Dr. Troy Tarpley teaches an agricultural communications course at West Texas A&M University. The course covers developing content for new and emerging social media platforms, crafting messages for different media, and measuring online campaign success. Students will create social media presences, evaluate brands, complete a case study, teach peers on a topic, and develop a final project involving a departmental social media summary, message development, and evaluation plan. Certifications and professional presentations are also required. Students should contact Dr. Tarpley by email or during his office hours and use Remind for class communications.

1. Copyright © 2021 Troy Tarpley

2. First Things First!
• Let’s take a selfie!
Copyright © 2021 Troy Tarpley

3. About Me
• Hometown: Fort Stockton, Texas
• Bachelors in Agricultural Communications
• Texas Tech University, Lubbock
• Masters in Animal Science
• Angelo State University, San Angelo
• PhD in Agricultural Communications and Education
• Texas Tech University, Lubbock
Copyright © 2021 Troy Tarpley

4. About Me
• Hobbies:
• Hanging out with my dog, Gus
• Photography and video
• Being outdoors
Copyright © 2021 Troy Tarpley

5. Copyright © 2021 Troy Tarpley

6. My Introduction
• Dr. Tarpley
• Fort Stockton
• Ag Communications
• Kevin James
Copyright © 2021 Troy Tarpley

7. Instructor Information
• Dr. Troy Tarpley
• Email: ttarpley@wtamu.edu
• Office: Ag Sciences, Room 243
• Office Phone: (806) 651-2584
• Please use Remind, email, or my office phone to contact me.
• Please do not text my cell regarding the class.
• Office Hours:
• Tuesday from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
• Wednesday from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
• OR by appointment.
Copyright © 2021 Troy Tarpley

8. Correspondence with Dr. Tarpley
• Please don’t use my cellphone for class related communication.
• Remind is a great tool to use.
Copyright © 2021 Troy Tarpley

9. Emails
• There are many times when questions require a more lengthy response.
• Use email!
Copyright © 2021 Troy Tarpley

10. How to construct a professional email
When emailing me you must include the following:
1. A subject line that very concisely lets me know topic of the email.
2. Your name, the class and section number of which you are in.
3. Let me know approximately how long this will take or how important this issue is.
4. Briefly let me know what you are asking of me.
5. Concisely provide any background information I may need.
6. Provide a time frame of when you will follow up with me.
7. Provide a professional email signature.
Copyright © 2021 Troy Tarpley

11. Example
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12. Course Information
• The course will offer students the opportunity to develop their ability to create
content and distribute it across multiple media platforms.
• Student will explore a number of new and emerging social media.
• The course will also offer students the opportunity to gain hands on
experience in creating, launching, and evaluating messaging campaigns.
Copyright © 2021 Troy Tarpley

13. Course Materials
• WT Class
• OneDrive
• Adobe Creative Cloud Account (Not the paid version)
• Access to Social Media
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14. Course Objectives
• Describe how medias combine to create new and emerging media.
• Describe basics of content marketing.
• Develop content for a variety of new and emerging media outlets.
• Understand different analytical tools available to measure success of online
communication campaigns.
• Craft a message and tailor it to different media platforms.
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15. Departmental Deliverables
• Agricultural Literacy
• Teachable/leadership/followership
• Problem Solver
• Professional
• Communicator
• Competent in field of study
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16. Remind
• Please sign up for remind.
• You should have received an invitation email.
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17. Assignments
• Lecture Quizzes
• Social Media Presence Evaluation
• Brand Evaluation Survey
• Case Study
• Teach-a-Topic
• Post idea on discussion board and give
feedback
• Learning objectives
• Comprehension check
• Final Project
• Dept. SM Summary
• Message Development
• Evaluation Plan w/ expected results
• Peer Evaluations
Copyright © 2021 Troy Tarpley

18. Certifications
• HubSpot Content Marketing Certification
• Google Analytics Certification
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19. Class Presentations
• Have all instructional materials in place and ready to go.
• Professional dress which includes:
• slacks and a tie, suitable professional dress, or professional skirt and blouse.
• Please ensure professional shoes are included in your attire. These include:
• Polished boots or dress shoes
• Closed toed flats or heels.
• You will meet with me ahead of time to ensure you have everything you need
for you need for your teach-a-topic and final presentations.
Copyright © 2021 Troy Tarpley

20. Writing Assignments
• Correct grammar, spelling and punctuation.
• Use the writing center!
• June 2nd - August 11th
• Monday-Thursday 9am to 2pm
• Fridays 9am to 12pm
• Follow MLA
• Submit as a Microsoft Word Document.
Copyright © 2021 Troy Tarpley

21. Inclusive Environment
• All students will be treated with respect both in and out of this class. I do not
allow discrimination against any student based on race, color, religion, sex,
gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or
veteran status.
Copyright © 2021 Troy Tarpley

22. Copyright © 2021 Troy Tarpley