I met today with the Undergraduate Program Committee to discuss next year’s scheduling of the new courses, AGEC 115 and AGEC 501. All that follows is of course conditional upon the course and program changes being approved as the requests move through K-State channels.

Since incoming freshmen will follow the programs of study that include 115 as a requirement, we will probably teach two sections of this course in the fall 2012 semester. Eventually we will want to add a spring section as well for transfer students or others who for whatever reason cannot take 115 in the fall. For next year, AGEC 490 will be taught both semesters so transfer students and students other than incoming freshmen can satisfy their requirements by taking 490.

One section of AGEC 501 will be taught next year, probably in the spring 2013 semester. Although required for next year’s entering freshmen, few students will be taking the class next year. Next year’s freshmen will not be taking the required AGEC 501 class until the 2013-4 or 2014-5 academic years. By offering 501 one time in spring of 2013 as a free AGEC elective, the instructor will get a chance to experiment with methods and content with a much smaller number of students.

Arlo has agreed to take the major responsibility for AGEC 115 in 2012-3. Orlen has agreed to help next year, working with Arlo and teaching the second section of the course in the fall. In the future, we are open to any faculty who might want to contribute to the AGEC 115 or AGEC 501 courses. Of pressing need is finding an instructor for 501 for the spring 2013 semester.

Come see me if you would be interested in teaching one of these new classes and we’ll change teaching loads or assigned courses to make it happen.

Recall the course descriptions for the two courses:

AGEC 115:
Development of foundational computer-based empirical skills that address economic and business issues in food and agriculture. Students will learn how to model information on an issue or problem using mathematical spreadsheets to find relevant answers for decision makers and stakeholders. Two hours recitation per week.

AGEC 501:
Analysis of agricultural business and economic data and optimization for decision making. Study applications of regression, time series analysis and forecasting to agricultural and economic data. Introduction to mathematical programming to model optimization of problems commonly encountered in agricultural economics. Three hours recitation per week.

It was again emphasized at today’s meeting that offering these two courses will lift the average computational skills and familiarity of our students with regression and optimization techniques. This provides an opportunity for everyone teaching subsequent courses to increase their expectation of the quantitative abilities of their students and, consequently, ramp up the rigor of course materials. More information on the skills your students should have mastered will be distributed as instructors are identified and content is finalized.