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 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. 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)