VALENCIA COLLEGE
Business Law I – BUL 2241 (Online)
CRN – 16224
Course Syllabus and Outline
West Campus, Fall 2014
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COURSE DESCRIPTION: Introduction to law, its social forces and agencies for enforcement; effects of
governmental regulation on business and society, including environmental law, community planning and
consumer protection; contracts; and personal property, including bailments and sales.
CREDIT HOURS: 3
PREREQUISITES: ENC 1101 or ENC 1101H or ENC 1210 or GEB 1011 or IDH 1110 or OST 1335.
CLASS MEETING ROOM: Online
DAY/TIME: Online
PROFESSOR: Dr. McKenzie
OFFICE: Instructor is available via eMail or telephone/text 7 days a week.
PHONE: (407) 615-9865
EMAIL: smckenzie8@valenciacollege.edu
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MAJOR LEARNING OUTCOMES WITH EVIDENCE, CORE
COMPETENCIES AND INDICATORS
At the completion of this course, students should be able to:
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Describe the sources of the law. This will be assessed through end of chapter assigned questions, chapter
summaries submitted, classroom content and current event discussion, and via direct examination.
Explain the structure of federal and state government and court systems. This will be assessed through end of
chapter assigned questions, chapter summaries submitted, classroom content and current event discussion, and via
direct examination.
Explain the overview of the process of litigation and alternative dispute resolution. This will be assessed through
end of chapter assigned questions, chapter summaries submitted, classroom content and current event discussion,
and via direct examination.
Apply theories of business ethics to hypothetical problems. This will be assessed through end of chapter assigned
questions, chapter summaries submitted, classroom content and current event discussion, and via direct
examination.
Describe the basic forms of business entities. This will be assessed through end of chapter assigned questions,
chapter summaries submitted, classroom content and current event discussion, and via direct examination.
Classify and explain the elements of Crimes and Torts relating to business issues. This will be assessed through
end of chapter assigned questions, chapter summaries submitted, classroom content and current event discussion,
and via direct examination.
Explain patents, copyrights, and trademarks. This will be assessed through end of chapter assigned questions,
chapter summaries submitted, classroom content and current event discussion, and via direct examination.
Explain contract formation, modification, and enforcement. This will be assessed through end of chapter assigned
questions, chapter summaries submitted, classroom content and current event discussion, and via direct
examination.
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TOPICS COVERED
1.
The Legal, Social, and Ethical Environment of Business
a. The Nature and Sources of Law
b. The Court System and Dispute Resolution
c. Business Ethics, Social Forces, and the Law
d. The Constitution as the Foundation of the Legal Environment
e. Government Regulation of Competition and Prices
f. Administrative Agencies
g. The Legal Environment of International Trade
h. Crimes
i. Torts
j. Intellectual Property Rights and the Internet
k. Cyber law
2.
Contracts
a. Nature and Classes of Contracts: Contracting on the Internet
b. Formation of Contracts: Offer and Acceptance
c. Capacity and Assent
d. Consideration
e. Legality and Public Policy
f. Writing, Electronic Forms, and Interpretation of Contracts
g. Third Persons and Contracts
h. Discharge of Contracts
i. Breach of Contract and Remedies
3.
Sales and Leases of Goods
a. Personal Property and Bailments
b. Legal Aspects of Supply Chain Management
c. Nature and Form of Sales
d. Title and Risk of Loss
e. Product Liability: Warranties and Torts
f. Obligations and Performance
g. Remedies for Breach of Sales Contracts
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These may be covered as discrete topics and/or integrated with other topic areas at the discretion of the
professor. It should be understood that this topic knowledge is the minimum level for a grade of D or better.
These and other topics may be expanded or elaborated at the discretion of the individual professor and is in no
way intended to be comprehensive or all-inclusive.
CLAST COMPETENCIES
This course reinforces the following CLAST and Valencia Student competencies as outlined on pages
116-120 of the 2009-2010 VCC College Catalog: Valencia faculty has defined four interrelated competencies
(Value, Think, Communicate, Act) that prepare students to succeed in the world community. These
competencies are outlined in the Course Catalog. In this course, through classroom lecture and discussions, and
other learning activities, you will further develop mastery of these core competencies.
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REQUIRED EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS: Anderson’s Business Law, Revised, Custom Vol. 1; Twomey &
Jennings, 22nd Edition (ISBN-13: 978-1-285-89217-7). Publisher: South-Western College/West (2014).
EVALUATION
EXAMS – There will be four exams and a cumulative final exam during the term. Exam format will comprise
multiple-choice, short answer, and essay questions. The dates for the exams and the chapters to be tested are
listed on your course outline located at the end of this syllabus. Each exam consists of multiple choice and
short answer questions. If you experience any difficulties in Blackboard, please contact VC Blackboard help at
407-582-5600.
These exams (except the final exam) will be administered via your Blackboard course page under the
Assessment tab and will close automatically on Sunday at 11:59 PM EST on Sunday of that week. You are
allowed to take each exam (except the final) up to two times before the deadline. Remember, the exams shall
be taken by 11:59 PM EST Friday, however, if you experience any problems during the week in taking the
exam, I will keep the exam open for another attempt until Sunday at 11:59 PM EST. This does not mean that
you are to use those extra two days to regularly take your exam. It is to only be used as a last resort. You
should have solved all of your testing problems by the Friday of that week and absolutely no exceptions will be
made for problems incurred after Friday. Your score for the exam will be the "average" of all of your
attempts.
* * * * * * * * * * * * IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Blackboard system that you will be taking your exams on has some particular traits that you need to be
aware of to prevent the failing of an exam.
Please note these traits as follows:
1. You need to take the exams using Mozilla Firefox as your browser instead of Internet Explorer.
2. While taking your exam, be aware of the time clock showing how long you have been in the exam.
Your score for that attempt will be the number of questions answered correctly out of the total amount
of questions on the entire exam.
3. You must “SUBMIT” your exam before the clock reaches the time limit as listed in the directions of the
exam. Going past this time may result in a zero being given as the score for that attempt and it will be
used in the averaging of that exams final score. This is also your responsibility for the midterm and
final exams as they are proctored by a testing facility.
4. Also, be aware that the two attempts at each exam (except Exam #3 and final) do not guarantee that you
must have two attempts. I am allowing you up to two attempts so that if something happens on your
first attempt, you can retake the exam. If you are able to take two, uninterrupted attempts, the average
of the attempts will be used to determine your score for that exam. But if something occurs that
prevents you from having two attempts, your score will be the score of the successful attempt you did
take. The two attempts are a privilege, not a right.
The final exam must be taken in an approved testing center. You CANNOT utilize the text book or class
notes on the final exam. If you are out of town, it is your responsibility to find an appropriate testing center and
must be approved by me prior to the week of the exam. The final exam is timed and you only have one attempt.
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ASSIGNMENTS & PARTICIPATION – Students must complete the following:
1. Active class participation: Weekly discussion questions start in week one. Each chapter will have
one discussion thread. Make sure for weeks where we cover more than one chapter you complete
the postings for each discussion thread. Unless otherwise stated, ALL postings must be completed
by Sunday evening (11:59 PM EST) for that week. Late postings will not be given credit. Original
responses should be 150 - 200 words in length and must be posted in the appropriate discussion
thread (not as document attachments!). In order to receive full credit, you must post your response
to the initial question AND then respond – in one paragraph or more – to a minimum of two of your
classmates' posts. You may respond to more than two if you like. Please give credit (i.e. citations)
to your sources when using words, ideas, or the expressions of others. Also, please use proper
grammar. All viewpoints are welcome, but respect and courtesy in all communication is a nonnegotiable and required. Please use legal concepts studied and logic to "back up" your responses.
2. For any two topics we cover in this course, prepare two current event summaries (each must include
½ page summary + ½ page analysis of its relevance to business law). The first current event is due
before Exam #2, the second due the last week of class, before final exam week.
Chapter preparation (reading, outlining, and note taking each chapter) whether assigned to outline that chapter or
not, and classroom interaction are crucial for the successful completion of the course.
Grades will be posted in the Blackboard grade book no later than seven days after the assignment/exam due
date.
Grading Policy:
4 Exams (100 Points Each)
Final Exam (100 Points)
Discussion Board Postings (10 Points Per Chapter)
Current Events (2 @ 25 Points Each)
*Students MUST take the final exam to pass the course.*
Grading Scale (Based on Points Earned):
738 – 820 (90-100%) A
656 – 737 (80-89.9%) B
574 – 655 (70-79.9%) C
492 – 573 (60-69.9%) D
0 – 491 (0-59.9%) F
WITHDRAWAL AND ATTENDANCE POLICY
A student is permitted to withdraw from a class on or before the withdrawal deadline as published in the
College calendar. A student is not permitted to withdraw from a class after the withdrawal deadline. The
professor is permitted to withdraw a student from the class for violation of the professor’s attendance policy
with written notification to the student prior to the beginning of the final exam period as published in the faculty
member’s syllabus.
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A student who withdraws from a class before the withdrawal deadline will receive a grade of “W.” A student
who is withdrawn by a professor will receive a grade of “W.” A student who is withdrawn for administrative
reasons at any time will receive a grade of “W” or other grade as determined in consultation with the professor.
Any student who withdraws or is withdrawn from a class during a third or subsequent attempt in the same
course will be assigned a grade of “F.” The grades of “WP” and “WF” are eliminated. Final course grades of
“A”, “B”, “C”, “D”, or “F” shall be assigned based upon the student's academic achievement upon the
completion of all course work, including the required final examination. A student who fails to take the required
final examination may receive a final course grade earned, unless the professor elects to assign the student a
grade of “I” or as otherwise addressed in the Professor’s course syllabus.
CLASSROOM POLICIES
1. Attendance Policy: If you fail to participate, as described below, for two consecutive weeks, you are
subject to withdrawal. Attendance is recorded each time that you log into Blackboard platform (minutes are
recorded). The academic week is Monday-Sunday. You must complete all assignments by the due dates
contained in the syllabus.
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Participate in the required online academic discussions for each chapter covered every week.
Complete exams the week they are assigned.
Complete two current event summaries by the dates contained in this syllabus.
If the syllabus notes additional activities that must be completed during a given week or time period for the
student to be viewed as having “attended” the course, those instructions apply in addition to the minimal
requirements listed above.
NOTE:
 Logging into class without active participation does not constitute weekly attendance
 Participation must be in the Blackboard shell. Work done in a lab or other outside environment will not
count towards attendance.
 The online course environment weeks run from Monday at 12:00 AM EST to Sunday at 11:59 PM EST.
 Assignments done in a week other than the one when the assignment is due will not count towards
attendance for the previous or a future week.
 Students are strongly encouraged to log in more in order to understand the subject fully and to be
successful in class.
Academic Honesty: Students will be expected to adhere to the Valencia College Student LifeMap
Handbook (p. 225) as it references Valencia College's Policy #6HX28:08-11.
Student Code of Conduct: Students will be expected to adhere to the Valencia College Student
LifeMap Handbook (p. 229-230) as it references Valencia College's Policy #6HX28:08-03.
Students must have an active Atlas account. Students must check their Atlas e-mails regularly as to
not miss any important messages from the professor. Missed messages via Atlas or any other medium
(in-class, etc.) may affect your grade and are the responsibility of the student.
Valencia’s attendance policy is that a student will be present for all class meetings. Since this is an
online course, absences will be based upon failure to participate in mandatory online discussions. After
two absences, a student will receive an excessive absence notice and must schedule a conference with
the instructor immediately. A student will be withdrawn after four absences.
A student is responsible for all material covered. No make-ups are permitted for online exams.
Every exam will have a three-day window and one opportunity to complete. Should there be technical
issues, you shall contact the professor immediately so as to resolve the issue and complete the exam.
Students must do their own work; there are no exceptions. Students who plagiarize or cheat in any
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way, risk dismissal from class and expulsion from the college.
Make Up Policy: If you miss an exam/assignment, you have 24 hours to notify me from the date the
exam/assignment is due of the nature of the emergency. Emergencies include: death/illness, accidents,
or injuries. Upon notification and approval by instructor, the exam shall then be scheduled at the earliest
possible convenience. Anything else, work schedule, traffic, forgot, tickets to some event are not
emergencies and a grade of zero “0” shall be entered for that exam/assignment.
All viewpoints are welcome, but respect and courtesy in all communication is a non-negotiable and
required. Any violation(s) shall be dealt with immediately and in compliance with Valencia College
disciplinary guidelines.
Students with disabilities who qualify for academic accommodations must provide a letter from the Office for
Students with Disabilities (OSD) and discuss specific needs with the professor during the first two weeks of
class. The Office for Students with Disabilities determines accommodations based upon appropriate
documentation of disabilities (West Campus SSB 102, ext. 1523).
Business Law I
Course Schedule (Fall 2014)
Week
Chapters Covered
1
August 25 – August 31, 2014
Introductions, Expectations, & Policies
(Chapter 1) The Nature and Sources of Law
(Chapter 2) The Court System and Dispute Resolution
Discussion
2
September 1 – September 7, 2014
(Chapter 3) Business Ethics, Social Forces, and the Law
(Chapter 4) The Constitution as the Foundation of the Legal Environment
Discussion
3
September 8 – September 14, 2014
(Chapter 5) Government Regulation of Competition and Price)
(Chapter 6) Administrative Agencies
Discussion
4
September 15 – September 21, 2014
Exam # 1 (Chapter’s 1 – 6)
(Chapter 7) The Legal Environment of International Trade
Discussion
5
September 22 – September 28, 2014
(Chapter 8) Crimes
(Chapter 9) Torts
Discussion
6
September 29 – October 5, 2014
(Chapter 10) Intellectual Property Rights and the Internet
(Chapter 11) Cyberlaw
Discussion
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October 6 – October 12, 2014
(Chapter 12) Nature and Classes of Contracts: Contracting on the Internet
(Chapter 13) Formation of Contracts: Offer and Acceptance
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October 13 – October 19, 2014
Exam # 2 (Chapter’s 7 – 13)
(Chapter 14) Capacity and Genuine Assent
Discussion
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October 20 – October 26, 2014
(Chapter 15) Consideration
(Chapter 16) Legality and Public Policy
(Chapter 17) Writing, Electronic Forms, and Interpretation of Contracts
Discussion
10
October 27 – November 2, 2014
Exam # 3 (Chapter’s 14 – 17)
(Chapter 18) Third Persons and Contracts
Discussion
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November 3 – November 9, 2014
(Chapter 19) Discharge of Contracts
(Chapter 20) Breach of Contract and Remedies
Discussion
12
November 10 – November 16, 2014
Exam # 4 (Chapter’s 18 – 21)
(Chapter 21) Personal Property and Bailments
Discussion
13
November 17 – November 23, 2014
(Chapter 22) Legal Aspects of Supply Chain Management
(Chapter 23) Nature and Form of Sales
Discussion
14
November 24 – November 26, 2014
(Chapter 24) Title and Risk of Loss
15
December 1 – December 7, 2014
(Chapter 25) Product Liability: Warranty and Torts
(Chapter 26) Obligations and Performance
(Chapter 27) Remedies for Breach of Sales Contracts
Final Exam Review
Discussion
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December 8 – December 10, 2014
Final Examination (Chapters 22 – 27)
*DISCLAIMER: At the discretion of the instructor, written notice shall be provided regarding any changes made to the syllabus.
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