MGT 303 01E: Business Communication - Texas A&M University-Commerce

MGT 303—01E: Business Communication Texas A&M University-Commerce Fall 2019 Course Syllabus Instructor: Classroom: Meeting: E-Mail: Office: Office Number: Office Hours: Tom S. Brown, Distinguished Lecturer BA 346 Tuesday/Thursday 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM Thomas.Brown@tamuc.edu McDowell Administration Bldg. 337A (903) 886-5701 Please leave a clear message when leaving a voice mail. Mon-Thurs 10am-1pm, scheduled as needed (or email anytime). COURSE OVERVIEW AND OBJECTIVES: A study of the fundamentals of business writing and speaking, both formal and informal, on a variety of media. Imbedded in this course is the study of life-long skills related to interpersonal communication, personal branding and intercultural business communication. COURSE OBJECTIVES: This course is designed to develop the following professional skills: Students will understand how business professionals communicate through formal and informal communication networks as well as in groups. Students will improve the ability to express themselves in writing, including a review of grammar, mechanics and basic writing skills, differentiating between positive, negative, neutral and persuasive messages. Students will begin to develop skills related to personal branding including social media, resume writing, interviewing, personal selling and persuasive writing/presentation. Students will understand the ethical goals of business communication and tools for communicating ethically in business. REQUIRED TEXT AND LICENSES: Thill & Bovee, Excellence in Business Communication,13th Edition. This is the newest edition of this book. PitchVantage cloud-based software (I will send you the live link prior to first class day.) Perfect Interview (I will send you the live link the week of that assignment.) COURSE FORMAT: This course is live, meeting on Tuesdays and Thursdays in BA 346 from 11-12:15pm. You will find most of the material and information we cover posted on D2L as the semester progresses. The course does require access to additional web tools, listed above, and requires a great deal of independent work. SYLLABUS SUBJECT TO CHANGE STATEMENT: 1 The syllabus/schedule are subject to change.

I anticipate that we will follow the schedule I've outlined in this syllabus, but may make adjustments based on what actually happens in class. I may also change the basis for the course grade (if I need to add or eliminate an assignment or something of that nature). If I do so, I will inform you in writing. STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC INTEGRITY Academic honesty is the foundation of the university community. Cheating, plagiarism, or other acts of academic dishonesty compromise the integrity of the academic process and community and are subject to disciplinary action. For this class, plagiarism will result in automatic failure (final course grade of F) and will likely also result in additional administrative penalties. Every semester, someone always tries me out on this rule. Don’t risk it. It isn’t worth it. For University guidelines regarding these requirements, see 13.99.99.R0.03 andardsStatements/rulesProcedur aduateAcademicDishonesty.pdf Student Conduct A&M-Commerce will comply in the classroom, and in online courses, with all federal and state laws prohibiting discrimination and related retaliation on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, genetic information or veteran status. Further, an environment free from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression will be maintained. Texas Senate Bill - 11 (Government Code 411.2031, et al.) authorizes the carrying of a concealed handgun in Texas A&M University-Commerce buildings only by persons who have been issued and are in possession of a Texas License to Carry a Handgun. Qualified law enforcement officers or those who are otherwise authorized to carry a concealed handgun in the State of Texas are also permitted to do so. Pursuant to Penal Code (PC) 46.035 and A&M-Commerce Rule 34.06.02.R1, license holders may not carry a concealed handgun in restricted locations. For a list of locations, please refer to andardsStatements/rulesProcedur es/34SafetyOfEmployeesAndStudents/34.06.02.R1.pdf) and/or consult your event organizer). Pursuant to PC 46.035, the open carrying of handguns is prohibited on all A&M-Commerce campuses. Report violations to the University Police Department at 903-886-5868 or 9-1-1. Students with Disabilities The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact: Office of Student Disability Resources and Services-Gee Library (903) 886-5150 or (903) 886-5835; Fax (903) 468-8148, email at StudentDisabilityServices@tamuc.edu COURSE POLICIES AND INSTRUCTOR EXPECTATIONS: Students are required to meet the expectations listed below. 2 The syllabus/schedule are subject to change.

o Professional Behavior: It is important that you maintain a professional demeanor at all times, including during “electronic communication”. This is especially so in a Business Communications class! Texas A&M - Commerce expects this from you, as do current and future employers. o Assignments: 1. Submitted assignments must be correctly formatted and free of grammatical and stylistic errors. Students in MGT 303 should have at least some skill with software for word processing, spreadsheets, databases, graphics, and presentations, and with web browsers and search engines. Spelling and grammatical errors will detract from your grade! 2. Assignments must be turned in on time. Assignments are due at the date listed. Start working on each assignment as soon as you can and make sure that you have the all assignments submitted by the specified due dates. You MUST turn in all written assignments ON TIME. I will accept late assignments. However, there will be a significant penalty. For each day that your assignment is late, I will deduct 10 POINTS from your grade. If you do not meet the posted deadline (even by one or two minutes), I will deduct 10 points. If you do not turn the assignment in by that due time the next day, I will deduct an additional 10 points, and so on. Saturdays and Sundays count towards the total days late, and after 10 days you shouldn’t bother because it is a zero. I am constantly hearing harrowing stories of lost electricity, lost internet, web upload issues, file compatibility problems, and a host of personal issues that preclude making the deadline. Things happen, which why I suggest you start early, and is also why I allow for late work. But none of the reasons listed above, nor any others I have ever heard add to the time frame or due date of the assignment. 3. Assignments must be complete. You must complete and submit all components at the specified due date and time to receive credit for the assignment. Work that is only “half-finished” gets a “half grade”. 4. Regular and timely attendance and participation: Because the exam content comes partially from the material we cover in class, and because attendance and participation are graded, you need to be in class. Failure to attend will result in failure or administrative drop from the class. It is the responsibility of each student to keep up with the scheduled readings, discussions, and assignments/exams. 5. E-mail: Routinely check your Texas A&M-Commerce email account. This is my primary mechanism for communicating outside of the class. Additionally, I check my e-mail several times a day, so this is the best way to reach me. I strive to respond to any email within 24 hours (even if it just to acknowledge receipt of the email while I continue to work on the request).Most are within a much tighter response time. o Make-up Exams or Late Assignments will only be accepted without point reduction if you obtain university-approved documentation for your excuse. There are no make-up assignments for poor performance on a previous assignment. o Changes to Schedule: While I plan to stick to the class schedule, there might be occasions to modify the schedule. In these cases, all changes will be announced in class and e-mail. It is your responsibility to become aware of any such changes. GRADE COMPONENTS: 3 The syllabus/schedule are subject to change.

Component Type Value Two Exams, including final Individual 40% Strengthsfinder Assignment Individual 5% Social Media Assignment Individual 5% Perfect Interview Assignment Individual 5% Elevator Pitch Assignment Individual 5% Cover Letter & Resume Assignment Individual 10% DUH Assignments Individual 15% Persuasive PPT/Video Assignment Individual 5% Attendance and Participation Individual 10% Course Total 100% GRADING SCALE: A B C 90 – 100% 80 – 89% 70-79% D F 60-69% Below 60% Incomplete - Must be previously agreed upon by student and instructor. Withdrawal - Must be initiated by the student administratively. 4 The syllabus/schedule are subject to change.

WEEK & DATE (Tuesday/Thursday) CHAPTER Reading & Exams 2. August 29 Course Introduction; Syllabus Review; Course Schedule and Rules of the Road. Chapter 1 Chapter 1: Professional Communication 3. September 3 Chapter 2: Interpersonal Communication Skills 4. September 5 Chapter 2: Interpersonal Communication Skills 5. September 10 Chapter 3: Collaboration & Business Etiquette 6. September 12 Chapter 3: Collaboration & Business Etiquette 7. September 17 Chapter 15: Building Careers and Writing Resumes 8. September 19 Chapter 15: Building Careers and Writing Resumes 9. September 24 Chapter 16: Applying and Interviewing 10. September 26 Chapter 16: Applying and Interviewing 11. October 1 Chapter 14: Developing & Delivering Presentations 12. October 3 Chapter 14: Developing & Delivering Presentations 13. October 8 Chapter 7: Completing Business Messages 14. October 10 Chapter 7: Completing Business Messages 15. October 15 EXAM, Chapters 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, 15, 16 16. October 17 Chapter 4: Communication Challenges 17. October 22 Chapter 4: Communication Challenges 18. October 24 Chapter 5: Planning Business Messages 19. October 29 Chapter 5: Planning Business Messages 20. October 31 Chapter 6: Writing Business Messages 21. November 5 Chapter 6: Writing Business Messages 22. November 7 Chapter 8: Crafting Messages for Digital Channels 23. November 12 Chapter 8: Crafting Messages for Digital Channels 24. November 14 Chapter 9: Writing Routine and Positive Messages 25. November 19 Chapter 9: Writing Routine and Positive Messages 26. November 21 Chapter 10: Writing Negative Messages 27. November 26 Chapter 10: Writing Negative Messages 28. November 28 THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY! 29. December 3 Chapter 11: Writing Persuasive Messages 30. December 5 Chapter 11: Writing Persuasive Messages 31. December 7-13 EXAM, Chapters 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 1. August 27 5 Notes Strengthsfinder Task Social Media Task Elevator Speech Task Perfect Interview Task MID- TERM EXAM Resume Task Cover Letter Task Persuasive Presentation Task DUH Task FINAL EXAM The syllabus/schedule are subject to change.

18. October 24 Chapter 5: Planning Business Messages Resume Task 19. October 29 Chapter 5: Planning Business Messages 20. October 31 Chapter 6: Writing Business Messages 21. November 5 Chapter 6: Writing Business Messages Cover Letter Task 22. November 7 Chapter 8: Crafting Messages for Digital Channels 23.