BUSINESS STUDIES DEPARTMENT COURSE SYLLABUS Instructor: Sean Fields, Esq. SUBJ & NUM: Business Law 209 Office Location: n/a Course Title: Legal Environment of Business Office Hours(days/times):Online Thurs. 7:00 pm Term & Year: Spring 2015 Office Phone #: 717-780-2300 x-710667 CRN & Credit Hours: 33312.201530 Home Phone #(optional): 717-805-7715 Secretary s Phone #: 717-221-1300 x-1511 Class Meeting Times: Virtual Email Address (HACC): safields@hacc.edu Delayed Opening: HACC has approved the following delayed opening schedule for weather-related and other incidents. One or more of the following messages will be communicated depending on the circumstances: 1. All day and evening classes are cancelled. 1. All day classes are cancelled. An update will be provided by 2 p.m. regarding classes scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. or later. 1. The College will resume operations at 4 p.m. Classes beginning at 4:30 p.m. or later will meet on a normal schedule. 1. All classes beginning at 4:30 p.m. or later are cancelled. 1. Online classes operate as normal during weather-related events. Professors are asked to use their discretion in enforcing assignment deadlines if the event will cause unanticipated childcare, work or other personal challenges. 1. Classes beginning at 11 a.m. or later will meet and run on the normal schedule. All classes beginning prior to 11 a.m. are cancelled. Employees will report at 10:30 a.m. Online Course Syllabus Catalog Description: Introduces the law as it affects profit and non-profit organizations. This course covers the elements of the legal process; legal rights and liabilities of employers, employees, and consumers and laws governing relationships among businesses. This course also addresses environmental law, antitrust law, consumer protection, securities, and international law. Prerequisite Course(s): None Other: Eligibility for enrollment into ENGL 003, or 007 as required by the College Testing and Placement Offices Text(s), required: The Legal Environment of Business, 12th Edition, Meiners, Ringleb, and Edwards, West Publishing Co. Please note: Students must purchase the 12th edition of the textbook for this course. Text(s), supplemental: N/A Hardware/Software required: A player capable of viewing Quick Time videos is necessary to view lecture videos. Please note, the instructor is not responsible for the technical issues related to an individual student s computer, tablet or mobile device.
Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of the course the student will be able to: Describe the key functions of the legal system List and define the five major sources of American business law Recognize which laws within the Constitution affect business Define jurisdiction and venue Compare and contrast the Federal and state court systems Compare and contrast the functions of a trial court, appellate court, and Supreme Court Identify the purposes of the three most common business related types of bankruptcy List and define three major alternative dispute resolution methods List and define the stages of a lawsuit Describe the difference between ethics and law List and define the requirements of a valid contract Explain the nature and forms of torts, including business torts against persons, property. Illustrate the types of intellectual property and explain the importance of intellectual property to a company Explain the difference between civil law and criminal law List and define the elements of a crime Define collective bargaining Describe the liability of the employer for acts of the employee and independent contractors Define lockout and boycott Identify and describe the major labor relations acts Define Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act State and define the primary Federal environmental laws Explain the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act Compare and contrast horizontal restraints of trade and vertical restraints of trade Define consumer protection laws List major sources of international law
Method of Instruction: This is an online course provided through D2L. Instructor's Response to Questions: All questions regarding personal matters (i.e. about grades, illness, make-up work, etc.) should be sent to the instructor by email. All emails will be responded to within two business days. Instructor's Response Time for Grading Assessments and Assignments Quiz grades will be available upon completion of the assessment unless there are technical problems with D2L. Examinations will be open book and consist of objective questions. Examinations will be graded upon completion unless there are technical problems with D2L. Discussion Questions will be graded within a week of completion. Point Distribution: Grading System and Point Requirements: Exams= 300 points Discussion Questions = 200 points Quizzes = 200 points Small Group Ethics Questions = 200 points Pre-Course Survey= 50 points Post-Course Survey= 50 points Total = 1000 points Final Grade Criteria: A = 90-100% =900-1000 points B = 80-89% =800-899 points C = 70-79% =700-799 points D = 60-69% =600-699 points F = 0-59% =599 points and below Online Attendance & Withdrawal Policy: Students are expected to log in regularly to this course in D2L, to participate fully in all required scheduled and unscheduled activities, and do all class-related work and assignments. (The determination of the attendance policy for each course is the prerogative of the instructor, as stated in the instructor's course syllabus, subject to the approval of the Division Administrator, which will be distributed to students during the FIRST day of classes. ) Circumstances may cause a student to be absent from a class on occasion, for example; illness, bad weather, accident, etc. The definitions of absence from the College attendance policy are as follows: Excused absence - An absence that occurred for reasons that were: a) beyond the student's control to prevent, and b) significant enough to prohibit attendance in class. Additionally, for the absence to be excused, the student also must also have contacted the instructor prior to or on the day of the absence. It s important to note that, depending on the number or pattern of prior absences, an absence explained as simply personal and family emergency may not be considered as excused unless sufficient detail is provided to the instructor. Unexcused absence - An absence that occurred for reasons that were: a) within the student's control to prevent, and b) not significant enough to prohibit attendance in class, even if uncontrollable. Additionally, an absence may be considered unexcused if the student does not contact the instructor about the absence within a reasonable period of time. Students shall not be penalized for absence, except as indicated below: 1. Students are subject to policies and procedures approved in Administrative Procedure 661. Instructors requiring physical presence and participation may reduce course grades after the student has unexcused absence of 10% of the total class hours (four unexcused class hours for a three-credit course). 2. The student is responsible for ALL class work and assignments. Instructors will provide students who have an excused absence the opportunity to make up missed reports and exams, and if feasible, participation, if an absence has
been excused. It is the student s responsibility to contact the instructor regarding missed work and assignments. Instructors may require a student to furnish documentation substantiating that an absence should be considered "excused" if absences become excessive or occur at questionable times (for example, on the day of an exam). 3. The student is responsible for attendance on the day of examinations, unless otherwise excused. 4. Instructors have the right to recommend to the Division Administrator that a student be dropped for an excessive excused or unexcused absence that precludes the possibility of passing the class whereupon the student will be given a grade of "F" or "W". Excessive absence is more than 15% of the class term, as measured by presence and participation in the course. The College is required by law to make attendance reports to the relevant agencies of students who are funded by veterans' benefits, social security payments, and various other federal, state, or private scholarship programs. Students in programs that are accredited/approved by external agencies must observe these special attendance policies delineated by the external agencies and contained in the course syllabus. Revised 05/03/05. I nstructor s Attendance and Withdrawal Policy: Attendance in an online course means active participation in the class will be expected at least three to four days per week. If for some reason you cannot log into the class during any particular week, you will still be responsible for knowledge of the material covered in the course that week. If you will not be logging into the course for an extended period of time, more than two weeks, you should contact the instructor to see what arrangements can be made to continue your active participation in the class. Repeated or protracted unexcused absences, such as the failure to log into the course for an extended period of time may result in faculty initiated withdrawal from the course. Per Administrative Procedure 661, the instructor is allowed to: Reduce course grades after unexcused absences exceed 10% of the total class hours that will take place throughout the course of the semester. This equates to 2 weeks of class work. 1. Drop a student from a class with the concurrence of the division administrator when unexcused absences exceed 15% of the total class hours that will take place throughout the course of the semester and when the excessive absences preclude the possibility of the student completing the stated objectives for the course. 2. If for some reason you wish to withdraw from this course, it is your responsibility to complete the necessary paperwork. Those students who do not complete the course, and have not withdrawn from the course or made some other arrangement with the instructor, will be assigned a failing grade. 3. A grade of W may be awarded to a student who has withdrawn from the course after the initial refund period through the last day of class for the term as published by the College. It is the student's responsibility to request the W grade and complete all of the necessary paper work to complete the withdrawal. The instructor will grant the request if the student has been attending the class in a manner consistent with the class attendance policy, has completed required graded material and has not been dishonest in completing the work in order to be eligible for the W grade. If the above requirements are not met, the student will receive a grade of F as per Administrative Procedure 667. Make-Up Policy: Students are expected to take all scheduled tests/exams at the specified time. If you miss any test or exam, absolutely no make-up will be given unless you notify the instructor (either see the instructor in person, call or use email) before the test. Leaving a phone message or an email does not guarantee that a request for a make-up test will be granted. You may be asked to submit the following documentation before taking the make-up test: 1. Serious illness (with your doctor's note) 2. Business matter (with your supervisor's note) 3. Conflict with other courses (must notify instructor well in advance) Common excuses such as headache, car trouble, housework, etc are absolutely not acceptable. The following rules will strictly be enforced: i. The make-up test must be rescheduled and taken within one week; ii. The make-up test will be taken at the Test Center in Harrisburg during its operating hours, with instructor's permission and within the scheduled time. Exceeding the scheduled time will result in a reduction of 10% from the grade of the test. iii. The make-up test may be different from the class test and any bonus points that may have been granted in the original exam may not be offered for the make-up. iv. A one time second make-up test will be granted for extenuating circumstances such as life- threatening illness. With the instructor's approval, student must schedule to take the one time second make-up during the last week of class. v. Make-up for in-class assignments and or quizzes is subject to the approval of the instructor for excused absences.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY is defined in Administrative Procedure 594. A partial description of this procedure is given below. Academic dishonesty is defined as an intentional act of deception in which a student seeks to claim credit for the work or effort of another person, or uses unauthorized material or fabricated information in any academic work. It includes, but is not limited to: A. Cheating - giving or receiving answers on assigned material, using materials or aids forbidden by the instructor... unauthorized possession of examinations... B. Plagiarism - offering someone else's work, words, or ideas as one's own or using material from another source without acknowledgement. C. Interference interfering without permission with the work of another student, either by obtaining, changing or destroying the work of another student. D. Buying or selling of term papers, homework, examinations, laboratory assignments, computer programs, etc. E. Falsifying of one's own or another's records F. Knowingly assisting someone who engages in A - E above. Penalties for students found to have committed academic dishonesty include, but may not be limited to, the following: A. Lowering of a grade or failure for a particular assignment, B. Lowering of a grade, failure, and/or dismissal from the course. C. Disciplinary probation-may include a limitation on credits, mandatory repeat of a course, etc. D. Suspension from a curriculum. E. Suspension from the College Assignments & Course Calendar: Jan. 20 WEEK 1 Course Orientation; Module 1-Today s Business Environment Jan. 26 WEEK 2 Module 2- The Court Systems Module 3- Trials & Resolving Disputes Feb. 2 WEEK 3 Module 4- The Constitution: Focus on Business Feb. 9 WEEK 4 Exam 1 is released Feb. 15 Last Day to Complete Exam 1 Feb. 16 WEEK 5 Module 5- Criminal Law Module 6- Elements of Torts Feb. 23 WEEK 6 Module 7 Business Torts & Products Liability Module 8 Real & Personal Property
March 2 WEEK 7 Module 9 Intellectual Property Module 10 - Contracts March 9 WEEK 8 Exam 2 is released March 15 Last Day to Complete Exam 2 March 16 WEEK 9 Module 12 Business Organizations Module 13 - Bankruptcy March 23 WEEK 10 Module 14 Agency & the Employment Relationship Module 15 Employment & Labor Regulations March 30 WEEK 11 Module 16 Employment Discrimination April 6 WEEK 12 Exam 3 is released- WEEK April 11 Last Day to Complete Exam 3 April 12 WEEK 13 Module 17 The Regulatory Process Module 18 Securities Regulation April 20 WEEK 14 Module 19 Consumer Protection Module 20 Securities Regulation April 27 WEEK 15 Module 21 Environmental Law Module 22 International Legal Environment of Business May 4 WEEK 16 Complete Post Course Survey; Exam 4 is released STUDENTS IN NEED OF ACCOMMODATIONS:
Students with disabilities who are in need of accommodations should contact the campus disability coordinator listed below. Coordinators for each campus are listed here: http://www.hacc.edu/studentservices/disabilityservices/contact-us.cfm EEOC POLICY 005: It is the policy of Harrisburg Area Community College, in full accordance with the law, not to discriminate in employment, student admissions, and student services on the basis of race, color, religion, age, political affiliation or belief, gender, national origin, ancestry, disability, place of birth, General Education Development Certification (GED), marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, genetic history/information, or any legally protected classification. HACC recognizes its responsibility to promote the principles of equal opportunity for employment, student admissions, and student services taking active steps to recruit minorities and women. The Pennsylvania Human Relations Act ( PHRAct ) prohibits discrimination against prospective and current students because of race, color, sex, religious creed, ancestry, national origin, handicap or disability, record of a handicap or disability, perceived handicap or disability, relationship or association with an individual with a handicap or disability, use of a guide or support animal, and/or handling or training of support or guide animals. The Pennsylvania Fair Educational Opportunities Act ( PFEOAct ) prohibits discrimination against prospective and current students because of race, religion, color, ancestry, national origin, sex, handicap or disability, record of a handicap or disability, perceived handicap or disability, and a relationship or association with an individual with a handicap or disability. Information about these laws may be obtained by visiting the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission website at www.phrc.state.pa.us. (Please provide contact information for your CAMPUS only from the list below) HACC Gettysburg Campus Peggy Violette Coordinator Disability Services 101 J 731 Old Harrisburg Road Gettysburg, PA 17325 Phone: 717-339-3518 Fax: 717-337-3015 Email: mlviolet@hacc.edu HACC Harrisburg Campus Carole Kerper Director, Disability Services Cooper 230 One HACC Drive Harrisburg, PA 17110 Phone: 717-780-2614 Fax: 717-780-2335 Email: clkerper@hacc.edu HACC Lancaster Campus Vicki Van Hise Coordinator, Disability Services Main 212B 1641 Old Philadelphia Pike Lancaster, PA 17602 Phone: 717-358-2972 Fax: 717-358-2951
Email: vlvanhis@hacc.edu HACC Lebanon Campus Deborah Bybee Coordinator, Disability Services 104F 735 Cumberland Street Lebanon, PA 17042 Phone: 717-270-6333 Email: dabybee@hacc.edu HACC York Campus Lori Shoemaker MSS, LSW Coordinator, Disability Services YL 134A 2010 Pennsylvania Avenue York, PA17404 Phone: 717-801-3276 Fax: 717-718-7252 Email: rshoemak@hacc.edu HACC Virtual Learning Deborah Bybee Coordinator, Disability Services 104R 735 Cumberland Street Lebanon, PA 17042 Phone: 717-270-6333 Email: dabybee@hacc.edu