BBA 305W Business Communication Class Syllabus for the Spring 2014

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1 Instructor: James McPherson, MA Telephone: All must be submitted to Vista Course: Time: Classroom: BBA 305W (5732), 3 Credits Wednesday, 5:40-8:10 p.m. Pima Community College (West Campus), Room A111 Required Text: Alred, Gerald J. Brusaw, Charles T., Oliu, Walter E. (2012) The Business Writer s Handbook, 10 th Edition. Boston - New York. Bedford/St. Martin s Press Catalog Description: Houghton, P.M., & Houghton, T.J. (2007) APA: The Easy Way! Flint, MI: Baker College. BBA 305W Business Communication Class Syllabus for the Spring 2014 A course that teaches written and oral communication in organizations. The emphasis is on writing letters, memos, and reports, speaking and listening skills, nonverbal communication; communication theory; precise word use; common communication pitfalls; interpersonal communication skills; and cross-cultural communication. Prerequisites: Courses: Business Major Status 1

2 Class description: BBA 350W is a business communications course with an emphasis on effective business writing. You will also gain skills can be applied in developing effective oral communication, and you will have many opportunities to work in this area as well. Because I take a rhetorical approach to teaching business communication, you will learn the importance of understanding your audience and objectives before you design and organize your material, set your tone, and follow an audience-specific persuasive strategy. You will also learn when a formal or informal organizational design is most appropriate, and how to avoid language that is predatory, sexist, or culturally insensitive. Withdrawing from the Course March 14 is the last day that you can withdraw from the course and receive a W. Course Learning Outcomes In BBA 305W, you will learn to: Quote and cite relevant source material correctly using APA guidelines Write an effective and coherent business letter and memorandum Write correct and effective resumes and job applications letters Write a formal business proposal and progress report Construct documents with correct grammar, spelling, and sentence structure Use diction that is accurate, professional, and audience specific Write s that are clear, concise, professional, and audience specific Deliver business presentations effectively, using appropriate media and materials Proofread with accuracy and understand the importance of revision Integrate a team project into an organized and cohesive report Write and present clear and effective quantitative and qualitative analyses Use exhibits, charts, and graphs correctly in written and oral presentations Organize written and oral presentations that are rhetorically effectively Gain an awareness of diversity issues and a grasp of the challenges created by globalization Assignments: During the semester, you will write several papers and reports including 1) a business letter that delivers bad news (in the indirect pattern); 2) a resume and 3) a cover letter, 4) a progress report, and 5) a business proposal. You will make at least one formal presentation in class, and you are expected to participate in class discussion and peer editing as well. You must demonstrate a knowledge of APA guidelines by citing a variety of sources. 2

3 Special Materials Required You will prepare overhead transparencies, slides, or Power Point presentations to support your class presentations. All hardcopy writing assignments must use 1 ½ -inch margins, and they must be double-spaced on standard (8.5 X 11 inch) white paper, using New Times Roman in 12-point type. Citation must follow APA conventions, which we will review in class. Grading Scale APA Assignment...5 points Letter-Memo Exercise..5 points Resume points Cover Letter...15 points Progress Report points Presentation of Final Project points Final Project points 100 points total January points = A points = D points = B Below 65 points is a failing grade points = C Class Schedule 15 Orientation: We will discuss the goals and requirements of this course. Next, we will cover the fundamentals of rhetorical analysis the reasons for identifying your audience and objectives, the continuum between formal and informal business writing, the use of rhetorical strategies, and the issue of jargon, sexist, and culturally sensitive language. APA Assignment: write a Reference page using APA formatting. Please refer to your textbook APA: The Easy Way! 22 Complete orientation, begin lecture. 29 Your APA Reference Page is due tonight (January 29 th ). February 5 This week s topic is the business letter and memorandum. You will learn why it is important to analyze your audience before starting the writing process. You will also learn to use the Direct Approach to convey information that is neutral or contains good news. You will also write a memo in class, exchange it with another student, and evaluate each other s work. 3

4 12 Continue workshop. 19 Next you will learn to use the Indirect Approach (the bad news letter or memorandum). You will learn rhetorical strategies for conveying a negative message based on the Indirect Approach to organizing your material. Your first assignment is to write a bad news letter. 26 The Bad News Letter is due on 9/24. You will learn the conventions for writing an effective cover letter, resume, and follow-up letter. You will learn the importance of researching each perspective employer and making your application material audience centered. March 5 This week we will conduct an in-class workshop on writing a resume. 12 The workshop ends tonight. We will discuss rhetorical strategies for developing an effective cover letter, whether solicited or unsolicited. You will receive model cover letters (handouts), and you should start writing your own cover letter one that can support your resume and be sent to a specific organization. 19 No Class session this week Spring Break. 26 This week we will conduct an in-class workshop on writing a cover letter. The workshop ends on 10/29. April 2 Resumes and covers letter are due on 11/5. The class will be divided into teams, and each team must develop an idea for a Business Proposal. I will provide you with handouts and an extensive lecture on proposal writing. 9 I will lecture on business presentations. Your homework is to develop a team presentation, using PowerPoint slides, for November 19, based on your proposal. You will receive handouts on what to cover in your presentations and on the rubric that I will use in grading them. 16 Each team will deliver a PowerPoint presentation, and the class will offer suggestions and raise questions about the feasibility of implementing 4

5 the ideas that you have proposed. I will also talk to you about the Progress Report, which is due on November Finish presentations, begin Progress reports. 30 The Progress Report is due. For the rest of the semester, we will hold in-class workshops as you complete your final assignment. May 7 Workshop on final project. I will also explain to the class how to include visuals (graphs, tables, charts, illustrations, etc.) into a written document. 14 This is our final classroom meeting. The Business Proposal is due today, May 14. NAU Policies SAFE ENVIRONMENT POLICY NAU s Safe Working and Learning Environment Policy seeks to prohibit discrimination and promote the safety of all individuals within the university. The goal of this policy is to prevent the occurrence of discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status and to prevent sexual harassment, sexual assault, or retaliation by anyone at this university. You may obtain a copy of this policy from the college dean s office. If you have concerns about this policy, it is important that you contact the departmental chair, dean s office, the Office of Student Life ( ), the academic ombudsperson ( ), or NAU s Office of Affirmative Action ( ). STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES If you have a learning and/or physical disability, you are encouraged to make arrangements for class assignments/exams so your academic performance will not suffer because of the disability or handicap. If you have questions about special provisions for students with disabilities, contact the Counseling and Testing Center. Application for services should be made at least eight weeks before the start of the semester. If the Counseling and Testing Center verifies your eligibility for special services, you should consult with your instructor during the first week in the semester so appropriate arrangements can be made. Concerns related to noncompliance with appropriate provisions should be direct to the Disability Support Services coordinator in the Counseling and Testing Center. INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD Any study involving observation of or interaction with human subjects that 5

6 originates at NAU including a course project, report, or research paper must be reviewed and approved by the institutional Review Board (IRB) for the protection of human subjects in research and research-related activities. The IRB meets once each month. Proposals must be submitted for review at least fifteen working days before the monthly meeting. You should consult with your course instructor early in the course to ascertain if your project needs to be reviewed by the IRB and/or to secure information or appropriate forms and procedures for the IRB review. Your instructor and department chair or college dean must sign the application for approval by the IRB. The IRB categorizes projects into three levels depending on the nature of the project: exempt from further review, expedited review, or full board review. If the IRB certifies that a project is exempt from further review, you need not resubmit the project for continuing IRB review as long as there are no modifications in the exempted procedures. A copy of the IRB Policy and Procedures Manual is available in each department s administrative office and each college dean s office. If you have question, contact Carey Conover, Office of Grant and Contract Services, at ACADEMIC INTEGRITY The university takes an extremely serious view of violations of academic integrity. As members of the academic community, NAU s administration, faculty, staff, and students are dedicated to promoting an atmosphere of honesty and are committed to maintaining the academic integrity essential to the educational process. Inherent in this commitment is the belief that academic dishonesty in all forms violates the basic principles of integrity and impedes learning. Students are therefore responsible for conducting themselves in an academically honest manner. Individual students and faculty members are responsible for identifying instances of academic dishonesty. Faculty members then recommend penalties to the department chair or college dean in keeping with the severity of the violation. The complete policy on academic integrity is in Appendix F of NAU s Student Handbook. CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT Membership in the academic community places a special obligation on all members to preserve an atmosphere conducive to a safe and positive learning environment. Part of that obligation implies the responsibility of each member of the NAU community to maintain an environment in which the behavior of any individual is not disruptive. It is the responsibility of each student to behave in a manner that does not interrupt or disrupt the delivery of education by faculty members or receipt of education by students, within or outside the classroom. The determination of whether such interruption or disruption has occurred has to be made by the faculty member at the time the behavior occurs. It becomes the responsibility of the individual faculty member to maintain and enforce the standards of behavior acceptable to preserving an atmosphere for teaching and learning in accordance with University regulations and the course syllabus. At a minimum, students will be warned if their behavior is evaluated by the faculty member as disruptive. Serious disruptions, as determined by the faculty member, may result in immediate removal of the student from the instructional environment. 6

7 Significant and/or continued violations may result in an administrative withdrawal from the class. Additional responses by the faculty member to disruptive behavior may include a range of actions from discussing the disruptive behavior with the student to referral to the appropriate academic unit and/or the Office of Student Life for administrative review, with a view to implement corrective action up to and including suspension or expulsion. 7