BA205 Business Communications
Syl l abus – BA205 Busi nes s Communic ations – Summer
2011
Topics
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Instructor Information
Course Information
Student Learning Outcomes
Course Textbook & Materials
Student Expectations
Course Communication Guidelines
Grading Table
Instructor Information | Topics
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Instructor:
Phone:
Campus Email:
Office Location:
Office Hours:
Susan McClaren
480-325-7515
susan.mcclaren@mhcc.edu
Phoenix, Arizona
Please email me and we can set up times to communicate via
phone or email.
Note: Please try to use Blackboard’s e-mail system (My Messages) to contact me with course
related issues. I will try to respond to e-mail messages within 48 hours. If there is an
emergency, the best way to contact me is through my campus email above.
Course Information | Topics
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Course ID:
BA205
Course Title:
Business Communications
Course Location: Online
Term:
Summer 2011
Credits:
4 Credit Hours
Prerequisites:
WR121 and CIS120L or BA131 or competent at intermediate level
with MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, email, and web research.
Description: This course develops required skills to effectively communicate in a
business environment. Technology is viewed and used as an efficient tool for
processing and presenting information in a business setting. You will learn and
practice effective strategies for writing direct, persuasive, and negative letters and
memos. You will also learn and practice interpersonal and organizational
communication skills for working with and in groups as well as with individuals. You
will collaborate to research, write, and present business reports. Email, word
processing, spreadsheets, on-line research, and presentation software will be used to
enhance the communication process.
Attendance Policy: You must log into the online course by Wednesday of the first
week of classes. Failure to log into the course site by this date will give me the
opportunity to administratively drop you and allow a wait-listed student into the course.
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You need to login to this class and participate in your discussion board at least 5
times a week (5 points each week for Weeks 2 through 9).
Academic Honesty: Cheating, plagiarism, and other acts of academic dishonesty are
regarded as serious offenses. Instructors have the responsibility to report any such
incident in writing to the Associate Vice President of Student Life. Depending on the
nature of the offense, serious penalties may be imposed, ranging from loss of points to
expulsion from the class or college.
Policy on Missed Exams and Late Work: If you communicate with your instructor in
advance of missing exams or assignments, your instructor will assist you in making up
the exams or assignments. If there is no communication with your instructor in
advance of missing exams or assignments, there will be no opportunity to make up the
exams or assignments. There is no extra credit given in lieu of missing exams or
assignments.
Student Learning Outcomes | Topics
By the end of this course, the student will be able to:
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Use you view, positive emphasis, reader benefits, and audience analysis in all of your
communications aiming to always build goodwill.
Plan, write, and present clear, concise, effective business communications using
technology as an information processing and presentation tool.
Use specific strategies for writing direct, negative, and persuasive letters and memos.
Work collaboratively in a small group.
Plan and produce a collaboratively written formal report (which includes on-line
research.)
Develop and present an oral presentation using effective presentation techniques with
presentation software.
Apply an understanding of adaptation to diversity in intercultural environments.
Course Textbook & Materials | Topics
The following textbook is required and can be purchased through the Mt. Hood Community
College Bookstore, or students can also look at other online sites to compare prices at
http://www.campusbooks.com/.
NOTE: The on-campus bookstore does have extended hours the first part of the term. Call
(503) 491-7188 and then press option 1 for a listing of the hours.
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Business Communication Essentials (3rd Edition), 2007 or newer
Courtland Bovee and John Thill
Texbook ISBN Number 0-536-08207-3
Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint software applications
Course Communication Guidelines | Topics
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Preferred Email: Use the course email system (My Messages) for private/personal
communication between you and your instructor, such as grades or personal issues. I
will try to respond to your e-mail messages within 48 hours.
Discussions: The general Discussions areas are for public questions and
answers.The SOS—I Need Help and the Virtual Lounge are places to ask questions
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that other students could benefit seeing the answer to. To read information about
MHCC policies of absolute privacy see Notification of Lack of Absolute Privacy.
 You will be using the discussion board as a team discussion area where you will
be working throughout the term on a group project. Like any class, your writing
quality will be noticed and evaluated accordingly. You will be posting two types of
messages on the discussion board: Informational questions and responses. For
additional tips and information visit the How to Interact Online resource page.
 The discussion board section of this class will tend to be somewhat formal. You
need to keep spelling, grammar, and punctuation correct. It is recommended that
you work on your discussion board communications off line on a word processor.
Save your work, then copy and paste it to the discussion board.
 In addition, like a "live" classroom, you must respect the postings and opinions of
your other classmates at all times. Inappropriate comments will not be tolerated
and are grounds for dismissal from this class. All course communication should
be respectful, as you would expect in any f2f class.
Campus Email: Use my campus email for emergency use only. An emergency is
when the course server is down, severe weather, or when an illness or personal issue
that prevents you from performing the course tasks.
Grading Table | Topics
Activity Points
Percent of Total Grade
Discussion Board/Chat Room
Participation
40 Points
4%
Homework Exercises
80 Points
5%
Chapter Quizzes
110 Points
10%
Oral Presentation with
PowerPoint Presentation
150 Points
11%
Letters 300 Points
20%
Collaborative Writing Project
Proposal – 40 Points
Progress Report – 10
Points
Individual Research
Report Section – 100
Points
Final Group Report
w/PowerPoint
Presentation – 250 Points
Self/Peer Evaluations –
100 Points
Final Exam 200 Points
20% Team Submissions
15% Individual
Submissions
15%
Total Possible Points 1380 Points
Students who have successfully
completed this course will
achieve a cumulative passing
score of 60% on participation,
projects, assignments, quizzes,
and final exam.
91-100%
81-90%
71-80%
60-70%
Less than 60%
100%
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A
B
C
D
F
Note: Your instructor reserves the right to change any grading requirements during the course.
Students will be notified in writing of changes in the discussion area, email, or the course
calendar.
Mt. Hood Community College