Business Administration: Management
COURSE SYLLABUS
COURSE NUMBER: LEAD 1370
COURSE TITLE: Workforce Development with Critical Thinking
CREDITS: 3 (3 lecture)
PREREQUISITE / COREQUISITE: None
Erin Steamer, Professor
Email: erin.steamer@hccs.edu
Purpose: This course is designed to increase student knowledge and ____while
improving students accountability and preparedness in the workplace
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Development of leadership skills and critical thinking strategies that promote employment readiness,
retention, advancement, and promotion.
.
Text: From Master Student to Master Employee by Dave Ellis
PREREQUISITES: This class requires certain basic academic skills. These skills and the remedial classes
needed to attain those skills are:
Reading:
Math:
English:
9th to 11th grade minimum – GUST 0342
Basic Math – remedial – MATH 0308
Sentences and paragraphs remedial –ENGL 0300 or 0349
END-OF-COURSE-OUTCOMES:
Identify characteristics of employees who are qualified for employment and worthy of
promotion and retention in the workforce; explain critical thinking strategies within the
context of strong leadership; apply effective business communication skills; utilize data
and information to make effective decisions; and identify roles and strategies used in
group processes and team building.
ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING
Course Requirements
I. Grade Assignments: The following format will be used to assign your final letter grades.
A:
B:
C:
90 - 100
80 - 89
70 - 79
D:
F:
60 - 69
below 60
II. Grading Standards
Home work and class assignments: All will be of equal value in the overall assessment of your final
grade
Homework and in class assignments There will be various assignments given to you each week. The
total number of assignments has not been determined. Each assignment will be valued up to 100 points
and will be of equal value in the overall assessment of your final grade. You must be present in class and
you must participate in order to get credit. NO LATE ASSIGNEMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of this course, the student will:
 Identify school policies and procedures
 Recognize sound practices to perform well in college
 Identify effective communications techniques
 Recognize time management and prioritization techniques
 Demonstrate effective reading, listening and note-taking strategies
 Illustrate effective study and test taking techniques
 Demonstrate critical thinking strategies
 Describe roles, tasks, employment opportunities, and outlook for various workforce careers
 Identify careers in various business fields
 Distinguish various degrees and certificate plans offered
 Match personal interests and abilities with careers and majors
 Describe long term growth and opportunities for various careers
 Write a résumé
 Describe effective job search and interviewing techniques
Attendance
Be Here
This course is a microcosm of the world of work, so I expect you to behave as an employee. Come to class
consistently on time and be prepared to participate. You will earn new knowledge and skill that put you on the fast
track toward success in your career.
“Being late showed disrespect for me, disrespect for the members of our team, and perhaps worst of all,
disrespect for time itself. I wouldn’t allow a casual attitude about this most valuable commodity. One of
the ways I could signal my reverence for it was to insist on punctuality and give no quarter when
someone violated this simple directive. It was a rule I would not allow anyone under my leadership to
trifle with.” (John Wooden, Wooden on Leadership 2005)
Students will be dropped from a class due to excessive absences. Excessive tardiness will be considered
absences. Students are responsible for subjects, assignments, and projects covered during their absences.
Consult the Student Handbook for more details or visit http://www.hccs.edu/hccs/currentstudents/student-handbook
Academic Honesty
Scholastic dishonesty is treated with the utmost seriousness by the instructor and the College. Academic
dishonesty includes, but it is not limited to the willful attempt to misrepresent one’s work, cheat,
plagiarize, or impede other students’ scholastic progress. Consult the Student Handbook for more
details.
Students with Disabilities
Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who
needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Support Services Office at his
/ her respective college at the beginning of each semester. Faculty are authorized to provide only the
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accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services Office. For Central College, call 713 – 718
– 6164.
Cell Phones
All cell phones must be turned off during class.
Student ID
Students are required to obtain a Student ID. For additional information, consult the Student Handbook.
Parking Rules and Regulations
Students are required to follow HCC’s regulations regarding parking and permits. For additional
information,
visit
http://www.hccs.edu/hccs/about-hcc/police/parking/parking-rules-andregulations
Books, Tools and Supplies
Students are required to purchase and bring to class the required textbooks, tools, notebooks, supplies,
and writing instruments as required by the instructor.
Dress Code
Dress code must be appropriate for the class. Students must dress in a way that clothing and accessories
do not compromise their safety, and the safety of others. Proper foot wear is required in all laboratories.
Classroom & Laboratory Conduct
Proper behavior is expected in all classes and laboratories. Foul language and horseplay are not allowed.
Making or receiving cell phone calls during class are not allowed. Sleeping in class is not allowed.
Course Withdrawal
It is the responsibility of the student to officially withdraw from a course before the official withdrawal
deadline. A student who does not withdraw from a course by the deadline will receive an “F” as the final
grade. Also note that under Section 51.907 of the Texas Education Code, an institution of higher
education may not allow a student to drop more than six courses.
__________________________________________________________________
Overall Course Expectations: Things you can expect to do EVERY week!
 Check and Respond to emails
 Post/Respond to a “Discussion”(Power Process)
 Journal
 Weekly Assignment
 Quiz (Every Monday)
Units Outlined:
1.
Character and 1st Steps
2.
Notes and Communication
a.
3.
Midterm Project: Interview
Time and Money
4.
Career Management
a.
Final Project- Portfolio
TOPICAL OUTLINE:
The content of this outline and the attached schedule are subject to change at the discretion of the
professor.
COURSE RULES AND ORIENTATION
 Introduction
 Purpose of the course
 Required materials, Notebooks or P.C.
 Importance of updating and maintaining student data (Name, Address, ID #, phone numbers,
emails)
 Classroom Behavior
 Course withdrawal. Student Responsibility
 Understanding the Official Day of Record (OE)
 Academic honesty
 Instructor information
STUDY SKILLS
 Learning styles
 Study guides and strategies
 Reading skills
 Note taking
 Memory aides
 Time management applied to study skills
 Improving concentration skills
 Prioritizing significance of information in a reading assignment
 Test taking skills
TIME MANAGEMENT
 Introduction to time management
 Effective time management techniques
 Prioritizing tasks and assignments
 Importance of meeting deadlines in college and in the workplace
 Planning ahead
 Personal scheduling
 Effective calendars
 Effects of procrastination
 Goal setting
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
 Introduction to communication skills
 Importance of first impressions
 Elements of effective communication
 Effective listening and speaking
 Ice breakers
 Questioning techniques
 Speaking to an audience
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

Effective writing
Preparing for a presentation
LEADERSHIP SKILLS
 Introduction to leadership skills
 Importance of leadership in college and in the workforce
 Qualities of a leader
 Leadership styles
 Delegating and mentoring
 Cross cultural leadership
 Team effectiveness
 Leadership models and resources
 Micromanagement
CAREER EXPLORATION
 Introduction to career exploration
 Role of various career/occupations in a society: business, accounting, health, education,
engineering, public/ human services, hospitality, information technology, transportation,
construction, fashion, food service, etc
 Personal interests and abilities required in various careers
 Employment requirements, education, and licensure for various careers
 Employment outlook and compensation for various careers
 Degrees and certificates plans for discipline specific careers
 Career advancement and long term growth for discipline specific careers
 Transfer options for discipline specific careers
 Student activities: Identifying a degree plan
RESUME WRITING
 Resume basics
 Effective resume styles and techniques
 Recommended information to be included / excluded from effective resumes
 Dos and Don'ts in a resume
 Discuss samples of effective resumes (discipline specific)
 Gathering pertinent information prior to writing a resume
 Keywords for effective resumes (discipline specific)
 Discuss resumes strengths and weaknesses
 Prepare a cover letter
INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
 Effective interviewing techniques
 Filling out a Job Application
 Relevant information for job applications
 Preparing for a job interview
 Proper attire for a job interview (discipline specific)
 Dos and Don'ts in a job interview
 Role Playing
 Group discussions: student feedback on interviewing techniques
CRITICAL THINKING
 Introduction to critical thinking
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Common terminology used in critical thinking
Hypothesis, theories, points of view, explanations, conclusions, and evidences that can be used in
a classroom subject or context
Conceptualization, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of information
Application techniques in problem solving and decision making
Group activities: study cases (discipline specific)
Group assignments: web based critical thinking exercises
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