricultural Business

Agribusiness Microcomputer Applications

Syllabus

Course Description: Applied microcomputing for agribusiness management; use of spreadsheet,

database management, and presentation software; applications to basic farm accounting and
financial budgeting, farm production recordkeeping, and commodity price trend tracking.

Course No.: AGBS 76 #30309

Units: 3

Prerequisites: None

Class Location: Agricultural Sciences Building Room 101

Class Hours: Thursday 6:00- 8:50PM

Instructor: Neil Tung., MBA

Office Hours: Tuesday -Thursday 7:00 to 8:00AM via email or by appointment (AG101)

Contact Information: e-mail at ntung@mail.fresno.edu Cell Phone 559-392-0968

Course Objectives

Microsoft Office software is commonly used throughout many business functions. As an

agribusiness professional, it will be expected that you have some familiarity with the different
software applications in order to use them to track, analyze and present information in a
professional manner. At the completion of the course each student will be able to:

1. Design and construct Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations and Access databases
to be used in an agribusiness environment.
2. Demonstrate the use of common business analysis commands and features included in
each software application.
3. Utilize PowerPoint to be able to prepare presentations.
4. Utilize Excel and Access functions in order to organize and use data for management and
decision making processes.

Required Text and Material

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No textbook is required for this course. Students who prefer a ‘quick reference’ guide or ‘how
to’ book have many published options from which to choose and should select one which best
fits their needs. A recommended resource: Microsoft Excel 2013 Bible by John Walkenbach
(can be found on Amazon.com)

USB Flash Drive or equivalent storage device Cloud. Be sure to keep a copy of all work
completed and submitted. It is the student’s responsibility to keep electronic copies of all
examinations, lab assignments, and homework because files occasionally become corrupted
during upload to Blackboard. If this happens and you do not have another copy of your files that
can be re-submitted for grading, then the score for that item will be zero. Do not rely on files
saved on the lab computers to be available after daily reboot or files recalled from e-mails to
save changes correctly.

Grading

Student grades will be based on the following activities planned for the semester. Students will
be graded on a combination of:

Possible Percent of

Points Final Grade

Examinations 200 22%

Individual Project 50 11%

Lab Exercises 150 34

PowerPoint Presentation 50 10%

Final Examination 100 22%

TOTAL POSSIBLE 550 100%

The instructor reserves the right to make adjustments to the course during the semester and
students will be notified of any revisions verbally or in writing.

Students should feel free to discuss their performance with the instructor at any time during the
course of the semester. If a student feels a scoring error was made on any assignment or exam,
the instructor will entertain a confidential discussion about the disputed score. Due to university
policy regarding privacy issues, discussions about a student’s grade should only occur
during office hours or by appointment.

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1. Examinations: Examinations will be given at the conclusion of each module.
Material presented in lectures, discussions, class exercises, handouts, and homework
may be used as examination material. Examinations may be completed using any
combination of computer or questions provided. A comprehensive final examination
will be given during finals week. Final examination schedule will not be changed to
accommodate personal situations.
2. Lab Exercises: Lab exercises are due before the next scheduled class session (e.g., an
exercise assigned on Tuesday is due before the following Thursday’s class starts).
The format of assignments may be hardcopy, electronic upload to Blackboard, or any
combination. Late exercise submissions, without prior arrangements, will be reduced
in grade 20%. Technology malfunctions do not constitute a valid reason for late
submission.

Exercise assignments will either be posted on Blackboard or hardcopies will be

handed out in class. Details of the assignments will include due dates, completion
instructions and any formatting requirements. Class time may be allocated for the
completion of exercises if time allows.

Assignments should be prepared and presented as a business professional would

expect. They should be organized in appearance, clear and concise in purpose and
proper grammar and spelling are essential. Grades will reflect presentation as well as
proper content based on the assignment.

3. PowerPoint Presentation: The PowerPoint presentation will be a 4-6 minute

business presentation to the class on a topic of the student’s choosing. Topics will be
discussed and approved with the instructor prior to the presentation. A scoring rubric
will be provided. Professional dress is expected when delivering the presentation.
4. Study Expectations:
It is usually expected that students will spend approximately 2 hours of study time
outside of class for every one hour in class. Since this is a 3 unit class, you should
expect to study an average of 6 hours outside of class each week. Some students may
need more outside study time and some less. For free tutoring on campus, contact the
Learning Center in the Collection Level (basement level) of the Henry Madden
Library. You can reach them by phone at 278-3052 or visit
www.csufresno.edu/learningcenter.

Extensive prior Microsoft Office Suite software experience is not required for the
course. However, existing file management, internet, and Blackboard skills are
assumed to be known. Students without prior computer experience should expect to
spend additional time preparing assignments and working outside of class.

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Grading Ranges

The total number of points accumulated during the semester will determine the student’s final
letter grade based on the following schedule:

Percentage of Total Points

Grade Minimum Maximum

A 90.0% 100.0%

B 80.0% 89.9%

C 70.0% 79.9%

D 60.0% 69.9%

F 0% 59.9%

Course Policies

Regular class attendance is expected so that students can get a complete understanding of
the material presented. Class start time is 8:00 AM so please be on time. E-mail
communication with the instructor is encouraged. Reply to email questions and inquiries should
be within the next business day after submission. Students should also check Blackboard often
for any changes in schedule or class assignments. Assignments may be turned in on paper or via
email. Assignments submitted electronically should still be checked for proper formatting and
appearance, as these will be used to determine the final grade. The due dates for assignments
still apply even if submitted electronically.

Students with scheduling conflicts should communicate those with the instructor as soon as
possible. Consideration for assignment due dates and examinations will be made for
absences that are prearranged with the instructor. Late assignments will be subject to
20% reduction in score unless arrangements have been made in advance. Rescheduling of
an examination may be accommodated for unexcused absences if the instructor is notified of the
extenuating circumstances before the start of the examination period. It is the student’s
responsibility to communicate with the instructor. The rescheduling of the exam will be subject
to instructor availability to administer the exam. No make up assignments will be available.
Students are strongly encouraged to keep copies of all assignments turned in for credit as
well as returned graded work.

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Professional behavior is expected in the classroom. To ensure a proper learning
environment is maintained during lecture and lab sessions, cell phones should be turned off
or silent. Texting, playing games or using the computers for other than class work is
unacceptable. Disruptive behavior will be dealt with per University Policy. Please clean up
workspace before leaving the room.

Students are expected to do their own work except when group projects/assignments are made.
This is also the expectation for examinations and presentations. In the event cheating or
plagiarism is identified, the instructor will follow California State University, Fresno policies and
procedures. These procedures can be reviewed at
http://www.fresnostate.edu/academics/aps/documents/apm/235.pdf.

The campus subscribes to the SafeAssign.com plagiarism prevention service through Blackboard,
and you may be required to submit written assignments to SafeAssign.com. Your work will be
used by SafeAssign.com for plagiarism detection and for no other purpose. The student may
indicate in writing to the instructor that he/she refuses to participate in the SafeAssign.com
process, in which case the instructor can use other electronic means to verify the originality of
their work. SafeAssign.com Originality Reports will be available for the student’s viewing.

Subject to Change

This syllabus and schedule are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances. If
you are absent from class, it is your responsibility to check on announcements, handouts,
material discussed, assignments, etc. while you were absent.

University Policies

Students with Disabilities: Upon identifying themselves to the instructor and the university,
students with disabilities will receive reasonable accommodation for learning and evaluation. For
more information, contact Services to Students with Disabilities in the Henry Madden Library,
Room 1202 (278-2811).

Honor Code: “Members of the CSU Fresno academic community adhere to principles of
academic integrity and mutual respect while engaged in university work and related activities.”
You should:

a) Understand or seek clarification about expectations for academic integrity in this course
(including no cheating, plagiarism and inappropriate collaboration)
b) Neither gives nor receive unauthorized aid on examinations or other course work that is
used by the instructor as the basis of grading.
c) Take responsibility to monitor academic dishonesty in any form and to report it to the
instructor or other appropriate official for action.

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Instructors may require students to sign a statement at the end of all exams and assignments that
“I have done my own work and have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance on this
work.” If you are going to use this statement, include it here.

Cheating and Plagiarism: "Cheating is the actual or attempted practice of fraudulent or

deceptive acts for the purpose of improving one's grade or obtaining course credit; such acts also
include assisting another student to do so. Typically, such acts occur in relation to examinations.
However, it is the intent of this definition that the term 'cheating' not be limited to examination
situations only, but that it include any and all actions by a student that are intended to gain an
unearned academic advantage by fraudulent or deceptive means. Plagiarism is a specific form of
cheating which consists of the misuse of the published and/or unpublished works of others by
misrepresenting the material (i.e., their intellectual property) so used as one's own work."
Penalties for cheating and plagiarism range from a 0 or F on a particular assignment, through an
F for the course, to expulsion from the university. For more information on the University's
policy regarding cheating and plagiarism, refer to the Class Schedule (Legal Notices on Cheating
and Plagiarism) or the University Catalog (Policies and Regulations).

Computers: "At California State University, Fresno, computers and communications links to
remote resources are recognized as being integral to the education and research experience.
Every student is required to have his/her own computer or have other personal access to a
workstation (including a modem and a printer) with all the recommended software. The
minimum and recommended standards for the workstations and software, which may vary by
academic major, are updated periodically and are available from Information Technology
Services (http://www.csufresno.edu/ITS/) or the University Bookstore. In the curriculum and
class assignments, students are presumed to have 24-hour access to a computer workstation and
the necessary communication links to the University's information resources."

Disruptive Classroom Behavior: "The classroom is a special environment in which students

and faculty come together to promote learning and growth. It is essential to this learning
environment that respect for the rights of others seeking to learn, respect for the professionalism
of the instructor, and the general goals of academic freedom are maintained. ... Differences of
viewpoint or concerns should be expressed in terms which are supportive of the learning process,
creating an environment in which students and faculty may learn to reason with clarity and
compassion, to share of themselves without losing their identities, and to develop and
understanding of the community in which they live . . . Student conduct which disrupts the
learning process shall not be tolerated and may lead to disciplinary action and/or removal from
class."

Copyright policy: Copyright laws and fair use policies protect the rights of those who have
produced the material. The copy in this course has been provided for private study, scholarship,
or research. Other uses may require permission from the copyright holder. The user of this work
is responsible for adhering to copyright law of the U.S. (Title 17, U.S. Code). To help you
familiarize yourself with copyright and fair use policies, the University encourages you to visit
its copyright web page:
http://www.csufresno.edu/library/about/policies/docs/copyrtpolicyfull.pdf

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 Technology Innovations for Learning & Teaching (TILT) course web sites contain material
protected by copyrights held by the instructor, other individuals or institutions. Such material is
used for educational purposes in accord with copyright law and/or with permission given by the
owners of the original material. You may download one copy of the materials on any single
computer for non-commercial, personal, or educational purposes only, provided that you (1) do
not modify it, (2) use it only for the duration of this course, and (3) include both this notice and
any copyright notice originally included with the material. Beyond this use, no material from
the course web site may be copied, reproduced, re-published, uploaded, posted, transmitted, or
distributed in any way without the permission of the original copyright holder. The instructor
assumes no responsibility for individuals who improperly use copyrighted material placed on the
web site.

Tentative Course Schedule

Spring 2018
(Thursday Courses)
Date Topic Reading Assignment

2 Thu., Jan 18 First Day of Class/ Excel-Navigation

4 Thu., Jan 25 Excel-Entering/Editing Information Lab 1 and 2

Excel-Worksheet Essentials

6 Thu., Feb 1 Excel-Formatting-Formulas/Functions Lab 3 and 4

8 Thu., Feb 8 Absolute VS Relative Reference Lab 5 and 6

10 Thu., Feb 15 Exam 1 Skills

12 Thu., Feb 22 Excel-Tables-Data Lab 7 and 8

Manipulation

14 Thu., Mar 1 Excel Data Validation-Chart Lab 9 and 10

16 Thu., Mar 8 Excel-Pivot Table and Charts Lab 11 and 12

18 Thu., Mar 15 Excel-Financial Analysis-Solver Lab 13 and 14

20 Thu., Mar 22 Excel- Charts Excel-Pivot Tables and Lab 15

Charts Excel-Statistical Estimation
Excel Project
Macro

Tue., Mar 27 Spring Break

Thu., Mar 29 Spring Break

22 Thu., Apr 5 Exam 2

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24 Thu., Apr 12 Access

26 Thu., Apr 19 Power Point

28 Thu., Apr 26 Presentation

30 Thu., May 3 Presentation

31 Thu., May 8 Last Day of Instruction

Finals week Days Dates

Final Exam Preparation & Faculty Consultation Days: Thursday and Friday May 10 – 11

Final Semester Examinations Monday – Thursday May 14 – 17

Final Exam in this course Thursday May 17 @ 6:00PM

*************The Standards for all AGBS courses*********************

 Chicago-style writing (Turabian)

 Stapled document when paper has multiple pages
 No frayed edges
 Misspellings will be penalized
 Illegibly written documents will be scored as a zero
 Late assignments will be penalized
 Page numbers must be included on multi-page assignment