Introduction to Business

201 1

Introduction to Business

BUS 100 D02 Student Syllabus Thomas Nelson Community College Spring Semester 2011 Online Course

Professor Robertson

Page 1

Introduction to Business

201 1

Course Information

Course number: BUS 100 D01

Prerequisite: ENG 05 if required by individual students placement. (3 credits)

Location: On campus

Office: 114 Diggs

Phone: 757-865-1194, home757-825-3678, office

Office Hours: On campus: Monday: 10 12pm Wednesday from 1:003:00pm

E-mail address: robertsons@tncc.edu

Term: Spring 2011

Credit Hours: 3 hours

Textbook: Understanding Business 9th Ed.

Professor Robertson Page 2

Introduction to Business

201 1

Authors: Nickels, McHugh, McHugh

Professor: Mrs. Robertson is a Professor/Program Head in the Business Department at TNCC. PH.D - Community College Leadership from Walden University, pursuant. MBA-Specialization in Marketing Management, Regent University SHRM-Strategic Human Resources Management Specialization B.S. - Marketing, Florida Southern University A.A.S. - Management, Houston Community College Mrs. Robertson is currently completing a PH. D in Community College Leadership from Walden University, and she is a graduate of Regent University with a Master in Business Administration/Marketing Management and a Strategic Human Resource Management Specializations. She has extensive experience as a senior executive with several major companies in Marketing, Human Resource, and Training Development. Mrs. Robertson has taught at several local colleges within the Tidewater area. She also maintains consulting contacts in the Business Industry A Personal Note from Your Professor: I would like to take this opportunity to thank each of you for choosing this course of study. You are now one of the many students who have chosen the Introduction to Business course to learn business concepts and principles. Introduction to business will ease you into your curriculum studies and will give you a good base from which to begin your degree or certificate program. Diligence and focus in this class will have a significant payback in future semesters. I encourage everyone to start at a strong pace with this course and enjoy the journey. I know that the success of any class depends on the relationship between the instructor and his/her students. I look forward to helping you make good use of your time with me, learn new business concepts, and simply have fun!

Professor Robertson

Page 3

Introduction to Business

201 1

If at any time you have any questions, please post them under the discussion board link on Blackboard. If you have a personal matter, email me at: robertsons@tncc.edu

Course Description

Explores from a business worldview how a general manager can best select, train, motivate, evaluate, support, resolve conflicts and mentor those he/she manages. It test concepts developed in other courses by putting the student in real or stimulated management situations.

Course Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course the student should be able to: Develop creative ways of meeting employees needs, wants and desires through motivation. Interview job candidates using techniques to reveal the employees skills and abilities. Communicate interpersonally with employees to improve the understanding of the task at hand and build a better rapport with the employee. Gain the essential skills and knowledge needed to become a great manager or supervisor through delegating, communicating, hiring, conflict resolution, working with difficult people and much more! Competent to describe each component of the product life cycle and to justify its inclusion and sequential position in it. Competent to explain the ingredients of effective communication, both written and verbal. Learn the contents of a successful business environment And, design an effective Business Plan.
Course Procedures

To achieve the above critical competencies, the student will master materials presented through various lectures. Additional insight and learning will be achieved through the completion of discussion questions and reflection on the applicability to the outside world. Finally, competence in application of principles learned through the above two elements will be achieved through study of materials received by the instructor, rigorous
Professor Robertson Page 4

Introduction to Business
analysis of problems in management and presentation of management action recommendations.

201 1

Program interaction among students and the instructor occurs via threaded dialogue in the Blackboard Discussion board, and private email. The Instructor will post any needed documents for this course through the Blackboard Course Documents section, any needed announcements in the Blackboard Announcements section, and program guidelines and the schedule of assessments through the Blackboard Modules. Modules allow students more time to turn in some assignments. Modules group assignments into one shell. Students will demonstrate mastery of assigned course material and explore alternative interpretations through the course assessments that follow. Submit assessments according to the respective instructions to receive the best feedback from the professor. This course uses Blackboard structure the online collaborative learning environment. This requires students to interactively engage each other online through the Internet. Students journaling should follow the designated guidelines. 1. Post your responses by the due date. 2. Watch your tone (never criticize any students posting) when responding to postings. Reference the text-book as much as possible to support your arguments when responding to your classmates discussion questions.
Course Overview

Business planning is the process of creating a picture or model of what a business unit will be. The model is a document made up of words and numbers, designed to give a student an image of what the organization will look like. This course teaches how to prepare sections of a Business Plan for large and small companies. The business plan document serves two concrete purposes: 1. Its indispensable for getting help from others, especially financial backers, and 2. It provides a guide for running operations once the enterprise is started and on its way.
Course learning objectives

This course intends to equip the students with the concepts, methodologies and tools for management of the process of strategy implementation and review of the strategy itself, as it is deployed, in the light of the ongoing changes in market, technology and society.
Professor Robertson Page 5

Introduction to Business

201 1

The course is designed to help the student understand the function of the business professional and the many roles of the Business Manager.
Course Content:

The purpose of this course will be the use of the concept and the methodology of teamwork as a strategic control and learning system. Through an ensemble of business discussion questions and interactive group participation, the students will be imparted two types of skills :( 1) how to translate a business strategy into a theory of the business. (2), how to work within groups on varies assignments as the foundation of an integrated strategic management system that continuously validates the strategy as it is deployed, by using a double-loop learning process. In this course you will do a large amount of examination and introspection about what is happening in the business environment, especially the company in which you would like to work. The task is to research several companies in which you would like to work. Make sure you have the requirements needed. Is this a productive company and do you share the same vision? Finding a job is like finding a mate, it must be a perfect fit to work. The discussion questions will help with group interaction and teamwork. Those will be the primary source of your course grades, so that task is an important one. However, your personal growth in understanding what makes teams effective or ineffective will come largely from your analysis of what happened as your get a better understanding of group think. Pedagogy: The course proposes to use a rich pedagogy involving: journaling, planning, time management skills the components of the business world.
Impact on Students

The planning process galvanizes the management team into a cohesive unit with common goals. It helps everyone understand what the objectives of the organization are, why theyre important, and how they intend to achieve them.
Current Events/Articles Reports

Professor Robertson

Page 6

Introduction to Business

201 1

Current events (business articles) from the business world help to bring the course alive and make it more interesting. Each student will prepare 2 current events reports (business articles). Only one report can be submitted at a time. A list of suggested periodicals is listed below. However, you may use another source if it pertains to business. The Internet is another helpful sourceplease provide me with the website. References: List of Suggested Periodicals

Advertising Age Business Week Computer World The Economist Forbes Fortune Harvard Business Review Newsweek New Your Times (Business and Finance Section) Sales and Marketing Management Time USA Today Newspaper U. S. News and World Report Washington Post Newspaper Washington Times Newspaper Wall Street Journal Newspaper

Each report must be on a business-related topic (similar to the topics covered in your text and discussed on blackboard). Each report should be a good, quick summary of the main issue of the article in your own words. Reports must be no more than 2 paragraphs, double-spaced -use a standard font size 12 Times Roman. No periodical can be used more than once. For example, if you use any issue of Newsweek then you may not select another issue in Newsweek. Each report must include a complete bibliography, which will include the name of the article, the name of the source newspaper, magazine, or periodical, the date of the article and the page/s of the article, please follow APA guidelines. Each report will be graded on relevancy to the class, how informative it is and neatness, spelling and grammar.

Professor Robertson

Page 7

Introduction to Business

201 1

Students will be responsible for two postings for the semester. I have attached a schedule of dates that each student needs to report on. You must post your assignment on Blackboard on or before the due date. Note* you cannot make up this assignment, so please post your article on the due date.
Methods of Evaluation

On-line methods consist of collaborative discussions, current events/articles, and group activities. Methods of Evaluation may include, but are not limited to test papers. By now we all should be acquainted with some sort of evaluation. They come in various forms. They are audits at the end of our endeavors that measures the extent by which we have successfully achieved our goals/objectives. TIMELINESS OF ASSESSMENTS-Students must sign in weekly Dialogue: Student dialogue contributions submitted within the posted period for the respective forum will be considered for grading. The Instructor will not assess early or late interaction. Students will be assessed higher if they participate throughout the allotted time of a forum according to the current guidelines than if they engage in a less evenly distributed manner. The Instructor will interact with group dialogues by posting contributions weekly Students are encouraged to seek timely clarification of assessments from the instructor. (This is your responsibility). Believe it or not, the instructor will have no way of knowing that you are having a problem with a particular assignment unless you post to the instructor for clarification. A classmate should not take the place of the instructor since this is the first time the individual is being introduced to the information for the first time too. This includes submitting an assignment or commenting on a discussion question or other relevant communication for comment up to one week before the submission deadline. Note that this prerogative dissipates with time. Student submissions are due by the due date unless specifically specified otherwise. Each submission received after the due date will be considered late and will not be graded. Students should plan their time wisely before beginning each semester to complete each submission in a timely manner. The Instructor will provide students with completed assessments of their work within seven calendar days of the due date. Each written submission will be returned to the student with instructors feedback included on the document to offer clear improvement advice.
Term Paper

Professor Robertson

Page 8

Introduction to Business

201 1

You will have one time you can submit a draft for evaluation before the assignment is due for a grade. The professor will not evaluate any drafts three weeks prior to the date the assignment is due. Your task is to write about how the economy has affected America and what companies are doing to move forward during these crisis times. You can pick a company and write about what they have or plan to do to be successful in the year 2011. What strategies do they have in place for this year? Do a compare and contrast from previous yearsIn other words, what have they done to adapt to the economy constraints? Did they have to layoff people during the previous years? Do they see their company progressing in the year of 2011? What is ahead for todays companies? The report is open to any company who has been affected due to the economy. With your expert advice, explain how you would have handled the economic challenges this company has faced. If you support their tactical approach to solving this problem, please explain. I am looking for you to thoroughly research this organization. With the knowledge you have acquired from this class, support your argument with information from the chapter readings and secondary research data (research that is made available to you: Internet, library, etc.) Please use APA formatting. The paper is to be 10 pages in length. The references are not included in the 10 pages. The cover page, and abstract are not included in the 10 pages either. You will also be required to post a 10 slide Power Point Presentation so that your classmates can view your work. A link will be provided under module 4 for submittal of this assignment and a link is provided under discussion board on Blackboard to post your Power Point Presentation. Formatting instructions: Cover-page, Abstract (120 words or less), Introduction, and indentions between paragraphs. Cite your work within the body of the paper per APA guidelines, Running head is needed. Use APA guidelines. If you have any questions, please get clarity first before starting. Please start writing this paper during Module 1 to get a good grade and feel free to ask questions if you need my help getting started. You can call me at home, at my office, of during my office hours or email. Successful business people keep up with what is going on around them and to gain the competitive advantage over your competition, you must be aware of how they are coping during crisis times We can all learn from one another! You can work in groups on this assignment and I can set you up in groups on Blackboard for document sharing and chats regarding this assignment.

Course Grades

Professor Robertson

Page 9

Introduction to Business

201 1

Grades will be awarded according to each students mastery of the course content. Following is the standard for course grades for Thomas Nelson Community College.

Grading Scale:

Grading Scale: 8-point scale 92 -100

83 - 91 82 - 74 73 - 65

=A
=B =C =D

64 or below FAILING Assignment Weights - STUDENTS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EARN 100 POINTS:

Discussion questions 20 Tests 30 Term Paper- 40 Business Articles - 10 Total 100 You will see more points posted on Gradebook but I will average the pointsExample: I will average your grades by dividing the number of assignments by the total points received, then multiple by the number of points listed above for each assignment to get the max points of 100. You can always call me to get further clarity if you are confused by this posting. Note* I grade tough, looking for a strong and definite course of action and wellorganized, cogent support. Since this course is online, frequent participation on blackboard by well-prepared students is the key to its success. (READING YOUR CHAPTERS) Blackboard discussions is, after all, a way of giving and receiving, student honing student, and this cannot occur in a group of unprepared or reticent students.

Professor Robertson

Page 10

Introduction to Business

201 1

GET YOUR ASSIGNMENT IN ON TIME. Responsibility and maturity demand this; the business world will be totally intolerant of anything less! In addition, I teach five classes, and a grade weighting of a zero will be assessed, so turn in your papers by the due date. I will only accept late papers in emergency situations-you can work ahead in the class. The registrar demands my grades very shortly after the end of each semester, so you dont have to wait long before your final grade is posted on Nelson Online. I also post the final grades on Blackboard first and then wait 2-3 days before I post the grades on Nelson Online. If you have a paper outstanding by the end of the semester, it will go into the weight of zero. It is your responsibility to keep up with your grades. Please do not miss an assignment; it is your responsibility to contact me immediatelydepending on the nature of the problem if I will allow you to submit late work. You can work ahead in this course but I will not grade any assignment before the due date. Weekly tabs are provided to make this course easy to follow the assigned assignments for the semester. It is also your responsibility to get in touch with me in an emergency situation to see if you can turn in an assignment late, it will depend on the circumstanceI will not contact you! Assignments that are not turned in by the assigned date will not be accepted unless the student and instructor have made prior arrangements.

Course Assessment Methods

While completing Introduction to Business, students are expected to demonstrate measurable outcomes of course objectives by: Individual

Completing each Module Assignments: submitting assignments, posting on Blackboard. Completing a Term Paper on a theory cover in one of the chapter readings. Completing Business Articles Final Exam will include all chapters, multiple choice answers and a total of 100 questions on the exam. All tests are random selected from the test bank so you will never get the same set of questions twice.

Study Group
Professor Robertson Page 11

Introduction to Business

201 1

Responding and posting to discussion questions

Policy Statement: TNCC Policies

TNCC policies are provided in the current course catalog and the course schedules. They are also available on the TNCC website: www.tncc.edu. This class is governed by the college published policies. The following policies are of particular interest:

Academic Conduct- the College is committed to high standards of academic honesty. Students will be held responsible for violations of these standards. Cheating on exam(s), submitting work of other students as your own, or plagiarism in any form may result in a grade reduction for the course, and/or a recommendation for possible dismissal from the college. Drops and Withdrawals Please be aware that, should you choose to drop or withdraw from this course, the date on which you notify the college of your decision will determine the amount of tuition refund you receive. You will get an F for the course if you do not drop the course by the due date. I have posted a schedule on the last page of this syllabus. Please contact me first before dropping the course. Sometimes discussion your situation with the instructor can provide solutions that will help you remain in the course. Attendance- TNCC Policy states that missing 20% of a course is grounds for an instructor to drop the student from the class roll. Since this is an online course. A link under each module is posted so you can sign-in weekly. Repeating a Course- As of summer, 1990, students are normally limited to two enrollments in the same course. If a student needs to enroll for a third time (and final) time, they must submit a written petition to the dean of instruction for this approval. Disabled Student- Students needing disability related classroom accommodations should register for support services (in room 201, Griffin Hall). If you have a disability that requires accommodations for the instructor to adhere to, please provide written documentation from a counselor in order for those provisions to be made. Without documentation, the instructor will not honor your request. Note* any information you provide to the instructor will be confidential. Illness - Students should remain at home if they have symptoms of a contagious disease that may endanger the health of others at Thomas Nelson Community
Page 12

Professor Robertson

Introduction to Business

201 1

College. Please contact your instructor by phone or email if you suspect you have contracted a contagious disease that causes you to miss more than a day of class. When you are ready to return to class, submit a doctors statement or medical clearance that authorizes your return. While away from class, you will be expected to maintain progress in all course requirements. Although this does not apply to online students, it is required that I include in my syllabus.

Course Policies

All papers in accordance with guidelines found in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, latest edition and the Webster APA guidelinesyou can find this information on the website by doing a search: APA guidelines.

Mark Your Calendar

Meeting deadlines has always been an important part of your life and is also critically important for this course. It is an integral part of the business world. Late assignments and late papers will receive a grade reduction. Meeting the specified deadlines for course assignments and requirements is the one area over which you have total responsibility and control. Your punctuality and deadline performance will be reflected in academic reward system for this course. Note* an entire assignment can be rejected at anytime past the due date. Please get permission from the instructor immediately if your assignment will be late. Your work week begins on a Monday and ends on a Sunday at 11:59PM. You can work ahead, but I will not grade an assignment before the due date. Assignments can be challenging to a person that is new to the business world, so please get clarity on any assignment that you have questionsyour grade depends on it. Incomplete Grades

Professor Robertson

Page 13

Introduction to Business

201 1

An incomplete grade (I) may be given for legitimate deficiencies due to illness, emergencies or reasons acceptable to the professor and not because of neglect on the students part. The instructor will set the time limit for this agreement. The course is designed using modules. Each module consists of 4 weeks with an exam at the end of that module. Modules allow the student to submit some assignments by the end of that module. Note* weekly discussions are mandatory. Below are the dates when assignments are due. Please adhere to this schedule. I have Post your business article each student has two times throughout the semester to post a business article, a schedule is provided for you. Always follow what is posted on Blackboard for clarity since I do make changes to the course to better meet the needs of my current studentsThe syllabus is a prototype (model) for us to go by, it can be altered to accommodate the request of its current customers which is you the student.

Module 1 January 10 16

Weeks Week 1

January 17 23

Week 2

January 24 -30

Week 3

January 31February 6

Week 4

Assignment Read chapter 1 Post your business article Work on your end of the term project. Discussion Questions Read chapter 2 Post your business article Work on your end of the term project. Discussion Questions Read chapter 3 Post your business article Work on your end of the term project. Discussion Questions Read chapter 4 Work on your end of the term project. You can submit a draft for my evaluation. Submit sections for evaluation Take test 1, a link is provided below.

Due Date/s January 16

January 23

January 30

February 6

Professor Robertson

Page 14

Introduction to Business
Weeks 14 will be covered during this module. Module 2 February 7 13 Week 5 You can submit any assignment including the test anytime during the module. The assignment will be graded when due, not before.

201 1

Expect 7 days after the due date to receive your grades for the assignments. February 13

February 14 20

Week 6

February 21 27

Week 7

February 28 March 6

Week 8

Weeks 58 will be covered during this module. Module 3

Spring Break (No Classes College Open) March 7 13

Read chapter 5 Post your business article Work on your end of the term project. Discussion Questions Read chapter 6 Post your business article Work on your end of the term project. Discussion Questions Read chapter 7 Post your business article Work on your end of the term project. Discussion Questions Read chapter 8 Work on your end of the term project. You can submit a draft for my evaluation. Submit sections for evaluation Take test 2, a link is provided below. You can submit any assignment including the test anytime during the module. The assignment will be graded when due, not before.

February 20

February 27

March 6

Expect 7 days after the due date to receive your grades for the assignments. March 13

No assignments due for this week but you can work ahead. Read chapter 9 Post your business article

March 14 20

Week 9

March 20
Page 15

Professor Robertson

Introduction to Business
Work on your end of the term project. Discussion Questions Read chapter 10 Post your business article Work on your end of the term project. Discussion Questions Read chapter 11 Post your business article Work on your end of the term project. Discussion Questions Read chapter 12 Work on your end of the term project. You can submit a draft for my evaluation. Submit sections for evaluation Take test 3 a link is provided for you You can submit an assignment anytime during the module. The assignment will be graded when due, not before.

201 1

March 21 27

Week 10

March 27

March 28 April 3

Week 11

April 3

April 4- 10

Week 12

April 10

Weeks 912 will be covered during this module. Module 4 April 11 -17 Week 13

Expect 7 days after the due date to receive your grades for the assignments. April 17

April 18 - 24

Week 14

April 25- May Week 15 1

Read chapter 13 Post your business article Work on your end of the term project. Discussion Questions Read chapter 15 Post your business article Work on your end of the term project. Discussion Questions End of the semester assignments due: Term Project Final Exam

Nov 24

May 1

Professor Robertson

Page 16

Introduction to Business

201 1

May 2-4 This may vary depending on how fast I can average grades Spring Calendar Spring 2011

Week 16

The semester is overgrades will be posted on Blackboard for two daysthen, I will send to the registrars office. An email will be sent to each student giving you 24 hours to make sure you have submitted all required work for the module.

Enjoy your holiday.

Spring 2011 - General Dates Priority Registration Advising Week Open Registration Begins Winter Break College Reopens Faculty Days (College Open) Senior Citizen Act Registration Martin Luther King Holiday (College Closed) Spring Break (No Classes - College Open) Faculty Days (College Open) Commencement October 25 - 31, 2010 October 25 - 28 November 1 December 24, 2010 - January 2, 2011 January 3, 2011 January 3 - 7 January 7 January 16 - 17 March 7 - 13 May 10 - 13 May 14

16-Week Session (January 8 - May 9) [Includes Exams]

Professor Robertson

Page 17

Introduction to Business
Classes Begin Last Day to Add/Change Classes Last Day to Drop for a Refund Last Day to Drop with a Grade of "W" Classes End Exams Grades Due (By Noon) January 8 January 18 January 24 March 24 May 2 May 3 - 9 May 11

201 1

8-Week 1 Session (January 8 - March 11) [Includes Exams] Classes Begin Last Day to Add/Change Classes Last Day to Drop for a Refund Last Day to Drop with a Grade of "W" Classes End Exams Grades Due (By Noon) January 8 January 12 January 18 February 8 March 1 March 2 - 4 March 7

8-Week 2 Session (March 12 - May 7) [Includes Exams] Classes Begin Last Day to Add/Change Classes Last Day to Drop for a Refund Last Day to Drop with a Grade of "W" Classes End Professor Robertson March 14 March 18 March 22 April 18 May 4 Page 18

Introduction to Business

201 1

Exams Grades Due (By Noon)

May 5 - 7 May 11

5-Week 1 Session (January 8 - February 18) [Includes Exams] Classes Begin Last Day to Add/Change Classes Last Day to Drop for a Refund Last Day to Drop with a Grade of "W" Classes End Exams Grades Due (By Noon) January 8 January 10 January 13 January 28 February 10 February 11 February 21

5-Week 2 Session (February 12 - March 25) [Includes Exams] Classes Begin Last Day to Add/Change Classes Last Day to Drop for a Refund Last Day to Drop with a Grade of "W" Classes End Exams Grades Due (By Noon) February 12 February 14 February 17 March 14 March 24 March 25 March 28

5-Week 3 Session (March 26 - April 29) [Includes Exams] Classes Begin Professor Robertson March 26 Page 19

Introduction to Business

201 1

Last Day to Add/Change Classes Last Day to Drop for a Refund Last Day to Drop with a Grade of "W" Classes End Exams Grades Due (By Noon)

March 28 March 31 April 15 April 28 April 29 May 2

Professor Robertson

Page 20