Great Basin College
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Course Syllabus
Spring 2008
BUS 107 – Business Speech/Communications (3 credits)
Richard “Hank” James MSW, MBA
MWF 3:00PM- 4:00PM, or by appointment
775-752-0518
E-Mail: Web Campus
Business Communication – Process and Product, 6e, Mary Ellen Guffey
South-Western, Cegage Learning - ISBN – 13:978-0-324-57834-8
Course Catalog Description:
This course is designed to introduce students to the basic elements of effective communications
in a business setting with particular emphasis on written and electronic methodologies, and
includes topics relative to interpersonal relationships; listening and non-verbal communication
skills; small group and one-to-one situations; planning and conducting small group meetings;
presentation skills; and, the employment application/interview process. This multimedia
communication skills course prepares learners to meet the communication challenges of
tomorrow’s workplace. There are sixteen up-to-date modules that provide full coverage of
workplace communication skills and numerous opportunities for critical thinking, project-based
activities, and technology applications.
Course Objectives:
It is expected that students will develop skills and complete activities from the following areas:

Written Communication. Students will develop or improve their ability to use clear,
concise, and grammatically correct language as they employ appropriate formats in writing
e-mail messages, memos, business letters, reports, citations, bibliographies, speech
outlines, cover letters, and résumés.

Oral Presentation. Students will develop or improve their ability to select, organize, and
effectively deliver information in a businesslike manner with appropriate language,
articulation, nonverbal communication, and visual supporting materials. Students will
develop skill in using visual aids, handouts, and multimedia presentation materials.

Interpersonal/Team. Students will develop or improve their ability to listen; to contribute to
team performance; to plan and participate in productive meetings; to use collaborative
technologies; to understand and employ nonverbal skills to advance on a chosen career
path; to work in diverse environments, and to gain a competitive edge with professionalism
and business etiquette skills.
Course Measures:
This course is conducted exclusively via the Internet. Students will be learning to solve business
communication problems with technology by actually doing it when and where the student
decides to do it. Course measures, however, focus around a weekly routine involving four key
activities:

Reading Assignments: There are at least 16 assigned chapters in the text book, Mary
Ellen Guffey's - Business Communications – Process and Product, 6e, plus selected
handouts. This material will provide all the information the student will need to successfully
complete the written assignments and participate in class discussions. This is an excellent
text that depicts the essence of business communication: all lessons are clear, concise, and
to the point.

Written Assignments: There will be at least 16 written assignments submitted in
appropriate memo, letter, report, or presentation form that effectively correspond to the
reading assignments. All written assignments must be delivered in Microsoft Word (or
equivalent word processor) and submitted as attached files to e-mail messages. Students’
work is expected to reflect the ideas and techniques discussed in the text and meet
professional business standards of grammar, punctuation, format, and style.

Quizzes, Tests, & Exams: There will be at least 4 short subject matter quizzes from which
student’s can measure content awareness within a specific chapter range. In addition,
students will measure their retention of knowledge through three Unit level exams, and will
end the course with a final cumulative exam.

Peer Editing Review and Revision: Some assignments require students to collaborate
with members of student’s Peer Editing Team (see below) for review prior to final revision
and submission to the instructor. This interpersonal interaction gives students an opportunity
to test out how well their message "reads" among peers, and to catch errors students might
have otherwise missed prior to submission for a grade. This technique also enables
students to read what their colleagues are writing, and to "share” best practices.
* Peer Editing Team – During the first two weeks of the course, students will be assigned
to a peer editing team of 2-3 members. Membership on these teams is intended to be a
learning support group, as students work together on a number of key activities.

Long Report: Appropriate application of acquired knowledge is the strongest measure in
any academic environment. All weekly reports and written activities in this course are
derived to give students real-life situations to which they can apply their knowledge. In
addition to the weekly reports and activities, students will be required to select a project
early in the course to research, design, manage, and document as a formal report to be
submitted at the end of the course. This important project gives students the opportunity to
learn and hone the writing skills they acquire during the course.

Late assignments. Anything submitted late will be limited to a maximum score of 60
percent of the assignment’s total points.
Course Completion Instructions:
This course follows the traditional on-campus semester timeline and students should plan to
complete the course within that timeframe. Should an emergency occur that would prevent the
student from completing assignments on time, the student needs to contact the instructor. If a
student elects to withdraw from the course at any time, he/she must contact the GBC Admissions
Office. They will receive access instructions by mail if they are new students. Otherwise,
students can use previous login instructions for GBC’s Web Campus on-line tool. All instructions,
supplementary materials, tests, and discussion sessions are delivered to students online via
GBC’s Web Campus site, or supplemental web sites prescribed by the instructor.
Exams: There are three, non-cumulative, mandatory tests and one final cumulative exam
provided as a review and measure for students in this course.
Formal Report:
 Students are expected to complete one formal written report by the end of the course
designed to introduce students to researching, writing, and managing, a large project.
Assignments:
 All assignments will be appropriate to material covered in respective modules.
 Material will be presented to students through their assigned readings. All assignments,
quizzes, and tests are submitted online. Students are NOT expected to come to GBC’s
campus at any time. Information and assignment due-dates will be provided by the
instructor on-line via Web Campus. The class schedule is designed for students to read
course material during the first few days of the week, then, any assignments will be due
for submission via Web Campus by 9:00PM on the following designated Sunday night.
Students may communicate with the instructor and other students via e-mail, telephone,
and/or through Web Campus.
Technology Required: Students must have access to a computer with (preferably high-speed)
Internet connection. Students can use the computer lab available at the High Tech Center on the
Elko campus, labs at other GBC satellite campuses, or, use their personal computer.
Course Outline:
Unit 1: COMMUNICATION FOUNDATIONS.
1. Communicating in Today's Workplace.
2. Developing Team, Listening, and Etiquette Skills
Unit 2: THE WRITING PROCESS.
4. Writing Process Phase 1: Analyze, Anticipate, and Adapt.
5. Writing Process Phase 2: Research, Organize, and Compose.
6. Writing Process Phase 3: Revise, Proofread, and Evaluate.
Unit 3: BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE.
7. E-mail Messages and Memos.
8. Positive Letters and Messages.
9. Persuasive and Sales Messages.
10. Negative Messages.
Unit 4. REPORTS, PROPOSALS, AND PRESENTATIONS.
11. Business Report Basics.
12. Informal Business Reports.
13. Proposals and Formal Reports.
14. Business Presentations.
Unit 5: EMPLOYMENT COMMUNICATION.
15. Resumes and Cover Messages.
16. Interviewing and Follow-up
Course Grading:
Business 107 - Spring 2008 Business Speech/Communications
ASSIGNMENT
1.) Submit Introductory Activity 1-25-08
2.) Complete C.L.U.E. Proficiency Test Form A by 1-27-08
3.) Submit a brief proposal for Activity 2.9
4.) Take Dr. Guffey’s Listening Quiz on-line.
5.) Complete Activity 3.9 (Collaboration)
6.) Long Report Topic Due
7.) Submit answers to: Selecting Communications Channels – Activity 4.2
8.) Submit answers to: Audience Benefits and the “You” view – Activity 4.5
9.) Submit your solution for: Organizing Data - Activity 5.2 (Collaboration)
10.) Re-write and submit Sentence Length - Activity 5.16
11.) Analyze and revise the e-mail communication in Activity 6.4
12.) Revise and submit your solutions in Activity 6.9
13.) Long Report check-point regarding research and final topic. (Written) See
Activity 12.10
14.) Submit your solution for Re-designing the Company’s Website -Activity 7.8
15.) Prepare and submit a Request for Information in Activity 8.6 (Collaboration)
16.) Prepare an appropriate solution to Persuasive Organizational Message
Flowing Upward – Activity 9.15 (Collaboration)
17.) Submit your Long Report Outline per Activity 11.8
Points
15
50
15
15
40
25
15
15
40
15
15
15
2%
5%
2%
2%
4%
3%
2%
2%
4%
2%
2%
2%
15
15
40
2%
2%
4%
30
25
3%
3%
18.) Chapter 12 Quiz
19.) Chapter 13 Quiz
20.) Submit and outline for a 15 minute oral presentation to your peers using the
information presented in Activity 14.11
21.) Submit your Resume according to instructions in Activity 15.9
22.) Complete Activity 16.3 – Building Interview Skills
23.) Complete C.L.U.E. Proficiency Post-test
43.) Long Report due
Unit Test 1
Unit Test 2
Unit Test 3
Final Exam
Total Points
BUS 107 Spring 2008 (CLASS SCHEDULE: (Tentative 1-17-08)
Due Dates
Chapter
Homework
Assignments
January 25
None
“Listening”
Activity
1.) Submit Introductory
Activity by 1-25-08
January 27
February 3
Chapter 1
Communicating Read Chapter
in Today’s
and complete
Workplace
Web Activity 1.1
Chapter 2
Developing
Team,
Read both
Listening, and chapters
Etiquette Skills.
Chapter 3
Communicating
Across
Cultures.
2.) Complete C.L.U.E.
Proficiency Test Form A by
1-27-08
3.) Submit a brief proposal
for Activity 2.9
4.) Take Dr. Guffey’s
Listening Quiz on-line.
5.) Complete Activity 3.9
(Collaboration)
Answer Chapter
Review and
Critical Thinking 6.) Long Report Topic Due
questions for
chapters 1,2, & 3.
February 10
Unit 1 Test
7.) Submit answers to:
Selecting Communications
Channels – Activity 4.2
February 17
Chapter 4
Writing
Process Phase
1:
Read Chapter 4
Analyze,
Anticipate,
Adapt
Chapter 5
Writing
Process
Phase 2:
Research,
Organize,
9.) Submit your solution for:
Organizing Data - Activity
5.2 (Collaboration)
February 24
Read Chapter 5
8.) Submit answers to:
Audience Benefits and the
“You” view – Activity 4.5
10.) Re-write and submit
Sentence Length - Activity
15
15
2%
2%
15
15
15
50
100
75
75
75
150
1000
2%
2%
2%
5%
10%
8%
8%
8%
15%
Compose
5.16
Chapter 6
Writing
Process
Phase 3:
Revise,
Proofread,
Evaluate
Read Chapter 6
March 9
Unit 2 Test
Answer Chapter
Review and
Critical Thinking
questions for
Chapters 4,5 & 6.
March 16
Chapter 7
E-mail
Messages and
Read both
Memos.
Chapters
Chapter 8
Positive Letters
and Messages.
March 2
March 24
11.) Analyze and revise the
e-mail communication in
Activity 6.4
12.) Revise and submit your
solutions in Activity 6.9
Chapter 9
Persuasive and
Sales
Read both
Messages
Chapters
Chapter 10
Negative
Messages.
13.) Long Report checkpoint regarding research
and final topic. (Written)
See Activity 12.10
14.) Submit your solution for
Re-designing the
Company’s Website Activity 7.8
15.) Prepare and submit a
Request for Information in
Activity 8.6 (Collaboration)
16.) Prepare an appropriate
solution to Persuasive
Organizational Message
Flowing Upward – Activity
9.15 (Collaboration)
March 30
Unit 3 Test
Answer Chapter
Review and
Critical Thinking
questions for
Chapters 7,8,9 &
10
April 6
Chapter 11
Business
Report Basics
Read Chapter 11
April 13
Chapter 12
Informal
Business
Reports
Read Chapter 12 18.) Chapter 12 Quiz
April 20
Chapter 13
Proposals and Read Chapter 13 19.) Chapter 13 Quiz
Formal Reports
April 27
Chapter 14
Business
Presentations
20.) Submit and outline for a
15 minute oral presentation
Read Chapter 14 to your peers using the
information presented in
Activity 14.11
May 5
Chapter 15
Read Chapter 15 21.) Submit your Resume
None
17.) Submit your Long
Report Outline per Activity
11.8
Resumes and
Cover Letters
May 12
May 19
according to instructions in
Activity 15.9
22.) Complete Activity 16.3
– Building Interview Skills
Chapter 16
Interviewing
and Follow-up
Read Chapter 16
Final Exam
Cumulative
Review of
Learning
Objectives
23.) Complete C.L.U.E.
Proficiency Post-test
24.) Long Report due