Bus 100W -- Business Communications (Summer 05) information page

Bus 2 100W--Business Communication
By Jeremy W. Kemp, M.S.J., M.Ed.
jkemp at stanfordalumni.org

IMPORTANT MEETINGS
This class has two mandatory in-person sessions
from 6:00pm to 9:00pm in room IS134a:

Tuesday, June 7, 2005 (orientation)
Thursday, July 14, 2005
If you cannot attend these sessions, you should not take this class.

COURSE DESCRIPTION & EXPECTATIONS
This is a practical and analytical approach to the development and content of style in business communications. This course emphasizes logic, concern for audience and understanding the importance of psychological approaches to the solution of business problems through skillful written communications. Satisfies upper division writing requirement.

During the class you will be expected to:

Write to classmates professionally as if they are coworkers;
Work actively to solve any technical problems with your equipment;
Turn assignments in on time;
Be present for in-class activities;
Write with precision, clarity, brevity and completeness;
Follow spelling, punctuation, grammar, and format guidelines.

Sensitivity To Others
It is particularly important that your language and behavior reflect your sensitivity and respect of others. You shall not tell jokes or make statements that might offend others either verbally or in writing. Any negative reference to others' race, nationality, religion, sexual preference or physical condition is inappropriate and will not be tolerated. An inability to be sensitive to others could result in being dismissed from the University.

Plagiarism is taking the ideas or writing of another person and passing them off as one's own. When you borrow ideas from someone else, give the other person credit for the idea. When you see an example of how to write a certain type of message in your reader or another book, please do not copy it as your own or just change a few words. You need to develop your own writing style. Assignments that are too close to what is in the book will be penalized because they are not really your work. Please use www.turnitin.com to verify your work!

DATES AND TIME REQUIREMENTS
Allocate at least 6 hours per week for term. You may elect to spend much more time to take advantage of the feedback and experience available in this class, and depending on how much you want/need to create documents for your own career. This is a highly interactive online course model that requires logging on and participating 4 of 7 days per week at a minimum. I recommend devoting an hour a day most days and then at least one day a week block out 2 or 3 hours to work on assignments that require sustained concentration. For instance, many participants find a half hour here and another half hour there nearly everyday works well to read and reply to the discussion board.

Two major bits of advice: First, a little every day is by far the most successful strategy for online learning and teaching. Second, cut something else out of your schedule (equivalent to at least 6 hours a week) to make room for this, at least for the duration of the course. Procrastination could make this class a lot less fun.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Jeremy Kemp works as an Academic Coordinator for SJSU's eCampus. This is his fifth course development. He holds two Master's degrees -- Stanford (01) in Education and Northwestern (92) in Magazine Publishing.

Through the '90s, he worked in marketing communications at the AMA's international headquarters in downtown Chicago. Later, he was a product manager at a retail display company in Oregon.

Kemp first taught in 1997 at the University of Oregon Extension and at Portland Community College. He speaks Mandarin after studying in Taiwan and has been a member of the Association of Internet Professionals since 1998.

PREREQUISITES

English 1A and 1B or equivalent
Completion of lower division pool
Junior standing
A passing score on the Writing Skills Test (WST)
Take the eCampus Self-Evaluation Quiz to see if your learning style is suited.

Anyone remaining in the course without passing this test will receive a "U"/"F" grade.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

Format, compose, and revise memos, proposals, business letters, resumes and reports
Leverage computer and Internet tools to make your work more efficient
Use a wider palette of communication strategies and techniques
Develop a professional voice more fitting to your personal communication style
Lesson errors of grammar and tone in your written and oral communication
Critique and evaluate communication behaviors in various settings
Show improved skills honed through class presentations and group exercises

DISCUSSION BOARD (Intranet)
Attendance and participation are critical parts of a dynamic, online learning experience. You are required to make at least five substantive contributions to class discussion. This course is being conducted in a very compressed format using a highly interactive and collaborative online model. Here are some guidelines to help you be a better online citizen and earn participation points:

Visit the class web page often-at least five days a week
Post replies to other participants' notes such as answers to a discussion question, or comments on a point raised. Comments must contain more than just "I agree."
Support your comments with more than personal opinion, such as if you made references or quoted the textbook, lectures, web research, readings, or other resources
Remain fair and balanced even if in disagreement
Add a new insight, experience, or perception to the discussion
Use formatting and pictures and include links to interesting Websites you've found

GRADING
There are 600 possible points, divided into eight activities:

Participation 100 Averaging five substantial posts per week

Exams 50 5 exams / 20 questions worth .5 points apiece

Exercises 100 1 per week

Paper 100 Proposal 10 pts, Paper 90 pts

Pre/Post exercise 50 Persuasive writing and formatting exercise

Cases 100 5 video case answers posted to the Intranet

Presentation 50 - 10 minutes with PowerPoint and handouts
- 360 deg. evaluation by team, instructor, audience.
- Group minutes on the Intranet no later than noon, 7/15

Sidebars 50 Group posts a sidebar brief with discussion questions

========

600

As per University Policy, Business 100W is graded on an "A," "B," "C," "NC" basis. An "NC" (No Credit) means you repeat the course and has no effect on your grade point average. You will be graded on your ability to write clearly, concisely, cohesively, correctly, courteously, and to follow the basic principles introduced in class and in your textbooks. Points are awarded on a holistic basis. This includes in-class participation and how successful your messages apply to real business-like situations. The scale will be 90% = "A"; 80% = "B"; 70% = "C"; below 70% = "NC." Remember, whether you are on-line or on-ground, participation affects your final grade. So, don't miss any sessions/assignments!

All assignments are due by noon Tuesday (additional due dates in the last week of class), and those regarded as unacceptable must be rewritten. Due dates for all assignments will be announced in the class website, and ALL PAPERS MUST BE SUBMITTED in the assignment tool--anything else is unacceptable. Points/final grades are adjusted for not following these rules.

No Late assignments or Make-Up work accepted
Late assignments will not be accepted. Regardless of the points you earn, your final Grade is based upon on-line/In Class (ground) participation, critical thinking skills, and more importantly, your writing abilities and progress in meeting the learning objectives of the class.

540 – 600 A

480 – 539 B

420 – 479 C

Below 420 NC

A=Excellent. It offers an effective solution to a problem based on good audience analysis and fulfills minor as well as all major purposes. Its overall pattern of organization is appropriate; the internal organization of ideas is effective; transitions are smooth. Reader benefits and logic are well developed. The message is well written, interesting and easy to read. It may show originality in visual impact, reader benefits, details, or work choice.

B=Good. It offers an effective solution to the problem. Both the overall pattern of organization and the internal organization are good. Reader benefits and logic are developed adequately. The writing style is clear, concise, and friendly.

C=Satisfactory. It offers a solution that is basically acceptable; it has an organizational pattern; the writing follows the conventions of Standard English and the principles of business writing. There may be minor errors in style, tone, internal organization or mechanics; reader benefits or logic may not be fully developed.

NC=Poor Work. Has major flaws in one of the following: the solution, organization, tone or writing style -- OR -- a paper that violates the facts explicitly given in the problem -- OR -- a paper that is marred by an unacceptable number of errors in organization, development, word choice, style, tone, and mechanics. Minor errors in format (for example, not initialing a memo or signing a letter) lower the points/paper. Major errors (for example, using a letter when a memo is needed) will lower the grade one full letter.

TECHNOLOGY
Be sure to perform the browser Tune-up before you begin the class by visiting: www.webct.com/oriented/viewpage?name=exchange_browser_tuneup

You should possess an intermediate level of computer ability, defined not as expertise in any particular program, but rather as an easy going attitude that takes unforeseen problems in stride and eventually overcomes all issues with the unstoppable combination of patience, persistence, humor, and a willingness to ask for help and listen carefully.

You should have access to:

a late model PC or Mac (made within the last two years or so)
A DVD-rom drive capable of reading the video cases
A soundcard and speakers
a minimum of 64 Megabytes of system memory (RAM)
the latest browsers (See browser tune-up)
a fast internet connection (DSL or Cable modem preferred)
good skills using a word processing program and "suite" of software (like Microsoft Office).
We may use some Adobe portable document format (PDF) files. To access these files you must have a free "acrobat" reader on your computer. You can download in either PC or MAC versions from: www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html).

We may also be using audio and perhaps video that will require you to have the free Real player Basic 8 plug-in available for PC or MAC by downloading from Real Networks . Note that you may have to look carefully around the site to find the link to the free basic version.

TEXTBOOK

Business and Administrative Communication, 7th Ed. (2005) by Kitty O. Locker - includes essential CD-ROM and website access.

LOGGING IN

After the first class session, you will click on the "Login" button below and enter your username and password. To find out what your login and password are, visit: http://online.sjsu.edu/help/password.htm

Note: You will only be able to access the class after the on-campus orientation session.


	Business Communication 100W Bus 2 100W--Business Communication By Jeremy W. Kemp, M.S.J., M.Ed. jkemp at stanfordalumni.org IMPORTANT MEETINGS This class has two mandatory in-person sessions from 6:00pm to 9:00pm in room IS134a: Tuesday, June 7, 2005 (orientation) Thursday, July 14, 2005 If you cannot attend these sessions, you should not take this class. COURSE DESCRIPTION & EXPECTATIONS This is a practical and analytical approach to the development and content of style in business communications. This course emphasizes logic, concern for audience and understanding the importance of psychological approaches to the solution of business problems through skillful written communications. Satisfies upper division writing requirement. During the class you will be expected to: Write to classmates professionally as if they are coworkers; Work actively to solve any technical problems with your equipment; Turn assignments in on time; Be present for in-class activities; Write with precision, clarity, brevity and completeness; Follow spelling, punctuation, grammar, and format guidelines. Sensitivity To Others It is particularly important that your language and behavior reflect your sensitivity and respect of others. You shall not tell jokes or make statements that might offend others either verbally or in writing. Any negative reference to others' race, nationality, religion, sexual preference or physical condition is inappropriate and will not be tolerated. An inability to be sensitive to others could result in being dismissed from the University. Plagiarism is taking the ideas or writing of another person and passing them off as one's own. When you borrow ideas from someone else, give the other person credit for the idea. When you see an example of how to write a certain type of message in your reader or another book, please do not copy it as your own or just change a few words. You need to develop your own writing style. Assignments that are too close to what is in the book will be penalized because they are not really your work. Please use www.turnitin.com to verify your work! DATES AND TIME REQUIREMENTS Allocate at least 6 hours per week for term. You may elect to spend much more time to take advantage of the feedback and experience available in this class, and depending on how much you want/need to create documents for your own career. This is a highly interactive online course model that requires logging on and participating 4 of 7 days per week at a minimum. I recommend devoting an hour a day most days and then at least one day a week block out 2 or 3 hours to work on assignments that require sustained concentration. For instance, many participants find a half hour here and another half hour there nearly everyday works well to read and reply to the discussion board. Two major bits of advice: First, a little every day is by far the most successful strategy for online learning and teaching. Second, cut something else out of your schedule (equivalent to at least 6 hours a week) to make room for this, at least for the duration of the course. Procrastination could make this class a lot less fun. ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR Jeremy Kemp works as an Academic Coordinator for SJSU's eCampus. This is his fifth course development. He holds two Master's degrees -- Stanford (01) in Education and Northwestern (92) in Magazine Publishing. Through the '90s, he worked in marketing communications at the AMA's international headquarters in downtown Chicago. Later, he was a product manager at a retail display company in Oregon. Kemp first taught in 1997 at the University of Oregon Extension and at Portland Community College. He speaks Mandarin after studying in Taiwan and has been a member of the Association of Internet Professionals since 1998. PREREQUISITES English 1A and 1B or equivalent Completion of lower division pool Junior standing A passing score on the Writing Skills Test (WST) Take the eCampus Self-Evaluation Quiz to see if your learning style is suited. Anyone remaining in the course without passing this test will receive a "U"/"F" grade. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to: Format, compose, and revise memos, proposals, business letters, resumes and reports Leverage computer and Internet tools to make your work more efficient Use a wider palette of communication strategies and techniques Develop a professional voice more fitting to your personal communication style Lesson errors of grammar and tone in your written and oral communication Critique and evaluate communication behaviors in various settings Show improved skills honed through class presentations and group exercises DISCUSSION BOARD (Intranet) Attendance and participation are critical parts of a dynamic, online learning experience. You are required to make at least five substantive contributions to class discussion. This course is being conducted in a very compressed format using a highly interactive and collaborative online model. Here are some guidelines to help you be a better online citizen and earn participation points: Visit the class web page often-at least five days a week Post replies to other participants' notes such as answers to a discussion question, or comments on a point raised. Comments must contain more than just "I agree." Support your comments with more than personal opinion, such as if you made references or quoted the textbook, lectures, web research, readings, or other resources Remain fair and balanced even if in disagreement Add a new insight, experience, or perception to the discussion Use formatting and pictures and include links to interesting Websites you've found GRADING There are 600 possible points, divided into eight activities: Participation 100 Averaging five substantial posts per week Exams 50 5 exams / 20 questions worth .5 points apiece Exercises 100 1 per week Paper 100 Proposal 10 pts, Paper 90 pts Pre/Post exercise 50 Persuasive writing and formatting exercise Cases 100 5 video case answers posted to the Intranet Presentation 50 - 10 minutes with PowerPoint and handouts - 360 deg. evaluation by team, instructor, audience. - Group minutes on the Intranet no later than noon, 7/15 Sidebars 50 Group posts a sidebar brief with discussion questions ======== 600 As per University Policy, Business 100W is graded on an "A," "B," "C," "NC" basis. An "NC" (No Credit) means you repeat the course and has no effect on your grade point average. You will be graded on your ability to write clearly, concisely, cohesively, correctly, courteously, and to follow the basic principles introduced in class and in your textbooks. Points are awarded on a holistic basis. This includes in-class participation and how successful your messages apply to real business-like situations. The scale will be 90% = "A"; 80% = "B"; 70% = "C"; below 70% = "NC." Remember, whether you are on-line or on-ground, participation affects your final grade. So, don't miss any sessions/assignments! All assignments are due by noon Tuesday (additional due dates in the last week of class), and those regarded as unacceptable must be rewritten. Due dates for all assignments will be announced in the class website, and ALL PAPERS MUST BE SUBMITTED in the assignment tool--anything else is unacceptable. Points/final grades are adjusted for not following these rules. No Late assignments or Make-Up work accepted Late assignments will not be accepted. Regardless of the points you earn, your final Grade is based upon on-line/In Class (ground) participation, critical thinking skills, and more importantly, your writing abilities and progress in meeting the learning objectives of the class. 540 – 600 A 480 – 539 B 420 – 479 C Below 420 NC A=Excellent. It offers an effective solution to a problem based on good audience analysis and fulfills minor as well as all major purposes. Its overall pattern of organization is appropriate; the internal organization of ideas is effective; transitions are smooth. Reader benefits and logic are well developed. The message is well written, interesting and easy to read. It may show originality in visual impact, reader benefits, details, or work choice. B=Good. It offers an effective solution to the problem. Both the overall pattern of organization and the internal organization are good. Reader benefits and logic are developed adequately. The writing style is clear, concise, and friendly. C=Satisfactory. It offers a solution that is basically acceptable; it has an organizational pattern; the writing follows the conventions of Standard English and the principles of business writing. There may be minor errors in style, tone, internal organization or mechanics; reader benefits or logic may not be fully developed. NC=Poor Work. Has major flaws in one of the following: the solution, organization, tone or writing style -- OR -- a paper that violates the facts explicitly given in the problem -- OR -- a paper that is marred by an unacceptable number of errors in organization, development, word choice, style, tone, and mechanics. Minor errors in format (for example, not initialing a memo or signing a letter) lower the points/paper. Major errors (for example, using a letter when a memo is needed) will lower the grade one full letter. TECHNOLOGY Be sure to perform the browser Tune-up before you begin the class by visiting: www.webct.com/oriented/viewpage?name=exchange_browser_tuneup You should possess an intermediate level of computer ability, defined not as expertise in any particular program, but rather as an easy going attitude that takes unforeseen problems in stride and eventually overcomes all issues with the unstoppable combination of patience, persistence, humor, and a willingness to ask for help and listen carefully. You should have access to: a late model PC or Mac (made within the last two years or so) A DVD-rom drive capable of reading the video cases A soundcard and speakers a minimum of 64 Megabytes of system memory (RAM) the latest browsers (See browser tune-up) a fast internet connection (DSL or Cable modem preferred) good skills using a word processing program and "suite" of software (like Microsoft Office). We may use some Adobe portable document format (PDF) files. To access these files you must have a free "acrobat" reader on your computer. You can download in either PC or MAC versions from: www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html). We may also be using audio and perhaps video that will require you to have the free Real player Basic 8 plug-in available for PC or MAC by downloading from Real Networks . Note that you may have to look carefully around the site to find the link to the free basic version. TEXTBOOK *Business and Administrative Communication, 7th Ed.** (2005) by Kitty O. Locker - includes essential CD-ROM and website access.* LOGGING IN After the first class session, you will click on the "Login" button below and enter your username and password. To find out what your login and password are, visit: http://online.sjsu.edu/help/password.htm Note: You will only be able to access the class after the on-campus orientation session.


	Summer Session, 2005