Course Syllabus

 Professor Bill Young

Course Description and Purpose

Employers ranked the ability to communicate and to use technology as two of the most important skills for new employees. As such, this fully online course is designed to provide you with an opportunity to learn managerial communication skills that can be immediately transferred into a professional work environment. The course assignments and exercises are designed to improve your practical business communication skills in the following areas.

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Course Objectives

Upon completing this course, students will be able to:

• Business Writing: You will develop and/or improve your ability to use clear, concise language, to select an appropriate format, and to write the following professional business documents: memorandums, cover letters, resumes, citations, bibliographies, and reports.
• English Language Skills: You will develop and/or improve your ability to compose English sentences using proper punctuation, grammar, and mechanics.
• Managerial Communication: You will develop and/or improve your ability to recognize your own communication tendencies as well as the communication tendencies of the persons you deal with professionally.
• Oral Communication: You will develop and/or improve your ability to effectively communicate orally by delivering an individual presentation and a group presentation. 

Policies

Please review the FIU's Policies webpage. The policies webpage contains essential information regarding guidelines relevant to all courses at FIU, as well as additional information about acceptable netiquette for courses with online components. For additional information, please visit FIU's Policy and Procedure Library.

As a member of the FIU community you are expected to be knowledgeable about the behavioral expectations set forth in the FIU Student Conduct and Honor Code.

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Technical Requirements

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Acceptance of Late Assignments 

The departmental and course policies governing the acceptance of late assignments were adopted for the purpose of ensuring each student in the course is treated fairly and held to the same objective standards. The department, in adopting the late assignment policy, concluded that it was reasonable for students enrolled in a class with online components to be responsible for the following:

• To understand and respect an assignment's posted due date
• To read and abide by the course policies posted within the syllabus

As such, requests for extensions related to the mismanaging of one's time, unfamiliarity with course policies contained within the syllabus, and/or not following an assignment's posted submission instructions are not compelling reasons for an instructor to grant an extension and will, therefore, be denied.

• All documentation related to medical emergencies must be dated, signed by a licensed medical professional, and contain the licensed medical professional's contact number. It is expected that such documentation will be submitted no later than one week after the assignment's due date. Supporting medical documentation is always kept confidential.

Once again, the departmental policies and procedures were adopted for the purpose of ensuring that all students in a class are treated fairly and are evaluated using the same objective standards. Your understanding and cooperation are both greatly appreciated.

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Policy for Assigning an incomplete "I" Grade

An incomplete grade is a temporary symbol given for work not completed because of a serious interruption not caused by the student's own negligence. An incomplete must be made up as quickly as possible, but no later than, two consecutive semesters after the initial taking of the course or it will automatically default to an "F" or the grade that the student earned in the course. There is no extension of the two-semester deadline. The student must not register again for the course to make up the incomplete. Students who have incomplete grades on their records must remove the incomplete by the end of the fourth week of the term in which they plan to graduate. Failure to do so will result in a cancellation of graduation.

An Incomplete grade is awarded only if the student has completed most of the course work. If a student misses a significant portion of the course work, he/she should drop the course. If the drop period has ended, the student may petition for a withdrawal—this requires the student to un-enroll in all of their courses for that semester. An Incomplete grade is not to be used because a student took on too many credits and cannot complete everything that is now required of them.

In such cases where the course instructor determines that it is appropriate to award a student a grade of
"I" (incomplete) the following steps must be followed.

Using an Official University Form the course instructor will report the following:

• The grade earned by the student to date.
• The missing work and the percentage of the final grade it represents (this requires the details of the specific missing assignment).
• The date the instructor expects the missing work to be submitted or in the case of an examination made up.
• The justification for awarding the grade of "I".
• Have the student sign the form.
• Submit this form to the Department Chair and Dean and maintain a copy for instructor records and provide a copy for the student.
• Upon satisfying the requirements for a grade the instructor will sign off on the form and attach it to the change of grade form she or he will submit.

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Center for Academic Success

The Center for Academic Success is available on both campuses to support you. They provide personalized attention tailored to your needs in a user-friendly environment that includes online support. You can get help writing a paper, reading more efficiently and increasing textbook comprehension, or even creating an individualized learning plan. The center is located in GL 120 (305-348-2441) on the main campus and at ACI 160 (305-919-4044) on the Biscayne Bay campus.

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Course Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course.

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Textbook and Course Materials

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Expectations of this Course

This course has online components, which means most (if not all) of the course work will be conducted online. Expectations for performance in a course with online components are the same as a traditional course. In fact, these courses require a degree of self-motivation, self-discipline, and technology skills which can make these courses more demanding for some students.

Students are expected to:

• review the getting started page located in the course modules;
• take the practice quiz to ensure that your computer is compatible with the learning management system, Canvas;
• interact with instructor and peers;
• review and follow the course calendar and weekly outlines;
• log in to the course daily;
• respond to emails within 24 hours;
• submit assignments by the corresponding deadline.

The instructor will:

• respond to emails within 24 hours on weekdays and 48 hours on weekends;
• grade assignments within one to two weeks of the assignment deadline, depending on the assignment.

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Attendance

Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class period. The expectation is for students to attend all class sessions. Tardiness is not tolerated. It is your responsibility to arrive at class on time. You are allowed two unexcused absences during the semester. Each unexcused absence beyond that will result in the deduction of 1/3 of a letter grade from your final course grade. There are no exceptions. Missing any assignment will result in a grade of zero for that assignment. When you have an excused absence, it is your responsibility to let me know prior to the event, if possible. Excused absences include but are not limited to the following: illness of the student or immediate family member, accidents, death of an immediate family member, jury duty, court appearance, religious holy day, involuntary call of military personnel to active duty, events which you are required to attend by the club sponsor and have been approved by the appropriate Dean. You are required to show official documentation/proof of the event no later than one week after the absence in order for the absence to be excused and make-up work to be accepted.

Course Communication

Communication in this course will take place via the Canvas Inbox. Check out the Canvas Conversations Tutorial or Canvas Guide to learn how to communicate with your instructor and peers using Announcements, Discussions, and the Inbox. I will respond to all correspondences within 24 hours on weekdays and 48 hours on weekends.

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Course Content

In order to mitigate any issues with your computer and online assessments, it is very important that you take the "Practice Quiz" from each computer you will be using to take your graded quizzes and exams. It is your responsibility to make sure your computer meets the minimum hardware requirements.

All assessments will auto-submit when (1) the timer runs out OR (2) the closing date/time is reached, whichever happens first. For example, if a quiz has a closing time of 5:00 pm but the student begins the exam at 4:55 pm, the student will only have 5 minutes to complete the quiz. Assessments in this course are not compatible with mobile devices and should not be taken through a mobile phone or a tablet. If you need further assistance please contact FIU Canvas Help Center.

Please read the weekly calendar carefully. You are fully responsible for completing the assignments by the assigned dates. This requires that you read ahead as some assignments may take you more time and research than others.

This course will consist of the following assignments:

Practice Quiz: The practice quiz is to test your computer. It does not contain questions related to class. It is available to make sure your computer is set up to take an online material. You receive NO class points for this quiz. You can find the practice quiz in Canvas. It is advised that you take this quiz BEFORE you attempt opening an exam to avoid any technical issues.

Video Response Activity: You will be asked to watch factually based short videos about a specific company or an issue that is a concern to many companies today. For this activity, you are required to submit a 250-word detailed answer to the question. The assignment is graded using a 50 point scale (50 (A), 25 (C), or 0 (F), and should be submitted in the assignment dropbox in Canvas.

Quizzes: You will have quizzes (i.e., Textbook, Grammar, and Extra Credit) throughout the semester that cover grammar and textbook chapters. You can access each quiz anytime during the availability period. You will have 20 minutes to complete the Grammar Quizzes and 40 minutes for the Textbook Quizzes. You will have two attempts per quiz and the higher score of the two will be accepted. Keep in mind you must begin the quiz with enough time to complete the quiz before the quiz expires at 11:59 pm on the date listed in the syllabus. This means you must have the quiz completed before 11:59 PM. Thus, if you log-on at 11:55 PM, you will only have four minutes to complete the quiz. You can use your textbook, your notes, and the course preparation materials provided; however, you cannot consult with another individual during the quiz or discuss the quiz with another student until after the quiz date has expired and the grades have been posted. Conduct that violates the University's Academic Honor Code will result in a failing grade for the entire course.

Writing Assignments: You will have various writing assignments throughout the semester (i.e., memos, letters, business reports, etc.). Each writing assignment will be submitted through Turnitin on Canvas. Specific instructions on formatting and writing topics will be provided in the module overview for the week the writing assignment is due. Please see these overviews for explanation of late policy and available maximum number of points for the late assignments.

Oral Presentation of Memo/Letter (Individual): Presented in class. Recalling what you’ve read and learned about effective presentations, you can choose any of the memos or letters you’ve written during the class and deliver it to an imagined group of employees. Deliver the contents as a brief speech (1-2 mins) in a formal business setting. You are required to dress professionally and incorporate effective physical and vocal delivery. You CANNOT read from your memo/letter. You may use one index card with notes. Spread eye contact across the room, use appropriate pauses, raise or lower inflection for emphasis, and be mindful of other nonverbal cues.

The presentations are scheduled in module 4. It is imperative to present on your scheduled date so that you will not miss the opportunity to give your presentation. Please see attached rubric for the grading requirements.

Written Assignment Submission Guidelines

• Review the detailed written assignment instructions on how to submit your assignments and how to review the comments (feedback) from your professor.
• All written assignments on Canvas will be run through Turnitin to check for plagiarism. Your submission should not exceed 25% in similarity.
  • Only DOC and DOCX will be permitted; no other file extension types will be accepted for grading.
• Written assignment dropboxes will be available within the Assignments link of the course tools menu on the left-hand side of the page within Canvas, as well as in their respective modules as outlined in the syllabus.
• Within one week after the assignment's deadline has passed, you will receive written feedback on your assignment.
• Late submissions will only be accepted for a maximum of 10 days past the due date. For every day an assignment is late, 5% will be deducted from the original point value, with a maximum reduction of 50% on assignments submitted 10 days past the original due date. Please refer to the "Acceptance of Late Assignments" section of the syllabus for more information.   
• Re-submissions, once grades are posted, will not be accepted.  

AI Technology Guidelines

• Since writing, analytical, and critical thinking skills are part of the learning outcomes of this course, all writing assignments should be prepared by the student. Developing strong competencies in this area will prepare you for a competitive workplace. Therefore, AI-generated submissions are not permitted and will be treated as plagiarism.
• Your submission will be checked if it was written using AI technology, including (but not limited to) ChatGPT, Bard, etc. Your submission should not exceed an AI detection rate of 25%.
  • Note: Certain writing tools, such as Grammarly's rewrite suggestions feature, may also contribute to the AI detection rate. Use care and keep this in mind when using such tools.

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Grading

Course Grades Distribution Table

Course Requirements	Number of Items	Points for Each	Total Points Available	Weight
Attendance/Participation	1	50	50	10%
Video Response Activity	1	50	50	10%
Memo	1	75	75	15%
Letter	1	75	75	15%
Business Proposal	1	100	100	20%
Oral Presentation	1	75	75	15%
Grammar Skills Quizzes	3	15	45	9%
Textbook Quizzes	3	10	30	6%
Total	12	N/A	500	100%
Entrance Quiz (Extra Credit)	1	1	10	2%

 

Letter Grade Distribution Table

Letter	Range%	Letter	Range%	Letter	Range%
A	93.5 or above	B	83.5 - 86.4	C	69.5 - 76.4
A-	89.5 - 93.4	B-	79.5 - 83.4	D	59.5 - 69.4
B+	86.5 - 89.4	C+	76.5 - 79.4	F	59.4 or less

 

Important Course Dates

• Last Day to Add/Drop Course: 8/28/23
• Last Day to Drop Course with a DR grade: 10/30/23

All assignments, unless otherwise stated, are due at the end of the assigned week/module by 11:59 PM (EST).

Semester Course Schedule (subject to change without notice)

Date	Module	Assignment
Week 1 Available from 8/21 - 8/29	Module 1: Introduction of Business Communication	Required Readings: Chapter 1: Establishing Credibility Assignments: Review course materials (i.e., syllabus, Canvas, etc.) Entrance Quiz due (Extra Credit)
Week 2 Available from 8/28 - 9/5	Module 2: Principles of Interpersonal Communication	Required Readings: Chapter 2: Interpersonal Communication and Emotional Intelligence Chapter 3: Team Communication and Difficult Conversations Assignments: No assignments this week
Week 3 Available from 9/4 - 9/12	Module 2: Principles of Interpersonal Communication	Required Readings: Chapter 4: Global Communications and Diversity  Assignments: Video Response Activity due
Week 4 Available from 9/11 - 9/19	Module 3: Principles for Business Messages	Required Readings: Chapter 5: Creating Effective Business Messages Assignments: Grammar Quiz 1 due
Week 5 Available from 9/18 - 9/26	Module 3: Principles for Business Messages	Required Readings: Chapter 6: Improving Readability with Style and Design Assignments: Grammar Quiz 2 due
Week 6 Available from 9/25 - 10/3	Module 3: Principles of Business Messages	Required Readings: Chapter 7: Email and Other Tools for Business Communication  Assignments: Textbook Quiz 1 (Ch. 5-7) due Form groups for Business Proposal
Week 7 Available from 10/2 - 10/10	Module 4: Types of Business Messages	Required Readings: Chapter 9: Routine Business Messages  Assignments: Memo due
Week 8 Available from 10/9 - 10/17	Module 4: Types of Business Messages	Required Readings: Chapter 10: Persuasive Business Messages Assignments: Grammar Quiz 3 due
Week 9 Available from 10/16 - 10/24	Module 4: Types of Business Messages	Required Readings: Chapter 11: Bad News Messages Assignments: Letter due
Week 10 Available from 10/23 - 10/31	Module 5: Reports and Presentations	Required Readings: Chapter 12: Research and Business Proposals and Planning for Business Reports Assignments: Textbook Quiz 2 (Ch. 9-12) due
Week 11 Available from 10/30 - 11/7	Module 5: Reports and Presentations	Required Readings: Chapter 13: Completing Business Proposals and Business Reports Assignments: Business Proposal due
Week 12 Available from 11/6 - 11/14	Module 5: Reports and Presentations	Required Readings: Chapter 14: Planning Presentations Assignments: No assignments this week
Week 13 Available from 11/13 - 11/21	Module 5: Reports and Presentations	Required Readings: Chapter 15: Delivering Presentations Assignments: Textbook Quiz 3 (Ch. 13-15) due Begin Working on Oral Presentations
Week 14 Available from 11/20 - 11/28	Module 5: Reports and Presentations	Required Readings: No readings this week Assignments: Oral Presentations due
Week 15 Available from 11/27 - 12/9 (Includes Finals Week; Last day of regular class is 12/2)	Module 5: Reports and Presentations End of Semester Wrap Up	Required Readings: No readings this week Assignments: No assignments this week

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