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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "BUS 220-1"
COURSE NAME: "Business Communications"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Summer Session I 2013
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Biggs Colin
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: MTWTH 14:00-16:00
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: EN 110 with a grade of C or above
OFFICE HOURS: By appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This practical, internationally focused course - delivered by someone with twenty years' senior-level experience in international business - will enable you to obtain a deeper understanding of how communication functions most effectively in the world of work. 

It will also - crucially - allow you to put the insights you acquire into practice, both in speaking and writing, and to gain further confidence in making presentations.  The course will therefore provide the theory necessary to build understanding, but will also have a strong practical emphasis throughout.

An important element of the course will be cross-cultural communication - enabling you to begin to acquire important life skills for working in the new global economy.

The course will be equally relevant to the private sector, the public sector, and not-for-profits.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
The course will enable you to analyse how communication is used to inform, motivate, facilitate change and create value.  It will also consider how the very means of communication are constantly changing, and the effect which these changes tend to have in actual practice.

BUS 220 will evaluate what determines effective business communication, and how you can achieve it.  You will learn how to develop, support and organise arguments and how to strengthen your research skills.  You will develop your written, oral and interpersonal communication skills in business/work settings and across a range of tasks including writing letters, memoranda, resumes/CVs, emails, and reports; and preparing and delivering presentations.  

You will learn how to  effectively deliver both negative and positive news while maintaining a confident tone, how to communicate persuasively, how to present yourself through resumes and cover letters, and how to create and deliver effective visual aids.  The course will include a resume/CV workshop, and initial preparation for job interviews.  
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
By the end of the course, if you engage fully throughout, you will have learned the principles of effective written and oral workplace communication.  You will also have enhanced some very important people skills, by exploring and practising the inter-personal side of communication, and in particular cross-cultural communication.

More specifically you will have learned how to: 

-  write routine emails, letters and memos
-  draft effective bad-news and sales (persuasive) letters
-  research and write a business report
-  prepare an effective resume and cover letter
-  structure and deliver a business presentation, including preparing quality visual aids.  
TEXTBOOK:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberCommentsFormatLocal BookstoreOnline Purchase
Guide to Managerial Communication (10th Edition) [Paperback]Mary Munter, Lynn HamiltonPrentice-Hall013297133X     
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
ParticipationActive attendance and participation10%
Short writing assignment Exercise in persuasive writing10%
PowerPoint presentation Detailed specification provided 25%
Business reportFull brief provided30%
Final examWritten, case-based exam25%

-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 cours
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:
Students who miss or are late to more than three classes may be asked to withdraw from the class.  Two latenesses equal one absence.
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

Day 1: Introduction to the course and to Business Communication

 

Fundamentals of communication strategy

 

Class discussion: Munter: chapter 1.

 

 

Day 2: Micro writing

 

Class discussion: Munter: chapters 2, 4; Ober: chapter 5, pp. 136-151.

 

 

Day 3: Macro writing and routine communication

 

Class discussion: Munter: chapter 3; Ober: chapter 5, pp. 151-177.

Class discussion: review of micro and macro writing.

 

 

Day 4: Report writing

 

Class discussion: Munter: chapter 4.

 

 

Day 5: Report workshop

 

Report workshop in preparation for report assignment

 

Examples will be provided of a range of effective report styles

 

Class discussion: Munter: chapter 4.

 

 

Day 6: Resume/CV review and preparation

 

 

Day 7: Writing effective routine letters, memos, emails; communication technology

 

Delivering bad news

 

Class discussion : Ober, chapter 6 (cont’d); Munter: Appendix A; Ober: chapter 8.

 

 

Day 8: Communicating bad news (cont’d) and persuasion

 

Class Discussion: Ober: chapter 8.

Day 9: Writing persuasive/sales letters (cont’d)

 

Class discussion: Ober, chapter 7.

Assignment of presentation topics.

 

 

Day 10: Working internationally and cross-culturally

 

Class discussion: Munter, Appendix A and additional material to be provided.

 

 

Day 11: Workshop on working internationally and cross-culturally

 

Class discussion: Munter, Appendix A and additional material to be provided.

 

 

Day 12: Writing reports; how to create effective visual aids

 

Class Discussion: Ober: chapters 9 and chapter; HMCL: “Picture it: the power of visual speaking;” Munter: chapter 6.

 

The power of blogs: how they are changing business communication

 

Class will focus on visual aid exercises. Material on blogs will be gathered by students and distributed in class.

 

 

Day 13: Resumé workshop

 

 

Day 14: Delivering persuasive presentations

 

Class discussion: Munter: chapter 5, Ober, chapter 11.

Class discussion: Munter: chapters 6, 7; HMCL: “Why the best presentations are good conversations.”

 

 

Days 15-18: Practice presentations

 

Day 20: Review of course

 

 

Day 21: Final Exam