3310.Business Communication

Comet Creed: “As a Comet, I pledge honest, integrity, and service in all that I do.”
 

Course Number: BCOM 3310
Title: Business Communication
Term: Fall 2016

Contact Information
Instructor: McClain Watson, PhD
Office Location: 4.415 JSOM
Office Hours: TBD or by  appointment
Email: mcclain.watson+tbd @gmail.com
Office Phone: 972.883.4875

Course Description
Introduction to various types of professional communication, with an emphasis on business writing. Students will gain experience writing and revising business email, letters, proposals, and job search documents. Students will work both individually and in teams and will exit the course with a clear understanding of the centrality of communication in business.

Pre-requisites

RHET 1302 and (ACCT 3100 or BA 3100 or BCOM 3100 or FIN 3100 or HMGT 3100 or IMS 3100 or MKT 3100 or ITSS 3100 or OPRE 3100).

Course Learning Objectives
1. Students will demonstrate multi-media career development and job preparedness.
2. Students will construct effective intra-firm communication documents and presentations.
3. Students will construct effective documents and presentations for key external stakeholders.

Required Textbooks and Materials
We will use the 10th edition of Essentials of Business Communication by Guffey and Loewy, ISBN-13: 9781285858913.

DO NOT purchase a used version of this book or an earlier edition.  You MUST purchase the ebook+Aplia chapter quizzes here: http://www.cengagebrain.com/course/site.html?id=1-23AMS95. The total price is $85.

Aplia Quizzes
Chapter quizzes must be completed by 11pm on the Friday after we work with the chapter in class.

You get *1 free quiz deadline extension* as long as you notify me within 48 hours of missing the deadline.

Attendance
You get 2 free absences.
Each absence after that = 10 points off your final grade.
It is your responsibility to make sure you are counted present in each class.

Assignments
100pts – Email
100pts – Claim Letter
100pts – Bad News Letter
200pts – 10 Chapter Quizzes on Aplia
150pts – Collaborative Proposal
100pts – Team Presentation
50pts – Resume
50pts – Executive Summary
850 possible points

Grading Policy
All work should also demonstrate the same professional and ethical standards expected of you in the workplace, including proofreading and editing carefully all work you submit in this class. Professionalism also means that you use appropriate source citation wherever and whenever necessary so that you avoid violations of copyright – even if those violations are inadvertent.Business Communication Center
You are strongly encouraged to use the JSOM Business Communication Center. Tutors in the BCC will help you improve your writing and speaking skills and assignments.Visit http://bcc.utdallas.edu/ to make an appointment, find resources for business writing, and learn how to use APA to cite materials in your writing.Emphasis on Social and Environmental Sustainability
Responsible business leaders of the 21st century will not only need to ensure the profitability of their company but will also need to be able to identify and manage the many ways in which their organization impacts its natural environment and social community. Leaders must also be able to communicate these commitments to the public in an effective and accurate way.In this class, you will complete a major writing project that will help you imagine the ways in which North Texas businesses can ‘give back’ to their community through a significant community action program. This project will not only help you improve your team work and communication skills, but will also bring you into a closer relation to your community and its needs.Course Policies
Late Work
Deadlines in the professional world are a serious matter. Missed deadlines mean lost contracts, delayed product releases, skyrocketing expenses, and, in some cases, the loss, quite literally, of millions of dollars in revenue. Missed deadlines also compromise professional reputations and careers. ‘I had technological problems’ is not a valid excuse for late work.

For these reasons, late or incomplete work is not acceptable in this course EXCEPT in the most extreme and unlikely of circumstances.

Academic Integrity
The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty. Because the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work done by the student for that degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrate a high standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work.Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from any other source is unacceptable. I am VERY good at detecting and tracking down plagiarized writing so DO NOT TEST ME.ALL suspected cases of academic dishonesty will be referred to the Office of Judicial Affairs. The minimum penalty for academic dishonesty is a grade of zero on the assignment.Individual Extra Credit
Other than extra credit opportunities offered to the entire class, I do not curve individual items, nor do I offer “extra credit” work or “special consideration” to allow individual students a chance to raise their grade. If a personal situation arises during the semester that may affect your classroom performance, please talk to me sooner rather than later. If you wait until the end of the semester, I won’t be able to help you. I can work with you more easily if you speak to me when the situation arises.

Technology Requirements
You should develop the habit of checking both E-Learning and your UTD email often for assignments and announcements. Reliable and frequent internet connectivity is indispensable – not having internet access will make your group projects more difficult and will not serve as a valid excuse for shortcomings. You also have the responsibility to ensure that you have access to the course for the duration of the semester and must submit all assignments, except for presentation booklets, through WebCT. Failure to check UTD or E-Learning email, errors in forwarding email, and email bounced from over-quota mailboxes are not acceptable excuses for missing course or project-related email.

Classroom and Equipment Use Policies
No laptops, cell phones, pagers, or other electronic messaging services may be used in the classroom unless you have cleared it with me first.

Classroom Citizenship
In keeping with this course’s professional communication mandate, students are expected to use every opportunity in the course to practice communicating in a civil and professional manner.

Additional policies can be found here: http://coursebook.utdallas.edu/syllabus-policies

These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the Professor.

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