Course Syllabus

JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "BUS 220-4"
COURSE NAME: "Business Communications"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2016

SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Elisa Fernandez-Arias
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: TTH 4:30-5:45PM
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 course deals with the definition and analysis of problems and the production of written and oral business reports. Use of appropriate computer software (e.g. word processing, spreadsheets, graphics) is an integral part of the course

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. The 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 changing constantly.

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 their written, oral and interpersonal communication skills in business settings and 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 to the business world through resumes and cover letters and how to create and present effective visual aids. The course will include at least one guest speaker and a resume workshop.

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 and memos, 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 and cover letter. The course will spend considerable time on oral communication: how to structure and deliver a business presentation, including visual aids.

All students in this class wil participarte in the JCU Elevator Pitch competition, thanks to which they will practice the art of persuasion in one minute.

TEXTBOOK:

Book Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN number
Guide to Managerial Communication. 10th Edition	Mary Munter	Prentice Hall	ISBN-13: 978-0132971331
Business Communication	Scot Ober	South-Western Cengage Learning	ISBN-13: 978-1-4390-3569-6
Essentials of Business Communication	Mary Ellen Guffey	Cengage Learning	ISBN-10: 1285858913

REQUIRED RESERVED READING:

NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:

NONE

GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:

Assignment	Guidelines	Weight
In-class assignments, homework, participation. This includes attendance AND THE MANDATORY ELEVATOR PITCH.		25%
Midterm.		25%
Final Research Paper, including the rough draft.		25%
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 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

Week 1 (Jan 19 & Jan 21)

Introduction to the course and to Business Communication.

Communicating in today’s global workplace.

Munter Chapter 1.

Week 2 (Jan 26 & Jan 28)

Employment Communication: How to write an effective resume and cover letter.

Ober Chapter 12.

Week 3 (Feb 2 & Feb 4)

Composing Efficiently & Revising your writing.

Munter Chapters 2, 4.

Ober Chapter 5.

Interviewing and Following Up (Ch. 14 Gruffey).

Week 4 (Feb 9 & Feb 11)

Routine Communication.

Munter Chapter 3.

Ober Chapters 4 and 6.

Planning business messages (Ch. 2 Gruffey).

Week 5 (Feb 16 & Feb 18)

Persuasive Communication.

Ober Chapter 7.

Composing business messages (Ch. 3 Gruffey).

FORMAL GROUP PRESENTATION TOPICS ASSIGNED.

Week 6 (Feb 23 & Feb 25)

Persuasive Communication cont’d.

Review of persuasive communication and in-class exercises.

Revising business messages (Ch. 4 Gruffey).

Week 7 (March 1 & March 3)

MIDTERM WEEK.

Review on March 1st.

EXAM ON MARCH 3RD.

Week 8 (March 8 & March 10)

Communicating Bad News.

Ober Chapter 8.

Electronic messages and memorandums (Ch. 5 Gruffey).

Week 9 (March 15 & March 17)

Writing Reports.

How to create effective visual aids.

Munter Chapter 6.

Ober Chapters 9 and 10.

Persuasive business messages (Ch. 8 Gruffey).

Week 10 (March 22 & March 24)

Presentations: Nancy Duarte and the Power of Your Ideas.

Munter Chapters 5 and 7.

Ober Chapter 11.

Proposals and Formal Reports (Ch. 10 Gruffey).

Business Presentations (Ch. 12 Gruffey).

March 24: a guest speaker!

SPRING BREAK

Week 11 (April 5 & April 7)

Interpersonal communication.

How to run a meeting.

Guffey. p. 321-327 “The Essential of Business Communication” (On MY JCU).

Ober Chapter 3.

Professionalism, Etiquette, Ethics, and Teamwork (Ch. 11 Gruffey).

Week 12 (April 12 & April 14)

Business presentations (Ch. 12 Gruffey).

Practice group and individual presentations (with workshop).

Globalization and communication.

FIRST ROUND OF ELEVATOR PITCH COMPETITION.

Week 13 (April 19 & April 21)

FINAL GROUP POWER POINT PRESENTATIONS.

ROUGH DRAFT OF RESEARCH PAPER DUE (WORKSHOP).

ELEVEATOR PICTH COMPETITION FINAL ROUND!!!

Week 14 (April 26 & April 28)

Final exam review.

Resume workshop.

FINAL RESEARCH PAPERS DUE.

EXAMS (April 30- May 6)