Friday 12:45-2:45 2 hrs. OFFICE

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1 Professor: Gail Weatherly, Ph.D. Course Title: Business Communication (fully online in Desire2Learn) Professor: Dr. Gail Weatherly Primary within the course in Desire2Learn (d2l.sfasu.edu) Secondary if D2L is NOT operational: Phone: Office: Suite 229H of the McGee Business Building Monday -11am 1 hr. OFFICE 2:15-3:15pm 1 hr. OFFICE 6-7pm 1 hr. ONLINE Tuesday 9-9:30am 30 min. OFFICE 1:30-2:30pm 1 hr. OFFICE Wednesday -11am 1 hr. OFFICE 2:15-3:15pm 1 hr. OFFICE Thursday 9-9:30am 30 min. OFFICE 1:30-2:30pm 1 hr. OFFICE Friday 12:45-2:45 2 hrs. OFFICE Business Communication and Legal Studies MW 1:00 2:15 in BU237 of the McGee Business Building Exceptions to office hours: September 3, 2012 Labor Day Holiday, and October 23-29, 2012 ABC Conference, Hawaii. You are welcomed to visit my office during on-campus office hours; other times are available by appointment. For online office hours you will find me online in Desire2Learn. I also take telephone calls during my on-campus office hours. Please, do not call and leave a message for me to return your call. If you cannot reach me on my phone during office hours, please me. Business Communication 247 (BUSI 2304) Application of business communication principles through creation of effective business documents and oral presentations. Includes study and application of team communication and use of technology to facilitate the communication process. BCM Fall 2012 Page 1

2 Six (6) hours from English 131, 132, 133 or 235 and basic keyboarding skills. Program learning outcomes define the knowledge, skills, and abilities students are expected to demonstrate upon completion of an academic program. These learning outcomes are regularly assessed to determine student learning and to evaluate overall program effectiveness. You may access the program learning outcomes for your major and particular courses at Objective 1: Objective 2: Objective 3: Objective 4: Objective 5: Objective 6: To understand and demonstrate writing and speaking processes through invention, organization, drafting, revision, editing, and presentation. To understand the importance of specifying audience and purpose and to select appropriate communication choices. To understand and appropriately apply modes of expression, i.e., descriptive, expositive, narrative, scientific, and selfexpressive, in written, visual, and oral communication. To participate effectively in groups with emphasis on listening, critical and reflective thinking, and responding. To understand and apply basic principles of critical thinking, problem solving, and technical proficiency in the development of exposition and argument. To develop the ability to research and write a documented paper and/or to give an oral presentation. Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to: 1. Apply business communication strategies and principles to prepare effective communication for domestic and international business situations. 2. Identify ethical, legal, cultural, and global issues affecting business communication. 3. Utilize analytical and problem solving skills appropriate to business communication. 4. Participate in team activities that lead to the development of collaborative work skills. 5. Select appropriate organizational formats and channels used in developing and presenting business messages. 6. Compose and revise accurate business documents using computer technology. 7. Communicate via electronic mail, Internet, and other technologies. 8. Deliver an effective oral business presentation. INTERNET ACCESS, SOFTWARE, AND COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS This is a web-enhanced class. You will need to visit Desire2Learn, SFA s new course management system, to keep up with assignments, contact the instructor, and receive supplemental information for your success in the course. Classroom activities, homework assignments, other instructional materials, and grades will all be posted in D2L. All homework will be posted in D2L. In the case of an absence from class, it BCM Fall 2012 Page 2

3 is the student s responsibility to check D2L for any assignments and turn them in by the posted due date. All written assignments will be typed and submitted as a.doc or.docx files for grading. Handwritten documents, or documents of different file types will not be accepted. PRESENTATION You will be required to make one or more presentations in class. Each member of the team will present information individually. Members of the team will evaluate one another for participation; this will count as part of the grade. REQUIRED TEXTBOOK BCOM4, by Lehman & DuFrene with CourseMate code South-Western, Cengage Learning - Publication Date 2013 ISBN-13: ; ISBN-: In order for you to enroll at the Cengage Brain site for this course, you will need the following Course Key. This is a required hard copy text. The book includes review cards and provides you with a code for access to a CourseMate web site with electronic study materials. Without the book, you do not get access to the website. Other textbooks by these authors will not have the same page arrangement and will cause confusion. You will need this book to be successful in the course. The price is $ To help you access CourseMate and enroll in this course, the publisher-provided help can be found at: Once there, you should click the bullet beside Student, then the "Downloads" tab, then click the "Student Registration and Enrollment Clickpath" tab, and, finally, click the "Download File" link. You will work on assignments both individually and in the team. Points for in-class participation and team assignments are applied based on the level of participation. It is your responsibility to communicate with the team both in person and in Desire2Learn. The points you earn throughout the semester will determine your final grade in the course. I will not change the grade you earn. After three consecutive absences, you will lose your access to D2L. You must contact the instructor to take steps to be re-instated. BCM Fall 2012 Page 3

4 This course will require writing assignments that will include written response to online discussions; the good news or positive message; the bad news or negative message; the persuasive message, and a research-based report. At least one oral presentation will be included in the course. At least two exams must be administered, in addition to chapter quizzes. Coverage will also include employment communication and team-building activities. In-class participation is part of the grade. Other assignments may include secondary research, primary research, and other assignments as determined by the instructor. Students are responsible for checking the Desire2Learn communications from team members and instructor. It is highly recommended that you print this syllabus and pay particular attention to the course schedule at the end of this document. The schedule lists topics the course will cover, and the approximate amount of time to be devoted to each topicwe will utilize Desire2Learn, the institution s online course management system. What to do if My SFA or Desire2Learn is down Continue working don t think of it as an excuse With technology, there is always a chance for a technology glitch. All assignments are due as stated in the schedule. Bookmark on your computer. The final exam is comprehensive. There are no makeup exams for any of the work due throughout the semester. The final exam counts as the one and only makeup grade. It may be used to replace one missed exam/test/or quiz grade. Final Exam is MON., DEC. from 1-3PM. Communication. The primary contact method outside normal class time will be by electronic communication through Desire2Learn. You should check your for this class regularly. I make every attempt to respond to students in a reasonable amount of time. Just as I tell you that you should check your at least once a day -- I will do likewise. When you send an , if you would like a reply, please ask a specific question. If you send me as message that does not ask a question, I will not be responding. Assignment deadlines. You will be held responsible for any instructions or assignments that are transmitted via Desire2Learn . You can set your in Desire2Learn to forward to your normally used account. However, you cannot send s to me with your regular account. You must go into Desire2Learn to send any s to me. I will not respond to s sent outside of Desire2Learn. The reason for this is that I receive so many s a day that I might miss an in my regular account. Therefore I make it my policy to only answer student s through Desire2Learn. BCM Fall 2012 Page 4

5 Response to your s. You can expect me to answer s during my office hours. This does not mean I will not answer at other times. My policy is to answer s within 48 hours. You can usually expect to receive a response within 24 hours; however, please remember that I am not on 24-hr call. I hold regular office hours (9 hours on campus and 1 hour online) and those are listed on this syllabus. You should attempt to see that your messages that concern questions pertaining to this course are available at that time for me to answer. This is not to say I will not answer at other times, but you should not expect it or count on it. If you wait until shortly before assignments are due to address questions to me on the assignment, you may or may not get an answer before the deadline arrives. Classroom etiquette. Class time is valuable and is intended for educational purposes. Students should conduct themselves in an appropriate manner during class sessions. Professional language usage. All students are expected to use standard professional business language for oral and written communication. Assignments that contain inappropriate topics and/or unacceptable language will receive no credit. Lab courtesy. Violations of lab courtesy shall result in the loss of points. These violations include checking , playing games, accessing offensive web sites, working on unrelated assignments, and printing documents unrelated to class work. The class schedule is included as the last two pages of this document. Topics and due dates are included in this schedule. The syllabus and the schedule are tentative and subject to change at the discretion of the instructor. All assignments are graded for spelling, punctuation, grammar, and mechanics. Grades are usually based on a grading rubric, or you will receive a returned marked paper. If you do not understand the grade you receive, please look at the rubric or the marked paper to see where you missed points. If you have a question or think I overlooked something that was actually in the assignment but no grade given, or an assignment or question on a test is mismarked, please send an that includes the following: Subject Line of Grade Question on Assignment Body of Provide: Name of Assignment Where the assignment was submitted (in class, D2L Dropbox, D2L Quiz, D2L Discussion) The specific item you are questioning and the part of the grade with which you disagree. Explain why you think the grade is incorrect. You are always welcomed to stop by my office for a grade question, but be prepared to provide the information shown above if there is a grade question. I want a record of the question and time for me to give sufficient consideration to your question. If you a question abover a grade without this information, I will refer you to pages 5-6 of the syllabus. All questions about grades must be made by the Friday prio to the final exam date or within two days of the grade posting, whichever is later. BCM Fall 2012 Page 5

6 Missed exams will be allowed only if arranged prior to the date of the test. The student must provide documentation for the excused absence. Notes from the school s Health Clinic will not be accepted as excused unless the note specifically states that the student is unable to attend. Please see your General Bulletin for a further explanation of excused absences. Makeup exams for non-excused absences will be determined at the sole discretion of the instructor and, if allowed, will usually consist of an essay-type exam. When assignments are closed, they will not be reopened. If you have technical problems uploading an assignment, contact the Office of Instructional Technology at so they can assist you. Don t wait, however, until the last minute and then hope you have enough time to seek help. Sometime, it takes an hour or more for OIT to walk a student through various problems occurring because of a setting on the student s personal computer. Regardless of the problem, the assignment will still be due at the scheduled time. IMPORTANT: DO NOT make the mistake of submitting a file with the file extension.lnk or a file with the document name beginning with a $ replacing the first letter of the file name. LOOK at the file name you have uploaded. If it has either of these problems you need to delete the file you have uploaded to Desire2Learn and upload again. The.lnk usually occurs when you have placed a link to a file on your desktop and uploaded from there. The $ in front of the file name usually means you have the file open and instead of choosing the file, you have chosen the temporary file. In either case, the file will not open when submitted, meaning I will have nothing to grade, and you will receive a ZERO. In the past, students have turned in these incorrect file formats to buy themselves more time by indicating it was simply a mistake. I have later found out from other students that they did it intentionally. Therefore, I now have the policy that NO EXTENSION will be given because of incorrect file formats or incorrect submission. In other words if you turn in an incorrect file format, you will receive a zero. Academic integrity is a responsibility of all university faculty and students. Faculty members promote academic integrity in multiple ways including instruction on the components of academic honesty, as well as abiding by university policy on penalties for cheating and plagiarism. Academic dishonesty includes both cheating and plagiarism. Cheating includes but is not limited to (1) using or attempting to use unauthorized materials to aid in achieving a better grade on a component of a class; (2) the falsification or invention of any information, including citations, on an assigned exercise; and/or (3) helping or attempting to help another in an act of cheating or plagiarism. Plagiarism is presenting the words or ideas of another person as if they were your own. Examples of plagiarism are (1) submitting an assignment as if it were one's own work when, in fact, it is at least partly the work of another; (2) submitting a work that has been purchased or otherwise obtained from an Internet source or another source; and (3) incorporating the words or ideas of an author into one's paper without giving the author due credit. Please read the complete policy at BCM Fall 2012 Page 6

7 Ordinarily, at the discretion of the instructor of record and with the approval of the academic chair/director, a grade of WH will be assigned only if the student cannot complete the course work because of unavoidable circumstances. Students must complete the work within one calendar year from the end of the semester in which they receive a WH, or the grade automatically becomes an F. If students register for the same course in future terms the WH will automatically become an F and will be counted as a repeated course for the purpose of computing the grade point average. To obtain disability related accommodations, alternate formats and/or auxiliary aids, students with disabilities must contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS), Human Services Building, and Room 325, / (TDD) as early as possible in the semester. Once verified, ODS will notify the course instructor and outline the accommodation and/or auxiliary aids to be provided. Failure to request services in a timely manner may delay your accommodations. For additional information, go to Students with documented disabilities who need course adaptations or accommodations should make an appointment first with the Office of Disability Services and then with the instructor at the start of the semester. STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY POLICIES Online Attendance/Tardiness The following changes to Stephen F. Austin State University s Attendance/Tardiness policy are effective March 15, 2006: Stephen F. Austin State University online courses have both synchronous and asynchronous requirements. Synchronous (or real-time) learning experiences called seminars happen at the same time for all students in a section. Asynchronous learning experiences happen throughout the course and do not require student participation at a scheduled time. The specific requirements for attendance are the following: Any first-term student, or any student seeking reentry, who does not log into classes within the first seven days of the term will be withdrawn from their classes and their enrollment will be cancelled. Students who have not participated in class by failing to log in for 21 consecutive calendar days (excluding scheduled breaks) will be administratively withdrawn from their program. Students who fail to log into any class within the first 21 days of the term will be dropped from the class or classes. Students dismissed due to nonattendance must apply for readmission by following reentry procedures. Students may appeal to their school s Associate Dean of Students if they feel an error has been made in their attendance calculation. Attendance Policy (A-) Regular and punctual attendance is expected for all classes, laboratories, and other activities for which a student is registered. Attendance policies shall be stated in the syllabus. For those classes where attendance is a factor in the course grade, an accurate record of attendance shall be maintained. Regardless of attendance, the student is responsible for course content and assignments. Students are responsible for providing satisfactory documentation in a timely manner to the instructor for each absence. BCM Fall 2012 Page 7

8 Acceptable Student Behavior (Refer to Student Conduct Code D-34.1) Classroom behavior should not interfere with the instructor s ability to conduct the class or the ability of other students to learn from the instructional program (see the Student Conduct Code, policy D-34.1). Unacceptable or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. Students who disrupt the learning environment may be asked to leave class and may be subject to judicial, academic, or other penalties. This prohibition applies to all instructional forums, including electronic, classroom, labs, discussion groups, field trips, etc. The instructor shall have full discretion over what behavior is appropriate/inappropriate in the classroom. Students who do not attend class regularly or who perform poorly on class projects/exams may be referred to the Early Alert Program. This program provides students with recommendations for resources or other assistance that is available to help SFA students succeed. BCM Fall 2012 Page 8

9 Percentage Item Range Letters, memorandums, and written messages 25 30% Documented report/proposal with recommendations 15 25% Examinations (at least two) 15 30% Quizzes and other assignments 30% Oral presentation 5 % Percent for this section 24.0% 15.0% 30.0% 21.0%.0% To receive an A you need between 895 and 00 points To receive a C you need between 695 and 794 points To receive a B you need between 795 and 894 points To receive a D you will need at least 595 points but less than 694 CLASS SCHEDULE The following pages contain the schedule for the fall semester. Each assignment has a due date assigned. The only assignments guaranteed to be graded are those submitted by the official deadline. The instructor reserves the right to adjust this schedule as deemed necessary to best cover material in this course in the event there are extenuating circumstances that prevent effective coverage of material. For detailed information on each assignment, see the Assignment Page Listings in Desire2Learn. Again, it is recommended that you print this syllabus and keep the course schedule in a convenient location so as not to miss any of the assignment deadlines. GETTING STARTED CHECKLIST Read Syllabus. Purchase BCOM4 textbook WITH access code. Log in to the CourseMate online companion and find the section that contains the tutorials. Take the FAQ Syllabus quiz must receive 0 percent before any other grades will be valid - this means before the first deadline or all other grades will be zero. Print a copy of the schedule from the syllabus. Begin work immediately on the schedule. Don t get behind. BCM Fall 2012 Page 9

10 Week Date Reading and Activities Assignments Due Points Introduction to the course and D2L 1 Aug. 27 Sign up in D2L for Chapter Two Group Presentation Read Chapters 1-4 Syllabus Quiz D2L Sign-up for Ch 2 Group Presentation Aug. 29 Ch 1: Establishing a Framework for Business Communication D2L Ch 1 Discussion Recession Ride Taxi 5 2 Sept. 3 No class: Labor Day Holiday Sept. 5 Ch 3: Planning Spoken and Written Messages 3 Sept. Ch. 4: Preparing Spoken and Written Messages Sept. 12 Ch. 2: Focusing on Interpersonal and Group Communication IN CLASS Ch 2 Group Presentations (Grp1,2,3,4) 50 Sept. 14 D2L Quiz Ch pts. each 40 4 Sept. 17 Ch 2 Presentations Cont d (Grp5) EXAM 1 Chapters 1-4 (60 min) in class D2L Ch2 Group Member Evaluation EXAM 1 - Ch 1-4 (60 min.) in class 80 Sept. 19 Ch. 5: Communicating Electronically 5 Sept. 24 Ch. 6: Delivering Good and Neutral News Messages D2LGroupSignup-Ch 6-12 TEAM ASSIGNMENTS Ch6Good News Practice Letter (TEAM) 2.5 Sept. 26 Ch. 6 continued Ch6Good News FINAL Letter (Individual) 70 6 Oct. 1 Ch. 7: Delivering Bad News Messages Ch7Bad News Practice Letter (TEAM) Oct. 3 Ch. 7 continued Ch7Bad News FINAL Letter (Individual) 70 7 Oct. 8 Ch. 8: Delivering Persuasive Messages Ch8Persuasive Practice Letter (TEAM) Oct. Ch. 8 continued Ch8Persuasive FINAL Letter (Individual) 70 Oct. 12 Quizzes for Chapters 5-8 due online in D2L D2L Ch 5-8 Quizzes@ pts. each 40 8 Oct. 15 EXAM 2 Chapters 5-8 (60 min) in class EXAM 2 Ch 5-8 (60 min.) in class 70 Oct. 17 Ch. 9: Understanding the Report Process and Research Methods Midterm is Oct Maximum points available at midterm 560 BCM Fall 2012 Page

11 9 Oct. 22 Ch 9 continued; Ch. : Managing Data and Using Graphics Ch.9Team Research Assignment due by 4PM 50 Oct. 24 No class; Ch. : Managing Data and Using Graphics - online activities Oct. 26 Week 9 Assignments due in D2L by 4PM Oct. 26 D2L Ch. 9 Quiz due 9AM D2L Ch. Quiz due 9AM D2L Ch Graphics Exercise due 9AM Oct 29 No class; Ch. 11: Organizing and Preparing Reports and Proposals (Listen to audio lecture in CengageBrain); conduct secondary research for FINAL individual research report Oct. 30 *Guest Speaker: 5-6PM Room 133 McGee Business Bldg. BONUS OPPORTUNITY: Guest speaker Oct. 31 Ch. 11 continued Meet with your team to plan recommendations and prepare the team s presentation for Chapter 12 Nov. 2 Individual Research Report Due Nov Nov. 5 Ch. 12: Designing and Delivering Business Presentations Nov. 6 BCM Fall 2012 Page 11 D2L Ch Quizzes@ pts. each due by 9AM Nov Nov. 7 EXAM 3: Chapters 9-12 (60 min) in class Exam 3: Chapters 9-12 (60 min) in class Nov. 12 Team Oral Presentations Ch12 In-class Team Oral Presentations 50 Nov. 14 Team Oral Presentations continued Ch12 In-class Team Presentations continued D2L Ch12 Team Member Evaluations 5 13 Nov. 19 Ch. 13: Preparing Resumes and Application Messages Nov. 21 No class: Thanksgiving Holiday 14 Nov. 26 Ch. 13 continued Nov. 28 Ch. 14: Interviewing for a Job and Preparing Employment Messages 15 Dec. 3 Ch. 14 continued Ch Individual Assignment due D2L Ch Quizzes due 5PM Dec. 3 Ch13-14 Individual Assignment due 20 Dec. 5 Exam 4: Chapters (60 min) in class Exam 4: Chapters (60 min) in class 70 In-class participation grade Final Dec. Final Exam 1-3PM required if you missed an assignment FINAL EXAM 1-3 PM (2 hrs.) in class FINAL EXAM EXAM IS IN BU 237 ON MONDAY, DEC. FROM 1-3PM. The final exam is not required unless you missed one or more of the Exams during the session. You may use the final exam to replace one missed grade from the following: Exam #1, Exam #2, Exam #3, Exam #4, Final Letter #1, Final Letter #2, Final Letter #3, or one quiz. It cannot be used to replace any other assignment. You must tell the instructor what assignment you missed. *This is a tentative schedule that may be subject to change by the instructor.