I. General Information

1. Course Title:
Directed Study - Decision Making

2. Course Prefix & Number:
FBMA 2936

3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:

Credits: 2

4. Course Description:

This course will examine the individual, family and farm business decision-making process with emphasis on upgrading and improving decision making resources, tools and skills. Particularly, this course will lead the student to critically analyze information, applications, and implications of decision making as it relates to their own situation. Students will evaluate his/her own decision making process.

5. Placement Tests Required:

6. Prerequisite Courses:

There are no prerequisites for this course.

9. Co-requisite Courses:

There are no corequisites for this course.

II. Transfer and Articulation

III. Course Purpose

1. Program-Applicable Courses – This course is required for the following program(s):

Advanced Farm Business Management, Certificate

IV. Learning Outcomes

1. College-Wide Outcomes

College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies	Students will be able to:
Demonstrate oral communication skills	Effectively communicate desired outcomes with members of operation in team management meetings.
Demonstrate reading and listening skills	Review analysis data with instructor to gain insight into business strengths and weaknesses.
Analyze and follow a sequence of operations	Complete a Farm Financial Scorecard using current year analysis data.

2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of the course:

• Evaluate decision-making process;
• Use analytical and problem-solving skills in decision making;
• Acquire broad-based knowledge and skills necessary to fulfill business goals;
• Be knowledgeable about the differences among global farm economies and understand the implications these have on farm management;
• Recognize and analyze ethical and legal problems within farm business situations, choose a resolution, and justify that ethical provided; and
• Evaluate and discuss a complex farm business issue.

V. Topical Outline

Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.

1. Lecture Sessions

1. Implement the decision making process.
• Define the decision making process.
• Apply decision making tools and techniques developed in diploma and certificate programs
2. Develop analytical and action based decision-making skills.
• Examine the role of predictions in the decision making process.
3. Develop administrative skills as they relate to decision making.
• Analyze errors in decision-making (detection and avoidance).
4. Develop team/project management skills for the decision making process.
• Evaluate decision-making traps (data vs. intuition).