Provides instruction and practice in written and oral communication. Topics include developing a thesis, writing essays, letters, reports and résumés, and delivering demonstrative, social, impromptu, informative, and persuasive speeches. Assignments emphasize language usage, organization, information gathering, expression and, in oral communications, poise and projection. Students are encouraged to incorporate a discussion of agricultural issues, trends and ethics into both oral and written communications.
An introduction to microcomputer hardware and software currently in use within the Diploma in Agriculture program. Emphasis will be placed on learning how to use the hardware, developing some skills in word processing, and understanding the basic functioning of a spreadsheet program; the use of a database program and an accounting program will also be introduced.
Enhances communication skills for a business/professional context, including the proper conduct of meetings, the drafting of motions, proposals and briefs, and the process of building consensus. The course studies group dynamics, particularly in oral communications. Students participate in panel discussions and debates, strategy sessions and media relations, and consider ways in which decisions are made and implemented.
Designed to introduce students to concepts of leadership in a practical and applied manner. In addition, the course will provide some insight into the various factors which are at work in the community and which influence the way in which the community functions. Past and current Canadian leaders will be examined. Government policies, lobby groups and the media will be studied, and the way in which effective leaders can respond in the interests of the agricultural industry will be addressed.
Provides an opportunity to study issues related to human resource management in the agriculture industry in western Canada. Emphasis will be placed on understanding human resource management theory and practice. Topics addressed include the managerial role, management theory, group work behaviour, and leadership. More practical applications, such as motivation, staffing, performance appraisal, stress and time management, and interpersonal relations, receive considerable attention.
Begins the process of enabling students to articulate and document the required competencies for entry-level agribusiness management positions. The student will be required to participate in in-class discussions and participate in tutorials pertaining to developing job search skills. Information will be presented to help students make an informed choice about a specialization in the Diploma program.
An introduction to agricultural systems illustrating the interactions between plant, animal, microbial, human and environment components. The soil/plant/environment interface is emphasized. Management decisions affecting cropping and land use are examined.
An introduction to agricultural systems and the interactions between microbial plant, animal, and human components. The emphasis is on issues and problems associated with animal production, value-added processing, marketing and the consumption of food.
Examines the institutional setting within which the agri-food sector operates, as well as the drivers that affect this setting. Attention is paid to changes in the demand for food and bio-based products, the changing nature of production, and long-term trends in productivity, prices, employment and trade. The course examines the manner in which decisions about technology adoption, employment, diversification, R&D expenditures, and government policy are made; the institutions (e.g., laws, contracts, social norms, markets) that govern this decision making; the social, legal, political and economic factors that affect these institutions; as well as the implications for the agri-food sector of decisions made.
Analysis of interactions between organisms or biomaterials and their physical environment. Transport and storage processes of matter and energy occurring within natural and human-modified agricultural environments will be studied. Lectures will cover concepts and applications while seminars and practicums will cover instrumentation.