Mayville State University

January `0, 2014

BUSN 334 Business Communication
3 credits Course Syllabus Spring 2014 [Online]
instructor Rhonda Nelson
email rhonda.nelson@mayvillestate.edu
office 701.788.5208 Old Main 202D
MayvilleStateUniversity,DivisionofBusiness&ComputerInformationSystems,
330ThirdStreetNE,Mayville,ND58257
office hours
Im in the office daily, unless I have class, a meeting or another commitment.
The best way to contact me is either with an email or a message using Blackboard IM.
Course Description
Business Communication is a course designed to cover the full array of business communications
including internal and external forms in written, oral, non-verbal options. This course should immediately
improve communication skills and while building more confidence and poise when communicating with
others. Pre-requisites: CIS 112, CIS 118, ENGL 120, COMM 110.
Purpose of the Course
Business communication in any form is critical to your professional and personal life. The ability to
communicate with different people in a variety of forms is something your future employer is expecting
you will come to the job knowing. This course will allow you to enhance the communication skills you
have and develop the skills you may lack or not be as proficient with. The course will give you the basics,
you in turn will take what you have learned and put it to use immediately. The hands-on work will build
from one topic and assignment to the next, while some projects will span the majority of the semester.
Student Learning Outcomes
The entire Academic Program Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) document can be found in your Moodle
course shell. The document has an index so you can quickly find the degree you are pursuing. This course
contributes to the SLOs in the Business Administration B.S. or B.A.S. degrees.
SLO #2 Students will demonstrate successful individual and collaborative communication skills.
SLO #4 Students will demonstrate proficiency with technology appropriate for the contemporary
business environment.
Course Objectives
During and after the appropriate guidance and practice, the student will be able to:
Identify current trends and practices in business communications including communicating with
technology
Demonstrate growth and development in communicating in business or personal settings
Identify and recognize factors which affect positive and meaningful communication
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Describe techniques for increasing reading and listening efficiency
Identify and discuss factors of verbal and nonverbal communication and the roles they play in
business communication
Write internal/external correspondence which is professional and depicts the principles and
characteristics of effective writing
Compose effective messages (verbal, nonverbal, written and spoken) of good news, bad news,
and persuasion
Demonstrate proper parliamentary procedure and business meeting etiquette
Collaborate in a small group to research, compile, prepare, and present formal/informal
documents and presentations
Develop a writing portfolio within the webpage which depicts semester long samples of his/her
writing and resources
Incorporate the correct usage of vocabulary, spelling, grammar, and punctuation
Information Technology Objectives
During and after the appropriate guidance and practice, the student will be able to:
Demonstrate the effective and efficient management of electronic communication
Demonstrate the efficient management of a webpage to create a resource of business
communication information including articles, website links, notes, assignments, etc.
Required Materials
Computer Specifics requirements for all online courses can be found here
Computer, reliable internet connection
Web browser Internet Explorer or Firefox (Firefox recommended for Moodle)
Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint
Adobe Flash Player, Adobe Reader, Java
Program for listening/viewing audio/video files
Textbook Communicating at Work
StrategiesforSuccessinBusiness&theProfessions
Ronald B. Adler/Jeanne Elmhorst/Kristen Lucas
McGraw Hill
11th Edition, 2013
ISBN : 978-0-07-803680-4

IfyouchoosetopurchaseyourtextbooksfromaplaceotherthantheMSU
Bookstore,youmustensureyoureceivethemintimetostayonschedulewithassignment
deadlines.Exceptionstodeadlineswillnotbemadetoaccommodateissueswhichmayarisedueto
yourlackofatextbook.
Instructional Strategies
The format for class may include:
Articles, information, audio, or video links to share information/topics presented
Discussion forums
Written assignments, papers or reports; group and individual work
Exams and/or quizzes
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Learning Experiences
Expectations for students to gain the most experience and learning from class:
Complete all readings or listen/view all information each week
Complete all posted assignments in Moodle by the deadline
Expectations, Protocols & Information
Announcements
Regular announcements will be made using Moodle, this information may include reminders on
assignments, deadlines or general information relevant to the course.
Announcements are sent to the email address listed in your Moodle Profile.
o It is recommended to use your @mayvillestate.edu email address
Assignments / Projects
Completion and timely submission of all assignments and projects is expected.
Assignments should all be submitted to the corresponding Moodle dropbox or by other
designated submission requirements noted in the assignment information.
o Assignments which are emailed (unless specifically requested) will be considered late,
and be subject to a late penalty (see below)
o Late work may be accepted in accordance with the late penalty (see below)
Attendance
Regular and active participation is essential and an important aspect of any online class. It is critical for
you read/view/listen all lecture information, assigned readings, assignment materials and discussion
board posts each week.
Log in early during the week, so you are aware of the weeks content & deadlines
The expectation would be for students to log in and participate in class a minimum of three times
every seven days
Blackboard IM
Blackboard IM is instant message program I use to communicate with students. This
program also provides for collaborations, group chats and more.
This messaging system is linked directly to your Moodle courses
I will be logged into Blackboard IM throughout the day while on campus and may be logged in
during the evenings and/or weekends
o I may also host virtual office hours using Blackboard IM
Download via the link in the left column on the Moodle page
Discussion Forums
Weekly discussion forums will be presented to provide students with the opportunity to interact and
discuss case studies, videos and/or relevant news.
The forums are graded and the discussion board grading rubric is posted in Course Resources in Moodle.
Initial posts by each student should be made by 11:55pm CST on Wednesday. Two follow-up posts to two
separate students should be made by 11:55pm CST on Saturday.
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Discussion forums will close after the Saturday night deadline and will be reopened once they are graded.
Late discussion posts will not be graded.
Students are advised to follow proper Netiquette when posting to discussion forums.
DropGuard
DropGuard is Mayville States Early Warning System the faculty and staff use to report feedback on any
students academic performance, attendance, etc.
This information keeps the faculty and staff in touch with students who potentially may be
experiencing some difficulty with coursework
The program may also be used to provide positive feedback to students and kept in their
academic file
If you receive a DropGuard notification (will be sent to your @mayvillestate.edu email from
Stephanie F. Bowlin), please read it immediately it will contain important information for you
Email
Email is my preferred method of contact for students in online courses.
o I may not respond to other email address accounts
Contact me with your @mayvillestate.edu email address; be sure to include the course name in
the subject line.
You are responsible to check your @mayvillestate.edu on a regular basis it may be used for
communications by me or others from campus.
My turnaround time to respond to emails will typically be 24 hours or less.
o If you do not hear from me within 24 hours, contact me again
o My down time is Friday 4pm Monday 8am CST responses may not be made during
this timeframe
Here is a quick reference on sending emails 18 Etiquette Tips for E-mailing Your Professor
Feedback / Turn-Around Time
My intent is to grade assignments on a weekly basis.
Occasionally and for larger assignments, grading may take longer, I will notify you of the progress and
expected completion.
If the feedback from me is minimal, take this as a positive sign. Any issues you may be having will
have longer and more detailed comments for you.
Grades
Students earn grades based on participation and completion of discussion boards, assignments,
exams/quizzes, and/or projects.
o Moodle is the collection point for grades, it will be updated on a regular basis
o All grades are double checked and an evaluation by the instructor will be made to
determine the final course grades
o Official grades are transferred from Moodle to Connect ND at the end of each semester
As grades are completed and entered into Moodle, students will typically receive an email
indicating this
o You should check your grade and feedback information; since errors can occur, if you
have a question about your grade, please contact me immediately
Grading Scale : A 92-100% B 83-91% C 74-82% D 65-73% F below 65%
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Help Desk/Moodle Office (Moodle Issues)
Contact (1.800.437.4104) the MSU Help Desk (ext. 34739) or MSU Moodle Office (ext. 34645)
immediately if Moodle appears to be malfunctioning.
These offices will notify faculty if there is a genuine problem with Moodle
o As a notice the MSU website and Moodle website are exclusive and just because one is
down, does not mean the other one is
o Be sure you bookmark each site separately to allow for quick and easy access
Late Penalty
Late work (assignments, projects, etc.) may be accepted, up to 4 days after deadline at a 10% penalty per
day off after the assignment/project grade is given
Any work submitted after 4 days will receive a zero (0) grade
Discussion board posts completed late will not be graded, thus receive a zero (0) grade
Quizzes & exams are designed to test your knowledge at a specific time, there are no options for
late submissions
Library
The Byrnes-Quanbeck Library on the Mayville State campus has a wide variety of resources available for
use, including several online. The website is accessible here.
Books Overdrive & EBSCO eBook Collection
A to Z list of E-Journals and E-Books
Multimedia Resources
Online Reference Sources
Video How-Tos
Moodle
The chosen Learning Management System at Mayville State University is Moodle. It is where you log into
view your course information, including syllabi, assignments, and more.
Regular and frequent access to Moodle is necessary
Grades, announcements, assignments, and more are posted in Moodle
Assistance in using Moodle can be found on the getting started page
Moodle functions best while using a Mozilla Firefox Internet browser (download here)
Bookmark the Moodle website for future and regular use
Netiquette
Basic rules of netiquette should be taken when posting to discussion boards and all other written and oral
communication with faculty and peers.
Here are two quick references on netiquette Top Five Rules of Netiquette in an Online Course
and The Top Five Rules of Netiquette
Sources: Scholarly vs. Popular
When conducting research for assignments, discussion boards, exams/quizzes and projects, it is expected
students will use reputable sources. The intent is not to use what is available. The intent is for you to be
cautious by not basing you research strictly on sites and sources which can be easily changed or may not
have verified information.
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Sources which are not seen as acceptable include (this is list is not necessarily complete and
limited to only these sites) : Wikipedia, About, Dummies, eHow, Wikihow
o Watch this video to check your knowledge of scholarly vs. popular resources
I use many popular sources and will reference or provide these to you as resources. While not everything
is scholarly in nature, I would not use these as references for a paper or assignment. The intent is to use
them resources which can assist you in finding more information about a topic.
The bottom line Always cite your sources when doing research for assignments, projects, etc. Be
cautious about using only sources which are from magazines, newspapers, or blogs as your only research.
Technology Notes
Students are responsible for backing up their work since technology failures can happen at any time.
If something should happen to your computer, it is expected you have a contingency plan in
mind, dont assume an exception will be made for you
Suggestion: sign up for DropBox, SkyDrive, or GoogleDrive (or another cloud option) and save
your documents to this location, rather than on your hard drive or a USB drive
Weekly Schedule
While each week for this course will have a similar layout, expectations and deadlines; there may be
changes or deviations. Any changes to the customary will be noted in announcements, assignment
guidelines, and/or other means.
Each week will have a similar schedule:
Start : Monday morning new content for the week will be opened (if it is not opened by noon,
please contact me) in most cases new content will be open earlier
End : Sunday noon CST
o Discussion Boards
Everyone should submit an initial post by 11:55pm CST on Wednesday
Two follow-up posts to two separate classmates by 11:55pm CST on Saturday
Follow-up to your own posts throughout the week and answer any questions or
provide more information as needed
See discussion board rubric for more information on grading specifics
o Assignments/Projects/Exams
Due by Sunday at noon CST in Moodle dropbox or by other designated
submission requirements noted
Due dates could also vary, be sure to read the assignment completely
See assignment rubric for more information on grading specifics
Writing Center
This course has a considerable amount of writing for assignments. Here is information on the MSU
Writing Center which may be able to assist you.
The Writing Center works with writers at all skill levels during any stage of the writing process.
We offer one-on-one sessions focused on brainstorming, clarifying ideas, developing drafts,
revising, editing, and documentation.
o Hours : 10 am 4pm & 6 8 pm Monday through Thursday; 10am 12pm Fridays;
closed holidays
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o Schedule an appointment by signing up in the scheduler in the office; call 701-788-5240;
or e-mail or view more information here
All appointments are free to MSU students, staff, and faculty.
Evaluation / Grading
Grading is on a weighted scale. The category percentages (weights) will not be adjusted. The point values
within each category vary.
20% Discussion Boards & Chapter Assignments
20% Communication Activities & Quizzes / Exams
30% Nonverbal Communication Project
30% Webpage Project
100% Total Points subject to adjustment throughout the semester

Grading Scale : A 92-100% B 83-91% C 74-82% D 65-73% F below 65%
Timeline /Schedule
The course schedule will cover approximately one chapter or topic each week. Information on all
assignments and exams will be posted on Moodle in advance of the deadlines and due dates.
Announcements will also be made during the semester via Moodle.
Here is a plan for the semester which is also subject to change. Content and details on the weeks events
will be opened on Monday mornings.
chapter week dates content textbook chapter
1 Jan 13 Welcome, Communicating at Work
2 Jan 20 Communication, Culture & Work
3 Jan 27 Listening
4 Feb 3/Feb 10 Verbal & Nonverbal Messages
Apdx I I I Feb 17/Feb 24 Business Writing
5 Mar 3 Interpersonal Strategies & Skills
6 Mar 10 Principles of Interviewing
* Mar 17 * Spring Break *
7 Mar 24 Leading & Working in Teams
8 Mar 31 Effective Meetings
9 Apr 7 Developing & Organizing the Presentation
10/11 Apr 14/Apr 21 Verbal & Visual Support in Presentations and Delivering Presentations
12 Apr 28 Types of Business Presentations
May 5 Webpage Project submission; Wrap up last week
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Enrollment Verification
The U.S. Department of Education requires instructors of online courses to provide an activity which will
validate student enrollment in this course. The only way to verify that a student has been in this course is
if he or she takes an action in Moodle, such as completing an assignment or taking a quiz. Logging into
Moodle is NOT considered attending.
Please see my enrollment verification activity and complete it by the date indicated.
If it is not complete your enrollment in this course will be at risk.
Important Student Information
Important student information can be found on the Moodle page for this course under the Important
Student Information link in the Moodle course shell. Take time to review these policies. You are
responsible for knowing and following to all of them.
English Proficiency and Other Academic
Concerns
Students with Disabilities
Academic Honesty
Emergency Notification
Continuity of Academic Instruction for a
Pandemic or Emergency
Family Educational Rights and Privileges
Act of 1974 (FERPA)

References / Bibliography
Alder, Ronald B., Jeanne Elmhorst, and Kristen Lucas, Communicating at Work (New York: McGraw Hill,
2013)
Kemmer, Terry, Business Communication Course Syllabus, Mayville State University, Fall 2011 and
Spring 2012
Stenehjem, Dr. Keith, MaSU Syllabus Template, Mayville State University, July 2013, email dated July 9,
2013