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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "BUS 220-4"
COURSE NAME: "Business Communications"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Spring 2026
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SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Giorgia Conte
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
MW 11:30 AM 12:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
45
CREDITS:
3
PREREQUISITES:
Prerequisite: EN 110 with a grade of C or above
OFFICE HOURS:
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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.
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SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
A detailed weekly schedule will be available on Moodle.
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LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Upon successful completion of BUS-220, students will be able to:
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Produce clear, concise, and professional written business communications aligned with organizational and personal career development goals.
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Edit and revise business documents to meet professional and ethical standards.
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Analyze audiences and tailor messages for diverse business and cultural contexts.
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Deliver effective oral presentations using persuasive and structured arguments.
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Apply critical thinking to evaluate business communication scenarios, including crises.
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Demonstrate professional communication skills related to career development and personal branding.
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Communicate business issues responsibly, considering ESG principles and stakeholder impact.
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Develop and articulate a professional value proposition suitable for résumés, presentations, LinkedIn profiles, and other relevant channels.
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TEXTBOOK:
| Book Title | Author | Publisher | ISBN number | Library Call Number | Comments | Format | Local Bookstore | Online Purchase |
| Business Communication Today | Courtland L. Bovée and John V. Thill | Pearson Education | 978-0-13-589161-2 | | The reading suggestions refer to the 15th Global Edition published in 2021. | | | |
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REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
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GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
| Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
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| Professional Introduction Speech Video | | 5 |
| Value Proposition Paragraph & Presentation | | 5 |
| Draft Résumé | | 5 |
| Mid-Term Presentation | | 20 |
| Linkedin Review | | 5 |
| Cover Letter | | 5 |
| Persuasive Video Pitch | | 10 |
| Class Participation | | 20 |
| Final Exam | | 25 |
-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 in the following week 4-8 May.
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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.
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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.
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SCHEDULE
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Introduction to Business Communication
Communicating in teams
Cross-Cultural Communication
Business Messages
Communication tools
Résumés
Group Presentation (Mid-Term)
LinkedIn & Digital Branding
Cover Letters
Negative Messaging
Persuasive Communications
Reporting
Delivering
Interviews
Final Exam
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