POFT 1309 Administrative Office Procedures I COURSE SYLLABUS COURSE NUMBER AND TITLE: POFT 1309 Administrative Office Procedures I (Online Lecture Course) COURSE (CATALOG) DESCRIPTION: Study of current office procedures, duties, and responsibilities applicable to an office environment. Prerequisites: ITSC 1309 and POFT 1329 INSTRUCTOR: Delia B. Leal, MAED, AET OFFICE: TSTC, Harlingen, Building C, #107 VIRTUAL OFFICE HOURS: TBA E-mail: dbleal@tstc.edu. (use if not able to access TSTC Moodle CONTACT INFORMATION internal e-mail service) Phone: (956) 364-4652 MAJOR COURSE REQUIREMENTS: The following are the topics that will be covered in the course: A. Unit 1: Entering the Workforce & Becoming a Professional B. Unit 2: Working Ethically, & Understanding the Workplace Team C. Unit 3: Developing Presentation Skills & Planning Meetings and Events D. Unit 4: Managing Records, Handling Mail and Retaining Records & Coordinating Business Travel E. Unit 5: Seeking Employment COURSE DELIVERY: Delivery of the course will be completely online using TSTC Moodle (https//mycourses.tstc.edu). If you have difficulty accessing the Moodle Web site, please contact the TSTC Help Desk at (956) 364-5000 as soon as the semester begins if not before. The Web site that accompanies the textbook (www.cengage.com/officetech/fultoncalkins) will also be used extensively throughout the course.
STRUCTURE OF THE COURSE: The lecture portion of this course is divided into units that contain individual chapters. This course has been divided into five units. Each unit will require you to complete various assignments. At the end of each unit, there will be proctored exams based on the material covered. In order to be successful in this course, you will also need to do the following: 1. Do not fall behind. Since online classes are so flexible, it is very easy to get behind in your work. Do not let this happen. You should aim to complete one chapter per week. 2. Be self-motivated. In an online class, you do not have certain times every week to meet. This is one of the advantages of an online class, but it is also one of the reasons that you must be self-motivated in order to be successful in the course. Although not required, check the site daily. 3. You must be active on the course Web site. This includes participating in discussions when assigned and responding to the posts of other students. If you do not log on to the course on TSTC Moodle and participate in the introductory activities during the first week of class, you will be considered a NO SHOW for the course. 4. Submit your assignments on time. 5. Contact me if you have any questions about anything. Please e-mail me through Moodle. ASSIGNMENTS AND DUE DATES: All assignments are due on the dates specified. Failure to meet these deadlines will result in a grade zero (0). Online quizzes and exams will deactivate if they are not completed by the appropriate deadline. To give you ample time to complete assignments, they will be due at 11:55 p.m. on Sundays. Helpful hint complete your assignments and save them in Microsoft Word. When it is time to submit your assignments, remember that you must submit them in Word (.doc or.docx). You will be allowed to resubmit the first assignment that I receive in an incorrect format without penalty, but subsequent assignments submitted in an incorrect format will receive a grade of zero (0). All completed assignments will be submitted through Moodle using the link for the given assignment. They should not be e-mailed to me unless Moodle is down. LEARNING OUTCOMES: Student Learning Objectives for Critical Thinking At the end of this course, the students will have demonstrated the ability to: A. identify the essential question, issue, and/or problem. B. gather data relevant to the essential question, issue, and/or problem. C. interpret appropriate data effectively. D. communicate any or all parts of the above process in written or oral form. Student Learning Outcomes for Administrative Office Procedures At the end of this course, the student will be able to: A. identify and apply basic office skills utilizing appropriate time management techniques. B. demonstrate communication skills to produce effective correspondence, and as a necessary trait for the administrative professional.
MAJOR COURSE LECTURE, TOPICS DESCRIPTION/REQUIRED/RECOMMENDED READINGS/ELECTRONIC RESOURCES TO VIEW: Week Topic/Lecture/ Event Required/Recommended Readings/Electronic Resources to View 1 Entering the Workforce Chapter 1 2 *Pre-Test Skills Assessment Chapter 2 Becoming a Professional Unit Theory Exam Chapter 4 3 Working Ethically 4 Understanding the Workplace Team Chapter 5 5 Unit Theory Exam 5-6 Developing Presentation Skills Chapter 8 7 Planning Meetings and Events Chapter 10 8 Unit Theory Exam 8-9 Managing Records Chapter 11 10 Handling Mail and Retaining Records Chapter 12 11 12 Coordinating Business Travel Unit Theory Exam Seeking Employment *Post-Test Skills Assessment Unit Theory Exam Chapter 13 Chapter 15 REQUIRED TEXT AND MATERIALS: Fulton-Calkins, Patsy. The Administrative Professional: Technology & Procedures, 14 th Edition, Mason, Ohio: Thomson*South-Western, 2011. ISBN 978-0-538-73104-1 This textbook is sold at the TSTC bookstore. A link to the textbook Web site (www.cengage.com/officetech/fultoncalkins) can be found on Moodle. One USB removable drive
COMPUTER AND SOFTWARE: Internet accessibility (high speed) Recommended browser Internet Explorer 6.0 or above Adobe Reader (preferably version 8 or above) which can be downloaded for free at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html. Basic e-mail, Internet, and computer skills Access to TSTC Moodle (https://mycourses.tstc.edu/) If you have trouble logging into the Web site, scroll down to the Quick start guide for students for instructions. You can also call the TSTC help desk at 956-364-5000. GRADING CRITERIA: GRADING SCALE: Unit Theory Exams... 40% 90-100 A Chapter Projects... 25% 80-89 B Chapter Quizzes/Discussions... 10% 70-79 C Final Project... 25% 60-69 D 0-59 F Grades will be determined by completing assignments, quizzes, and exams by the deadlines and by actively participating in the class. Chapter Quizzes are in exam format but are not proctored. The Unit Theory Exams must be proctored and are password protected. You must schedule these with the Office of Distance Learning and taken on campus in the Office of Distance Learning or at the Learning Resource Center (library). To take your proctored exam, you must schedule your exam appointment at least 24 hours in advance with the Office of Distance Learning by calling 956-364-4950. You may also go by the office on campus to schedule your exam. You must call before 5 p.m. on Friday to schedule for weekend testing as the Office of Distance Learning is not open on the weekends. This is your responsibility. Do not expect that you will be able to take an exam by just showing up, or that you can call after 5 p.m. to schedule to take an exam on the weekend at the LRC! Hours for Testing: Monday Thursday: 8 a.m. 5 p.m. at the Office of Distance Learning Friday: 8 a.m. 3 p.m. at the Office of Distance Learning Saturday: 10 a.m. 2 p.m. at the LRC Sunday: 1 p.m. 2 p.m. at the LRC Chapter Quizzes and Unit Theory Exams MUST be taken within the week that they are released (see course schedule for availability). Failure to do this will result in a missed quiz and/or exam that CANNOT be made up. You are expected to participate in this course by interacting with your instructor as well as other students in the class. Your level of participation in the course will be a part of your overall grade. Assigned discussions will be graded according to your level of participation in them.
ACCOMMODATION STATEMENT: If you have a documented disability which will make it difficult for you to carry out class work as outlined and/or if you need special accommodations due to a disability, please contact (956) 364-4520 or visit the Support Services Office in the Auxiliary Services Building as soon as possible to make appropriate arrangements. CLASS POLICIES: ACADEMIC HONESTY All work that you submit for this course must be your own and no one else s unless it is group work of some kind. Copying anything is considered plagiarism. Even copying something from another student or from your textbook is plagiarism. All forms of scholastic dishonesty described in the TSTC handbook are forbidden in this course. For more information, please see the student handbook at http://harlingen.tstc.edu. Students found engaging in forms of dishonesty may receive a zero on the work, an F in the course, and/or be reported to the Dean of the College. COPYRIGHT STATEMENT The materials used in the course such as textbooks, handouts, media files (podcast, MP3, Videos, RSS Feeds), and all instructional resources on the college s Learning Management System (Moodle) are intended for use only by students registered and enrolled in this course and are only to be used for instructional use, activities associated with, and for the duration of the course. By "handouts," this means all materials generated for this course, which include but are not limited to syllabi, quizzes, exams, lab problems, in-class materials, review sheets, and any additional materials. These materials may not be retained in another medium or disseminated further. They are provided in compliance with the provisions of the Teach Act. These materials may not be reproduced, displayed, modified, or distributed without the expressed prior written permission of the copyright holder or TSTC. For further information, contact your instructor. COMMUNICATION (MyMail E-mail System for Students) All communication through e-mail needs to be conducted within Moodle. If for some reason you cannot access Moodle e-mail, you must use your TSTC MyMail address. The use of your MyMail TSTC College student e-mail account will be the only way to receive official notices from the college. When communicating with instructors and/or employees of the college, you are required to use your TSTC MyMail student e-mail address. If you choose to forward your e-mail to another account, please be advised that all communication from and within the college will use your MyMail student e-mail. OFFICE HOURS (Virtual and Face-to-Face) AND E-MAIL I will have virtual office hours on the TSTC Moodle course Web site for one hour every weekday (hours to be announced later). I will also be available virtually for one hour on Sunday evenings (hour to be announced later). During these times, I will be able to answer messages immediately through the TSTC Moodle site. Any e-mail sent at other times will be answered as soon as possible but normally within a 24-hour period. I will always try to respond to any e-mail within 24 hours during the week. Weekend responses will be limited to my office hour on Sunday night. If you do not believe that you have grasped a concept completely, please contact me and ask for help. If my office hours will not work for you, contact me and we can set up a meeting at a time more convenient for you.
CRITICAL THINKING You will have to think critically in this course. This may sound like an imposing concept, but you actually think critically everyday without realizing it. Thinking critically will allow you to understand how the information you learn in this class applies to your life and business career. NETIQUETTE This refers to network etiquette. Since we will not see each other, it is important to remember that we are all human beings and should be treated with respect. The following are general rules of netiquette, some of which were excerpted from the book Netiquette by Virginia Shea. These are rules that you should always abide by in this course. 1. Remember that even though you are speaking to someone online he/she is a human being. Think about how and what you are saying to someone online. Ask yourself whether you would speak to a person in this manner if you were face-to-face. 2. Pay attention to your spelling and grammar. Others (including the instructor) are reading your work, therefore, make sure that you are not making it difficult for them by using poor spelling and grammar choices. In addition, there is no place for inappropriate language in this course. 3. Be willing to share your knowledge with others in this learning environment. When it comes to discussion boards, post comments in a timely manner. SPECIAL NOTES 1. TSTC Harlingen faculty, staff, and students are asked to report all threats, perceived or real, immediately to College Police located in the Auxiliary Building. If the threat is imminent, the College Police emergency phone line at 364-4911 or 911 should be called. College Police will then coordinate the proper response in accordance with state and federal laws and TSTC System/College rules and regulations. 2. For tutoring and supplemental instruction schedules, please refer to the Student Success Office Web site: http://www.harlingen.tstc.edu/oss/ossprograms.aspx. 3. It is the student s responsibility to withdraw from the course by the published deadline or receive a grade of F. According to TSTC policy, instructors are not allowed to drop students. Any changes to this Course Syllabus will be provided in writing to the student and updated on all posted locations (HB 2504, Moodle sites, etc.).