SYLLABUS

Course Number: AGRI 2900

Course Title: International Study Tour-Poland
Semester: Spring 2018
Meeting Time: Tuesdays at 8:00 a.m. – 8:50 a.m. and additional travel prep planning
meeting
Credit: 1 hour
Program Fee: $550; this fee includes transportation, tours, hotels and some meals. Additional
costs during the week will include incidentals and some meals during travel.

Course Description: Permission of the department. This course is designed to provide students with a
broad understanding of the diversity of agricultural industries in another country.
The course is structured for students to complete some training and preparation
online and have weekly in-person check-ins during the scheduled class time to
prepare for the trip. The study tour will provide an overview of the cultural,
agricultural, historical, technological, political, and economic pieces of Poland.
Students are responsible for paying travel expenses associated with this course.

Classroom: 150 Martin D. Woodin Hall

Instructors: Amanda L. Martin-Director of Recruitment & Retention, College of Agriculture

117 Martin D. Woodin Hall
Office: 225-578-2266, amartin2@lsu.edu
Office Hours: 9:00 am-10:00 am on T/R or by appointment

Henry Hebert-Manager of Recruitment, College of Agriculture

120 Martin D. Woodin Hall
Office: 225-578-2468, henryh@lsu.edu
Office Hours: 9:00 am-10:00 am on T/R or by appointment

Required Materials: Resources for this course are available on the internet or will be provided by
instructors.

Attendance Policy: As updates will be provided weekly to prepare for the trip, students should attend
every class meeting. The prep planning meeting (Date/time TBD) is mandatory
for students to participate in the study abroad experience.

General LSU Attendance Policy:

Class attendance is the responsibility of the student. The student is expected to
attend all classes. A student who finds it necessary to miss class assumes

1
 responsibility for making up examinations, obtaining lecture notes, and
otherwise compensating for what may have been missed. The course instructor
will determine the validity of a student’s reason(s) for absences and will assist
those students who have valid reasons. Please see this site for more information:
https://sites01.lsu.edu/wp/policiesprocedures/policies-procedures/22/

Academic Integrity: All LSU, students are responsible for observing the highest standards of
academic and personal integrity. The penalties for academic dishonesty are
severe and ignorance is not an acceptable excuse. All cases of alleged academic
misconduct will be referred to the Office of the Dean of Students. The Code of
Student Conduct and information on avoiding plagiarism can be found on the
Judicial Affairs website at
http://www.lsu.edu/students/saa/students/codeofconduct.php

Disability Statement: Any student who, because of a disabling condition, requires some special
arrangements in order to meet course requirements must obtain a letter outlining
the necessary accommodations needed from The Office of Disability Services,
124 Johnston Hall. All information regarding disabilities (registering with the
ODS, obtaining accommodation letters, offered resources for students with
disability, etc.) is available on The Office of Disability Services website
http://www.lsu.edu/students/disability/

Expectations: LSU’s general policy states that for each credit hour you should plan to spend at
least two hours working on course related activities outside of class.

Amendments to the Syllabus:

The instructors reserve the right to make changes and adjustments to the course
syllabus at any time throughout the semester. In which case, the instructor will
provide written notice of the changes (via Moodle) and review the changes
during regularly scheduled class meetings.

Course Goals: The overall goal of this course is to provide students with a unique international
experience with an emphasis on agricultural industries and studies in another
country. Students completing the course will:
(1) broaden their understanding of agricultural practices internationally
(2) learn how agricultural companies operate on an international level
(3) deepen their understanding of agricultural research at a university level
(4) experience language, history, and art in another culture through an enriching
travel experience

Course Objectives:
By researching Poland and completing assignments to prepare for the trip, students will be well
equipped to handle a first-hand experience through this study aboard trip. Students will:
1. Develop an understanding of the diversity of agriculture related industries in Poland

2
 2. Develop a basic Polish vocabulary to utilize when engaging in greetings and simple
conversations with our hosts
3. Establish personal goals for growth prior to the trip so that these can be reflected upon during
the group presentations during the trip
4. Create a deeper understanding of Polish culture through research and presentations. Group
presentations will be created by students to prepare themselves and their classmates for the trip.
Presentations will touch on parts of Polish history, government and culture
5. Gain an appreciation of the contribution of the study abroad experience and showcase take-
aways through a blog positing during the trip

Course Assignments:
1. Attend all class periods and the spring break trip.

2. Personal Goals Paper: What are your goals for your Study Abroad experience? Read the stated
course goals and objectives above for our program. For this writing assignment, you are asked
to think through how you will translate these general goals into ones that are specific for you. In
at least 250 words, consider your goals for our upcoming Study Abroad. Strive to be thorough
and specific and after identifying your goals, respond to the following prompts:
a. It is important to reflect upon how our study abroad setting and our campus and
surroundings are different. How will these differences influence your experience? What
opportunities for exploration and personal growth might you seek out? What potential
risks or problems (such as personal safety, stress) might you confront in that different
environment? What might you do to address these opportunities and challenges, both
before we depart and while you are there?
b. What behaviors and attitudes on your part do you expect will contribute to your
achieving your goals? What behaviors and attitudes on your part might interfere or stand
in the way of achieving your goals? What behaviors and attitudes on the part of other
student participants might contribute to your achieving your goals? What behaviors and
attitudes on the part of other student participants might interfere with or stand in the way
of achieving your goals?
c. Submit your paper on Moodle by 8:00 a.m. on January 23rd. Late submissions will
not be accepted and will result in a zero for the assignment.

3. Group Presentations: Students will participate in two group assignments for this class.
a. The first group assignment will be for students to research a subject area related to
Polish history, culture, and government. Students should be prepared to present a 5
minute overview presentation with slides and be prepared to answer questions. The
purpose of the presentation is to share information with the class to help them prepare
for the upcoming trip. Be concise and feature easy to remember facts/information that
can be used when conversing with our hosts in Poland/used to generate questions during
our trip. Please create your presentation in PowerPoint and upload to Moodle by
5:00 p.m. on Monday before class. Presentations posted late will result in a 10 point
deduction.
b. The second group assignment will be to create a post for the study abroad trip blog. This

3
 will be featured on social media and our website during the trip. Each group will be
assigned a day to cover in their post. The post should include the following: a write up
on the experiences of the day (tours, food, challenges, at least 5 take-away items (what
did you learn), a minimum of 5 photos and a video interview (less than 5 minutes) of
either your group members or a guide from a tour. The video portion can cover a
summary of experiences and should thank the sponsors and supporters who helped
organize and make the trip possible. Specific information will be provided in class on
how to post these items. Groups should upload their posts by 10:00 p.m. at the end
of their assigned day. Posts need to be reviewed by advisors before they are submitted
so be sure to schedule time for this before your deadline.

4. Vocabulary Quizzes: 6 vocabulary quizzes will be given during class time. These will feature
common words/phrases to prepare you for the trip. The words or phrases will be played by
audio in Polish and students will write down the words or phrases in English. Quizzes will be
graded in class (as long as time permits) and will be worth 20 points each (10 words or phrases
will be on each quiz). Students will also be asked to download the Mondly app to practice
common vocab. Points can be added to quiz grades if students complete the 8 free lessons. The
app also features free daily vocab exercises that take less than 5 minutes to complete. Students
are strongly encouraged to utilize the app and the common phrases pdf provided.
a. To receive the extra points for the Mondly lessons, upload a screen shot of your
completed 8 free lessons to Moodle by March 13th at 8:00 a.m. An example of what
the screenshot should look like is in Moodle.

Grading System: Letter Grade

Grading Scale: Class attendance & participation 80 (10 pts per class)
Trip attendance & participation (Mandatory) 150
Personal Goals Paper 50
Group Presentation 50
Vocabulary Quizzes 120
Blog Post/Video 50
Total points 500

500 points total can be earned in the class.

450 + points = A+ (97-100) A (93-96) A- (90-92)
400-449 points = B+ (87-89) B (83-86) B- (80-82)
350-399 points = C+ (77-79) C (73-76) C- (70-72)
300-349 points = D (67-69) D (63-66) D- (60-62)
-349 points = F (Below 60)

Class Outline (Schedule may change depending on final trip itinerary):

The course will be structured to help you prepare for your trip to Poland. We will have 7
official class meetings and 1 additional trip prep meeting for the course.
8 class meetings before the trip:

4
 1. January 16--Overview of course expectations and materials
a. Explanation of assignments and due dates
b. Any final questions on paperwork
c. Vocab Quiz
2. January 23--Planning Items
a. Personal Trip Goals are due
b. Review of packing list and Travel Tips
c. Vocab Quiz
3. January 30--Presentations-5 minutes of Poland (Group 1 and 2)
a. History of Poland and Important Figures
b. Government & National Symbols
c. Vocab Quiz
4. February 6--Presentations-5 minutes of Poland (Group 3 and 4)
a. Geography of Poland
b. Agriculture in Poland
c. Vocab Quiz
5. February 27—Presentations-5 minutes of Poland (Group 5 and 6)
a. Warsaw University of Life Sciences
b. Culture of Poland (Highlights of Warsaw)
c. Vocab Quiz
6. March 6--Communication Prep & Polish Food
a. Final Overview of Group Projects for trip and tools to use
b. Sampling of Polish food
c. Vocab Quiz
7. March 13--Announcement of Krol and Krolowa of Polish Vocab Prep
a. Competition of top vocab competitors
8. Final Overview Meeting (will schedule additional time)

Expected Behavior During Trip:

1. Abide by the LSU Student Code of Conduct and the expectations in this document.
2. Always be on time. Early is better. We have a very tight schedule each day and need you to be
on time and we have a large group to coordinate. Tardiness on more than one occasion will
result in drop in letter grade for the course.
3. Respect our hosts and their property.
a. Be attentive to the speakers and engaged in their presentations.
b. Ask questions.
c. Do not use your phone during a presentation unless taking a picture.
d. Ask before taking pictures.
4. Do not hesitate to direct special needs or concerns to your trip leaders.
5. Additional expectations on behavior will be discussed during the prep meeting.

Violation of these rules will result in an immediate ejection from the trip and course failing.