Dr. Michael Seipel
3082 Magruder Hall
785-4316 (Office)
mseipel@truman.edu
Dr. Thomas Marshall
163 Barnett Hall
785-4281 (Office)
temarsh@truman.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Independent reading and research; preparation of abstracts, outlines, and resumes; and oral presentation of information on agriculture-related topics.
PREREQUISITES
Junior or Senior Standing
COURSE OBJECTIVES
- Acquaint students with effective ways of preparing resumes and cover letters for job applications.
- Provide students with experience in organizing and presenting, in written and oral form, research-based information on agricultural topics.
- Familiarize students with workplace situations they are likely to encounter in agricultural careers, and evaluate various ways of handling these situations.
This course provides a forum in which students can gain experience preparing and presenting information in situations similar to that they may encounter in a future job or graduate/professional school. A central component of this course is peer evaluation and critique. Since students will both be evaluating others and being evaluated by them, it is essential to be considerate of others’ feelings when providing constructive criticism of their work, and to be able to set pride aside when receiving feedback. Full attendance at all class sessions is also essential to the success of this model.
During the course of the semester, students will prepare a resume and cover letter for a specific job description or graduate school; prepare a paper; produce an outline and abstract of this paper; prepare and deliver an oral presentation of the paper in a “professional meetings” format; and provide oral and written feedback on other students’ resumes, papers, and presentations. Paper and presentation topics will be chosen by the students, with the instructors’ approval.A total of 400 points are possible for the course, in the categories shown below. Final grades will be awarded on a straight scale (minimums: A=90%, B=80%, C=70%, D=60%). All deadlines and presentation dates must be met unless you make prior arrangements with the instructor and have a valid excuse from the Dean of Students.
| Assignment | Point value |
| Resume and cover letter | 100 |
| Paper proposal/outline | 50 |
| Paper | 100 |
| Oral presentation and abstract | 100 |
| Attendance and participation | 100 |
| Total course points | 450 |
LECTURE SCHEDULE
| Week | Subject | Assignment |
| Week 1 | Introductions | |
| Week 2 | Resume and cover letter (CL) information | |
| Week 3 | Resume and cover letter discussion | Resume and CL first draft |
| Week 4 | Paper format discussion | Resume reviews |
| Week 5 | Discuss paper topics | Final resume and CL due Paper proposal/outline |
| Week 6 | Agricultural Professions/Guest Speakers | |
| Week 7 | Agricultural Professions/Guest Speakers | |
| Week 8 | Agricultural Professions/Guest Speakers | |
| Week 9 | Presentation format discussion | Final paper |
| Week 10 | Discussion of papers Oral presentations and feedback | |
| Week 11 | Oral presentations and feedback | |
| Week 12 | Oral presentations and feedback | |
| Week 13 | Oral presentations and feedback | |
| Week 14 | Oral presentations and feedback | |
| Week 15 | Oralpresentations and feedback | |
| Week 16 | Oral presentations and feedback |
PAPERS
The assigned paper may be prepared in one of two formats. If you are currently or have been involved in research that has produced preliminary or final results, you may write up these results in a traditional research paper format. If you prefer, you may take a complex or controversial current issue in agriculture and analyze it in a dialectical format. The dialectical format requires you to discuss both sides of the issue and formulate a synthesis in which you attempt to reconcile the divergent views. Whichever format you choose, the paper should be 6 to 8 pages in length, double-spaced, and prepared in a word-processing program. You will receive a handout explaining both formats in more detail.