THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
NEW YORK CITY COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY
BUSINESS LAW
Course: BUS 1122
Section: 7040
Online Course
3 Undergraduate Credits in Business
Spring 2013
Professor Kimberly Ayoung
KAyoung@citytech.cuny.edu
Course Syllabus
Overview of the Course: This 100 percent online survey course will provide
students with an introduction to several important areas of substantive and
procedural law governing the relationships between persons and business
organizations. Topics of study will include Anglo-American Jurisprudence, the
U.S. federal and state court systems, key Constitutional Law concepts, Contract
Law, and The Uniform Commercial Code. Students will also explore how the
legal principles in each area are being applied, successfully or not, to the novel
issues presented in the online world of the Internet and e-Business.
Upon successfully completing this course, students will be able to identify
and analyze relevant legal issues together with their implications for business
transactions and relationships. Students will also be able to apply the underlying
principles of law to solve issues involving business operation and decisionmaking.
Textbooks and Readings for the Course:
Required Ebook: You must purchase the ebook for this class.
.
Business Law and the Legal Environment, Standard edition, 6th edition. Beatty
and Samuelson. In addition to the ebook you must also purchase the
software program, Cengage Now, which will give you access to the
homework assignments, exams and supplemental materials.
You must purchase the ebook and CNOW, the software program as a package
from CengageBrain,
You can order the Ebook + CNOW directly at www.CengageBrain.com for $150.00 – All you
need is the ISBN: 9781133575733
1
When ordering the ebook and cnow please following these instructions carefully:
1. go to www.CengageBrain.com
2. input the above ISBN. At this step you will be given a code to use to gain access
to the software.
3. When prompted to give the name of your institution you must click on New York
City College of Technology (This is my home school).
4. In CengageNOW, a course named SPS Business Law Fall 2011 has been created
for you
5. Once you enter www.CengageNow.com you'll want to register in this course,
using the course number:
E-X7FGYMNBPE6C9
6. You might want to refer to a guide that will walk you through the steps of entering
CengageNOW and registering for this course. Such a guide is available at:
http://kb.cengage.com/display/CengageNOW/CengageNOW On that page, in the
"Self-Training Videos" section, find the "CengageNOW Account" video that fits
your situation.
Supplemental Materials:
As assigned.
Learning Activities for the Course: The following learning activities will be
used to master each topic covered in the course: (1) textbook and supplementary
readings as assigned by the professor; (2) the completion of homework
assignments by the individual student assigned by the professor from the
textbook,; (3) the posting of responses on the “Discussion Board to assigned
Legal Problems posted by the professor from the textbook and supplemental
material; and (5) the successful completion of comprehensive Examinations.; (6)
the successful completion of the final exam.
Student Learning Outcomes and Objectives of the Course: Upon
satisfactory completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. name, define and relate the key basic areas of business law, including
contractual principles and third party rights;
2. describe, discuss and explain the prima facie elements of causes of
action, defenses and remedies in common and statutory law relevant to the key
basic areas of business law;
3. interpret, apply and distinguish between common and statutory law
both in principles of construction and availability of causes of action, defenses
and remedies relevant to the key basic areas of business law;
2
4. analyze, compare and examine common and statutory law principles
as applied to specific issues of business law examined in case analysis and
hypothetical questions; and
5. create, design and formulate legal approaches to addressing and/or
resolving specific issues relevant to the key basic areas of business law.
Assessment Metrics: The following metrics will be used to assess student
mastery of the Objectives of the Course: (1) the satisfactory, individual
contributions to the postings on the Discussion Board, 2) the satisfactory,
completion of homework assignments; (4) a satisfactory record of class
preparation and participation; (5) the receipt of a passing grade on the four
exams.
Assessment Rubrics: Assessment Metrics will be evaluated according to
several Grading Rubrics that can be found in a file entitled “Grading Rubrics”
located in “Course Documents.” Students are encouraged to review these
Rubrics so that they will have a complete understanding of how the professor will
evaluate student work completed in the course.
The Virtual Schedule: We are now in a virtual world and time can easily slip by.
It is important that you participate on a regular basis in the discussions and
assignments so that you can gain knowledge from the experience of others
involved. For the maximum benefit, participate in the discussion all 5 days of
each week. At a minimum, you should participate 3 days of each week. Note
that the Blackboard system indicates the date and time of postings so that I can
keep track of your attendance in the online classroom and base your grades on a
specific number of postings or amount of postings per week as required in this
syllabus.
The Discussion Board will function as the main hyperlink between your
fellow classmates and us. It need not be limited to the specific assignments
given by me, but should be a place where together all members of the class can
meet to solve assignment problems. While I may monitor these particular online
classroom discussions, it will not be on any set schedule but I may, at times,
"chime in" to give you additional guidance and insights as the topics may
warrant.
In addition to the “Discussion Board,” here some other areas to visit on a
regular basis:
Course Documents -- The syllabus, mini-lectures, handouts and important
course information, such as the Grading Rubrics, can be found here. Each week
you should check in with the Course Documents section to see documents
posted here for the completion of your weekly online assignments by clicking on
the hyperlinks to open them.
3
Assignments -- Your assignments for each week are found here. All
assignments are due by no later than midnight each Tuesday.
If you are new to learning in a virtual environment, do not be alarmed or
concerned by this new experience. I am here to help and guide you through the
course and the technology. You will soon discover that the online classroom on
Blackboard is very intuitive and easy to figure out.
Online Legal Research Web Sites:
Students are encouraged to visit and become familiar with the following
Legal Research Web sites by clicking on each of the following hyperlinks located
in the “External Links” section on the left hand side of the online classroom’s
homepage. They are particularly useful for completing the Legal Research Term
project.
1. LawCrawler at <http://lawcrawler.lp.findlaw.com> (this is an all-purpose
legal search engine powered by the same search engine as AltaVista, but scours
only sites known to contain legal information);
2. Findlaw at <http://www.findlaw.com> (this site offers a comprehensive
index of hyperlinks to more than thirty areas of legal practice, and includes
hyperlinks to case law, statutory codes, legal associations and law reviews,
among other legal resources);
3. Hieros Gamos at <http://www.hg.org> (the “grand daddy” or all legal
Web sites; notwithstanding its weird name, this Web site is one of the most
comprehensive legal portals in cyberspace with over 2 billion hyperlinks to nearly
every conceivable legal topic; it can be a little overwhelming but is nonetheless a
top destination in cyberspace for legal information on the Internet); and
4. American Law Sources On-Line at <http://www.lawsource.com/
also(this useful Web site covers the laws of Canada, Mexico and the United
States of America).
5. The ebook website also provides legal research cases at
www.cengage.com/blaw/beatty.
Academic Integrity:
4
The maintenance of and adherence to the highest standards of intellectual
honesty and academic integrity is a serious matter. Students are encouraged to
familiarize themselves with the Academic Integrity standards of the School of
Professional Studies set forth on pages 14 through 20 of the School’s Academic
policies (Revised as of August 2007). Violations of the Standards may result in
severe consequences. In this particular course, students should understand and
appreciate violations involving Plagiarism and Cheating.
For purposes of this course, plagiarism is defined as the act of presenting
another person's ideas, research or writings as you own. The following are some
examples of plagiarism, but by no means is it an exhaustive list:
Copying another person's actual words without the use
of quotation marks and footnotes attributing the words to
their source.
Presenting another person's ideas or theories in your own
words without acknowledging the source.
Using information that is not common knowledge without
acknowledging the source.
Failing to acknowledge collaborations on homework and
laboratory assignments.
Submitting downloaded term papers or parts of term
papers, paraphrasing or copying information from the
Internet without citing the source, and “cutting & pasting”
from various sources without proper attribution.
Cheating is defined as the unauthorized use or attempted use of material,
information, notes, study aids, devices or communication during an
academic exercise. The following are some examples of cheating, but by no
means is it an exhaustive list:
Copying from another student during an examination or
allowing another to copy your work.
Using notes during a closed-book examination.
Taking an examination for another student, or asking or
allowing another student to take an examination for you.
Changing a graded exam and returning it for more credit.
Submitting substantial portions of the same paper to
5
more than one course without consulting with each
instructor.
Allowing others to research and write assigned papers or
do assigned projects, including use of commercial term papers.
Giving assistance to acts of academic misconduct/dishonesty.
Fabricating data (all or in part).
Submitting someone else's work as your own.
Unauthorized use during an examination of electronic devices
such as cell phones, palm pilots, computers or other
technologies to retrieve or send information.
Any plagiarism or cheating on any assignment or examination given in this
course is obviously forbidden. Any proven violation of the Academic Integrity
standards by a student will result in my giving that student an automatic “F” for
the examination or assignment.
Contacting the Professor: In the event that you need to speak with me
concerning some aspect of the course I can be contacted via e-mail at
KAyoung@citytech.cuny.edu or by clicking on the link located in the
Communications area of Blackboard. If you choose to contact me by e-mail,
be sure to identify yourself in the Subject Line as a student in this course.
Otherwise, if I don't recognize your return e-mail address, I may delete you
as Spam. I also have office hours on Monday from 3 – 4 pm in room N1026.
Grading: Final Term Grades will be based on the following criteria:
1. Homework
2. Discussion Board
4. Exams
:
20%
20%
60%
Note Students failing to post at least 60% of the Online Assignments will receive
an automatic grade of “F” for the course. There are no make-ups for an
unexcused absence from Exams.
6
Class Schedule
Week
1.
Subject
Text______
INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE
Our textbook will introduce students to statutory and case law, as well as how to
read and analyze legal cases and conduct legal research on the Internet.
Students should familiarize themselves with the textbook, the textbook software
and our course site.
2.
INTRODUCTION TO LAW
Ch. 1
This chapter will introduce students to the fundamental concepts of the AngloAmerican system of jurisprudence, including why laws are needed, the nature of
law and the purposes of a legal system. The chapter also covers the influences
in the development of law in Western civilization. Students will also be
introduced to the specific sources of law in the United States and the various
ethical challenges and issues presented in the relationship between business
and law.
BUSINESS ETHICS and SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Ch. 2
In this chapter students will learn the definition of business ethics as it applies to
society as a whole and to the organizations employees, shareholders and
stakeholders. Students will also learn what it means for a company to be sociably
responsible.
Due Feb. 12, 2013
3.
DISPUTE RESOLUTION
Ch. 3
This chapter explores the federal and state court systems and their foundation in
the framework of the U.S. federal Constitution. The chapter also introduces
students to the key participants in our legal system and to fundamental U.S.
Constitutional legal concepts upon which the American government and its legal
system derive their authority.
.
CONSTITUTIONAL LAW
Ch. 5
In this chapter the student will learn about the government power and how that
power is granted alone with an explanation of protected rights granted under the
constitution.
Due Feb. 19, 2013
7
4.
Exam One – Feb. 26 – 23, 2013
5.
CONTRACTS: INTRODUCTION TO CONTRACTS
Ch. 10
In this class students will be introduced to the concept of contracts and contract
terminology, as well as the four essential elements that are necessary to be
present to form a valid contract between parties.
Due March 5, 2013
CONTRACTS: AGREEMENT
Ch. 11
In this chapter an emphasis on the first legal requirement for contract formation
will be studied: Agreement, consisting of an Offer and an Acceptance, and what
elements are required for an effective Offer and a legally binding Acceptance.
Special emphasis and analysis will be place upon the “Mailbox Rule” as set forth
in Article Two of the Uniform Commercial Code (“UCC”).
Due March 5, 2013
6.
CONTRACTS: CONSIDERATION
Ch. 12
This chapter covers the second requirement of contract formation: Consideration,
“something of legal value” given by each party to bind each to their mutual
promises stated in the Agreement.
.Due March 12, 2013
7. Exam Two – March 15 – 19, 2013
8.
CONTRACTS: LEGALITY
Ch. 13
This chapter finishes our study of the process of contract formation by exploring
the forth and final requirement to form a valid contract: Legal Purpose, which
requires that the terms of the Agreement are not contrary to Public Policy or
against any existing law.
Due April 2, 2013
CONTRACTS: CAPACITY and CONSENT
Ch. 14
In this chapter students will be introduced to the third requirement of contract
formation: Competent Parties, individuals whom the law deems competent to
form a voluntary intent to be legally bound by the terms in the Agreement.
Due April 2, 2013
8
9.
CONTRACTS: WRITTEN CONTRACTS
Ch. 15
This chapter explores the six specific types of contracts that must be in writing to
be enforceable, even though they may have the four required elements of
Agreement, Consideration, Competent Parties and Legal Purpose.
Due April 9, 2013
10. Exam Three – April 12 – 16, 2013
11.
CONTRACTS: THIRD PARTIES
Ch. 16
In this class students will learn that although the medium of contract formation
has undergone a transformation in e-Commerce, the traditional rules of contract
law nevertheless still apply. Specifically, students will explore the e-Sign Act that
enables parties to a contract to use electronic methods to satisfy the traditional
required elements of a "writing” and a “signature” to form enforceable contacts in
cyberspace. Then, students will learn about the addition of a third party to a
previously existing contractual relationship that transfers rights and obligations
among the three parties either in an Assignment of Contractual Rights or a
Delegation of Contractual Duties.
Due April 23, 2013
12.
CONTRACTS: PERFORMANCE and DISCHARGE
Ch. 17
In this chapter students will be introduced to the concept of contract termination
through discharge of contract in which parties are relieved of contractual
obligations either through complete compliance with the terms of the Agreement
or from a release of the terms granted by other parties to the contract.
Due April 30, 2013
13.
CONTRACTS: REMEDIES
Ch. 18
In this class students will be introduced to the concept of contract termination
through breach of contract, in which one or more of the parties to the contract fail
to comply with the obligations agreed to in the Agreement and the resulting
damages or defenses to the breach that may be asserted.
Due May 7,2013
14. Exam Four May 10 – 14, 2013
15. Semester recap
9