MIS 396 W Reporting Techniques
Fall 2013
Instructor: John M. Penrose
Email: John.penrose@sdsu.edu
Voice/Message: 619.594.4759
Office: SSE 3126 (north end of building)
Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 2:15-3:45
Sections: 21993 and 21994
Classrooms: SS 2522 & SS 2514
Units: 3
T/Th 12:30-1:45 and T/Th 4-5:15
Department office: SS 2411
Course Description: In this class, you'll learn concepts and develop advanced skills in both written and
oral reporting for business. You'll be able to apply these skills immediately in your other classes as well as
in your work. These communication skills are ones business executives repeatedly identify as the most
important factor in their success.
Learning Objectives: Upon successful completion of the course, you will be able to:
1. Learn the essentials of organizing business messages.
2. Gather primary information and interpret it effectively.
3. Prepare short documents for business such as instructions, proposals, and policy and procedure
statements.
4. Prepare a substantial analytical report using both primary and secondary research and supported
with suitable graphics.
5. Deliver individual and team oral business presentations using appropriate visual support.
6. Design effective visual support for written and oral business presentations.
Required Texts and Readings:
 Kuiper, Shirley. Contemporary Business Report Writing, 5th Edition. Cincinnati, OH: South-Western
College Publishing, 2013.
 Penrose, Rasberry, and Myers. Communication for Managers, 5th Edition, 2004.
 Penrose, class materials, available in Aztec Shops.
 Tufte, Edward. The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint, 2d Edition.
Supplies: Quality 8 ½ x 11 white paper
Course design: lecture, discussion, experiential exercises, exams.
Course conduct: on-time attendance is expected at each class; assignments will be collected in class;
students are expected to be prepared for each class by having read assignments, prepared homework, and
so on.
Grading: All your work and the final course grade will be evaluated on a performance scale rather than a
curve. Tests are based on both your knowledge about writing concepts and your application of these
concepts to a variety of writing and speaking assignments. These assignments are ones you are likely to
encounter both in the workplace and in your upper division work in business.
The following list shows the weighting of various components in your final grade.
IDS 396W Syllabus
2
Written assignments
35%
Topic proposal (10)
Analytical report (25)
Oral presentations
Individual (20)
Team (15)
35%
Visual support project
15%
Mid-term exam
15%
Grading Scale:
Cutoffs:
A+ = 99
A = 95
A- = 91
B+ = 88
B = 85
B- = 81
C+ = 78
C = 75
C- = 71
D+ = 68
D = 65
D- = 61
Attempted F = 50
Unattempted F = 0
90
80
70
60
"W" Credit: In order to clear the Upper Division Writing Requirement with this class you must have met
the following prerequisites before enrolling.
 Completed the Writing Proficiency Assessment or Transfer Writing Assessment with a score
of 8 or higher or earned a C or higher in RWS 95, RWS 96, RWS 280, RWS 281, or LING
281
 Completed 60 units (or will complete this semester)
 Completed the General Education requirements in Composition and Critical Thinking
Academic Honesty Policy: You are expected to comply with all university sanctions against cheating,
plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty and unethical conduct. While you’ll find cheating and
plagiarism defined more fully at http://its.sdsu.edu/resources/turnitin/pdf/Plagiarism_AcadSen.pdf,
here are important parts of the discussion:
IDS 396W Syllabus
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“Plagiarism shall be defined 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.”
Lateness Policy: Out-of-class assignments turned in late will only be accepted one class period late and
then with a late penalty applied. Missed in-class assignments and exams cannot be made up without prior
arrangement with the instructor. Only severe illness or other grave circumstances will be considered valid
reasons for allowing make-up work.
Electronic Devices Policy: As both a courtesy to all and a way to keep your focus solely on the class
activities, please turn off all cell phones, iPods, and other electronic devices. If there is some extraordinary
reason why you must have an electronic device on, please see me. No devices will be permitted during
tests.
Reminder: These are the goals the College of Business Administration has set for all our undergraduate
students: BSBA students will graduate being Effective Communicators, Critical Thinkers, Able to
Analyze Ethical Problems, Global in the Perspective, and Knowledgeable about the Essentials of
Business.
This class contributes to these goals through its learning outcomes.
Class Schedule: While the following class schedule gives you an idea of the material to be covered and
exam dates intended, you are responsible for any changes as announced in class or by email.
IDS 396W Syllabus
4
MIS 396W Class Schedule – Fall 2013
Date
August
September
October
November
December
Topic
27
29
3
5
Course Overview
Writing Style
Introductions; topic selections
Visual support
10
12
17
19
24
26
1
3
8
10
15
17
22
24
29
31
Visual support
Visual support
Writing proposals
Making oral presentations
In-class writing assignment: proposal
Using PowerPoint; return proposals
Making effective oral presentations
Making effective oral presentations
Individual oral presentations
Individual oral presentations
Individual oral presentations
Individual oral presentations
Individual oral presentations
Doing library research (meet in library)
Mid-term examination
Formal analytical report components
5
7
12
14
19
21
26
3
5
10
12
Assignment
Class materials
Class materials, K4
P3, K5
P4 & 8
Visual support project due
Proposal
Tufte
P11, K 9
K 11, 12, 13
Exam
Writing the analytical report (researching,
editing, and documenting)
Organizing the analytical report
Writing the analytical report (analyzing)
Writing the abstract
Team presentations
Team presentations
Team presentations
Team presentations
Discussion of analytical report
Grade and final exam discussion
K 14; P 9
Final exam 10:30 for 12:30 class
(Dec. 17 at 3:30 for 4 p.m. class)
Final exam
K 15
K16
Analytical report
K=Kuiper, P= Penrose, Tufte= Tufte booklet