BA 290 Business Communication
Fall 2013
Cathlyn Coons
ccoons@mail.sdsu.edu
SSE 3322
Office Hours: Monday 5:15 - 7 p.m. or by appointment
Classes:
Monday 7-9:40 p.m.
Section 6
Schedule no. 20294
Classroom: EBA-412
Tuesday 7-9:40 p.m.
Section 12
Schedule no. 20291
Classroom: EBA-258
Wednesday 7-9:40 p.m.
Section 8
Schedule no. 20296
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 business communication to written and oral presentations
through careful audience analysis and message planning.
 Employ business writing techniques and the language of business
communication in choosing words, writing sentences, and developing
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 messages.
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Gather, interpret, organize, and attribute both primary and secondary
information in analytical business reports.
Evaluate and produce graphics to communicate messages quickly and
accurately.
Discuss effective collaboration in preparing written documents.
Explain the role of communication in intercultural and global settings.
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 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 beginning of the class. The requirement to complete the quiz or the
assignment will be announced before class and will also be posted on Blackboard. All
work is expected to be in typed format with a standard font of no smaller than 12.
All work must include your COURSE ID (to be assigned after registration is final for the
sections).
Attendance: Attendance is critical to your success. 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) prior to the beginning of
class. You will then give me a printed copy at the next class period. There is NO late work
accepted.
Grading: There are a variety of assignments that will be required for completion of this
course. Their weight is listed below:
Homework/Quizzes related to Chapter Readings
Written Assignments:
Good news message
Bad news message
Persuasive message
Visual support project
Group analytical paper
Exam 1
Exam 2
Final Exam
10%
5%
5%
5%
15%
15%
15%
15%
15%
Your written work in this class will be evaluated using a rubric that has been approved by
the MIS department. Grades will be posted on Blackboard. You must notify me within 7
days of any grading discrepancy. Please refer to page 28 of the university policy file at
http://newscenter.sdsu.edu/universitysenate/images/2010pffinal.pdf for information
regarding course grading. A full range of grades are used (“A” through “F”) – a grade of “A”
is reserved for truly exceptional work.
The College of Business Administration Written Communication Rubric is used to grade
work in this course and can be found at
http://cbaweb.sdsu.edu/assets/files/assessment/rubrics/WrittenCommunicationSkills.pdf.
Electronic Devices: As a courtesy to your instructor and classmates please turn off cell
phones, IPods, tablets, etc. Please 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 and consideration 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.
Studies with Disabilities: Students who need accommodation of their disabilities should
contact me privately, to discuss specific accommodations for which they have received
authorization. If you need accommodation due to a disability, but have not registered with
Student Disability Services at 619-594-6473 (Calpulli Center, Suite 3101), please do so
before making an appointment to see me.
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 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 can be accessed from the SDSU library home page. Make sure you ask
me if you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism.
Class Schedule:
Week
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
Monday
8/26/13
9/2/13
9/9/13
Tuesday
8/27/13
9/3/13
9/10/13
Wednesday
8/28/13
Introduction to Class + Chapter 1
9/4/13
Chapter 1: Communicating in the Workplace + Chapter 2
9/11/13
Chapter 2: Understanding the Writing Process and the Main
Forms of Business Messages + Chapter 3
9/16/13
9/17/13
9/18/13
Chapter 3: Using Visuals in Written and Oral Communication
9/23/13
9/24/13
9/25/13
Exam 1
9/30/13
10/1/13
10/2/13
Chapter 4: Using an Appropriate Style
10/7/13
10/8/13
10/9/13
Chapter 4: Using an Appropriate Style + Supplement B
Visual Support Project Due
10/14/13 10/15/13
10/16/13 Chapter 5: Writing Good-News and Neutral Messages
10/21/13 10/22/13
10/23/13 Chapter 6: Writing Bad-News Messages
Good News letter due
10/28/13 10/29/13
10/30/13 Chapter 7: Writing Persuasive Messages + Proposals
11/4/13
11/5/13
11/6/13
Exam 2
Bad News letter due
11/11/13 11/12/13
11/13/13 Chapter 8: Researching + Writing Reports
11/18/13 11/19/13
11/20/13 Chapter 9: Writing Short Reports
Persuasive letter due
11/25/13 11/26/13
11/27/13 Chapter 10: Communicating Orally
12/2/13
12/3/13
12/4/13
Chapter 11: Communicating in the Job Search
Group analytical paper due
12/9/13
12/10/13
12/11/13 Review
12/16/13 12/17/13
12/18/13 Final Exam at 7 pm (see
http://arweb.sdsu.edu/es/registrar/finalexams/13_fall.html)
Note: For classes with chapter references - you should read these chapters before class.
This schedule may be revised during the semester.
All changes will be announced in class and posted on Blackboard.
Monday, 9/2 and 11/11 are holidays - there is no class on these days
**If you miss a lecture you are encouraged to attend another section’s lecture, however,
you must email me so that I am aware.
**EXAMS CANNOT BE MOVED – YOU MUST TAKE THEM DURING YOUR REGISTERED
SECTION. MISSED EXAMS CANNOT BE MADE UP.