The University of Texas Dallas - School of

Management

BA 4308.001 - ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Spring 08 - Tuesdays 4 - 6:45 p.m.

Instructor: Darius Mahdjoubi, Ph.D.

Classroom: SOM 1.217
Office: SOM 4.225
Email: darius@utdallas.edu
Phone (UTD office): 972-883-5817
Office Hours: Tuesdays. 2-3 PM, or by appointment

I. PREREQUISITES, REQUIRED SKILLS AND CAPABILITIES

There are no prerequisites for this course. Course participants are not expected to have a
business or management background.

II. COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OVERVIEW

This course provides a broad-based introduction to the process of entrepreneurship. The

course activities will include evaluating commercial potential of business ideas and
opportunities, researching markets and competition, generating and evaluating new
business ideas, familiarity with patents and copyrights, valuing a business opportunity,
writing and evaluating a formal business plan, avoiding pitfalls(as much as possible) and
looking for financial resources to set up a venture (new businesses). Participants in the
course will explore the mindset, considerations, realities, and real-world methods
associated with the process of entrepreneurship and launching a new enterprise. Whether
simply desiring to learn more about entrepreneurship or desiring to launch an enterprise,
the course will provide know-how and tools to be more effective in the entrepreneurial
process. This is a team-based course that will permit groups of students to develop
portions of a business plan piece by piece. Both team and individual assignments will be
required, with the team project assignment comprising over half of the final grade. A
team project focused on the creation of a business plan for a new business opportunity
will comprise a major part of the course.

III. COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES

This course is intended to help engineering/science/technical and other students to:

 1. become familiar with the entrepreneurial characteristics and abilities;
2. become familiar with the foundational principles, rewards and realities of
entrepreneurship;
3. learn how to evaluate business opportunities;
4. understand how to write a evaluate a formal business plan and persuasive
business plan presentation for an entrepreneurial venture;
5. understand the basics of financial budgeting and forecasting;
6. become familiar with fundamentals of raising capital for the new venture;
7. become familiar with the typical pitfalls of entrepreneurship;
8. learn to work as a team to develop business strategies and solve problems.

IV. REQUIRED TEXT AND READING MATERIALS :

Entrepreneurship, Hisrich, Peters & Shepherd, 7th Edition (ISBN 0-07-321056-0)

Handout: “Opportunity Evaluation Checklist and Business Plan Outline”
Readings: What is Strategy and How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy: Porter

V. ASSIGNMENTS AND ACADEMIC CALENDAR

Week Date Topic Readings/Assignment/Deliverables

1 Jan. 8 - Introduction & N/A
Overview
The Nature &
Importance of
Entrepreneurs
2 Jan. 15 -Entrepreneurial Text: Chap 1
Characteristics Creativity and Business Ideation
-The Individual Assignments: List of five individual
Entrepreneur business ideas is developed.
-Self Assessment Teams formed and Team Rosters
submitted to Instructor
-Opportunity Feasibility Text: Chapter 3
Analysis—Developing Text: Chapter 5
and testing the Business
Concept
3 Jan. 22 Guest Speaker: About 2. List of two business ideas are
Market research developed, by each student.
Team Discussion Assignment: Download and Review the
teaching note titled, “Opportunity
Evaluation Checklist and Business Plan
Outline”
4 Jan. 29 -IDEO—Creativity 2. WA#1 due: Each student submits a
Video business idea (and the previous ideas)
via the WebCT. Send the same
The Business Plan: document to the respective team
Creating and Starting members.
the venture
Entrepreneur Personal Text: Chapter 7
vision
Entrepreneurial
Outlooks
-Building a Team
5 Feb. 5 Entrepreneurial Strategy WA#2 Due: Each team submit two
Programmed business ideas (one primary idea and
serendipity alternative) for team project to
Instructor for approval
Text: Chapter 13—Chapter 2
“The Pitch”--Preparing Readings—Porter, “What is strategy?”
compelling How Competitive Forces Shape
presentations—Class Strategy: Porter
time for teams
6 Feb. 12 -Intellectual Property Text: Chap 6
and other Legal Issues,
(patents licensing,
contracts)
The Organizational Plan Text: Chapter 9
(choosing the legal form
business org)
Review for midterm
7 Feb. 19 Presentation WA#3 Deliverables: WA#3a & WA#3b,
Business Concept Team Paper Due
Summary, and
Industry Analysis,
presented by all
Teams
- In-Class Presentation
WA#3--continued:
Business Concept
Summary, and
Industry Analysis,
presented by all
Teams
8 Feb. 26 - Mid term Exam Covering Chapters 1, 3, 5-9, 13, lecture
material and Readings.
- Midterm discussion
- Team Meetings
9 March 4 The Marketing Plan Text: Chapter 8
 March March Break
11
10 March -The Financial Plan Text: Chapter 10
18 - Forecasting/budgeting
Start- up List Review Due: WA#4, Start-up
11 March - -Sources of Capital Text: Chapter 11
25 -Financing New Text: Chapter 12
Ventures -
Practical aspects of
business planning.
12 April 1 Ending the venture Chapter 17
13 April 8 Practical aspects of
business planning:
Essentials of Selling
Review for Presentation
and Final, Decisions,
14 April 15 In-Class Presentations : Deliverables: WA#5a & WA#5b, Final
Business Plan: Business Plan. Due today from All
Teams
-Individual Peer Evaluations Due
today
In-Class Presentations
Continued 3:
marketing Plan,
Assessment of Risk
and Financial Plan
15 April 22 Closing Lecture
Course review
16 29 Final Exam Final (All chaps with emphasis on chaps.
10-12,14, 15, 17, handouts and slides).
Location: TBD

This course schedule is not absolute. While every effort will be made to follow the
schedule as listed, changes may be made as needed. It is the student’s responsibility to
track changes that are announced.

VI. GRADING, COURSE ASSIGNMENTS, DUE DATES

Grades will be based on group and individual work assignments (WA’s), exams and peer
evaluation. These assignments, their due dates, page limits, and their relative weight in
determining your final grade are summarized in the table below:

Due Date Team or Length Form Grading

Assignment Individual (pages) Weight
Team Selected and Rosters (with team Jan. 15 Team n/a n/a
captain designated) submitted to Instructor
WA #1 – Individual Business Idea and Jan. 29 Individual 1-2 Outline 5%
Description Opportunity Analysis
WA#2 - Teams submit business ideas for Feb. 5 Team 1-2 n/a
approval
WA #3a Group Paper: Industry Analysis Feb. 19 Team 6 -10 Outline 10%
and Description of New Venture Project
WA #3b Group Presentation: Industry Feb. 19 Team Power- n/a 10%
Analysis and Description of New Venture Project Point.
Midterm Exam Feb. 26 Individual 10%
Midterm Project, WA#4 (start-up checklist) Mar. 18 Team 5%
WA #5a Paper: Final Business Plan Paper April 15 Team 8-12 Outline 15%
Project pgs +
Worksh
eets
WA #5b Presentation: Final Business Plan April 15 Team Power- 10%
PPT Project Point.
Individual Peer Evaluation by Team Individual 10%*
Members
Final Exam April 29 Individual 10%
Class Participation Individual 5%*
Reflection Papers after the class Individual 10%
*Peer evaluations and class participation including attendance may have greater 100%
impact on grades than 5*–see guidelines below for each

Reflection Papers : 2 to 4 days after the second session of each week, each students
needs to write a synopses of the learning of the week (session 1 and session 2). Writing
the reflection papers helps you to organize your learning of the session and act as a feed
back to the session as well. Your reflection paper should include the whole discussion of
the class, including other students’ comments that were interesting to you. At the end of
semester, each student will write a final reflection paper for the whole semester that
contains their learning for the whole class period.

Chapter Review: Prior to each session, you need to review the reading material for the
session and drop a digital copy of the chapter review in the WebCT. You need to bring a
paper (hard) copy of the chapter review to class to assist you in discussions that we have
for each session.

GRADE SCALE
A = 89% OR GREATER
B = 80% TO 88%
C = 70% TO 79%
D = 60% TO 69%

VII. COURSE POLICIES and GUIDELINES

SELF INTRODUCTION
Each student should post a Self-Introduction in the Discussion area of WebCT prior to
the first class. Please include contact information, work experience, major, and special
interests or hobbies. This information will be used to set up my grade book and assist in
the formation of groups for the course.

Template for Self-Introduction

This is a template for the self- introduction. Please use this template to prepare a brief
self- introduction that will be helpful for instructor and for your classmates to get to know
you.

Copy this template into a discussion board and then complete it there. Do not attach to
the posting as an attachment in your response to the thread.

NAME: Per the University Records.

PREFERRED NAME: What do you want to be called?
E-MAIL ADDRESS:
PHONE:
EDUCATION : 1) What, 2) What 3) Where
EMPLOYMENT: Current
PREVIOUS WORK EXPERIENCE: What did you do, Where, How Long
SPECIAL SKILLS/EXPERIENCES :
MOTIVATION : Why are you here? Why in this course?
EXPECTATIONS: What do you expect to learn in/gain from this course?
PERSONAL NOTES : Tell us a little about yourself.
ANY THING ELSE: Do you want to add something interesting/relevant to you that is
not in the above list?

FORMATION OF GROUPS
Much of the work in this course will be performed in small groups (5-6 members). The
group members will be collectively responsible for completing each of the group
assignments listed in this Syllabus. The grades earned on group projects will be assigned
equally to each group member, subject to adjustment based on the Peer Evaluation (see
Peer Evaluation information below).

Students will have the opportunity to form their own groups during the first two weeks of
the course, based on common interests and preferred group interaction times (see Self
Introduction above). It is important that you select your groups to include a diverse set of
skills. A typed list of the members, including the designated Team Captain, of each
group (with name, email and telephone contact information) should be submitted to
the instructor by the beginning of class on the due date as in the table. Anyone who
has not joined a group prior to that time will be assigned to a group by the instructor.
LECTURE NOTES
You should be able to access to and use WebCT with your UTD ID and password. Call
computer services at (972) 883-2911 if you need assistance.

CLASS PARTICIPATION and PREPARATION

Five percent (5%) of your grade will be based on attendance and active participation in
class discussions and exercises. From time to time, it may be necessary to miss a class due
to illness or personal matters. Please inform instructor of these absences. If participation
becomes an issue, or if more than 2 classes are missed, the student’s grade may be
impacted. Attendance will be tracked because attendance may impact team performance.

Each student is expected to have read all assigned materials prior to the start of class and
be prepared to discuss the ideas, concepts and issues they raise. If it is determined that
students are not prepared for class, pop quizzes may be instituted and factored into the
individual’s grade. These quizzes cannot be made up if missed.

GUIDELINES FOR ALL WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

Evaluation: Particular care should be taken to fully address the requirements for each
paper detailed in the assignment. An evaluation by the instructor of written
assignments will include multiple factors, including (a) how well instructions were
followed, (b) how clear and concise responses are to assignment parameters; (c)
demonstrated ability to apply the course concepts and frameworks in written
summaries; (d) the degree of professionalism and effectiveness regarding structure,
content and communication, and in the case of the Team Project; (d) the degree of
correlation between the work product and the criteria associated with the Checklist
for Opportunity Evaluation and Business Plan Outline.

Identification of Assignments. All submitted assignments should be identified as follows.

The document should include the title of the assignment, and the name of the student. Each
file should include the course designation, the assignment number, and the names of all
team members. For example, “BA 4308_WA#3_[last names].doc” would identify a team’s
Written Assignment #3.

Format. Written assignments will be submitted in MS Word, MS Excel or MS Power-

point format (in office 2003). Do not send documents in Office 2007. All written
assignments are to be submitted via WebCT. Each paper submitted should be in
professional form. The use of charts and exhibits is encouraged, to the extent that they
help you make your points. Cover pages, charts or exhibits, and lists of references will
not be included in the page count. Charts and exhibits should be numbered and
appropriately referenced in the body of the document. A list of references should be
attached as required. The written assignments should use 11-12 point type, single-spaced,
with 1” margins all around. The original copy of the individual assignment, Team project
and PowerPoint presentation will be kept on file and will not be returned. Upon
submission of the last written Team Project, WA #5a, a CD containing the exact
electronic file of the business plan hardcopy must be attached onto the last page of the
original hardcopy that contains all Team Project papers and presentations submitted or
made during the course.
• Grades will be lowered for:
o Use of incomplete sentences, misspelled words, or poor grammar
o Missing required sections
o Failure to attach the full project on a disk in the finished plan

Assignment Submission, Due Dates and Late Paper Policy. The written assignments
must be submitted to the instructor via the WebCT prior to the beginning of class period,
on the date they are due. Due to the nature of the assignments and the discussion and
presentations taking place on the days assignments are due, late assignments will not be
accepted. Please submit all the assignments through WebCT. Team assignments are
to be submitted only by the team leader. The Team Leader will receive the grade results
for the assignment and will be responsible for sharing that feedback with the other
members of the team.

Protocol for Writing and Sending Your Assignments.

1. All assignments must be sent to WebCT. Bring a hard copy of Chapter reviews in
the class for your note. If you send an unsolicited assignment by e- mail to me, the
grade will be automatically zero.
2. On top of the fist page of all assignments, write your name, and other information
about the assignment, such as course name, and the topic of assignment. If you
forget this information, then there will be one grade off your assignment, (e.g.
from A to B, …).
3. The first paragraph of the assignment write what is the content of this assignment.
For instance,, “This is a review of chapter 6 of Entrepreneurship by xxxx.
4. Name your assignments according to the following format. {Course Number_
Your Family Name_ Assignment Name. This is an example “
BA4308_Howeard_Refl8”
5. Save your assignments in Office 2003. Do NOT send your assignments in Office
2007 (in formats like DOCX, …).

TEAM PROJECTS

A Team project focused on the identification and analysis of a new business opportunity
will comprise a major part of the course. Each Team will make two presentations and
write papers during the semester associated with their team project. In addition, each
student will complete and submit individual peer evaluations that evaluate the
performance of each respective Team member for a team projects--).
Students will work in teams of 5 to 6 members. Teams are self selecting. The Team
projects associated with the business plan will account for team grade. The projects
require a wide range of knowledge including some knowledge of finance and accounting.
Therefore, a broad range of backgrounds and knowledge among the group members is
beneficial.

Individual Business Ideas for BA4308

First week you need to start with 5 individual business ideas. At least two of the ideas
should be tangible goods (products) and at least two of the business ideas should be
services. Practically you need to develop 2 or 3 services ideas and 2 or 3 product ideas for
your business idea.

For each business idea, you need to write about 2 lines what is the product or service and
2 lines about who is the target market (the main customer) of the specific product/service
that want to pursue. Articulate and explicate your views, as much as possible. If the
whole world is your target market you need revaluate this assignment.

In week two, you need to narrow down you ideas to one product and one service. In this
case, you need to further clarify the specification of your products and services, and its
market target and on a line or two about how you are going to make the product or
provide the service.

In week three, you need to concentrate on only one product or service. Summarize your
business opportunity in the context of the market and competitive environment in a 1-2
page paper to be submitted to the instructor and team members. Include the following
with your summary:

1. Project description (What significant need does it fill?, How big is

the need? How grand is your solution?)
2. How is Product or Service unique/different/superior to other
offerings?
3. Who is the customer?
4. Is there significant financial return potential (vs. modest financial
potential)?
5. What is its “Value Proposition” --How will your idea benefit
customers (why they will buy?) (benefits to the customer (e.g.,
faster, less expensive, higher quality, more reliable, more accurate,
more convenient, better performance, more fun, less work, etc. )

To make it possible to trace the evolution of your business ideas, keep your original 5
business ideas and then the 2 business ideas at the bottom of the page. The grade for
Individual Business Idea will be based on this set of ideas.
Each student will submit the individually developed, new, Business Idea, WA#1, to the
instructor and to the student’s respective team for consideration for the Team Project by
due data. In developing a Business Idea the student should:
• Select an industry and identify a specific business concept or opportunity to
research.
• Conduct a preliminary evaluation of the business opportunity following the
Opportunity Evaluation Checklist and Business Plan Outline found in the
course materials on WebCT

Formation of Teams.
The class will be divided into small teams of 5-6 members. The team members will be
collectively responsible for completing each of the Team Project assignments. The
grades earned on Team Projects will be assigned equally to each group member, subject
to individual adjustment based on the Peer Evaluation (each team member must
contribute equally based on their peer evaluation to qualify for the full team grade—as
described below).

Team Leaders Selection. Each team should elect a “Team Leader” to direct the
development of the various components of the business plan, organize team meetings,
help lead team discussion and communicate with instructor from time to time. The
course instructor may communicate to the Team Leader as needed.

Approach for developing a project: Each student will present the individually developed
Business Idea described in Work Assignment (WA) #1 above to his or her team for
consideration as candidate for the Team Project.

Selection of a Team Business opportunity –WA#2. From the Business Ideas presented
by respective team members, each Team will select a first and second choice for business
plan development (and the two related group papers/presentations during the semester).
The team business idea selected by the Team should be submitted to the instructor (via
the WebCT) at the beginning of class on the due date. Selection of an appropriate
opportunity to pursue for the project is critical. The idea must meet several basic criteria.
It must meet standards of good taste and usefulness—a good rule of thumb: Pick
something in which you would consider investing money. Franchises are not allowed due
to the fact that you do little of the background work. It may be a large enough
opportunity that it will require at least $100,000 in investment capital and it may have the
potential to generate at least $1,000,000 in revenue in the 5th year. That means that bars,
restaurants, sports facilities, most retail models only qualify if they are scalable by
franchising or expansion to multiple locations. This exp ansion must be part of the
business plan being created by the group. A viable entrepreneurial opportunity is one
that brings something new, valuable, innovative and difficult to imitate to the market and
creates a position where the industry forces (supplier power, buyer power, barriers to
entry, substitutes and rivalry) are favorable to the new venture. New ventures that go
head to head with established firms in crowded markets are not recommended.
Once a business Idea is selected and approved, it is then developed into a business plan
by the Team during the semester. Accordingly, each Team will make 2 presentations and
write 2 papers during the semester associated with their selected business idea.

WA # 3a, #3b, Paper & Presentation: Opportunity and Industry Analysis and
Description of New Venture
This paper should be 6 to 10 pages in length and should be in outline format as much
as possible. As a guide for this paper and presentation, the Team should use sections
1 through 4 in Comprehensive Checklist and sections I, II and III under the Business
Plan heading, both of which are part of the course handout, Opportunity Evaluation
Checklist and Business Plan Outline (download Checklist from WebCT6). The first
section of this paper should provide a description of the business concept and its
products or services and why they are unique or special. Particular emphasis should
be placed on the competitive advantage of your new venture. The second section
should briefly discuss the unmet needs of the market that the products or services are
providing and the customers being targeted. The third section should provide an
overview and analysis of the industry in which the venture will operate. The Industry
analysis section will include the future outlook and trends, analysis of overall
industry, market needs, possible opportunity and associated unmet needs it fulfills
along with industry forecasts. The fourth section will provide a description of the
objectives (short term and long term) of the company. Eva luate the feasibility and
attractiveness of the business idea or concept using the Checklist noted above and the
concepts and frameworks provided in the text including Chapters 5 and 7.

WA #5a, #5b, Paper & Presentation: The complete business plan including the
addition of The Marketing Plan, Assessment of Risk, and Financial Plan and
practical aspects of business plan.

This paper and presentation should also improve upon the first assignment (WA#3b). In
addition to a refinement of the summary of the business concept, Product information and
Industry analysis given by the team previously in WA#3a and WA#3b, the team will add
three major segments to the plan:
1) The marketing plan: This segment of the plan should be 3- 6 pages and include a brief
analysis (reiteration) of the target market(s). The segment of the paper and presentation
should include a detailed marketing plan including the general marketing strategy
(including business model), target customers, positioning of the firm (relative to
competition), advertising and promotional activities, pricing strategy, sales and
distribution strategy, sales forecasts, service and support, and detailed marketing budget.
2) The Risk Assessment and Financial Plan (including timeline).
This segment of the paper should be 3 to 6 pages in length and should include a) resource
requirements of the firm until company becomes self-sustaining (how much capital is
needed for start-up and operations, e.g., capital expenditures, personnel, facilities and
equipment (this should be summarized in a budget table—which is a Use of Proceeds
from financing), b) funding sources , c) the investment deal (how much equity for
investment and projected returns), d) pro- form Income Statement for 3 years (monthly for
the first 12 months and quarterly for years 2 and 3—See examples in textbook) and a
break-even analysis, e) critical risk factors, and f) a timeline chart of events and
milestones to be achieved over the next year. NOTE: In the presentation, provide a very
simple, brief and legible summary of key financial information (e.g., a summary table of
the budget (use of proceeds, including capital expenditures), a summary table of the
income statement (with revenue projections, costs, profit and Income for next 3 years),
and a break-even chart (NOTE: DO NOT INCLUDE IN THE PRESENTATION A
FULL SPREADSHEET OF DATA)
3) Practical Aspects of Business Planning. The document will elaborate on the practical
aspects of implementing the business ideas, as it is discussed under action business plan.

The Paper (WA#5a) will be due before the beginning of class on the due date and
the Presentation (WA#5b) will be ready for presented in class as in the table.

Presentations in Class. Team presentations of the various components of the business

plan (WA#’s 3b, & 5b) should be of high standards and presented in MS Power Point
format. A team’s presentation will be graded based on the quality of (a) the content of
the presentation, (b) the presentation style and quality, and (c) the ability of the team to
justify its position in the Q&A in Class. All presentations will be made in the Team
context, wherein in all members will give portions of the presentation. The content and
length will be detailed later in the semester

Team Member Participation in Group Projects. Each team member will create portions
of each group project as agreed by team members and the team will integrate the
respective pieces. Please remember to save sufficient time to properly edit the work into
one integrated paper that will be agreed upon by the team and Team Leader (disjointed
papers will not score well).

Individual Peer Evaluation by Team Members

A peer evaluation of the respective individual team members will be utilized to adjust
individual grades on all group assignments (maximum range of +/- 20% of the group
grade). The peer evaluation form attached to this syllabus will be completed individually
and turned in by each team member as part of each Team Project assignment.

All of us have been on teams where someone did not contribute fully but expected the
same grade as those making strong contributors. Fairness will prevail. Individual grades
for each group project and presentation will be computed based on the team score for
each project with allowances for team peer evaluations that each team member receives.
Therefore, strong contribution to projects, regular attendance at team meetings, and
collaborative, cooperative and friendly attitudes and are essential for optimal
grading. See the attached student peer evaluation form with example form. Students
will not directly grade (A, B, etc.) one another but will provide the instructor with
feedback (with peer evaluation forms) as to the percentage of contribution of each
member on a base of 100%. Individual grades may be lowered by the instructor given
poor peer evaluations. Additional instruction regarding peer evaluation will be provided
on the peer evaluation form.

Failure to complete a peer evaluation can result in reduction in grade. Evaluations will be
kept confidential. The team is accountable for warning any student who is in danger of
receiving a failing peer evaluation. Failure of a team to warn a team member in a timely
manner as described may invalidate negative ratings. Interim evaluations may be
completed at any time during the semester and submitted to the instructor as a means of
identifying a problem with a team member. At that time, the instructor will talk with all
parties involved to determine what course of action may need to be taken. Please do not
be afraid to discuss these problems with the instructor early on. Warnings as to failure
on peer evaluations most often reverses a negative course of action on the part of a team
member. Please handle individual team member issues with proper care, courtesy and
diplomacy.

Students dropped from teams, with approval from the instructor, will be required to
complete a group project on their own. Other options include dropping or failing the
course.

EXAMS

Questions on exams will be multiple choice or short answer.

FIELD TRIP POLICIES

Off-campus Instruction and Course Activities

Off-campus, out-of-state, and foreign instruction and activities are subject to state law
and University policies and procedures regarding travel and risk-related activities.
Information regarding these rules and regulations may be found at the website address
http://www.utdallas.edu/BusinessAffairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.htm. Additional
information is available from the office of the school dean. Below is a description of any
travel and/or risk-related activity associated with this course.

STUDENT CONDUCT & DISCIPLINE

The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and
regulations for the orderly and efficient conduct of their business. It is the responsibility
of each student and each student organization to be knowledgeable about the rules and
regulations which govern student conduct and activities. General information on student
conduct and discipline is contained in the UTD publication, A to Z Guide, which is
provided to all registered students each academic year.

The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures of
recognized and established due process. Procedures are defined and described in the
Rules and Regulations, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Part 1,
Chapter VI, Section 3, and in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities of the
university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures. Copies of these rules and regulations
are available to students in the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff members are
available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations (SU 1.602, 972/883-
6391).

A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of
citizenship. He or she is expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the
Regents’ Rules, university regulations, and administrative rules. Students are subject to
discipline for violating the standards of conduct whether such conduct takes place on or
off campus, or whether civil or criminal penalties are also imposed for such conduct.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty.
Because the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work
done by the student for that degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrate a high
standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work.

Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related
to applications for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s
own work or material that is not one’s own. As a general rule, scholastic dishonesty
involves one of the following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion and/or falsifying
academic records. Students suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary
proceedings.

Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from
any other source is unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university’s policy on
plagiarism (see general catalog for details). This course will use the resources of
turnitin.com, which searches the web for possible plagiarism and is over 90% effective.

EMAIL USE
The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication between
faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises some issues concerning
security and the identity of each individual in an email exchange. The university encourages all official
student email correspondence be sent only to a student’s U.T. Dallas email address and that faculty and
staff consider email from students official only if it originates from a UTD student account. This allows the
university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the identity of all individual corresponding and the
security of the transmitted information. UTD furnishes each student with a free email account that is to be
used in all communication with university personnel. The Department of Information Resources at U.T.
Dallas provides a method for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail forwarded to other accounts.

WITHDRAWAL FROM CLASS

The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-level
courses. These dates and times are published in that semester's course catalog.
Administration procedures must be followed. It is the student's responsibility to handle
withdrawal requirements from any class. In other words, I cannot drop or withdraw any
student. You must do the proper paperwork to ensure that you will not receive a final
grade of "F" in a course if you choose not to attend the class once you are enrolled.

STUDENT GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES

Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on Student Services and
Activities, of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures.
In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or other
fulfillments of academic responsibility, it is the obligation of the student first to make a
serious effort to resolve the matter with the instructor, supervisor, administrator, or
committee with whom the grievance originates (hereafter called “the respondent”).
Individual faculty members retain primary responsibility for assigning grades and
evaluations. If the matter cannot be resolved at that level, the grieva nce must be
submitted in writing to the respondent with a copy of the respondent’s School Dean. If
the matter is not resolved by the written response provided by the respondent, the student
may submit a written appeal to the School Dean. If the grievance is not resolved by the
School Dean’s decision, the student may make a written appeal to the Dean of Graduate
or Undergraduate Education, and the deal will appoint and convene an Academic
Appeals Panel. The decision of the Academic Appeals Panel is final. The results of the
academic appeals process will be distributed to all involved parties.

Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of
Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and
regulations.

INCOMPLETE GRADE POLICY

As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work unavoidably
missed at the semester’s end and only if 70% of the course work has been completed. An
incomplete grade must be resolved within eight (8) weeks from the first day of the
subsequent long semester. If the required work to complete the course and to remove the
incomplete grade is not submitted by the specified deadline, the incomplete grade is
changed automatically to a grade of F.

DISABILITY SERVICES

The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational

opportunities equal to those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in
room 1.610 in the Student Union. Office hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to
6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30
p.m.

The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is:

The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22
PO Box 830688
Richardson, Texas 75083-0688
(972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)

Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable
adjustments necessary to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability. For example,
it may be necessary to remove classroom prohibitions against tape recorders or animals
(in the case of dog guides) for students who are blind. Occasionally an assignment
requirement may be substituted (for example, a research paper versus an oral presentation
for a student who is hearing impaired). Classes enrolled students with mobility
impairments may have to be rescheduled in accessible facilities. The college or
university may need to provide special services such as registration, note-taking, or
mobility assistance.

It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an
accommodation. Disability Services provides students with letters to present to faculty
members to verify that the student has a disability and needs accommodations.
Individuals requiring special accommodation should contact the professor after class or
during office hours.

RELIGIOUS HOLY DAYS

The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required
activities for the travel to and observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose
places of worship are exempt from property tax under Section 11.20, Tax Code, Texas
Code Annotated.

The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possible
regarding the absence, preferably in advance of the assignment. The student, so excused,
will be allowed to take the exam or complete the assignment within a reasonable time
after the absence: a period equal to the length of the absence, up to a maximum of one
week. A student who notifies the instructor and completes any missed exam or
assignment may not be penalized for the absence. A student who fails to complete the
exam or assignment within the prescribed period may receive a failing grade for that
exam or assignment.

If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the purpose
of observing a religious holy day] or if there is similar disagreement about whether the
student has been given a reasonable time to complete any missed assignments or
examinations, either the student or the instructor may request a ruling from the chief
executive officer of the institution, or his or her designee. The chief executive officer or
designee must take into account the legislative intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the student
and instructor will abide by the decision of the chief executive officer or designee.

PEER EVALUATION FORM

(TO BE USED AFTER EACH OF TWO MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS (WA#3 and
WA#4)
INSTRUCTIONS
The peer evaluation process is intended to provide group members with an opportunity to contribute to the
evaluation of the performance of your team members on group activities. On the form below, you may rate
the performance and contributions of your team members (including yourself) in the preparation of the
group assignments. Instructions follow:
1. Enter the names of your group members (alphabetically by last name). Include yourself.
2. Evaluate each assignment separately. Each team member will begin with 100 points on each assignment.
3. You may reallocate the total number of points among team members within a range of 80 to 120 points for
each individual, based on their contributions to the group effort on that assignment.
 4. The total number of points allocated on any single assignment must equal 100 times the number of members
of the team. If you have four members on the team, the total for each column should be equal to 400.
5. I will calculate an overall assessment as a weighted average of the individual ratings, using the percentage
weights indicated below.
Please sign the evaluation at the bottom of the page, place it in a sealed envelope and turn it in with each
Team Project assignment on the date it is due (there will be 3 separate evaluation forms filled out during
the semester).

Team #______ Name___________________________

Project: _________________ Signature

__________________
______

Evaluation INSTRUCTIONS:

* Grade the performance of each team member (including yourself) using the
following criteria.
Initiative while working on project.
Attendance at scheduled Team meetings.
Timeliness, quality and completeness of assigned work?
Team spirit.
Overall contribution to project completion?

* To score the various team members, first begin by multiplying the number of
team members on your team, including yourself by 100. The resulting product
equals the total number of points your team can achieve. For example, if there
are 5 members (including yourself) on the team, then the total number of points
that must be distrib uted among the members of your team is: 5*100 = 500. You
must distribute points among your team members based on each member’s overall
contribution to the team project. If all team members contributed equally then
each would receive a score of 100. If an individual contributed an extra effort to
the project that team member’s score could be higher than 100 which means that
one or more persons would receive less than 100.

* For any team member whose points are significantly above or below the team
average (i.e, greater than 110, or less than 85), please make specific comments
indicating why the team member received that score.

* Fold the evaluation sheet and return it to the instructor with each finished Team
Project.

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION
Assignment ________________________________
POINTS
NAME OF TEAM MEMBERS
ALLOCATED per
 TEAM MEMBER

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Total Points (Number of team members x

100)
Comments on High and Low rated team members.
Please be as specific as possible regarding rationale for rating high or low

COMMENTS
Group
Member Comments (please support and justify any assessment below 90% or above 110%) Continue on reverse if necessary.

Prepared by: ____________________________________

PEER EVALUATION FORM--EXAMPLE

INSTRUCTIONS
The peer evaluation process is intended to provide group members with an opportunity to contribute to the
evaluation of the performance of your team members on group activities. On the form below, you may rate
the performance and contributions of your team members (including yourself) in the preparation of the
group assignments. Instructions follow:
6. Enter the names of your group members (alphabetically by last name). Include yourself.
7. Evaluate each assignment separately. Each team member will begin with 100 points on each assignment.
 8. You may reallocate the total number of points among team members within a range of 80 to 120 points for
each individual, based on their contributions to the group effort on that assignment.
9. The total number of points allocated on any single assignment must equal 100 times the number of members
of the team. If you have four members on the team, the total for each column should be equal to 400.
10. I will calculate an overall assessment as a weighted average of the individual ratings, using the percentage
weights indicated below.
Please sign the evaluation at the bottom of the page, place it in a sealed envelope and turn it in with your
final group assignment on April 25th .

PEER EVALUATION
Group Member (list alphabetically)
1 Samuel Adams 100

2 Brett Favre 100

3 Michael Finley 90

4 George Washington 110

TOTAL (must equal 100 X number of group 400

members)

COMMENTS
Group
Member Comments (please support and justify any assessment below 90% or above 110%) Continue on reverse if necessary.
1 Sam was late on most assignments and did not contribute much to group project

2 I did my fair share on all of the assignments.

3 Didn’t seem interested at first, but carried the load for the group on the final presentation

4 A solid contributor throughout.

Signature: _____________________________________
Print Name: ____ Brett Favre ____________________