BUSI 522 B Organizational Theory and Practice

Transcription

1 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 1 BUSI 522 B Organizational Theory and Practice Late Fall Session (15/M52) October 26 December 19, 2015 Course Description Examination of modern concepts of effective management. Discussions focus on foundations, theories, models, and literature for designing effective organizational relationships Prerequisite: None Proctored Exams: None Textbooks Daft, Richard. Organization Theory and Design, 12th edition. Cengage Learning, ISBN Textbooks for the course may be ordered from MSB Direct. You can order online at (be sure to select Online Education rather than your home campus before selecting your class) by phone at Additionally you will need to either rent or purchase ONE of the following three movies (a movie analysis is required during Week 7): The King s Speech Starring Colin Firth (2011) Invictus Starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon (2011) Moneyball Starring Brad Pitt and Robin Wright (2012) For additional information about the bookstore, visit Course Overview To help the student succeed in the learning objectives, this course is divided into 5 parts: Introduction to Organizations, Organizational Purpose & Structural Design, Open System Design Elements, Internal Design Elements, and Managing of Dynamic Processes. Introduction to Organizations provides the student exposure to characteristics familiar to all organizations, large and small, manufacturing and service based, for profit and not for profit. This part provides definitions and examples defining organizational theory and the value in becoming stronger managers. Organizational Purpose & Structural Design provides the student opportunities for discussion surrounding strategic management, goals & objectives, and organizational design and its effectiveness. Organizational structure concepts are introduced providing advantages/disadvantages of each. Open System Design Elements provides opportunities for discussion and exploration of relationships between organizations and their internal and external

2 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 2 environments. Environmental domains are examined. The student will explore Interorganizational relationships and learn how to deal effectively with relationship building. Organizational design and the role it plays in assisting organizations preparing to operate in an international environment will be looked at in detail. Students will explore global strategic approaches and specific advantages and disadvantages of each. Internal Design Elements focus is organizational design and its relationship to organizational technology, departmental technologies, and computer-based information technologies. The evolutions of such technologies are explored and how these technologies provide a distinct competitive advantage is synthesized. Organizational life cycle will be presented providing the student with strategies to deal with the various issues that organizations face during each stage. The final part, Managing of Dynamic Processes explores the ethical values of an organization and how value-based leadership plays a significant role in developing a culture of ethical behavior. Innovation and change are introduced and examples of the four types of change will provide students a better understanding of how to implement and manage change. Effective decision making is a key ingredient in organizational success. Several approaches are discussed and analyzed. Closing out this course is an examination of organizational conflict, the use of organizational power and political maneuverings within organizations. In summary, this course is structured to allow students to take a holistic approach in learning organizational design concepts linking them to classical ideas and theories. Students will learn that managers at all levels are deeply involved in organizational theoretical practices daily but seldom realize it. At the end of this course, successful students will understand and will be able to explain events that impact organizational efficiency, effectiveness, and learning; thus allowing them to become better and more effective managers. Organizational Theory and Practices is designed for middle and upper level managers who need to increase their awareness and skills in regards to understanding and dealing with the sociological aspects of an organization. Technology Requirements Participation in this course will require the basic technology for all online classes at Columbia College: A computer with reliable Internet access, a web browser, Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Office You can find more details about standard technical requirements for our courses on our site. Course Objectives This course strives to meet the following goals: To describe new concepts and models from organization theory with changing events in the real world of organizations To diagnose emerging organizational needs and problems To apply a contingency approach to the management of real organizations To be competent in critical thinking, written analysis, and oral presentations To be sensitive to the importance of business ethics and social responsiveness

3 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 3 Measurable Learning Outcomes By the end of this course, students should be able to: Explain contingency theory Explain the context dimensions of organizations: Goals, environment, technology, size, and life cycle Explain the appropriateness of organizational structures Explain the decision-making process Explain the change process Prepare a written professional case analysis Prepare and deliver a professional oral case presentation Explain the major theories of business ethics Explain the relationship between organizational structure and strategic decision-making Grading Grading Scale GRADE POINTS PERCENT A B C F Schedule of Due Dates Grade Weights ASSIGNMENT POINTS PERCENT Discussion Questions Workbook Activities Case Analysis Integrative Cases Term Project TOTAL WEEK ASSIGNMENT POINTS TRANSMISSION DUE DATE 1 Discussion Questions 15 Discussion Sunday Workbook 1 30 Dropbox Sunday Plagiarism Tutorial - Quizzes Sunday 2 Discussion Questions 20 Discussion Sunday Workbook 2 30 Dropbox Sunday Case Analysis 1 50 Dropbox Sunday 3 Discussion Questions 25 Discussion Sunday Case Analysis 2 50 Dropbox Sunday 4 Discussion Questions 25 Discussion Sunday Workbook 3 30 Dropbox Sunday Workbook 4 30 Dropbox Sunday

4 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 4 5 Discussion Questions 20 Discussion Sunday Integrative Case Dropbox Sunday 6 Discussion Questions 15 Discussion Sunday Case Analysis 3 50 Dropbox Sunday 7 Discussion Questions 35 Discussion Sunday Case Analysis 4 50 Dropbox Sunday Term Project 310 Dropbox Sunday 8 Discussion Questions 15 Discussion Wednesday Integrative Case Dropbox Saturday TOTAL Assignment Overview Readings: Each week includes readings from chapters of the textbook and/or case study readings. It is advisable to complete these reading assignments before starting other assignments for the week, as you will want to reflect your understanding of the concepts in your weekly work. The only way to conduct a proactive discussion online is to respond promptly. To receive the maximum number of points for each discussion question posted, students should review the discussion grading rubric located in the Grading Criteria section below. Because this is a graduate level course, you are expected to research material beyond the textbook (when applicable) and provide APA reference citations in support of that research. Comments such as Good idea or I agree with you. are good to support your fellow students, but that alone is insufficient to earn points. You should engage your fellow learners in a relevant discussion based upon their comments, textbook information, and your additional research. Research beyond the textbook is required on all assignments for this class. A change in format to the discussion board postings has been implemented for this class. You must post your own discussion response before you are given access to read and reply to other messages posted by classmates. This encourages original thought without influence from other existing messages. Students will be able to see the number of unread messages in the updates widget and on the main discussion page, but when you access the topic the following message appears: You must compose a message before you can view or reply to other messages in this topic. Any boxes opened and not completed (to get around the system) will receive an automatic deduction for that discussion board post grade. If you do have a system error contact me ASAP. Additionally, some threads do not use this feature as it is helpful for students to view others posts. Workbook Activities: The Workbook assignments are designed to help you practice and remember important concepts in the course. There will be four Workbook Activities worth 30 points each. Each exercise has directions, and completed work will be submitted to the Dropbox area of the course. Research beyond the textbook is required on all assignments for this class. Grading criteria for the workbook activities is located in the Grading Criteria section below. Case Analysis: The cases you will be asked to read and analyze are located within the textbook. You will have four Case Analysis assignments at 50 points each, making up 20% of the final grade. After reading the assigned case, answer the assigned problems, use APA formatting and be sure to provide solid, in-depth and well researched responses. Research beyond the textbook is required on all

5 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 5 assignments for this class. Submit completed cases to the Dropbox area of the course. A grading criteria for cases for analysis is also in the Grading Criteria section below. Integrative Cases: Like the Case Analysis, the Integrative Cases can be found in your textbook. You will have two Integrative Cases at 100 points each, worth 20% of the final course grade. The Integrative Cases will be more in depth than the Case Analysis and require deeper probing. Use APA formatting and be sure to provide solid, in-depth and well researched responses. Research beyond the textbook is required on all assignments for this class. Submit completed cases to the Dropbox area of the course. One of the integrative cases will require a PowerPoint presentation along with indepth speaker notes. The presentation should reflect what you would say to the organization (if hired as an outside consultant) in your analysis of their company. A grading criteria for the Integrative Cases is also located in the Grading Criteria section below. Term Project: This project consists of 4 components: Organizational Theory literature review; discussion of applicable theories and concepts (synthesis of literature reviewed) as they relate to issues and challenges organizations face today; organizational Analysis using the Baldrige P1/P2 criteria (focus on diagnosis); and recommendations for interventions (should be based on your organizational analysis and literature review). Students are expected to review current and relevant OT literature and provide an annotated summary of each. Each summary must be thorough, concise, and the main point(s) must be clear. A minimum of 10 sources must be selected and referenced. APA style is required. Be sure you are using the 6 th edition of APA. For more in-depth information about the project, please see Week 7 of the Course Schedule, below. The Term Project is worth 310 points, 31% of the final course grade. Course Schedule Week 1 Introduction to Organizations Readings: Read Chapter 1, Organizations and Organization Design. Discussion 1: Introduce yourself in the Introduction thread in the Discussion area of the course. Please give us more than your name. Include your profession, hobbies, interest and any other information you would like to share. Discussion 2: Go to page 36 of your textbook and post your responses to questions 2, 5 and 9. Discussion 3: In this thread we will discuss Academic Honesty and Plagiarism. Please review the section on Academic Honesty in the syllabus. After reviewing the policy, explain, in your own words, what plagiarism is and feel free to defend what it is not! Quizzes: Plagiarism Tutorial: Review the Plagiarism Tutorial available in the Content area and then complete the Plagiarism Tutorial Quiz in the Quizzes area. You must go all the way through the tutorial and complete the quiz before the Dropbox assignment will appear to allow for submission of Workbook Activity 1. Dropbox Assignment: Workbook Activity 1: Go to page 37 of your textbook and review Chapter 1 Workbook: Measuring Dimensions of Organization. Follow the directions listed in the workbook for the assignment. Answers questions 1, 2 and 3 located on page 38. Reflect on the assignment and provide analysis along with your responses to the questions. Reminder: The Plagiarism Tutorial and Quiz must be completed before you may submit this assignment.

6 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 6 Week 2 Organizational Purpose and Structural Design Readings: Read Chapter 2, Strategy, Organization Design, and Effectiveness and Chapter 3, Fundamentals of Organizational Structure. Discussion 4: Research and identify a Fortune 500 Company. Begin by explaining its design as either organic or mechanistic defend why. Next examine Porter s Competitive Strategy and discuss the company that you have researched does it use a differentiation or low-cost leadership strategy explain why. Review the information on the Four Effectiveness Approaches and again discuss your company. Compare/contrast what you have researched with the information provided in the textbook. What recommendations would you make to this organization? Dropbox Assignment: Workbook Activity 2: Go to page 129 of your textbook and review Chapter 3 Workbook: You and Organization Structure. Answer questions 1 5 on page 130. Case Analysis 1: Read the case for analysis: Aquarius Advertising Agency on page in your textbook. After reading the case study answer the following questions: Analyze Aquarius with respect to the five contextual variables. How would you describe the environment, goals, culture, size, and technology for Aquarius? Design a new organization structure that takes into consideration the contextual variables in the case and the information flows. Would a matrix structure be feasible for Aquarius? Why or why not? Week 3 Open System Design Elements Readings: Read Chapter 4, The External Environment and Chapter 5, Interorganizational Relationships. Discussion 5: Read and review page 169 of your textbook and post your responses to questions 3 and 6. Next, read pages 203 and 204 in your textbook and post your responses to questions 4, 7, and 10. Remember, to earn full credit you must respond to your classmates. Dropbox Assignment: Case Analysis 2: Read the case for analysis: The Paradoxical Twins: Acme and Omega Electronics on page 171 in your textbook. After reading the case study answer the following questions: Discuss the goals at Acme and Omega. Your discussion should also include what impact do top managers have on these goals and can these goals be achieved with different strategies? State which company you believe produces more efficiently and then discuss if you believe their level of performance was due to the goals chosen by top management. Defend your position. How can Omega s success be explained? Prepare an argument as to why you believe Omega should be awarded the final contract. Your objective is to convince the stakeholders that Omega is the most logical choice. Which organization was more effective at developing the prototype and meeting the deadlines? Was its level of effectiveness due to the goals chosen by top management? Predict which organization will get the final contract. Why? How can Acme s success be explained? Did Acme s goals seem more appropriate? Did stakeholder satisfaction play a role?

7 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 7 Week 4 Designing Organizations for the International Environment and Internal Design Elements Readings: Read Chapter 6, Designing for the International Environment and Chapter 7, Manufacturing and Service Technologies. Discussion 6: Read and review page 247 of your textbook and post your responses to questions 3, 6 and 7. Next, read page 293 in your textbook and post your responses to questions 4 and 6. Remember, to earn full credit you must respond to your classmates. Dropbox Assignments: Workbook Activity 3: Go to page 247 in your textbook and review Chapter 6 Workbook: Made in the USA? Follow the directions listed in the workbook for the assignment. Provide an in-depth analysis of each product, supporting your analysis with research from company websites, business periodicals and journals, magazines and users manuals. What can you conclude about international products and organizations based on your analysis? Be sure the document is APA formatted and references are cited in-text and on a reference page. Workbook Activity 4: Go to page 294 in your textbook and review Chapter 7 Workbook: Bistro Technology. Follow the directions in the workbook (this is to be completed as an individual project.) Answer questions 1 thru 3 at the bottom of page 299. Week 5 Technology for Control and Organizational Life Cycles Readings: Read Chapter 8, Technology for Control, Social Business and Big Data and Chapter 9, Organizational Size, Life Cycle, and Decline Discussion 7: After reading chapters 8 and 9 discuss your organization. Begin by analyzing the basic IT structure of the organization; expand to social business and finally any usage of big data analytics. Next describe how the IT system has impacted control or changes in control for your department head. Finally, discuss your organization in terms of organizational life cycle. What stage in the lifecycle is your organization currently? Defend your response. Dropbox Assignments: Integrative Case Analysis 1: Read the integrative case: W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. starting on page 555 in your text. Additional information required to complete this assignment is available in the Content area of the course. After reading the case study, create a PowerPoint Presentation (15 20 slides) with in-depth speaker notes that address the following questions: Analyze the structure and environment of W.L. Gore. Include in your analysis each of the structural dimensions discussed in your text and indicate the type of environment W.L. Gore operates in. Provide reasons and explanations to support your analysis. Identify, analyze, and describe in some detail the culture of W. L. Gore. Provide reasons and explanations to support your analysis. Analyze W.L. Gore using Miles and Snows Strategy (as defined in your text), Michael Porter s Five Forces Model, and Porters Competitive Strategies. Use the website provided in the Content area as an additional background on these typologies Analyze W. L. Gore s technology and identify the type of interdependence it uses. Provide reasons and explanations for your analysis. View the W.L. Gore web site, website URL available in the Content area, and discuss their current state in regards to the concepts analyzed above.

8 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 8 Week 6 Managing Dynamic Process: Organizational Culture and Ethics Readings: Read Chapter 10, Organizational Culture and Ethical Values. Discussion 8: Chapter 10 discusses the components that create an organizational culture along with the various types of culture. Additionally it describes ethical values and social responsibility. Research a company that you have not previously discussed in this class. Provide background/summary information on the company, then explain its culture. Expand on what it does in terms of social responsibility and ethical values. Talk about this organization s leadership and how they impact the employees in terms of: corporate culture, ethics and social responsibility. Remember, to earn full credit you must respond to your classmates. Dropbox Assignments: Case Analysis 3: Read the case for analysis: The Boys Versus Corporate, beginning on page 415 in your textbook. After reading the case study answer the following questions: Describe the culture for race car drives. How does NASCAR show social responsibility? Describe the cultural tug of war. How can the NASCAR organization, team, and sponsors work through issues of ethics and values to create a unified culture? Course Evaluation: You will have an opportunity to evaluate the course near the end of the session. A link will be sent to your CougarMail that will allow you to access the evaluation. Be assured that the evaluations are anonymous and that your instructor will not be able to see them until after final grades are submitted. Week 7 Managing Dynamic Processes: Innovation, Change, and Decision- Making Readings: Read Chapter 11, Innovation and Change and Chapter 12, Decision-Making Processes. Discussion 9: Read and review page 454 in your textbook and post your responses to questions 1, 4 and 7. Next, go to page 503 and post your responses to questions 3 and 4. Remember, to earn full credit you must respond to your classmates. Dropbox Assignments: Case Analysis 4: This week involves a movie analysis with information applied from our chapter readings and other relevant research. You choose ONE of the following three videos to watch: The King s Speech Starring Colin Firth (2011) Invictus Starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon (2011) Moneyball Starring Brad Pitt and Robin Wright (2012) After viewing the video and considering the events taking place in the video, provide a thorough discussion on the following concepts: The strategic role of change (incremental vs. radical) Elements of successful change Dual core approach Forces of change (for and against) Decision making processes and models Intergroup conflict Power in organizations

9 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 9 Organizational politics and collaboration Integrative Term Project: Literature Review/Organizational Analysis: This project consists of 4 components: 1. Organizational Theory Literature Review, 2. Literature Synthesis, 3. Organizational Analysis, 4. Analysis Application. Points will be deducted if less than 25 or more than 30 pages are submitted for this project. Title pages, graphs and illustrations, and reference pages will not be counted towards page limitations. Additional information required to complete this assignment is available in the Content area of the course. A. Organizational Theory literature review. B. Discussion of applicable theories and concepts (synthesis of literature reviewed) as they relate to issues and challenges organizations face today. C. Organizational Analysis using the Baldrige P1/P2 criteria (focus on diagnosis). D. Recommendations for interventions (should be based on your organizational analysis and literature review). A. Organizational Theory Literature Review (60 points) Students are expected to review current and relevant OT literature and provide an annotated summary of each. Each summary must be thorough, concise, and the main point(s) must be clear. A minimum of 10 sources must be selected and referenced. APA style is required. Be sure you are using the 6 th edition of APA. B. Literature Synthesis (100 points) Students will discuss applicable concepts, dynamics, and models from not only their literature review, but from course materials and the text. The author must identify and discuss current issues and/or challenges organizations face today. Show how OT concepts relate to and/or support these issues and challenges. C. Organizational Analysis (50 points) Connect to the Baldrige Criteria web site: Use the Organizational Profile (P1/P2) criteria to analysis an organization of your choice. You may use the criteria appropriate to your selected organization (i.e. manufacturing, healthcare, education, etc.) It is highly recommended that the student has access to and familiarity with the organization they choose. If the organization selected is a large and dynamic organization (i.e. Lockheed Martin, U.S. Military), the analysis may be limited to a specific department or group. Before attempting to write the analysis, an understanding of the criteria model may be helpful. The analysis is to be submitted in an Executive Summary format and will not exceed 5 pages in length. Twenty-five (25) points will be deducted if more than 5 pages for this component are submitted. D. Analysis Application (100 points) It is expected that from the organizational analysis (description of the current state of the organization) that the student will have identified issues and challenges that are impacting organizational performance and outcomes. Based on these findings, provide recommended strategies. Recommended strategies should be based on the synthesized literature and other relevant course materials. In addition to recommended strategies, expected outcomes must be discussed. Note: Points will be deducted if less than 25 or more than 30 pages are submitted for this project. Title pages, graphs and illustrations, and reference pages will not be counted towards page limitations. Week 8 Managing Dynamic Processes: Conflict, Power, and Politics Readings: Read Chapter 13, Conflict, Power, and Politics.

10 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 10 Discussion 10: Read and review page 546 in your textbook and post your responses to questions 3, 7 and 9. Remember, to earn full credit you must respond to your classmates. Dropbox Assignments: Integrative Case Analysis 2: Read the integrative case: The New Haven Initiative located on page 548 in your textbook. After reading the case study answer the following questions: Course Policies Student Conduct Plagiarism What model of decision-making did Lee Burton Favor and why? What was the source of the conflict? What should Burton have done to get worker cooperation and full management support? All Columbia College students, whether enrolled in a land-based or online course, are responsible for behaving in a manner consistent with Columbia College's Student Conduct Code and Acceptable Use Policy. Students violating these policies will be referred to the office of Student Affairs and/or the office of Academic Affairs for possible disciplinary action. The Student Code of Conduct and the Computer Use Policy for students can be found in the Columbia College Student Handbook. The Handbook is available online; you can also obtain a copy by calling the Student Affairs office (Campus Life) at The teacher maintains the right to manage a positive learning environment, and all students must adhere to the conventions of online etiquette. Your grade will be based in large part on the originality of your ideas and your written presentation of these ideas. Presenting the words, ideas, or expression of another in any form as your own is plagiarism. Students who fail to properly give credit for information contained in their written work (papers, journals, exams, etc.) are violating the intellectual property rights of the original author. For proper citation of the original authors, you should reference the appropriate publication manual for your degree program or course (APA, MLA, etc.). Violations are taken seriously in higher education and may result in a failing grade on the assignment, a grade of "F" for the course, or dismissal from the College. Collaboration conducted between students without prior permission from the instructor is considered plagiarism and will be treated as such. Spouses and roommates taking the same course should be particularly careful. Additionally, any work that you have done in a previous course, in whole or in part, will not be accepted. Please complete the Plagiarism Tutorial quiz located in the Quiz tab of the classroom to ensure your understanding of Plagiarism. All required papers may be submitted for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers may be included in the Turnitin.com reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism. This service is subject to the Terms and Conditions of Use posted on the Turnitin.com site. Non-Discrimination There will be no discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, ideology, political affiliation, veteran status, age, physical handicap, or marital status. Disability Services Students with documented disabilities who may need academic services for this course are required to register with the Coordinator for Disability Services at (573) Until the student has been cleared through the disability services office, accommodations do not have to be granted. If you are a student who has a documented disability, it is important for you to read the entire syllabus before

11 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 11 enrolling in the course. The structure or the content of the course may make an accommodation not feasible. Online Participation You are expected to read the assigned texts and participate in the discussions and other course activities each week. Assignments should be posted by the due dates stated on the grading schedule in your syllabus. If an emergency arises that prevents you from participating in class, please let your instructor know as soon as possible. Attendance Policy Attendance for a week will be counted as having submitted a course assignment for which points have been earned during that week of the session or if the proctoring information has been submitted or the plagiarism quiz taken if there is no other assignment due that week. A class week is defined as the period of time between Monday and Sunday (except for Week 8, when the week and the course will end on Saturday at midnight). The course and system deadlines are all based on the Central Time Zone. Cougar All students are provided a CougarMail account when they enroll in classes at Columbia College. You are responsible for monitoring from that account for important messages from the College and from your instructor. You may forward your Cougar account to another account; however, the College cannot be held responsible for breaches in security or service interruptions with other providers. Students should use for private messages to the instructor and other students. The class discussions are for public messages so the class members can each see what others have to say about any given topic and respond. Late Assignment Policy An online class requires regular participation and a commitment to your instructor and your classmates to regularly engage in the reading, discussion and writing assignments. Although most of the online communication for this course is asynchronous, you must be able to commit to the schedule of work for the class for the next eight weeks. You must keep up with the schedule of reading and writing to successfully complete the class. Any written drop box assignment (including workbook activities, cases for analysis, integrative cases and term project) submitted late will result in the assignment grade being reduced by half. All late (drop box) assignments are worth only 50% of the original potential points possible. You have only one week to submit late (drop box) work; after one-week the drop box assignment is worth zero points. Discussion Thread Assignments may not be made up. The only way to conduct a proactive discussion online is to respond promptly. If you miss the opportunity to post your response by the Sunday deadline, you will receive a zero for that particular discussion question(s). Course Evaluation You will have an opportunity to evaluate the course near the end of the session. A link will be sent to your CougarMail that will allow you to access the evaluation. Be assured that the evaluations are anonymous and that your instructor will not be able to see them until after final grades are submitted.

12 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 12 Additional Resources Orientation for New Students This course is offered online, using course management software provided by Desire2Learn and Columbia College. The Student Manual provides details about taking an online course at Columbia College. You may also want to visit the course demonstration to view a sample course before this one opens. Technical Support If you have problems accessing the course or posting your assignments, contact your instructor, the Columbia College Helpdesk, or the D2L Helpdesk for assistance. Contact information is also available within the online course environment. CCHelpDesk@ccis.edu ex helpdesk@desire2learn.com Online Tutoring Smarthinking is a free online tutoring service available to all Columbia College students. Smarthinking provides real-time online tutoring and homework help for Math, English, and Writing. Smarthinking also provides access to live tutorials in writing and math, as well as a full range of study resources, including writing manuals, sample problems, and study skills manuals. You can access the service from wherever you have a connection to the Internet. I encourage you to take advantage of this free service provided by the college. Access Smarthinking through CougarTrack under Students->Academics->Academic Resources. Grading Criteria Discussions Points A B C Criteria Description Student responds to the discussion by Wednesday at midnight CT. Responds appropriately to all assigned questions. Reflects a full understanding of all key concepts and questions. Reflects thorough familiarity with the assigned readings. Specific examples are used. Responses are substantive and provoke further thought/discussion, providing in-depth analysis or application of the concepts/questions. Additional research beyond the textbook was used in response and supported with APA formatted in-text citations and a reference list. Postings of other students are read and at least two reply posting is made. One or more elements are missed. Moderate coverage of each required element. Connections to course materials and examples are not fully evident. Posts are simple but show some insight and analysis. Viewpoints are expressed but lack elaboration and detail. Offers some new line of thinking. Most postings of other students are read and at least two reply posting is made. Formatting was used but not correctly formatted to APA 6 th edition standards. One or more elements are missed. Average coverage of each element listed. Connections to course materials and examples are not present or are not fully evident. Posts are simple and show little insight or analysis. Offers some new line of thinking, but this expression lacks

13 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 13 elaboration, detail, and/or support. No research beyond the textbook was evidenced. Most postings of other students are read and at least one reply posting is made. D F Only briefly touches on one or more elements, minimal effort. Content is off-topic or only summarizes others' posts. Response is vague and does not address readings. Does not express position clearly. Lacks insight and analysis. Posts do not inspire further thinking. May have no response posting. Reads little to none of other students postings. Does not touch on any of the possible elements. Shows little to no effort. Does not support position clearly. Shows no insight, analysis, or familiarity with the readings. No response postings or responses consist of good job, I completely agree, or similar rhetoric. Reads little to none of the other students postings. Each discussion topic without an interactive posting will result in a reduction of two (2) points. No postings, late posting or plagiarized postings will receive zero credit. A change in format to the discussion board postings has been implemented for this class. You must post your own discussion response before you are given access to read and reply to other messages posted by classmates. This encourages original thought without influence from other existing messages. Students will be able to see the number of unread messages in the updates widget and on the main discussion page, but when you access the topic the following message appears: You must compose a message before you can view or reply to other messages in this topic. Any boxes opened and not completed (to get around the system) will receive an automatic deduction for that discussion board post grade. If you do have a system error contact me ASAP. Additionally, some threads do not use this feature as it is helpful for students to view other s posts. Dropbox Grading Criteria Grade Criteria for Drop box Assignments A B C D F Paper submitted on time; answers well thought out, organized, addresses all required elements, spelling and grammatical errors are rare. Well written, demonstrates mastery of concepts and their application. Includes in-text citations and a reference page (beyond the textbook). All citations follow APA (6 th edition) format. Submitted on time but does not address all required elements, poor organization, unclear thoughts presented. Some spelling or grammatical errors, paper does not flow, not well organized. References are lacking or incorrectly formatted. On time but too brief, poorly written/organized, does not address required elements or topic. Demonstrates lack of understanding of concepts and their application. A confused paper, too short to address topic. Citations for the most part do not follow APA format. Incomplete paper that fails to address the topic; lacks required elements and fails to demonstrate any knowledge of the concepts. Poor grammar or frequent misspellings. A very poor paper. No reference page and the paper is less than one page. Late assignments will have points deducted from calculated grade per syllabus.

14 Columbia College Online Campus P a g e 14 Integrative Paper Grading Criteria Integrative Paper RUBRIC A B C D F Content 30% original thought; a clearly defined point competent thought; a clearly defined point predictable thought; defined point somewhat confused thought; vapid or somewhat muddled point confused thought; absence of point Organization 30% exceptional organization, sentence structure, transitions and paragraph development effective organization, sentence structure, transitions and paragraph development adequate organization, transitions, and paragraph development, usually coherent sentence structure frequently weak and chaotic organization, transitions and paragraph development; frequently incoherent sentence structure incoherence in organization and paragraph development; ineptly constructed, Diction 20% fitting, lively and consistent diction accurate diction understandable diction frequently inexact diction unidiomatic and obscurelyworded sentences Mechanics 20% almost total freedom from mechanical errors includes APA formatting, headings, and references including proper in-text citations Only infrequent and minor errors. APA formatting is attempted but errors and formatting and citations appear Isolated serious mechanical errors; occasional minor mechanical errors. Limited usage of APA formatting with many errors Occasional serious errors in mechanics; fairly frequent minor errors. Lack of APA formatting. Frequent mechanical errors, either serious or minor. Lack of APA formatting.