AG362 AGRICULTURAL LEADERSHIP THEORY/PRACTICE Course Syllabus - Erin Wollett

Term
Fall 2026
Section
M1
Course Delivery
ln person­[FTF]
Class Program
Credits 4.00
This course provides an interdisciplinary perspective on the nature of organizing in modern society and the variety of organizational forms that provide contexts in which leadership matters within agriculture. Students will consider the structural forms and underlying purposes served by organizations in multiple sectors of society, including corporations, farms, non-profit, and society. Differences and similarities among types of organizations will be considered through a variety of metaphorical lens that facilitate our understanding and interpretation of that students encounter in their professional lives. Different leadership theories will be presented that students will encounter in their future professional settings.
Prerequisites

Meeting Times, Location, & Course Delivery Details

Meeting Days:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Meeting Times:
9:10-10:10am
Location:
Main Campus, Center for Science & Agriculture - 238
Delivery Details

Delivery of this course will be in-person, face-to-face, during the scheduled class times. 

Contact Information

Instructor:
Erin Wollett
Instructor Email:
erin.wollett@wilmington.edu
Office Location:
CSA 106
Phone Number
(937) 481-2399 (Office)
Office Hours:
Wednesdays (1:30-4:30pm), Fridays (1:30-3:30pm)
Course Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course...
1. The student will appraise and argue the characteristics of agricultural leadership as it relates to the
farm, the firm, and society.
2. The student will support arguments of developed agricultural leadership based on the principles of
sustainability.
3. The student will weigh the aspects of agricultural leadership as they relate to people, planet, and
profit.
4. The student will analyze multiple disciplines with an emphasis on servant leadership.

Course Materials

Textbook:
Name: Now, Discover Your Strengths : How to Develop Your Talents and Those of the People You Manage
Edition: 20th (Must be new and unopened as it contains a one-time use access code)
ISBN: 9780743201148
Author: Gallup
Publisher: SIMON & SCHUSTER

Textbook:
Name: The Road Back to You
ISBN: 9780830846191
Author: Cron, Ian Morgan; Stabile, Suzanne
Publisher: IVP Books

 

Instructor's Course Objectives

At the completion of this course, students will be able to identify their personal strengths and talents, understanding how these apply to real-world situations. They will develop a personal philosophy of leadership encompassing team development strategies, strength management, and strategies for continuous growth. They will understand the importance of values-based leadership and will understand various researched theories of leadership in organizations and industries. Students will emerge from this course with a toolbox to serve them as they lead, manage, and serve as contributing members of teams and communities. 

Course Schedule

The following schedule is tentative and subject to change during the semester at the discretion of the professor. Adequate notice of changes will be given when possible. Quizzes, informal writing assignments, formal writing assignments, tests, and other student engagements will occur throughout the semester in accordance with the pace of the class. Points for these assignments and assessments may vary based on the rigor required to complete them. 

Reminder: A minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work is expected for each hour of in-class time.

WeekTopic
August 24-28Syllabus, Class Structure and Philosophy, Reflection of Leadership Concepts
August 31-September 4The Enneagram: Understanding, assessing, and applying
September 7-11The Enneagram: Understanding, assessing, and applying
September 14-18The Enneagram: Understanding, assessing, and applying
September 21-25Gallup/Clifton Strengths Finder: A deep dive into talent and strength-based leadership and team development
September 28-October 2Gallup/Clifton Strengths Finder: A deep dive into talent and strength-based leadership and team development
October 5-9Understanding the Myers Briggs Assessment, its application to individualized leadership styles, and how receiving praise and criticism in the workplace impacts morale
October 12-16Stages of Team Development and Book Study
October 19-23Book Study
October 26-30Group Presentations and Panel Discussions (Book Study)
November 2-6Exploring Research-Based and Published Leadership Theories and Principles
November 9-13Exploring Research-Based and Published Leadership Theories and Principles
November 16-20Understanding your perception as a leader and strategies for self-presentation to enhance effectiveness
November 23-27Final Paper Kick Off
November 30-December 4Philosophy of Leadership
December 7-9Understanding your perception as a leader and strategies for self-presentation to enhance effectiveness
December 11Final Period from 8:00-10:00am

 

Course Assignments

Assignments are tentative and subject to change throughout the semester at the discretion of the professor. Information for assignments and tests may arise from any component of the class or information associated with the class including, but not limited to, class lectures, class discussions, peer presentations, guest speakers, assigned reading, suggested reading, required texts, assigned work, etc. 

All assignments, unless otherwise noted or arranged, will be printed and turned in as a hard copy. Blackboard will be a great resource for class content and will house student grades.

Course Final Exam
Friday, December 11, 2026 (8:00am-10:00am)
Evaluation of Work

The grading scale will be as follows:

A: 96-100B+: 88-90.99C+: 79-81.99D+: 69-71.99
A-: 91-95.99B: 85-87.99C: 76-78.99D: 65-68.99
 B-: 82-84.99C-: 72-75.99F: 0-64.99

Instructor Course Policies

Instructor's Course Attendance Policy

See the current student handbook for the college’s attendance policy, especially as it pertains to excused absences.

The College accepts these four categories of excused absences:

1. Activities in which the student serves as an official representative of the College (e.g., musical performances, athletic contests, field trips)

2. Personal illness with documentation by the College nurse or a physician, if possible

3. Family or personal emergencies

4. When severe weather makes travel to campus dangerous

Attendance at the scheduled class times will be a part of your grade, marked over the course of the semester. A grade for a class will be excused if your absence is excused. Sometimes outstanding opportunities arise that allow us to learn outside of the classroom; as long as this is addressed with the professor prior to that class time, the student will not lose points for not attending that class. In the case of absences, the students are still responsible for all academic learning, materials, and expectations. Students are responsible for making sure they are marked in attendance each day. 

Instructor's Academic Integrity Policy

Unless instructed to do so, use of artificial intelligence (AI) will not be tolerated in this class. If the use of AI is discovered (unless instructed to use it), you will automatically fail the assignment (given a 0) with no opportunity to recoup that grade. If the behavior persists (a second or third offense), you may fail the entire class, at the discretion of the professor. Cases of academic misconduct (defined by the college) will be treated similarly.

See the current student handbook for the college’s academic integrity policies as they pertain to examinations, plagiarism, classroom behavior, and the process for handling academic misconduct charges.

See the separate policy dealing with plagiarism below. Plagiarism Policy Plagiarism is defined as the representation of another’s words, ideas, concepts, research or creative production without proper attribution, whether intentional or unintentional. It is the student’s responsibility to be informed about what constitutes plagiarism. Plagiarism can occur in the submission of one’s own work or in work submitted by a group.

Examples of plagiarism include (but are not limited to) the following:

• The submission of a paper not one’s own, including turning in a paper that has been purchased from a commercial research firm or obtained from the internet

• Copying word for word information without quotation marks

• Paraphrasing information (that is, the use of one’s own words with only minor changes to the original)

• Use of information not considered general knowledge without proper citation

• Listing of misleading or false sources on a reference page

• The use of a paper or project for one course that was previously submitted for another course, either at Wilmington or at any other institution.

• Use/copying of another student’s laboratory work/data without prior permission of the instructor.

• The use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) to generate answers, work, analysis, or writing without permission of the instructor.

Plagiarism is a serious academic offense and carries serious academic consequences.

Student work offenses include, but are not limited to, the following, which are expressly prohibited in the absence of prior written approval of the instructor or instructors involved:

1. Resubmission of work - Submitting work which has been previously submitted for credit.

2. Plagiarism - Submitting work done wholly or partly by another, including the unattributed copying of all or parts of a published work or internet document. Using generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) sources to produce work (when not expressly permitted) is also a form of plagiarism. Some instances of plagiarism are the result of ignorance rather than dishonesty. When plagiarism is encountered, the instructor should be sure that the student knows proper procedures for attributing content.

3. Prohibited sources - Consulting material or persons contrary to the directions of the instructor.

4. Improper collaboration - Engaging in any discussion, joint research, or joint effort of any kind expressly prohibited by the instructor.

5. Deception - Misrepresenting the authenticity of sources, citations, or principles in any written work.

6. Sharing work – Students who share their work with others are responsible for how that work is used. For example, if a student shares a paper with another student to help him or her understand an assignment, and that student submits the work as their own, the author of the paper shares responsibility for the plagiarism committed by the other student.

Other misconduct - Engaging in any other improper conduct as specified by the instructor. These include:

Lying – deliberately providing false information relevant to academic matters, such as misrepresenting the inability to take an examination because of illness.

Disruptive or disrespectful classroom behavior – causing a disturbance in the classroom, interrupting instruction, speaking rudely or threatening students or faculty.

Writing Intensive Course

Please refer to the following guidelines for Writing Intensive (W) Courses as provided by the college:

Goal: Wilmington College graduates will use the writing process in order to write a cogent, well-organized essay that argues a creative thesis, provides sufficient support, displays critical thinking, and employs a recognized format to cite all sources. They will also demonstrate mastery of writing appropriate to their respective disciplines.

Objectives: Students who demonstrate proficiency in writing skills will...

  • define a goal or purpose (thesis)
  • include content that is well-researched
  • use appropriate organizational structure and format
  • provide adequate examples and support for the thesis
  • use discipline appropriate vocabulary or terminology
  • display evidence of critical thinking and/or creative, independent thinking
  • demonstrate competencies in language, grammar and sentence structure

To meet this requirement, the syllabus of the course must demonstrate that a minimum of 25% of the course grade will consist of the assessment of the student’s proficiency in this skill.

Upper Division "W" Course Requirements:

  • Weekly informal or formal writing assignments must be included as a part of course requirements. These may include short (1-2 page) essay responses, questions for class discussion, or reflections upon course content. They may also be directed towards stimulating class discussion and building the skills necessary for a longer, sustained writing project.
  • A minimum of one formal paper must be a minimum of 8 pages in length and include a research component and integration of secondary source materials.
  • A project that includes at least 1,750 words (approximately 7 double-spaced pages) of original student writing. This project must also undergo scaffolding exercises/drafts/revision. It could be a formal paper but may be any type of creative project that incorporates writing.

Institutional and Program-Level Policies

Final Exam Schedule
All exams will follow the Final Exam Schedule. Students scheduled to take three or more final examinations on one day may request to arrange their examination schedule, so no more than two exams occur on one day.
Requests for early or late exams are considered only under extreme circumstances. Prior to the exam period, the student must file a written request on the Early/Late Exam Form available in the Student One Stop Center, Academic Records, and on the WC portal. The form must be signed by the Instructor and the Academic Dean, approving the alternate exam time. This process must be completed prior to the scheduled exam period.

Undergraduate:  FA26 Final Exam Schedule    

 

Out-of-class Work Expectation

A minimum of 2 hours of out-of-class student work is expected for each hour of in-class time for traditional face-to-face courses. For online and hybrid courses, the combination of face-to-face time and out-of-class work should be equal to 3 hours per credit hour per week.

Instructional Course Delivery                                                                                                            

Definition of Courses

Academic Integrity Policy

The use of generative AI is prohibited except where expressly allowed in assignment instructions.

Academic Integrity Policy

Class Attendance Policy                              

Institutional Class Attendance Policy