BA 290 Business Communication
Fall 2013
Bob Stein
bob.stein@yahoo.com
AH-3148
Office Hours: Tuesday, Thursday 11am-1pm or by appointment
Class:
Mon./Wed. 2-3:15 pm
Section 3
Schedule no. 20290
Classroom: EBA-256
Course Description: In this class you will learn concepts and develop skills directed toward
written business communication.
BSBA students will graduate being:
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Effective Communicators
Critical Thinkers
Able to Analyze Ethical Problems
Global in their perspective
Knowledgeable about the essentials of business
BA 290 contributes to these goals through its student learning outcomes as follows:
Learning Objectives:
 Learn the essentials of organizing business messages
 Gather primary information and interpret it effectively
 Prepare short documents for business such as memos, letters, e-mail, and business
reports.
 Prepare a substantial analytical report using both primary and secondary research and
supported with suitable graphics.
At the end of this course students should be able to:
 Adapt the concepts of the basic communication model to written messages and oral
presentations through careful audience analysis and message planning.
 Choose words, write sentences, and develop paragraphs for good news, bad news, and
persuasive messages that are clear, concise, complete, and accurate.
 Incorporate technology effectively in gathering, organizing, writing, and presenting
written and oral messages.
 Effectively gather, interpret, and organize both secondary and primary information
needed to support written and oral reports.
 Evaluate and produce graphics to communicate messages quickly and accurately.
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Write effectively for those with English as a second language.
Collaborate effectively on written documents.
Required Text:
Business Communication
Authors: Marie Flatley, Kathryn Rentz, & Paula Lentz
ISBN-10: 0073403164
ISBN-13: 978-0073403168
Publication Date: February 2, 2011
Edition: 2
Highly Recommended Text:
The Business Writer's Handbook, Tenth Edition by Gerald J. Alred, Charles T. Brusaw and
Walter E. Oliu
Class Website: http://blackboard.sdsu.edu
Students are expected to check BlackBoard and email before each class session. Updates or
changes will be posted to BlackBoard.
Reading: There is reading assigned for nearly every class period we will meet. It is much more
valuable for you to read the assignment before we have the class lecture on that material. To
help ensure readings are completed I will utilize quizzes through Blackboard before class meets
or assign a short homework exercise based on the chapter reading that is to be turned in at the
end of the class. The requirement to complete the quiz or the assignment will be announced
before class and will also be posted on Blackboard.
Formatting your work:
1. Stack your name, class and section number, homework or assignment number and then
date on the upper left side.
2. All work is must be typed using Times New Roman font size 12.
Attendance: Attendance is critical to your success. Points are given for attendance, taken away
if you miss class. I will take attendance every class period. If you know you will miss a class
and there is an assignment due you are responsible for ensuring I receive it (via email and in a
pdf format if required) prior to the end of class. You will then give me a printed copy at the next
class period. There is NO late work accepted.
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Grading: There are a variety of assignments and evaluations that will be required for
completion of this course. Grades are given as points per project. For example, each quiz is
worth 50 points. Five quizzes equal 250 points. You are assigned a point grade per activity, but
these are converted into a final class letter grade using the A-F scale and percentages shown
below. Total points per work type are:
Five surprise quizzes related to chapter readings
Twelve written homework assignments
Two major written assignments
One major oral presentation
Class attendance and participation
250
1200
300
150
600
Total points
2500
Grading Rubric:
Letter Grade
A+
A
AB+
B
B-
Percentile
98-100%
93-97
90-92
88-89
84-88
80-83
Letter Grade
C+
C
CD+
D
DF
Percentile
78-79
74-77
70-73
68-69
64-67
60-63
0-59
Writing Rubric:
Your written work in this class will be evaluated using a rubric that has been approved by the
MIS department. This rubric is posted on Blackboard. Grades will be posted on Blackboard.
You must notify me within 7 days of any grading discrepancy.
Electronic Devices: No electronics can be used in this class as a courtesy to your instructor and
classmates. Turn off cell phones, IPods, tablets, etc. Do not answer cell phones or leave class to
answer a call. If there is an extraordinary reason why you must have an electronic device on,
please discuss this with me before class.
Standard of Conduct: Students are expected to treat each other courteously. This class is an
environment where we are all learning. To that end, patience, consideration and respect for the
ideas of others are essential. Please arrive at class well prepared (notebooks, pens, texts) and
ready to be fully engaged in the course lecture and discussion. Your success in this class is your
responsibility.
Academic Dishonesty (Cheating or Plagiarism):
Cheating is behavior that undermines the learning objectives of a paper, exam, quiz or any other
graded work. Among other things, cheating is working with a classmate on an individual
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project; using a quiz from a previous semester to study for a quiz in your class; or passing
someone else’s work off as your own.
The SDSU policy file defines Plagiarism as:
the act of incorporating ideas, words, or specific substance of another, whether
purchased, borrowed, or otherwise obtained, and submitting same to the university as
one’s own work to fulfill academic requirements without giving credit to the appropriate
source. Plagiarism shall include but not be limited to (a) submitting work, either in part or
in whole, completed by another; (b) omitting footnotes for ideas, statements, facts, or
conclusions that belong to another; (c) omitting quotation marks when quoting directly
from another, whether it be a paragraph, sentence, or part thereof; (d) close and lengthy
paraphrasing of the writings of another; (e) submitting another person’s artistic works,
such as musical compositions, photographs, paintings, drawings, or sculptures; and (f)
submitting as one’s own work papers purchased from research companies.
The SDSU library has a self-paced tutorial called “Plagiarism: The Crime of Intellectual
Kidnapping” which is accessed at the following website:
http://infotutor.sdsu.edu/plagiarism/index.cfm
Your first assignment is to complete this tutorial before our next class and to turn in evidence
of its completion.
You are also expected to sign and date this evidence indicating agreement that you have read
and accepted the conditions and criteria outlined for this class in this syllabus.
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Class Schedule *
Week 1
Aug. 26: Introduction
Aug. 28: Chapter 1 Communicating in the Workplace
Week 2
Sept. 2: Labor Day no class
Sept. 4: Chapter 2 Understanding the Writing Process
Week 3
Sept. 9: Chapter 2 continued
Sept. 11: Chapter 3 Using Visuals in Written and Oral Communication
Week 4
Sept. 16: Chapter 3 continued
Sept. 18: Chapter 4 Using an Appropriate Style
Week 5
Sept. 23: Chapter 4 continued
Sept. 25: Chapter 5 Writing Good News and Neutral Messages
Week 6
Sept. 30: Chapter 5 continued
Oct. 2: Chapter 6 Writing Bad News Messages
Week 7
Oct. 7: Chapter 6 continued
Oct. 9: Chapter 8 Researching and Writing Reports
Week 8
Oct. 14: Chapter 8 continued
Oct. 16: Chapter 8 continued
Week 9
Oct. 21: Chapter 9 Writing Short Reports
Oct. 23: Chapter 9 continued
Week 10
Oct. 28: Chapter 7 Writing Persuasive Messages
Oct. 30: Chapter 7 continued
Week 11
Nov. 4: Chapter 7 continued
Nov. 6: Chapter 10 Communicating Orally
Week 12
Nov. 11: Veterans Day, no class
Nov. 13: Chapter 10 continued
Week 13
Nov. 18: Chapter 10 continued
Nov. 20: Chapter 10 continued
Week 14
Nov. 25: Chapter 10 continued
Nov. 27: Thanksgiving break no class
Week 15
Dec. 2: Chapter 11 Communicating in the Job Search continued
Dec. 4: Chapter 11 continued
Week 16
Dec. 9: Chapter 11 continued
Dec. 11: Chapter 11 continued
*The following schedule is approximate, dates and topics may shift as we proceed.
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