Advanced Professional Communication Workshop, EN 661.390.01
Fall 2009, M 1:30-4:15
Creating JayStreet: The Johns Hopkins Journal of Science and
Entrepreneurship
Professor: Pamela H. Sheff
Campus extension: 410.516.7056
Cell: 410-336-0679
E-mail: pamsheff@gmail.com
Office: 102 Whitehead
Office hours: T/ Th: noon – 2 p.m., Wed. 10:30 - noon and by appt.
Course Assistant: Nicole Buchholz
Office: 104 Whitehead
Email: nbuchho1@gmail.com
Cell: 650-793-0192
Journal Advisor: Montserrat Capdevila
Email: montsehbn@gmail.com
Required Texts: Entrepreneurship, Bygrave & Zacharakis (ISBN: 13-978-0-47175545-6); Presentation Zen, Reynolds (ISBN: 10: 0321525655 and 13:9780321525659)
JayStreet website: www.jaystreet.org
DISCLAIMER! Please read this syllabus with care - it’s your responsibility to
meet all deadlines and complete all assignments noted here, even if they are
not announced in class!
Course Goal
The task before us this semester is to create the second edition of JayStreet: The
Johns Hopkins Journal of Science and Entrepreneurship. To that end, we will
work collaboratively and cooperatively throughout the semester, developing case
studies of businesses, profiles of entrepreneurs, articles, guest columns and
scenarios based on entrepreneurial problems. All of our subjects will be Johns
Hopkins alumni, faculty or friends. Our rough model will be the Harvard Business
Review.
Learning Objectives for Participating Students
Students in this course will learn the fundamentals of entrepreneurship while
honing their research, writing, editing, publication and presentation skills.
Work/Responsibilities
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Each student or team will be responsible for developing, researching,
writing, editing and hopefully, bringing to publishable quality, two graded
pieces of your choice (article, interview, profile, case study or guest
column). For each piece, you must present a brief (one page) proposal to
me and to your editorial board. You can expect to take each piece through
at least two drafts.
In lieu of a final exam, you will write a 3 page essay responding to the
question “Are Entrepreneurs Born or Made?” The essay will be due
December 11.
In addition, you will come to class prepared for each case discussion with
a 2 page written analysis of the case; these will be turned in and counted
as part of your participation grade.
Each student will serve on one of the following: an editorial, design, or
production team. I reserve the right to make the final editorial and design
decisions.
Grading
Since one goal of this course is to improve your ability to communicate, your
determination to improve will significantly influence your final grade. For
example, if you begin the course earning low grades and complete it with higher
ones, you will earn a higher grade than a classmate who begins with high grades
and slides into the lower range. That said, I grade holistically: I am interested in
your continued improvement as a writer, communicator and student of business.
Effort, determination and growth definitely count!
When determining the final grades for the semester, I will take into account the
quality of your work as a researcher, writer and editor, as well as your
commitment to and participation in class activities.
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Participation (in class comments, journal responsibilities and written case
analyses): 30%
Proposal and article (2 each): 25% each
Final Essay: 20%
Course Plan
Each class period will be a mix of presentations by entrepreneurs and other
speakers, and class activities, including analyses of business cases as well as
writing, research, design and editing of journal content. You have material
introducing you to all our participants. I expect you to come to class prepared
with questions and to have researched the industry of each visiting
entrepreneur(s). As we move forward, we will use class time to research, write,
discuss problems in our work, convene editorial and production sessions and
meet with individual entrepreneurs.
September 14
What is Entrepreneurship?
Assignment: create new consumer technological product
Case: Malincho
Speaker from Digital Media Center
Choose production team assignments
Reading: Presentation Zen, Chapters 1- 4
September 21
The Value Proposition: Is This Idea Worth Pursuing?
Present and critique new products
Creativity, Innovation and Intellectual Property
Speaker: Ben Gibbs
Case: Jim Poss
Choose article subjects
Reading: Presentation Zen, Chapters 8 - 9
September 28
Doing Business Research using Databases
Speaker: Heather Tapager; class meets in library media room
Written article proposals due to editorial board, Niki and me
October 5
What is Really Involved in Starting a Business?
Panel: Michael Huerta, Michael Ionescu, Chris Parker
Cases: Alison Barnard, P’Kolino
Editorial board comments due back to writers
October 12
The Business of Science
Panel: Raul Medrano, Montserrat Capdevila, Michael Rosen, Lisbeth Pettengill,
October 19
Serial Entrepreneurs
Speaker: Edwin R. Addison
Case: Ajay Bam
First design team presentation to class
Draft of first article due to editorial board, Niki and me
Reading: Presentation Zen, Chapters 5 -7
October 26
What does an Investor look for in a New Idea?
Speaker: Peter Boneparth
Case: Jon Hirschtick’s New Venture
Editorial board comments due back to writers
November 2
21st Century Marketing
Panel: Patti Chan and Ray Wiess
Case: Clear Vue
Polished draft of first article due
November 9
Is it the Idea or the Entrepreneur?
Speaker: Kevin Callahan
Case: DayOne
Draft of second article due to editorial board, Niki and me
November 16
The Entrepreneur’s End Game or Exit Strategy
Speaker:Tim Weihs
Case: Nancy’s Coffee
Editorial board comments due to writers
November 23
Updated design team presentation
Polished draft of second article due
November 30
Publication decisions
Revising to publishable quality; fact checking
December 7
Production
December 14
Final essay due - noon
Attendance and Ethics
Attendance: Attendance is required. You can neither benefit from nor contribute
to a workshop if you are not present. If you must miss class, I expect you to
explain your absence in an email to me and to keep abreast of our work.
Excessive absence (more than one) will lower your grade in the course by at
least one half letter grade.
Tardiness (for assignments and yourself): Arriving late and turning in
assignments late are equally disruptive and annoying, and as you will find in
professional settings, annoying behavior rarely leads to success.
Plagiarism: We both know what it is. Don’t do it: you will fail the assignment. I
am not talking about a mistake in citation here. Don’t claim someone else’s work
as your own. I will recognize it. If you have questions about the nature of
plagiarism, ask me.
Ethics: “The strength of the university depends on academic and personal
integrity. In this course, you must be honest and truthful. Ethical violations
include plagiarism, reuse of assignments, improper use of the Internet and
electronic devices, alteration of graded assignments, forgery and falsification,
lying, facilitating academic dishonesty, and unfair competition. See the guide on
“Academic Ethics for Undergraduates” and the Ethics Board Web site
(http://ethics.jhu.edu) for more information.” (JHU ethics policy)