COSK2230 Business and Professional Communications
Course Description, Assignments, and Learning Outcomes
Fall 2004
Contact Person:
Professor T. A. Marshall II
Head, Communications Skills Program
429 Student Center
(412) 262-8617 E-mail: Marshall@rmu.edu
Course Description:
COSK2230 Business and Professional Communications assesses the degree to which students
have succeeded in achieving the goals of the lower-division communications skills program. By
reviewing and synthesizing the topics and skills covered in the previous four courses, by
providing continued practice in all the communications skills, and by introducing the different
communication practices of various disciplines and careers, COSK2230 emphasizes the
integrated nature of the communications skills program and the importance of communications
skills for a successful life and career. This course explores further the importance and practice of
adapting communications to the expectations of various audiences and emphasizes the
completion of standardized assessments in the various communications skills, the establishing of
bridges between Communications Skills COSK1220-2230 and communications-intensive courses
in the various disciplines, and the conceptual integration of the communications issues and skills
taught in all five courses. Successful completion of this course is necessary for students to enroll
in upper-division communications skills courses.
Prerequisite: COSK2220 or permission of CSP head. 3
Credits
Course Extended Description:
COSK2230 Business and Professional Communications is the fifth in a sequence of five
courses which develop and refine skills in reading, writing, listening, speaking and presenting,
group interactions, critical thinking, and problem-solving. COSK2230 is an assessment course
and a review course and introduces students to new perspectives in applying communication
skills; that is, this course has three major components:
1. formal and individual communication skills assessment, to be used primarily for formative
self-evaluation and also to be used for summative program evaluation (an assessment
process).
2. integrated practice and evidence of skills mastery through portfolio development (a review
process).
3. focus on the student’s understanding and practice of communication skills in disciplinespecific contexts (a process of learning new material).
Recognizing, practicing, and perfecting common communication skills is the primary purpose of
the first four communication skills courses. Recognizing, appreciating, and beginning to practice
handling the ways in which communication skills need to be applied in specific professions (and
audiences within the professions) is a primary focus of COSK2230 Business and Professional
Communications. In addressing the latter, this course will act as a "bridge" course to the
remaining four communication-intensive courses taught within specific disciplines. Instruction in
the fifth course is designed to create an apprenticeship atmosphere in which you begin to apply
social practices (including language and considering organizational and professional audiences)
characteristic of the disciplines for which your education is preparing you.
NOTE: COSK2230 classes are scheduled in rooms equipped with multi-media presentation
technology: Overheads, video, audio, computers with ceiling-mounted projectors.
Instructors will demonstrate various audio-visual presentation methods in class, especially
PowerPoint XP. Students will receive formal instruction in PowerPoint XP from a
Computer and Information Systems instructor.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Guffey, Mary Ellen. Business Communication: Process and Product, 4/e with InfoTrac, Job Search
Express, and Student CD-ROM bundled with Lehman, Creating Dynamic Multimedia
Presentations Using Microsoft PowerPoint 2/e, South-Western College Publishing, 2003.
Supplementary Texts: NOTE to the student: I recommend the following books as supplemental
texts because they will be valuable for Courses VI-IX. You should already have them because they
are required in COSK1220-2221. If you do not have them, you are not required to buy them
since Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, 4/e contains all that is needed for
COSK2230.
Anson, Chris M. and Robert A. Schwegler. The Longman Handbook for Writers and
Readers,4 /e Allyn & Bacon/Longman, 2005. ISBN 0-321-23303-4
Brownell, Judi. Listening: Attitudes, Principles, and Skills, 2/e. Allyn & Bacon/Longman, 2002.
ISBN 0-205-33539-X.
COSK2230 CHECK SHEET OF REQUIRED ASSESSMENTS FOR COSK2230
BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATIONS
NOTE ON PERIODIC PROGRAM ASSESSMENTS:
Periodically, the Communications Skills Program will administer to COSK2230 students
program assessments including but not limited to faculty committee portfolio assessments of
selected course work and administration of the ACT/CAAP objective tests. The semesters in
which these will be administered will be announced as needed. These assessments are
always administered during final week, so instructors need to allow flexibility in their
schedules to accommodate program assessments.
Grading Procedure: The instructor administers and grades the following assessments of student
performances.
Note: Special accommodations are made for learning disabled students.
All assignments in COSK2230 are part of the required assessments. Students will have
opportunities to practice and receive feedback on drafts and presentations before the final
evaluation. Instructors will tell students at midterm and upon their request what their class
standings are. If students are deficient in any skill, instructors will help them develop plans for
improvement.
The final grade is based on students’ carrying out the following tasks listed below. The
work produced in COSK2230 comprises the Final Portfolio:
Assignment/Project
Weight
Grade
1. Entrance Portfolio
5%
2. In-class oral presentation:
Major Oral Presentation Using Presentation PowerPoint XP
20%
3. Edited, readable report (May be produced as part of group project):
Professional Report Using Graphics and Charts to Support a Case
20%
4. Listening assessment (as reflected in responses to presentations
and class participation [omit for online courses])
5%
5. Reading assessment (as reflected in evaluating electronic and print sources)
5%
6. Effective Small Group Leadership (Documented by instructor,
peer critiques [if available], and agenda and minutes from group meetings)
10%
7. PowerPoint XP Competency (15% included in PPT presentations)
-8. Other Written Assignments: Letter of Application & Résumé, Memos, Letters
35%
9. Final Portfolio: A compilation of COSK2230coursework for instructor review to
determine final grade. The final portfolio should contain the following:
 Title Page
 Table of Contents
 A memo to your instructor on “Why I Deserve to be Promoted to Courses VI-IX,” a
3-4 page letter or memorandum in acceptable business or professional format
 A revised Article Summary, memos, letters, reports, as instructor decides
 A revised Letter of Application & Résumé
 Professional Report Using Graphics and Charts to Support Argument or Information
(Only the group leader needs to submit a copy. Group members need only to insert in
their portfolios a report title page with following note: Please see Report [Give Title]
submitted by [Group leader’s name.]
Submit the written materials in a file folder. (Please no multi-ring binders or expanding
pocket folders.)
Students must meet the course required assessment standards to earn a C grade or higher
and to be eligible to move on to Communications Skills Courses VI-IX.
NOTE: If a student’s work at midterm is not up to standard, the student and the instructor will
create a plan to overcome the student’s weaknesses. Students may be required to demonstrate
mastery of minimum standards through textbook exercises, practice speeches, or extra time-ontask assignments through the Communications Skills Lab.
PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENTS FOR COSK COURSES
Please tell students of these portfolio requirements for COSK2230: [All instructors are
required to include this in their class syllabus]
COSK2230 Business & Professional Communications Entrance Portfolio Requirements for
Preliminary Assessment:
Student will prepare for evaluation his or her portfolio consisting of
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Two oral presentations videotaped in COSK1220, 1221, 2220, or 2221; at work, or on
special occasions
Three edited essays written as part of the course assignments in COSK 1220 or 2221,
1221, and 2220. Essay samples should include a researched essay using APA format, an
argument or persuasive essay, and an informative or personal essay
Five short pieces of writing from COSK 1220 or 2221, 1221, and 2220 (journals, peer
critiques, self-critiques, Toulmin analyses, etc.) edited and selected by the student that
demonstrate metacognitive awareness or analytical skills.
Reading log that documents student’s range of reading; it lists, in full bibliographic
citation, at least one scholarly or relevant trade book, scholarly article, magazine article,
newspaper article, and electronic source.
Other documentation of student’s communication skills as student chooses (limit five
items).
FORMAT: Include a title page and a Table of Contents. Submit the written materials in a file
folder and the videotapes in clearly labeled covers with your name and the contents of the
tape. (Please no multi-ring binders or expanding pocket folders.)
NOTE, especially to transfer students: If materials from COSK1220-2221 are not available,
you may provide work from other college courses. Otherwise, all assessments rest entirely on
a portfolio prepared from Course V work. The purpose of the entrance portfolio is to assess
your current level of skills to see if you need a development plan to bring you up to standard.
COURSE EVALUATION WEIGHTING SCALE:
Entrance Portfolio -a minimum of 5%
Writing Strand
-a minimum of 55%
Speaking/PPT Strand -a minimum of 20%
Reading Strand
-a minimum of 5%
Listening Strand
-a minimum of 5%
Leadership
-a minimum of 10%
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES [Required]
Students will be able to
Reading
 Find and accurately summarize and evaluate issues and arguments from a variety
of business, scholarly, popular, and professional sources
Writing
 Write for a variety of audiences, using standard business formats, including
résumés and cover letters
 Create texts that possess conciseness, clarity, technical correctness, clear
organizational structure, and conformity to the conventions of Standard Written
English
 Adapt texts to various and multiple audiences
Speaking
 Integrate presentation software into effective, interesting, audience-oriented,
professional and purposeful presentations using appropriate presentational aids
and media
Listening
 Meaningfully interact with a speaker through appropriate feedback, questions,
and decision-making
Research
 Evaluate and Incorporate appropriate research into documents and presentations
Collaboration
 Interact effectively with others to analyze a shared task into its component parts,
divide and perform tasks to meet group expectations, and evaluate and integrate
mutual contributions into a coherent and professional product for a specific
audience