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BCOM3360-005: Effective Business Communication Spring 2021 Asynchronous

Instructor Information Instructor Dr. Kevin Carr Office Number COBA 618 Office Telephone Number Marketing Department Office: 817-272-2876. Email Address [email protected] Faculty Profile https://mentis.uta.edu/explore/profile/kevin-carr Office Hours I’m available by appointment. Contact me at [email protected] to schedule an appointment.

Course Information Section Information BCOM 3360-005 (please indicate your section number in all communication with me, including emails). Time and Place of Class Meetings This is an asynchronous class. There will be no regularly scheduled class meetings. However, I will offer optional, regular “check-in” sessions via Microsoft Teams. Please follow announcements in Canvas for further details. Description of Course Content Principles and practice of effective communication with business organizations. Students will be introduced to theories of persuasion, argumentation and advocacy. Techniques to achieve group compromise and conflict resolution are also emphasized. A business professionalism lab is required. The grade for this course requires the completion of both the lecture component and the professionalism lab. Student Learning Outcomes After completing this course, you should be able to: 1. Implement the appropriate business communication strategy based upon the business communication problem presented. 2. Apply and understand the general guidelines for effective business communication in letters, emails, presentations, reports and other forms of business communication. 3. Create effective resumes, cover letters, and other business-related communication documents. 4. Examine the process of problem solving and conflict management through the negotiation process and by practical application. 5. Develop a higher level of confidence when communicating routine, positive, and negative messages. 6. Understand the process of developing and planning business communications through practical application. 1

Required Textbooks and Other Course Materials  Textbook: Business Communication: Developing Leaders for a Networked World, 4th Edition by Peter Cardon. You can purchase the textbook through Canvas under the “McGraw Hill Connect” Tab or at the UTA bookstore. 

Canvas: Canvas is the virtual online classroom for UTA students. You will find important announcements, materials, and assignments on this site. It is important that you log in and check Canvas course site daily.

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Computer/Laptop: You will need a computer/laptop. You will need video and audio recording capability for this course. If you do not own a laptop, you can borrow one from the UTA library (https://library.uta.edu/borrowing).

Technology Requirements You will be required to have access to and be comfortable using Canvas and Microsoft products (Excel, PowerPoint, Word and Teams) in this class. I will not accept written assignments on Pages or any other word processing app. A computer/laptop with webcam and audio recording capability will be will be required in this class. Other Requirements- BCOM Lab You are required to take BCOM Lab along with this course. Your grade for this course is tied into the required BCOM 3360 Lab. What does that mean? If you receive a grade less than 70% in the Lab, you will receive a 15-point deduction in your final grade for this lecture class. For this reason, I strongly suggest you regularly attend and participate in your BCOM Lab and complete all Lab assignments.

Grading Information Grading A Excellent 90-100% B Good 80-89.9% C Satisfactory70-79.9% D Passing 60-69.9% F Failing 59% and below. Descriptions of major assignments and examinations: The grading system adopted for this course is based on key content areas, including the students’ demonstration of their understanding of the theory behind the course, and its practical application through written communication, oral communication, and professional development as measured by the following assignments and assessments that will total 100% of your final grade: I. II. III. IV.

Exams (x3): Projects (x3) Case Studies, Role Plays and Discussions Reading assignments (LS)

30% 50% 10% 10%

I. Exams: There will be four in-class exams (three individual module exams and one final cumulative exam) given throughout the semester. The cumulative final exam will be optional. If you choose to take all four exams, including the final exam, only your three highest exam scores will be counted towards your total exam average. If you choose to take the final exam, for example, but you score lower on the final exam than any of your other exams, then your final exam score will not be counted towards your total exam average. The exams will consist of multiple choice and true-false questions but may also have some fill in the blank, matching and/or short answer questions. You will be tested for each module as shown below. 2

More detailed information about each module can be found in the Course Schedule at the bottom of the syllabus. Exam/Module 1 Employment Communication, Verbal and Interpersonal Communication

Chapters 1-4, 16

Exam/Module 2 Professional Written Communication and Revision

Chapters 5-9

Exam/Module 3 Reports, Proposals, and Presentations

Chapters 10-15

Final Exam

Optional, Cumulative

Chapters 1-16

II. Projects: Students will be required to complete three projects as part of this course. Below, you’ll find a brief description of each assignment.  Project #1: Employment Communication You will submit a resume, cover letter, and elevator pitch for a specific job that meets your qualifications in your chosen professional field.  Project #2 Written Communication/Revision You will revise and reformat an external sales letter.  Project #3: Oral Presentation You will record a short, internal persuasive oral presentation that must include a PowerPoint component. III.

Case Studies, Discussions, and Role Play Assignments There will be short case studies and interactive “role play” assignments in Canvas that you will have to complete as part of this course. These assignments are designed to apply the course concepts in a practical way.

IV.

Smart Book (SB) Reading Assignments Please see the course schedule for specific reading assignments which you will be required to complete. Each reading assignment has a series of questions that you will be required to answer.

Make-up Exams If you miss an exam, you will receive a zero for that exam. No make-up exams. No exceptions. However, if you miss a test or would like to boost your average test score, you may take the optional final exam (which is cumulative) and this will replace your lowest exam grade. Expectations for Out-of-Class Study A general rule of thumb is this: for every credit hour earned, a student should expect to spend 3 hours per week working outside of class. Hence, a 3-credit course might have a minimum expectation of 9 hours of reading, study, etc. Active participation is critical for an optimum learning experience in this course. Before coming to class, you are expected to know the subject and content of scheduled material in order to participate in class discussions/activities. Preparation for class includes a thorough reading of the scheduled material and completing assignments and being prepared to participate in class discussion.

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Institution Information UTA students are encouraged to review the below institutional policies and informational sections and reach out to the specific office with any questions. To view this institutional information, please visit the Institutional Information page (https://resources.uta.edu/provost/course-related-info/institutionalpolicies.php) which includes the following policies among others:  Drop Policy  Disability Accommodations  Title IX Policy  Academic Integrity  Student Feedback Survey  Final Exam Schedule

Additional Information Policy on Late Assignments: All assignments must be submitted at the beginning of each class on the assigned due dates unless otherwise specified. Assignments may be turned in early, when necessary. No case studies/homework assignments/in class assignments will be accepted late. Late “Project” assignments will be accepted and will receive a full letter-grade deduction. If you know that you are going to have to miss a class, you are strongly encouraged to submit the assignment before your absence. However, some assignments cannot be made up. For example, there is no way for you to make up missed in-class, attendance/participation grades as a result of an absence. Also, if you are absent on the day of your scheduled group presentation, you may receive a zero for that assignment. Email Communication I will make every effort to respond to your emails within 24-48 hours. As this is a communication course, I expect that all email communication that you send will be professional, courteous, and respectful in tone or I will not respond. Practice appropriate professional communication skills and use an appropriate and respectful tone in your email communication. Review Chapter 7 in the textbook if you need further assistance or advice in this area. Proofread your spelling and grammar mistakes, or I may ask you to resubmit the email to me. Also, PLEASE include your section number in all email communication related to this class. Keys to success in this course:  At the beginning of the semester, identify your biggest areas for communication growth.  Set specific individual goals for yourself and make progress towards those specific goals.  Have a growth mindset.  Always turn your work in on time.  Plan to spend at least 9 hours a week on assignments and group work (3 hours per credit hour on average).  If you are not sure of something, ask. Take advantage of office hours or set up an appointment with me. Screenshot recommendation: In the past, several students have had problems with their assignments not synching up or saving correctly into Canvas. For this reason, I highly recommend you take a screenshot showing confirmation of all of your McGraw-Hill assignments submissions in case there is an issue with the Canvas system's record of your assessment(s). You should make a habit of doing a quick screenshot when you have these confirmation pages and saving it into a folder on your desktop. Most likely you will not need to show these screenshots and can delete the folder at the end of the semester, but it's very easy to take a screenshot and save it for later. Why take screenshots? If you email me later on to say your paper/exam/homework/attendance/discussion or Connect assignment was submitted on time but it is not showing up in the gradebook on Canvas, you MUST provide documentation to show you submitted it on 4

time with any appropriate grade given (e.g. a screenshot of your Canvas page showing your full name and that it was submitted with the date and time visible). Without this documentation, your grade for the missed assessment will be a zero and you will have no opportunity to resubmit the assessment. No exceptions. I reserve the right not to accept screenshots if they appear to have been doctored/photoshopped. Attendance At The University of Texas at Arlington, taking attendance is not required but attendance is a critical indicator of student success. Each faculty member is free to develop his or her own methods of evaluating students’ academic performance, which includes establishing course-specific policies on attendance. As the instructor of this section, I will not take attendance for this course. However, attendance and participation in online Team sessions is strongly recommended. However, while UT Arlington does not require instructors to take attendance in their courses, the U.S. Department of Education requires that the University have a mechanism in place to mark when Federal Student Aid recipients “begin attendance in a course.” UT Arlington instructors will report when students begin attendance in a course as part of the final grading process. Specifically, when assigning a student a grade of F, faculty report must the last date a student attended their class based on evidence such as a test, participation in a class project or presentation, or an engagement online via Canvas. This date is reported to the Department of Education for federal financial aid recipients. Academic Resources UT Arlington provides a variety of resources and programs designed to help students develop academic skills, deal with personal situations, and better understand concepts and information related to their courses. Resources include tutoring by appointment, drop-in tutoring, etutoring, supplemental instruction, mentoring (time management, study skills, etc.), success coaching, TRIO Student Support Services, and student success workshops. For additional information, please email [email protected], or view the Maverick Resources website. The IDEAS Center (https://www.uta.edu/ideas/) (2nd Floor of Central Library) offers FREE tutoring and mentoring to all students with a focus on transfer students, sophomores, veterans and others undergoing a transition to UT Arlington. Students can drop in or check the schedule of available peer tutors at www.uta.edu/IDEAS, or call (817) 272-6593. The English Writing Center (411LIBR) The Writing Center offers FREE tutoring in 15-, 30-, 45-, and 60-minute face-to-face and online sessions to all UTA students on any phase of their UTA coursework. Register and make appointments online at the Writing Center (https://uta.mywconline.com). Classroom visits, workshops, and specialized services for graduate students and faculty are also available. Please see Writing Center: OWL for detailed information on all our programs and services. The Library’s 2nd floor Academic Plaza (http://library.uta.edu/academic-plaza) offers students a central hub of support services, including IDEAS Center, University Advising Services, Transfer UTA and various college/school advising hours. Services are available during the library’s hours of operation. Librarian to Contact Each academic unit has access to Librarians by Academic Subject that can assist students with research projects, tutorials on plagiarism and citation references as well as support with databases and course reserves

Library Information Research or General Library Help Ask for Help  Academic Plaza Consultation Services (library.uta.edu/academic-plaza)  Ask Us (ask.uta.edu/) 5

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Research Coaches (http://libguides.uta.edu/researchcoach)

Library Resources  Library Tutorials (library.uta.edu/how-to)  Subject and Course Research Guides (libguides.uta.edu)  Librarians by Subject (library.uta.edu/subject-librarians)  A to Z List of Library Databases (libguides.uta.edu/az.php)  Course Reserves (https://uta.summon.serialssolutions.com/#!/course_reserves)  Study Room Reservations (openroom.uta.edu/)

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Course Schedule As the instructor for this course, I reserve the right to adjust this schedule in any way that serves the educational needs of the students enrolled in this course. All assignments are due by 11:59pm on the date indicated below. *SB= SmartBook Reading Assignment in Canvas/Connect

DATE

CHAPTER

TOPIC

Jan 24

Chapter 1

Course Intro and Credibility

Jan 31 Chapter 16

Employment Communication

Chapters 2 Feb 7 and 3

Interpersonal and Team Communication

Feb 14 Chapter 4

Global Communication

Feb Chapters 5 21 and 6

Creating Business Messages and Business Message Style and Design

Feb 28 Chapter 7

Business Email

Mar 7 Chapter 8

Mar 14 Chapter 9

Mar 28 Chapter 10

Apr 4 Chapter 11 Apr Chapters 12 7

Social Media

Routine Messages SPRNG BREAK

Persuasive Messages

Bad News Messages Research, Business Proposals

J

DUE Chapter 1 SB * Chapter 1 Lecture Self- Evaluation Canvas Assignment Chapter 16 SB Chapter 16 Lectures Role Play #1 Elevator Pitch Assignment Chapter 2 SB Chapter 3 SB Chapter 2 and 3 Lectures Manager’s Hot Seat (Case Study) Discussion Post Chapter 4 SB Chapter 4 Lecture Role Play #2 and #3 EXAM #1 Chapter 5 SB Chapter 6 SB Chapter 5 and 6 Lectures PROJECT #1 Chapter 7 SB Chapter 7 Lecture Email Canvas Assignment Chapter 8 SB Chapter 8 Lecture Discussion Canvas Assignment Chapter 9 SB Chapter 9 Lecture PROJECT #2 EXAM #2 Chapter 10 SB Chapter 10 Lecture Revision and Parallelism Assignment Chapter 11 SB Chapter 11 Lecture Role Play #4 and #5 Chapter 12 SB

11 and 13 Apr 18 Chapter 14

Planning Presentations

Apr 25 Chapter 15

Delivering Presentations

May 2 Exam #3 May 9

8

and Reports

Final Exam

Final Lecture

Chapter 13 SB Chapter 12 and 13 Lectures Chapter 14 SB Chapter 14 Lecture Planning Canvas Assignment Chapter 15 SB Chapter 15 Lecture Presentation Case Study PROJECT #3 Final Lecture Final Self-Evaluation EXAM #3 FINAL EXAM (OPTIONAL)...