Phoenix, Sierra Vista, and Tucson campuses
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
SYLLABUS
1. Mission Statement: Wayland Baptist University exists to educate students in an academically challenging, learningfocused and distinctively Christian environment for professional success and service to God and humankind.
2. Course: BUAD 5315, Legal Environment of Business
3. Term: Summer 2015
4. Instructor: Dr. Richard E. Boyer
5. Office Phone Number and WBU Email Address: (520) 335 -6508 and boyerr@wbu.edu
6. Office Hours, Building, and Location: 8 am – 5 pm (Arizona); Virtual Campus online
7. Class Meeting Time and Location: N/A – Virtual Campus online via Blackboard
8. Catalog Description: an overview of the "black letter law" in the traditional topics of constitutional law, criminal law,
property law, procedural law, international law, torts, contracts, commercial transactions, business organizations,
employee and labor relations, employment law, globalization implications, and government regulations..
9. Prerequisites: None
10. Required Textbook: the 10th edition of Business Law Today by Miller (ISBN 9781-30538-2244), CENGAGE
11. Optional Materials: Pocket Guide to APA Style by Robert Perrin (3rd Ed.) WADSWORTH/CENGAGE
12. Course Outcome Competencies: (1) Develop a basic understanding in the legal process and the structure of the legal
system. At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to describe the different levels and types of the state and
federal court systems; (2) Develop an appreciation for the fundamentals of legal research, learn and apply methods of
legal reasoning and analysis case law readings; (3) learn the fundamental terminology and concepts of Constitutional law,
contracts, sales, torts, agency, wills, trusts, property, administrative law, the basic business organizations, intellectual
property, and cyber-law; and (4) Go through the process of setting up a a business organization; and (5) Develop/and
provide written arguments both pro and con, regarding the government’s (state or federal) regulation of private business.
13. Attendance Requirements: Students are expected to participate in all required instructional activities in their courses.
Online courses are no different in this regard; however, participation must be defined in a different manner. Student
“attendance” in an online course is defined as active participation in the course as described in the course syllabus.
Instructors in online courses are responsible for providing students with clear instructions for how they are required to
participate in the course. Additionally, instructors are responsible for incorporating specific instructional activities within
their course and will, at a minimum, have weekly mechanisms for documenting student participation. These mechanisms
may include, but are not limited to, participating in a weekly discussion board, submitting/completing assignments in
Blackboard, or communicating with the instructor. Students aware of necessary absences must inform the professor with
as much advance notice as possible in order to make appropriate arrangements. Any student absent 25 percent or more of
the online course, i.e., non-participatory during 3 or more weeks of an 11 week term, may receive an F for that course.
Instructors may also file a Report of Unsatisfactory Progress for students with excessive non-participation. Any student
who has not actively participated in an online class prior to the census date for any given term is considered a “no-show”
and will be administratively withdrawn from the class without record. To be counted as actively participating, it is not
sufficient to log in and view the course. The student must be submitting work as described in the course syllabus.
Additional attendance and participation policies for each course, as defined by the instructor in the course syllabus, are
considered a part of the university’s attendance policy.
14. Statement on Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty: Wayland Baptist University observes a zero tolerance policy
regarding academic dishonesty. Per university policy as described in the academic catalog, all cases of academic
dishonesty will be reported and second offenses will result in suspension from the university.
15. Disability Statement: “In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), it is the policy of
Wayland Baptist University that no otherwise qualified person with a disability be excluded from participation in, be
denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educational program or activity in the university. The
Coordinator of Counseling Services serves as the coordinator of students with a disability and should be contacted
concerning accommodation requests at (806) 291- 3765. Documentation of a disability must accompany any request
for accommodations.”
16. Course Requirements and Grading Criteria:
Subject of Evaluation
Bio on Open-Discussion Forum
Graduate Current Event Analysis (GCEA)
Critical Book Analysis (CBA)
Quizzes
Final Exam
Totals
Percentage
Extra
25%
25%
25%
25%
100%
Points
5 Bonus Pts.
100
100
100
100
400
Course Grade
A
B
C
D
F
I
Percentage
90 - 100
80 -89
70 -79
60 -69
Below 60
Incomplete
Students shall have protection through orderly procedures against prejudices or capricious academic evaluation. A
student who believes that he or she has not been held to realistic academic standards, just evaluation procedures, or
appropriate grading, may appeal the final grade given in the course by using the student grade appeal process described
in the Academic Catalog. Appeals may not be made for advanced placement examinations or course bypass
examinations. Appeals are limited to the final course grade, which may be upheld, raised, or lowered at any stage of the
appeal process. Any recommendation to lower a course grade must be submitted through the Executive Vice
President/Provost to the Faculty Assembly Grade Appeals Committee for review and approval. The Faculty Assembly
Grade Appeals Committee may instruct that the course grade be upheld, raised, or lowered to a more proper evaluation.
17. Tentative Schedule: (Calendar, Topics, Assignments):
May 25 - June 14
Unit I


Reading: Appendix A-1 (How to Brief Cases) and Unit 1, Chapters 1 - 7 in the course text.
Bio: Submit written bio and make oral presentation of same in-class on May 30th and post bio on the Bio
Board introducing student to classmates by May 31st
 Pre-Critical Book Analysis – select book for Critical Book Analysis and Submit written PreCBA and make
oral presentation of same in-class on May 30th and post PreCBA in Unit I by end of Unit I in preparation for
CBA assignment in Unit III by the end of Unit II.
 Quiz I: Complete the Quiz I open-book quiz by the end of the Unit.
May 25th Memorial Day} no assignments due; students may work on the course at their option.
June 15 - 28



Unit II
Reading: Unit 2 (chapters 8 -16) and Unit 3 (chapters 17 -27) in the course text
Graduate Current Event Analysis (GCEA): Submit written GCEA and make oral presentation of same inclass on June 27th and submit (i.e., post) GCEA on the Unit II Graduate CEA Board by the end of Unit II.
Quiz II: Complete Quiz II open-book quiz by the end of the Unit.
June 29 - July 19
Unit III


Reading: Unit 5 (chapters 31 - 37) first and then Unit 4 (chapters 28 - 30) in course text
Critical Book Review: Submit written CBA and make oral presentation of same in-class on July 12th and
submit soft copy of Critical Book Analysis (CBA) by the end of Unit III.
 Quiz III: Complete Quiz III open-book quiz by the end of the Unit.
July 3 - 5 Independence Day break} no assignments due; students may work on the course at their option.
July 27 - August 2



Unit IV
Reading: Unit 6 (chapters 38 - 41) and Unit 7 (chapters 42 - 44) in course text
Quiz: Complete open-book Quiz IV by the end of Module IV.
Course Final Exam: end-of-course traditional (closed-book, no notes, etc.) final exam composed of 100
multiple-choice questions taken from all four unit quizzes two hours in length by the end of Unit IV.
18. The syllabus may be revised - in the future to make adjustments for unforeseen circumstances as deemed
necessary by the instructor. Notice of revisions will be posted as an announcement in the course on Blackboard.