Lecture: New Academic Building (NAB 3105) 1:00 – 2:30 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays
Course Instructor: Veronika Dolar, Ph.D.
Office Location: NAB 3077
Office Phone: 516.876.3496
E-mail: dolarv@oldwestbury.edu
Class Websites:
https://sites.google.com/view/food-and-wine-economics/home
http://veronikadolar.weebly.com/
https://bboldwestbury.sln.suny.edu
Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays 9:00 – 11:00 am or by appointment
E-mail is usually the best way to reach me. I will respond to e-mails the same day, provided that they are sent before 6 pm. In your e-mails ALWAYS include information about which class are you taking with me.
“Food touches everything. Food is the foundation of every economy. It is a central pawn in political strategies of states and households. Food marks social differences, boundaries, bonds, and contradictions. Eating is an endlessly evolving enactment of gender, family, and community relationships. ...Food is life, and life can be studied and understood through food.”
- Counihan and Van Esterik, 1997
Everyone eats and billions of people around the world work in agriculture or other food related industries. Thus, food prices are important to everyone and literally a matter of life and death for some. In this class we will study how food prices are determined in food markets and carefully study food production and consumption in the US and abroad. We will also address the environmental concerns related to food production, agricultural trade policies, and food security policies in both developed and developing countries.
Upon successful completion of the course, students are expected to:
“It could plausibly be argued that changes in diet are more important than changes of dynasty or even of religion.”
— George Orwell, 1937
This special writing intensive (WI) section of the course will provide students with opportunities to support and develop their writing, critical thinking abilities, and engagement in course material. Students will write regularly over the course of the semester, completing a mix of short, informal assignments and longer, more formal assignments. Some attention will be paid to the importance of revision as well as to the conventions of writing and discipline-specific formats. For more information about writing intensive courses offered at SUNY College at Old Westbury and for Writing Resources for Students, visit www.OldWestburyWAC.com.
A WI course is a course in which the instructor assigns at least thirty pages of writing that can be classified into two categories: 1) Writing to Learn and 2) Learning to Write.
Writing to Learn: Writing intensive courses are grounded on the knowledge that there is a close relationship between writing and thinking. Clear writing reflects clear thinking. The first purpose of student writing is to create learning, rather than to evaluate it. “We write to find out what we know.” Writing is a direct and immediate way for students to assess their progress. In many cases “I don’t know what to write” really means “I don’t know what I think”. To write is to engage one’s mental talents with the task at hand. Such active engagement leads to the construction of knowledge – to learning.
Most of the writing assignments in this class can be classified as writing to learn.
Learning to Write: This refers to the more formal, graded assignments where students, in addition to demonstrating critical thinking and engagement with their subject, are taught and expected to show facility with additional discourse conventions, including appropriated style, organization, and surface correctness. Such formal assignments are structured around a process of revision where composing occurs in stages and feedback is provided before the final product is judged and graded.
Research Paper with multiple drafts (at least 8 pages each) are classified as learning to write. These papers are “scaffolded” assignments, that is, assignments designed around “stages” or “parts” such as outlines, microthemes, and reports that culminate in a final project (8 pages).
Visit the Writing Center for help brainstorming or organizing your ideas or for feedback on a draft. You can make an appointment online at https://oldwestbury.mywconline.com or stop by the Writing Center located in room L-242 on the main floor of the Library in Campus Center. Hours: Mondays and Tuesdays, 11am-9:30pm and Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10am-7pm. Phone: (516) 876-3093.
This is a 4-credit course. The New York State Education Department (NYSED) requires that for each credit hour there shall be at least 15 hours (of 50 minutes each) of instructions and at least 30 hours of supplementary assignments. Therefore, a 4-credit course shall meet for a minimum of 60 contact hours (lectures), each hour being 50 minutes for a total of 3,000 minutes and require at least 120 hours of supplementary assignments and readings outside of the lecture.
Supplementary assignments:
Readings = 40 hours per semester or approximately 2.5 hours per week
Assignments (graded and practice) = 80 hours per semester or approximately 5.5 hours per week
All assignments and handouts are posted on the class website https://sites.google.com/view/food-and-wine-economics/home. There will also be a list of current announcements. In addition, on this site you can also find lecture handouts and all other information relevant to this course.
OER TEXTBOOKS: This course uses Open Education Resources (OER) in place of a commercial textbook. All readings and other course materials will be available online through the course site. The only thing you will need is a computer or any mobile device and a reliable internet access from which you can access the course. The College at Old Westbury and State University of New York are committed to expanding the use of open education resources for students.
I strongly urge you to review the textbook chapter before the lecture on a given subject. As you read, focus on the major concepts and issues; if anything is unclear, make it a point to ask for clarification in class. This familiarity with material will make our lectures much more productive and educational for you.
Lectures will cover material which may not be covered fully in the textbooks.
"More die in the United States of too much food than of too little."
- John Kenneth Galbraith, economist, ‘The Affluent Society’
Your final grade is based on your performance in assignments and exams. Lectures will sometimes cover material which may not be covered fully in the text book.
Your final grade will be based on:
If you disagree with the grading of an assignment or exam you may submit it for my review. I will expect you to have a written argument for why you should be awarded more points. Also, please submit these disputes within one week of having been returned the assignment or test.
I reserve the right to lower these percentage cutoffs (i.e. I might make it easier to get a grade but I will not make it harder).
“Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.”
Miles Kingston
As members of the Old Westbury community, students are expected to adhere to standards of honesty and ethical behavior. Plagiarism and other types of academic dishonesty are condemned at all academic institutions. These acts detract from the student’s intellectual and personal growth by undermining the processes of higher learning and the struggle with one’s own expression of ideas and information. Good academic procedure requires giving proper credit when using the words or ideas of others.
Plagiarizing means “presenting somebody else’s words or ideas without acknowledging where those words and ideas come from” (Ann Raimes, Keys for Writers, 7th ed., p.135). Examples include:
· copying material from the Internet or other sources and presenting it as one’s own
· using any author’s words without quotation marks; using any quotation without credit
· changing any author’s words slightly and presenting them as one’s own
· using ideas from any source (even in one’s own words) without proper credit
· turning in any assignment containing material written by someone else (including tutor or friend); buying work and submitting it as one’s own
· submitting the same assignment in more than one class without permission of the instructor
Know what plagiarism is and how to avoid it; for guidance see Raimes or any other college writing handbook.
Other types of academic dishonesty include unauthorized collaboration or copying of students’ work (cheating); falsifying grades or other assessment measures; destroying the academic work of another student; the dishonest use of electronic devices; and others. When detected and verified, plagiarism and other academic dishonesty will have serious consequences.
Please note: In this matter, ignorance of the Academic Integrity Policy is never an acceptable excuse.
PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Undergraduate Programs
First Reported Offense:
Recommended Penalty: Failing grade on the specific assignment
Maximum Penalty: Failing grade for the specific course
Second Reported Offense:
Recommended Penalty: Failing grade for the specific course
Maximum Penalty: Suspension
Third and Subsequent Reported Offense:
Recommended Penalty: Suspension
Maximum Penalty: Dismissal
All Programs
Violations of plagiarism that occur outside of class (For example: work submitted for competitions, job applications, admissions to programs) may be considered a “Reported Offense”. Any student found in violation of the Academic Integrity Policy may not be eligible for scholarships, honors or induction into academic societies. Students cannot withdraw from the course or apply for a grade of CR/NC while the matter is pending or if they are found in violation of academic policy. In some cases, in addition to academic consequences, violations may have other ramifications including those listed in the Code for Student Conduct.
If you have or suspect you may have a physical, psychological, medical, or learning disability that my impact your course work, please contact
Stacey DeFelice (Director)
The Office of Service for Students with Disabilities (OSSD)
NAB 2065.
Phone: 516.628.5666
Fax: 516-876.3005
TTD: 516.876.3083
E-mail:defelices@oldwestbury.edu
The office will help you determine if you qualify for accommodations and assist you with the process of accessing them. All support service are free and all contacts with the OSSD are strictly confidential.
SUNY Old Westbury is committed to assuring that all students have equal access to all learning activities and to social activities on campus.
Related Literature
You do not need to purchase these books! These books provide additional, more in-depth coverage of several topics that you might find useful when searching for your class project ideas.