|
|
JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "BUS 220"
COURSE NAME: "Business Communications"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Summer Session I 2024
|
SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Steven Jarmon
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
MTWTH 11:10 AM 1:00 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
45
CREDITS:
3
PREREQUISITES:
Prerequisite: EN 110 with a grade of C or above
OFFICE HOURS:
|
|
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course trains students in the best practices of effective Business Communication, both written and oral. Class work is conducted against the backdrop of the contemporary business world and the challenges faced by businesses to be environmentally and socially responsible as well as profitable. Environment, Social and Governance issues, and their relationship to business, are analyzed at length.
|
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
This course will help students enhance their understanding of the strategic role that communication plays in the business world, and how effective communication can make or break a deal, an idea, a proposal, etc. This course will analyze how communication is used to inform, motivate, facilitate change, and create value in today’s rapidly evolving organizations, and how the means of communication are constantly changing.
It will evaluate what determines effective business communication, and how to achieve it. Students will learn how to develop, support and organize arguments, and how to strengthen their research skills. They will develop written, oral and interpersonal communication skills in business settings across a range of tasks including letters, memoranda, resumes, press releases, emails, reports and presentations. Students will learn how to effectively deliver negative and positive business news while maintaining a confident tone, how to communicate persuasively, how to present themselves, how to present their “personal brands” to the business world through resumes and cover letters, print and electronic portfolios, and how to create and present effective and compelling visual aids.
This course is writing-intensive.
|
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Students will learn what makes written and oral business communication effective, how to think strategically about communication and achieve their aims by communicating successfully. Routine, bad news and persuasive communication will be covered in depth, both in writing and speaking.
Specifically, students will learn how to write routine emails, letters, memoranda, how to write effective bad news and persuasive letters, how to effectively research and write a business report, and how to prepare an effective resume, cover letter, print and electronic portfolio. This course will spend considerable time on oral communication: how to structure and deliver a business presentation, including visual aids.
|
TEXTBOOK:
|
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
| Book Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN number | Library Call Number | Comments |
| Communicating in Business - 8th edition | Scot Ober & Amy Newman | South-Western Cengage Learning | 9781111 & 971762 | | |
| Guide to Managerial Communication | Mary Munter | Prentice Hall | 9780137130467 | | |
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
|
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
| Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
| | | |
| Participation/Attendance | This means contributing regularly to class in a constructive, intelligent and proactive way. Students who miss or are late to more than 3 classes may be asked to withdraw from the class, 2 latenesses equal 1 absence. This also includes daily (M-TH) Reflection blog posts. | 15 |
| Short Assignments | Letters, memoranda, emails, outlines of 1 or 2 pages, resume, Cover letter, LinkedIn presence | 25 |
| Research Report & PowerPoint, Keynote or Presi Presentation | Double-spaced 5-page report that will be assigned in week #3.
Presentation will take place in week #4.
Students will have the option to work in pairs.
| 20 |
| Midterm | To include Print Portfolio. | 20 |
| Final Exam | To include ePortfolio (Canva or other). | 20 |
-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. The final exam period runs until ____________
|
|
|
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic
dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred.
In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment,
may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of
academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student
who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from
the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation
to the President, who will make the final decision.
|
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap.
Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning
of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
|
|
|
SCHEDULE
|
|
|
|
| Session | Session Focus | Reading Assignment | Other Assignment | Meeting Place/Exam Dates |
| Week 1 | Welcome
Introduction & overview to business communication
Personal branding materials – resume, cover letter, print and ePortfolios
Communication strategy
| Ober: Chapter 12
Munter: Chapters 1 – 4
Ober: Chapter 5
Harvard Management Communication Letter (HMCL) Readings: Don’t Push That Send Button”!; The Best Memo You’ll Ever Write” Instructor to provide.
Daily Reflections blog (M-TH)
Other readings as assigned by the instructor. | | |
| Week 2 | Writing effective communication: email, memoranda, letters, etc.
Persuasive Communication
| Ober: Chapters 6 -7
Daily Reflections blog (M-TH)
Other readings as assigned by the instructor.
| | |
| Week 3 | Bad News Communication
Review & Midterm
Finalize Print Portfolios
| Ober: Chapter 8
Daily Reflections blog (M-TH)
Other readings as assigned by the instructor.
| | |
| Week 4 | Writing Reports
Visual Aids
The power of blogs, how they are changing business communication
Preparing persuasive presentations; practice presentations | Ober: Chapters 9 – 10
Harvard Management Communication Letter (HMCL) Reading: “Why the Best Presentations are Good Conversations”
Instructor to provide.
Daily Reflections blog (M-TH)
Other readings as assigned by the instructor | | |
| Week 5 | Presentations
Finalize ePortfolios
Review & Final Exam | Daily Reflections blog (M-TH)
Other readings as assigned by the instructor. | | |
|