BUSINESS 051 ONLINE

BUSINESS 051 - ONLINE

INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS

Jim Henderson, Instructor

Spring 2012, Section 15934

Office Hours: TTh: 7AM-8AM and 12:30PM-1PM, room J in the Business Building

Phone: 408-741-4609

DESCRIPTION:

This introductory course, which is equivalent to BUS 10 at San Jose State and articulates with UC Berkeley and Riverside, will help the student develop an overall personal concept of the functions of business and its role in society. This course covers the functions, objectives, ethics, and environment of business and will enable the student to grasp the importance and functioning of our market economy. This includes a study of sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations, insurance, personnel management, labor relations, investments, accounting, business research, business law, international trade, and business/government relations. This course is recommended for both transfer and non-transfer students, regardless of major.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: The student will describe introductory business concepts, and apply this understanding to researching and analyzing a contemporary business issue. The student will also evaluate the constantly changing environment of business opportunities and threats.

This course uses an online application called Angel. Please follow the instructions on the "Welcome" page to log in to Angel.

MATERIALS REQUIRED:

Text: Pearson Custom Business Resources, Business 51, Introduction to Business (available only in West Valley College Bookstore)

An e-mail account and internet access

PROCESS:

The course has been divided into 15 lessons. Each lesson relates to a chapter in the text. (We are skipping chapter 13).There are 15 chapters to complete in 16 weeks so we will be covering about 1 chapter per week which means there will be homework due each week, a discussion board assignment due each week, and a quiz to complete each week as well. Pay attention to the course calendar for assignment due dates. Prior to reading each chapter, please review "Jim's Views" for that particular lesson. Here, you will get my views as to the importance of the chapter and what to watch for. After reading the chapter for the first time, review "Amplifications". Here, I will try to put some "real life" perspective on some of the issues discussed in the text based on my 34 years experience in business and working for large corporations (4 with Kraft Foods and 30 with IBM). In addition, please review the Power Point presentation available for each chapter and the self-paced learning Power Points to help re-enforce the learning objectives in the textbook.

When you have completed reading a chapter, please open the “Questions” section of the weekly lesson. Here you will find a short case scenario based on the content in the chapter and 5 questions that you are expected to answer. Submit your answers by midnight on the date shown on the course calendar. There are 15 case scenarios for you to analyze throughout the course and each assignment has a value of 5 points.

ALL HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE SUBMITTED USING THE COURSE E-MAIL TOOL

Also, at the conclusion of each chapter, you should complete the quiz that is under lessons at the quiz icon. Each quiz will consist of 5 short-answer questions. Please do not use e-mail to submit your quizzes. I have included the dates these quizzes are due on the course calendar. Each quiz will be worth 20 points. The quizzes will be available to take at 8AM on 01/30/12 and will close at midnight on the day noted on the course calendar. You will be given 60 minutes to take the quiz. The clock starts ticking when you open the quiz.

There are 2 exams scheduled. The first will cover chapters 1-7 and the second will cover chapters 8-12 and 14-16. The exams will be located on the web site under the lessons tab. The exams will consist of 100 multiple-choice questions. The exam must be submitted to me by midnight on the date noted on the course calendar. Failure to take the exam during this time period will cause 0 points to be earned. Each exam is worth 200 points so each question carries a value of 2 points. Please contact me if you have any problems with this. You will be given 3 hours to complete the exam. The clock starts ticking when you open the exam.

RESEARCH PAPER: A 10-page research paper is required from each student. The student will be required to research a contemporary, controversial business issue, present the history of the issue, address the legal, ethical, political, and economic ramifications of the issue from all sides and recommend a solution based on sound rationale. This assignment is related to student learning outcome for the course which is “Describe introductory business concepts, and apply this understanding to researching and analyzing a contemporary business issue.”

Students will define the topic they wish to research and submit it to the instructor for approval by 02/24/12. Examples of contemporary, controversial topics are: American business outsourcing work to foreign countries, the Microsoft/Yahoo saga, other mergers and buyouts, what is happening with the price of gasoline and why, the lack of minority and female officers in American corporations, oil companies "price gouging" after Hurricane Katrina, the HP spying scandal, BP's handling of the oil spill in The Gulf of Mexico, the potential impact of Arizona's new law addressing illegal immigration, politics impact on business, corporate bailouts, what is happening with the American auto industry, etc. Each student will participate in online discussions addressing project, status, and research.

The following criteria will be considered by the instructor in determining the grade to be awarded for this assignment:

A. Student developed the research topic and submitted it for approval on time.

B. The student submitted a comprehensive outline for approval on time.

C. The student used and cited a wide variety of sources (including on-line).

D. The student explained key terms and concepts.

E. The student turned in a listing of all sources reviewed but not used including the rationale as to why they weren’t used.

F. The student participated in on-line discussions using appropriate practices (netiquette).

G. The student used appropriate documentation style (MLA) to cite sources.

H. The student used appropriate documentation style.

The 1-page outline is due 03/23/12.

This research paper is to be submitted as an attachment to an email from within Angel to the instructor and should in 12 point font, with 1" margins (sides, top, and bottom), and double-spaced. It is due 04/27/12 and has a value of 150 points.

DISCUSSION BOARD ASSIGNMENT :

The instructor will post a critical thinking comment or question on the discussion board for each lesson. Students are invited to respond by either answering the question, expanding on the comment or question, or reacting (constructively) to the comments or responses of other students. There are 5 points to be earned for each of the 15 lessons for a total of 75 for the course. The grade each student earns (0-5 points) for each lesson will be determined by the thoughtfulness, uniqueness, relevance, and tone of their participation. The instructor reserves the right to make comments of his own.

GRADING POLICY:

2 Exams @ 200 points	400 points
15 quizzes @ 20 points	300 points
15 lesson question assignments @ 5 points	75 points
Research paper	150 points
Discussion board assignments	75 points
Total	1000 points

90% required for "A"

80% required for "B"

70% required for "C"

60% required for "D"

Credit (at least 70%)/ No-credit option available if requested by student.

50% point reduction for late work.

DROPPING THE COURSE:

IT IS THE STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO DROP THIS COURSE. I DROP NO ONE. ANY STUDENT WHOSE NAME APPEARS ON THE OFFICIAL ROSTER AT THE END OF THE SEMESTER WILL RECEIVE A GRADE. THE LAST DAY TO DROP WITH A "W" IS 4/27/12.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The instructor may make changes to the syllabus during the semester. It is the student’s responsibility to stay informed of these changes. Students may contact the instructor during office hours and before/after class, time permitting. Students may also wish to have a study partner whom they can contact if they miss class.

West Valley College makes reasonable accommodations for persons with documented disabilities. College materials will be available in alternate formats (Braille, audio, electronic format, or large print) upon request. Please contact the Disability and Educational Support Program at (408) 741-2010 (voice) or (408) 741-2658 (TTY) for assistance.

If you have a complaint or someone has shared information with you as a student or employee that is unlawful discrimination or sexual harassment, contact the Associate Vice Chancellor of Human Resources at West Valley-Mission Community College District, Human Resources Department, (408-741-2060). If the Associate Vice Chancellor of Human Resources is not available, contact the President of the college in which you attend or are employed. For West Valley College, contact the office of Dr. Lori Gaskin at 408-741-2097.

Updated 01/18/12