COURSE SYLLABUS. POFT Business Correspondence & Communication ATC Room 122

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1 Foundation Skills: F1,2,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,15,16,17 Competency Skills: C1,3,5,6,7,8,9,11,12,13,14,15,18,19 COURSE SYLLABUS COURSE TITLE: SEMESTER/YEAR: INSTRUCTOR: OFFICE LOCATION: POFT Business Correspondence & Communication ATC Room 122 Fall 2012 Tuesday & Thursday, 9-10:15 AM FINAL Thursday, December 13, 8-10 AM Patricia Dennis ATC - Room 110 OFFICE HOURS: MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY ROOM 10:40-11:00 AM 10:15 11 AM 10:40-11:00 AM 10:15 11 AM 10-11:30 AM ATC PM 1:30-2:30 PM 1-3 PM 1:30-2:30 PM Other Times by Appointment ATC 110 OFFICE PHONE: E- MAIL ADDRESS: pdennis@southplainscollege.edu A student who enrolls in this class who may need classroom accommodations is strongly encouraged to schedule an intake interview with the special services department before enrolling in this class or prior to the add/drop date for this semester. COURSE DESCRIPTION: COURSE GOALS: This course provides skill development in practical applications which emphasize the improvement of writing skills necessary for effective business communications. After successfully completing this course, the student should be able to apply appropriate communications theory in the writing of business letters and short reports. Each student should also be more at ease and knowledgeable about the job- hunting process Course Syllabus: Business Correspondence & Communication - POFT 2312 (Fall 2012) Page 1

2 TEXT AND OTHER MATERIALS after he/she participates in mock interviews and hears lectures from various experts in the personnel field. 1. Essentials of Business Communication 9th Edition by Guffey & Loewy, ISBN: (Bundled with WebTutor on BlackBoard with e- Book Printed Access.) You will have two codes one for BB and one for the Guffey website. 2. Compact dictionary or word- division manual for reference ring binder for handouts, returned letters, etc. 4. Notebook dividers. 5. Section Key for E- Book and optional interactive quizzes is 5C62-0DD4-4F2E ATTENDANCE POLICY Punctual and regular class attendance is required of all students. There are NO excused absences. It is the student's responsibility to do the work missed within a reasonable period of time as determined by the instructor. The student will be withdrawn from the course after the 4th absence. Two tardies equal one absence; class starts promptly at the scheduled class time. Any student with perfect attendance at semester end will have two additional points added to his/her final average. Last day to drop a class is November 20, Check with your instructor before dropping any class. CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR Courteous and appropriate classroom behavior is expected at all times. Since this class will demand everyone s complete attention, students should avoid all forms of inattentive and/or offensive behavior. Examples of behavior that will not be tolerated include reading newspapers, surfing the web, listening to IPods or similar devices, working on assignments for other classes, napping, talking with neighbors, coming to class excessively or consistently late, leaving before class is over and without prior notice, text messaging or other cell Course Syllabus: Business Correspondence & Communication - POFT 2312 (Fall 2012) Page 2

3 phone usage, or any other behavior that distracts either you, other students, or the instructor from the complete focus and attention of the class. All cell phones MUST be turned OFF at the beginning of each class. Students violating this policy may be asked to leave class. Food, drinks, smoking, and children are not allowed in SPC classrooms. The instructor reserves the right to dismiss students from class for any of the above- listed activities and, if necessary, issue a reduction of up to 5 points in the student s overall final grade average. EXAMINATION POLICY Three unit exams will be announced and reviewed prior to being given in class. Chapter exams will be taken online. There are NO make- up exams. ALL students MUST take the final examination. GRADING POLICY Letters & other writing assignments (lowest grade will be dropped) Chapter Exams (lowest grade will be dropped) Unit Exams (3) Online Assignments (Includes postings on discussion board, practice quizzes, grammar checkups, editing challenges, and other assigned online work.) Class Notebook (Includes chapters exercises, outside letters, tests grades, and all returned, graded letters. Articles on communication and actual letters you receive are great additions to your notebook! Use dividers to separate various sections/chapters.) Total 25% 25% 20% 20% 10% 100% NOTE: Final grades will be based on the following grading scale: = A = B = C = D 59 and below = F Course Syllabus: Business Correspondence & Communication - POFT 2312 (Fall 2012) Page 3

4 These letter grades have the following numerical value: A+ = 98 A = 95 A- = 92 B+ = 88 B = 85 B- = 82 C+ = 78 C = 75 C- = 72 D+ = 68 D = 65 D- = 62 F = 50 ASSIGNMENT POLICY Reading of the chapters as assigned in preparation for class discussion and participation is essential. Some exercises at the end of each chapter are assigned to help in the understanding of the material covered. These exercises may be handwritten or typed. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Actual letters you receive either personally or on the job are welcome additions to class discussions. Each letter brought in that illustrates a type of communication that we have studied will increase your notebook grade. Each communication must be analyzed for strong and weak areas. Articles on the communication process should also be included in the notebook. Communication problems encountered by the student will also contribute to the class discussion and understanding of the material being covered. Course Syllabus: Business Correspondence & Communication - POFT 2312 (Fall 2012) Page 4

5 COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES (C1,3,5,6,7,8,9,11,13,14,15,18,19) Course Learning Outcomes During a course using Essentials of Business Communication, you will: Develop an awareness of the need for correct expression and professionalism in oral and written business communication. Understand the technologies commonly used in today s digital workplace. Develop techniques for improving listening, nonverbal, and cross- cultural skills. Evaluate business messages to determine strengths and weaknesses. Apply a three- stage writing process to solve business communication problems. Apply the principles of effective communication to business writing, including audience benefits, you view, conversational but professional tone, positive language, inclusive expression, plain English, emphasis, conciseness, and clarity. Compose messages that are readable, use appropriate language, apply parallelism, and use graphic highlighting to convey ideas clearly to readers. Use informal and formal research techniques to gather information. Write sentences and paragraphs that link ideas to build coherence. Apply effective writing and formatting techniques to the composition of e- mail messages, interoffice memos, routine letters, goodwill messages, persuasive messages, negative messages, informal reports, proposals, and formal reports. Learn to communicate effectively and professionally in person, in meetings, by telephone, and digitally. Practice effective techniques for creating, presenting, and following up oral presentations. Write persuasive résumés, cover letters, and other employment documents, as well as learn to optimize employment messages for today s digital workplace. Demonstrate superior interviewing techniques when applying for employment. Course Syllabus: Business Correspondence & Communication - POFT 2312 (Fall 2012) Page 5

6 COURSE OUTLINE WEEK 1 - INTRODUCTION OF CLASS AND GRAMMAR/MECHANICS DIAGNOSTIC TEST WEEK 2 CHAPTER 1: COMMUNICATION SKILLS AS CAREER FILTERS Appreciate how solid communication skills will improve your career prospects and help you succeed in today s changing workplace. Understand the process of communication. Begin practicing your listening skills and confront barriers to effective listening. Explain the importance of nonverbal communication and of improving your nonverbal communication skills. Recognize how culture influences communication and explain five common dimensions of culture. Discuss strategies that help you overcome negative cultural attitudes and prevent miscommunication in today s diverse workplace. WEEK 3 - CHAPTER 2: PLANNING BUSINESS MESSAGES List goals for business messages and follow the three- phase writing process. Identify the purpose for a message and select the best communication channel. Anticipate and profile the audience for a message. Adapt your message to the task and to your audience by addressing audience benefits and cultivating a you view. Use skillful writing techniques including being conversational, professional, and courteous as well as using bias- free language, plain expression, and familiar words. WEEK 4 CHAPTER 3: COMPOSING BUSINESS MESSAGES Contrast formal and informal methods of researching data and generating ideas for messages. Organize information into outlines. Compare direct and indirect patterns for organizing ideas. Course Syllabus: Business Correspondence & Communication - POFT 2312 (Fall 2012) Page 6

7 Write effective sentences using four sentence types while avoiding three common sentence faults. Understand how to emphasize ideas, use active and passive voice effectively, achieve parallelism, and avoid dangling and misplaced modifiers. Draft powerful paragraphs that incorporate topic sentences, support sentences, and transitional expressions to build coherence. WEEK 5 CHAPTER 4: REVISING BUSINESS MESSAGES Enhance message conciseness by eliminating flabby expressions, limiting long lead- ins, dropping fillers, and rejecting redundancies. Revise messages to improve clarity by dumping trite business phrases, using jargon judiciously, avoiding slang, and dropping clichés. Revise messages to improve vigor and directness by unburying verbs, controlling exuberance, and choosing precise words. Understand document design and be able to use white space, margins, typefaces, fonts, numbered and bulleted lists, and headings to improve readability. Apply effective techniques for proofreading routine and complex documents. WEEK 6 UNIT 1 TEST WEEK 7 CHAPTER 5: ELECTRONIC MESSAGES AND MEMORANDUMS Understand how organizations exchange paper- based and electronic messages. Know when to send and how to organize e- mail messages and memos. Describe appropriate formats of messages and memos.. Identify best practices for writing professional-mails. Explain the business applications of instant messaging and texting. Discuss social networking sites, assess their advantages and their risks, and appreciate the potential of professional networking sites. Recognize the business uses of podcasts, blogs, and wikis; understand the distribution of Web content by real simple syndication (RSS) feeds; and describe the purpose of social bookmarking. Course Syllabus: Business Correspondence & Communication - POFT 2312 (Fall 2012) Page 7

8 WEEK 8 CHAPTER 6: POSITIVE MESSAGES Understand when business letters are more appropriate than e- mails and memos, and explain how business letters should be formatted. Write direct messages that make requests and respond to inquiries. Create effective and clear step- by- step instructions. Compose messages that make direct claims and voice complaints. Prepare adjustment messages that regain the confidence of customers and promote further business. Write goodwill messages that convey kindness and build a positive image of the writer and his or her company. WEEK 9 CHAPTER 7: NEGATIVE MESSAGES Describe the strategies and goals of business communicators, and decide whether to use the direct or indirect strategy in conveying negative news. Analyze the components of effective negative messages, including opening with a buffer, apologizing, conveying empathy, presenting the reasons, cushioning the bad news, and closing pleasantly. Outline and apply a plan for refusing typical requests and claims. Describe and apply effective strategies for handling bad news with customers. Explain and apply effective techniques for breaking bad news within organizations. Understand ethical and unethical uses of the indirect strategy. WEEK 10 CHAPTER 8: PERSUASIVE MESSAGES Outline the opening, body, and closing of persuasive requests. Request favors and action convincingly. Make reasonable claims and write successful complaints. Write effective persuasive messages within organizations. Course Syllabus: Business Correspondence & Communication - POFT 2312 (Fall 2012) Page 8

9 Outline sales letters and their AIDA pattern; gaining attention, building interest, developing desire, and motivating action. Apply the persuasive strategy to online sales messages. Understand how businesses embrace social media to communicate with their stakeholders. WEEK 11 UNIT 3 TEST WEEK 12 CHAPTER 11: PROFESSIONALISM AT WORK: BUSINESS ETIQUETTE, ETHICS, TEAMWORK, AND MEETINGS Show that you understand the importance of professional behavior, business etiquette, and ethics and know what employers want. Discuss improving face- to- face workplace communication including using your voice as a communication tool. Understand how to foster positive workplace relations through conversation. Review techniques for responding professionally to workplace criticism and for offering constructive criticism on the job. Explain ways to polish your professional telephone skills and practice proper voice mail etiquette. Describe the role of conventional and virtual teams, explain positive and negative team behavior, and identify the characteristics of successful teams. Outline procedures for planning, leading, and participating in productive business meetings, including using professional etiquette techniques, resolving conflict, and handling dysfunctional group members.. WEEK 13 CHAPTER 13: THE JOB SEARCH, RÉSUMÉS, AND COVER LETTERS Prepare for a successful job search by identifying your interests, evaluating your assets, recognizing the changing nature of jobs, and choosing a career path. Apply both electronic and traditional job- search techniques. Appreciate the need to customize your résumé, and know whether to choose a chronological or a functional résumé format. Organize your qualifications and information into effective résumé categories. Describe techniques that prepare a résumé for today s technologies, including preparing a Course Syllabus: Business Correspondence & Communication - POFT 2312 (Fall 2012) Page 9

10 scannable résumé, and an e- portfolio. Write a persuasive cover letter to accompany your résumé. WEEK 14 CHAPTER 13 CONTINUED AND CHAPTER 14: INTERVIEWING AND FOLLOWING UP Explain the purposes and types of job interviews, including screening, one- on- one, panel, group, sequential, stress, and online interviews. Describe what to do before an interview, including researching the company, rehearsing success stories, practicing responses to potential interview questions, and cleaning up digital dirt. Explain how to prepare for employment interviews, including researching the target company. Recognize how to fight interview fears and control nonverbal messages. Answer common interview questions and close an interview positively. Outline the activities that take place after an interview, including thanking the interviewer and contacting references. Write follow- up letters and other employment messages. WEEK 15 CHAPTER 14 CONTINUED AND MOCK INTERVIEWS Participate in a mock interview. Critique others in a similar interview setting. WEEK 16 FINAL UNIT 3 Course Syllabus: Business Correspondence & Communication - POFT 2312 (Fall 2012) Page 10

11 CAMPUS GUIDELINES CHILDREN ON CAMPUS Many of the students attending classes at South Plains College are also parents who value the opportunity to participate in higher education. Sometimes students are faced with the decision of whether to remain at home with their children, bring children with them to class, or be absent from class. The following guidelines address concerns for the safety of children on campus and provide for an environment conducive to learning: 1. Students are not allowed to bring children to class and will be asked to leave in the interest of providing an environment conducive for all students enrolled in the class. Students are responsible for adherence to the attendance requirements set forth by the instructor in the course syllabus. 2. Children may not be left unattended. In order to provide for the safety of children on campus, parents or other guardians are responsible for supervising children while utilizing services or conducting business on campus. 3. Disruptive children will not be allowed to interfere with college business. Parents or other guardians are responsible for supervising and controlling the behavior of children they have brought on campus. AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT STATEMENT Students with disabilities, including but not limited to physical, psychiatric or learning disabilities, who wish to request accommodations in this class should notify the Special Services Office early in the semester so that the appropriate arrangements may be made. In accordance with federal law, a student requesting accommodations must provide acceptable documentation of his/her disability to the Coordinator of Special Services. For more information, call or visit the Special Services Office in Rooms 809 and 811, Reese Center Building 8, , ext DIVERSITY STATEMENT In this class, the teacher will establish and support an environment that values and nurtures individual and group differences and encourages engagement and interaction. Understanding and respecting multiple experiences and perspectives will serve to challenge and stimulate all of us to learn about others, about the larger world, and about ourselves. By promoting diversity and intellectual exchange, we will not only mirror society as it is, but also model society as it should and can be. GENERAL SAFETY ON CAMPUS South Plains College recognizes the importance of safety on campus. The protection of persons and property is a responsibility which we all share. Personal safety begins with the individual. The following guidelines are intended to assist you in protecting yourself and to encourage practices that contribute to a safe environment for our campus community. Never leave your personal property unsecured or unattended. Look around and be aware of your surroundings when you enter and exit a building. Whenever possible, avoid walking alone, particularly after dark. Walk to your vehicle with other class members or request that the Security Guard walk you to your car. When approaching your vehicle, keep your keys in your hand; look under your car and in the back seat and floorboard. Lock the doors as soon as you are inside your car. FOOD AND DRINK IN CLASSROOMS It is the policy of South Plains College not to permit food or drink in the classrooms or laboratories. In case of emergency, contact the following numbers but DO NOT leave a voice mail message: , ext Levelland Campus , ext ATC , ext Reese Center (mobile ) Course Syllabus: Business Correspondence & Communication - POFT 2312 (Fall 2012) Page 11

12 SOUTH PLAINS COLLEGE, TECHNICAL DIVISION SCANS Competencies RESOURCES: Identifies, organizes, plans, and allocates resources. C1 C2 C3 C4 Time: Selects goal- relevant activities, ranks them, allocates time, and prepares and follows schedules. Money: Uses or prepares budgets, makes forecasts, keeps records, and makes forecasts, keeps records, and makes adjustments to meet objectives. Materials and Facilities: Acquires, stores, allocates, and uses materials or space efficiently. Human Resources: Assesses skills and distributes work accordingly, evaluates performance and provides feedback. INFORMATION: Acquires and uses information. C5 C6 C7 C8 Acquires and evaluates information. Organizes and maintains information. Interprets and communicates information. Uses computers to process information. INTERPERSONAL: Works with others. C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 Participates as members of a team; contributes to group effort. Teaches others new skills. Serves clients/customers: Works to satisfy customer=s expectations. Exercises Leadership: Communicates ideas to justify position, persuades and convinces others, responsibly challenges existing procedures and policies. Negotiates: Works toward agreements involving exchanges of resources, resolves divergent interests. Works with Diversity: Works well with men and women from diverse backgrounds. SYSTEMS: Understands complex interrelationships. C15 C16 C17 Understands Systems: Knows how social, organizational, and technological systems work and operates effectively with them. Monitors and Corrects Performance: Distinguishes trends, predicts impacts on system operations, diagnoses systems= performance and corrects malfunctions. Improves or Designs Systems: Suggests modifications to existing systems and develops new or alternative systems to improve performance. TECHNOLOGY: Works with a variety of technologies. C18 Selects technology: Chooses procedures, tools or equipment including computers and related technologies. C19 Applies technology to task: Understands overall intent and procedure for set- up and operation of equipment. C20 Maintains and troubleshoots equipment: Prevents, identifies, or solves problems with equipment, including computers and other technologies. Course Syllabus: Business Correspondence & Communication - POFT 2312 (Fall 2012) Page 12

13 SOUTH PLAINS COLLEGE, TECHNICAL DIVISION SCANS Foundation Skills BASIC SKILLS: Reads, writes, performs arithmetic and mathematical operations, listens and speaks. F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 Reading: locates, understands, and interprets written information in prose such as documents, manuals, graphs, and schedules. Writing: communicates thoughts, ideas, information, and messages in written form; creates documents such as letters, directions, manuals, reports, graphs, and flow charts. Arithmetic: Performs basic computations; uses basic numerical concepts such as whole numbers, etc. Mathematics: Approaches practical problems by choosing appropriately from a variety of mathematical techniques. Listening: Receives, attends to, interprets, and responds to verbal messages and other cues. Speaking: organizes ideas and communicates orally. THINKING SKILLS: Thinks creatively, makes decisions, solves problems, visualizes, knows how to learn, and reasons. F7 F8 F9 F10 F11 F12 Creative Thinking: Generates new ideas. Decision Making: Specifies goals and constraints, generates alternatives, considers risks, and evaluates and chooses best alternative. Problem Solving: Recognizes problems and devises and implements plan of action. Seeing Things in Mind=s Eye: Organizes and processes symbols, pictures, graphs, objects, and other information. Knowing How to Learn: Uses efficient learning techniques to acquire and apply new knowledge and skills. Reasoning: Discovers a rule or principle underlying the relationship between two or more objects and applies it when solving a problem. PERSONAL QUALITIES: Displays responsibility, self- esteem, sociability, self- management, and integrity and honesty. F13 F14 F15 F16 F17 Responsibility: Exerts a high level of effort and perseveres toward goal attainment. Self- Esteem: Believes in own self- worth and maintains a positive view of self. Sociability: demonstrates understanding, friendliness, adaptability, empathy, and politeness in group settings. Self- Management: Assesses self accurately, sets personal goals, monitors progress, and exhibits self- control. Integrity/Honesty: Chooses ethical courses of action. Course Syllabus: Business Correspondence & Communication - POFT 2312 (Fall 2012) Page 13