Instructor: Steve Miller, Professor, Applied Economics & Statistics

Office: 291 Barre Hall

Phone: 656-5786 (office)

E-mail: smllr@clemson.edu

Required Text:

There is no text for this course. Homework sets and exams are based on lectures and materials disbributed via MYCLE. I will make every attempt to have lecture materials posted 24 hours in advance. It is your responsibility to print these materials for use in class.

Course Objective:

The objective of this course is to provide you with an understanding of the principles used in making management decisions and the application of these principles in agribusiness. The tools of economic analysis are applied to the solution of problems facing managers of agricultural supply and marketing firms.

Course Information:

You will be evaluated by your performance on quizzes, homework assignments, and exams. The quizzes, homework assignments, and exams will be based on lectures and materials distributed via MYCLE. Late homework sets will not be accepted except by prior arrangement.

The weights for these items are as follows:

Four exams will be administered, but only your high three exam scores will be used in calculating final grades. Final grades will be assigned as follows. The highest student score in the class will be determined. The number of points required to bring that student's score to 1000 will be added to his or her score, as well as to every other student's score. Letter grades will be assigned in the following manner: 90 -100% = A; 80 - 89.99% = B; 70 - 79.99% = C; 60 - 69.99% = D; and <60 = F.

Lecture notes and homework sets will be posted to MYCLE. You are responsible for downloading the homework sets.

Attendance Policy:

I do not take a daily roll. However, class attendance is expected. (The probability of an open-book quiz during a lecture equals 1 if there are any absences.) I expect to notify you in advance if I am going to miss a class. If this is not possible, you are obligated to wait for 15 minutes after the scheduled starting time of the class.

Other:

The university administration asks that students be made aware of the following information. "As members of the Clemson University community, we have inherited Thomas Green Clemson's vision of this institution as a 'high seminary of learning.' Fundamental to this vision is a mutual commitment to truthfulness, honor, and responsibility, without which we cannot earn the trust and respect of others. Furthermore, we recognize that academic dishonesty detracts from the value of a Clemson degree. Therefore, we shall not tolerate lying, cheating, or stealing in any form."

Office Hours:

My teaching schedule for this semester is as follows. 

Course Outline:

Topic

1. Introduction

2. Marketing

3. Forecasting

4. Budgeting

5. Legal Structure

6. Organization

7. Cooperatives

Exam 1 (topics 1 to 7)

8. Production

9. Cost Analysis

10. Financial Statements

11. Financial Analysis

Exam 2 (topics 8 to 11)

12. Capital Budgeting

13. Leasing

14. Replacement Policy

Exam 3 (topics 12 to 14)

15. Personnel Management

16. Evaluation

Final Exam (cumulative)

Milestones:

 Spring 2007 Courses     Ag Econ Home

updated 2/27/07