Syllabus for
GBUS 504 – Communications in Contemporary Business
3 Credit Hours
Summer Modular
(May 24-May 28, 2010)
I.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Designed to expose the graduate student to all areas of business communications necessary for
the contemporary professional. Focuses on written communication, public speaking, mediation,
group facilitation, assessment techniques, and consulting. Addresses communication in the
boardroom, staff meeting, or consultation arenas.
Prerequisite: Permission of Graduate Business
II.
COURSE GOALS
This course strives to help the student understand and develop the communication skills common
in various professional settings. The student will explore several communication techniques
designed for information gathering and problem-solving. The student will develop skills in
public speaking as well as meeting facilitation.
III.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR THIS COURSE
As a result of successfully completing this course, the student will be able to do the following:
IV.
A.
Demonstrate written, group, and public communication competencies expected for
professionals in the communication field.
B.
Employ the research and presentational skills necessary for a variety of public speaking
situations.
C.
Facilitate and participate effectively in formal and informal meetings utilizing various
consulting techniques.
D.
Prepare and manage agendas according to the Bell Curve Agenda strategy.
TEXTBOOKS
There are no required textbooks for this class
V.
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
A.
University Policies and Procedures
1.
Attendance at each class or laboratory is mandatory at Oral Roberts University.
Excessive absences can reduce a student’s grade or deny credit for the course.
2.
Students taking a late exam because of an unauthorized absence are charged a
late exam fee.
3.
Students and faculty at Oral Roberts University must adhere to all laws
addressing the ethical use of others’ materials, whether it is in the form of print,
video, multimedia, or computer software. Plagiarism and other forms of cheating
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4.
5.
B.
involve both lying and stealing and are violations of ORU’s Honor Code: “I will
not cheat or plagiarize; I will do my own academic work and will not
inappropriately collaborate with other students on assignments.” Plagiarism is
usually defined as copying someone else’s ideas, words, or sentence structure
and submitting them as one’s own. Other forms of academic dishonesty include
(but are not limited to) the following:
a.
Submitting another’s work as one’s own or colluding with someone else
and submitting that work as though it were his or hers;
b.
Failing to meet group assignment or project requirements while claiming
to have done so;
c.
Failing to cite sources used in a paper;
d.
Creating results for experiments, observations, interviews, or projects
that were not done;
e.
Receiving or giving unauthorized help on assignments.
By submitting an assignment in any form, the student gives permission for the
assignment to be checked for plagiarism, either by submitting the work for
electronic verification or by other means. Penalties for any of the above
infractions may result in disciplinary action including failing the assignment or
failing the course or expulsion from the University, as determined by department
and University guidelines.
Final exams cannot be given before their scheduled times. Students need to
check the final exam schedule before planning return flights or other events at the
end of the semester.
Students are to be in compliance with University, school, and departmental
policies regarding Whole Person Assessment requirements. Students should
consult the Whole Person Assessment handbooks for requirements regarding
general education and the students’ majors.
a.
The penalty for not submitting electronically or for incorrectly
submitting an Whole Person Assessment artifact is a zero for that
assignment.
b.
By submitting an assignment, the student gives permission for the
assignment to be assessed electronically.
Course Policies and Procedures
1.
Evaluation Procedures
Course assignment and grading
% of Class Grade
a.
Pre Assignment – Research, resume, & cover letter
10%
b.
Midterm and Final Exams
40%
c.
Power Point Presentation
30%
d.
Post Assignment – Group Meeting Facilitation
20%
2.
Whole Person Assessment Requirements: None
3.
Late Work—The student is responsible for obtaining class assignments and
material covered during an absence. All work must be completed as scheduled.
An absence is not an excuse for turning in late work or for being unprepared with
assignments for the class following the absence. If late work is accepted, a
substantial penalty will be assessed.
4.
Literacy—The School of Business does not accept for credit any written
assignment that contains more than an average of three grammatical and/or
typographical errors per page.
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© Copyright Oral Roberts University 2010. All rights reserved.
5.
I.
Other Information
Dr. Angela Lee
Office Hours:
E-Mail: [email protected]
Meeting Time: 8:00 – 12:00 M - F
GC3112, May 24-28, 2010
COURSE CALENDAR
Date
Session
May 24
VII.
TBA
1
Class
Introduction
Written Communication:
Resume & Cover letter
Discuss Journal Articles on
Topics Related to Course
Assignment
Review Pre Assignment
Assign Speeches
May 25
2
Group Communication:
Consulting Techniques:
Nominal Group Technique
Quick Kill Problem
Solving
May 26
3
Bell Curve Agenda
Meeting Facilitation
Brainstorming
Assign Post Assignment on
Meeting Facilitation
Midterm Exam
May 27
4
Mediation & Conflict
Resolution
Collect Final Draft of Resume and
Cover Letter
May 28
5
Public Communication:
Technology in Public
Speaking
Summarize Class
Speeches
Final Exam
PRE-ASSIGNMENT
A.
Read from various periodicals (actual business or communication journals or reputable
periodicals such as the Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Newsweek, etc.) that have
been written from 1999 to the present. Read at least one article on each of the following
subjects: 1) effective meetings; 2) technology in public speaking; 3) conflict
resolution/mediation; 4) meeting facilitation; and 5) consulting. After reading at least
one article on the subjects listed above, prepare a list of 5 or more bullet points (nuggets
of information) on each article to share with the class. Prepare a typed handout
containing: 1) all bibliographic information on each of the 5 articles, 2) 5 bullet point
nuggets for each of the 5 articles, 3) and 2 personal recommendations per article based on
each of the articles you read. Be sure to make at least 15 copies of your final typed
handout (no longer than 2 pages in length) to share with other class members. Be
prepared to talk about your research – DUE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FIRST
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© Copyright Oral Roberts University 2010. All rights reserved.
B.
C.
D.
DAY OF CLASS.
Bring a rough draft of your current or future resume and cover letter (application letter).
Use Internet research to determine the format and content of your resume and cover letter
– DUE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS.
For the Power Point speech (to be given on the last day of class), choose and completely
read one of the following books to largely incorporate into the Power Point speech:
1. “Authentic Leadership, Rediscovering the Secrets to Creating Lasting Value”; Bill
George; ©2003; Jossey-Bass; 227 pages. ISBN# 978-0787975289
2. “Execution, The Discipline of Getting Things Done”; Larry Bossidy and Ram
Charan; ©2002; Crown Business; 286 pages. ISBN# 978-0609610572
3. “Future Think, How to Think Clearly in a Time of Change”; Edie Weiner and Arnold
Brown; ©2006; Pearson Education; 304 pages. ISBN# 978-0131856745
4. “Great Boss, Dead Boss”. Ray Immelman; 2006. 9 ISBN# 78-0974036915
5. “How Great Leaders Get Great Results”; John Baldoni; ©2006; McGraw-Hill; 264
pages. ISBN# 978-0071464871
6. “Leading Change, Overcoming the Ideology of comfort and the Tyranny of
Customs”; James O’Toole; ©1995; Jessey-Bass; 300 pages. ISBN# 978-0345402547
7. “Leading Leaders, How to Manage Smart, Talented, Rich and Powerful People”;
Jeswald W. Salacuse; ©2006; AMACOM; 218 pages. ISBN# 978-0814408551
8. “Maslow on Management”; Abraham H. Maslow with Deborah C. Stephens and
Gary Heil; ©1998; John Wiley & Sons, Inc; 228 pages. ISBN# 978-0471247807
9. “Peter Drucker—Shaping the Managerial Mind, How the World’s Foremost
Management Thinker Crafted the Essentials of Business Success”; John E. Flaherty;
©1999; Jossey-Bass Publishers; 420 pages. ISBN# 978-0787960667
10. “Social Intelligence, The New Science of Success”; Karl Albrecht; ©2006; JosseyBass; 303 pages. ISBN# 978-0470444344
11. “The Essential Drucker, In One Volume the Best of Sixty Years of Peter Drucker’s
Essential Writings on Management”; Peter Drucker; ©2001; HarperCollings; 368
pages. ISBN# 978-0061345012
12. “The World According to Peter Drucker”; Jack Beatty; ©1998; The Free Press; 256
pages. ISBN# 978-0767903028
13. “The 8th Habit, From Effectiveness to Greatness”; Stephen R. Covey; ©2004;
Franklincovey; 425 pages. ISBN# 978-0762428533
14. “The EVA Challenge, Implementing Value-Added Change in an Organization”; Joel
M. Stern and John S. Shiley; ©2001; John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; 240 pages. ISBN#
978-0471478898
15. “Tales From the Top, Ten Crucial Questions from the Worlds’s #1 Executive Coach”;
Graham Alexander; ©2005; Graham Alexander; 228 pages. ISBN# 978-0785288481
16. “The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave, How to Recognize the Subtle Signs and
Act Before It’s Too Late”; Legith Branham with the cooperation of Saratoga
Institute™; ©2005; AMACOM; 251 pages. ISBN# 978-0814408513
Remember that any preliminary work accomplished before the class week begins will
decrease workload during the 5 days of classes. Start making notes as to how to
incorporate the book into the following speech outline:
Introduction:
___ attention-getter that establishes interest
___ credibility statement
___ central idea (thesis statement)
Body:
___ 3 or 4 main points
___ descriptive language
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___ connectives to transition between main points
___ 2 or more sources cited correctly
Conclusion:
___ central idea (thesis statement) restated in past tense
___ main points summarized
___ memorable clincher
VIII.
POST-ASSIGNMENT – Due on or before Monday June 7, 2010
A.
B.
C.
The post assignment will be explained fully during class. It will include writing
an agenda using the Bell Curve Agenda. The agenda will include a brainstorming
module, a problem-solving module, and an information module.
The post assignment will be graded based on the agenda, the actual live
facilitation, the minutes, and the reaction paper.
E mail written assignments using Microsoft Word as an attachment to the Dr. Angela
Lee: [email protected]. In the subject line, indicate the assignment title and your name if email address does not identify you. On all assignments use Times New Roman, 12-point
font size, left justification, and one-inch margins on all sides.
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© Copyright Oral Roberts University 2010. All rights reserved.
Course Inventory for ORU’s Student Learning Outcomes
Communications in Contemporary Business GBUS 504
Summer 2010
This course contributes to the ORU student learning outcomes as indicated below:
Significant Contribution – Addresses the outcome directly and includes targeted assessment.
Moderate Contribution – Address the outcome directly or indirectly and includes some assessment.
Minimal Contribution – Address the outcome indirectly and includes little or no assessment.
No Contribution – Does not address the outcome.
The student Learning glossary at http://ir.oru.edu/doc/glossary.pdf defines each outcome and each of the
proficiencies/capacities.
OUTCOMES and Proficiencies/Capacities
1
1A
1B
1C
1D
2
2A
2B
2C
2D
2E
2F
3
3A
3B
3C
4
4A
4B
4C
4D
4E
Outcome #1 – SPIRITUALLY ALIVE
Proficiencies/Capacities
Biblical knowledge
Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit
Evangelistic capability
Ethical behavior
Outcome #2 – INTELLECTUALLY ALERT
Proficiencies/Capacities
Critical thinking
Analytical problem solving
Global and historical perspectives
Aesthetic appreciation
Intellectual creativity
Information literacy
Significant
Contribution
Moderate
Contribution
Minimal
Contribution
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Outcome #3 – PHYSICALLY DISCIPLINED
Proficiencies/Capacities
Healthy lifestyle
Physically active lifestyle
Properly balanced nutrition plan
Outcome #4 –SOCIALLY ADEPT
Proficiencies/Capacities
Communication skills
Interpersonal skills
Appreciation of cultural and linguistic differences
Responsible citizenship
Leadership capacity
No
Contribution
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Last revision: 4/30/2010
x
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© Copyright Oral Roberts University 2010. All rights reserved.