MGT 321-002– Effective Business Writing
Fall 2016
1:00-2:15 Room WRB 3046
Instructor: Mary Groves
Office: 401M
E-mail: [email protected]
Office Hours:
Phone: 682-9157
TR 2:30-3:30
and by appointment
Required Materials:
Newman, Amy: Business Communication, 9th edition
Course Section key for Cengage
https://login.cengagebrain.com/course/MTPP27VP9V87
Advantage Books: Harbrace Essentials Grammar Book (optional)
Course website: business.unr.edu/faculty/mgroves
Academic Success Services: Your student fees cover usage of the University Writing
Center (784-6030 or www.unr.edu/writing_center). These centers support your classroom
learning; it is your responsibility to take advantage of their services. Keep in mind that
seeking help outside of class is the sign of a responsible and successful student.
FIND A PARTNER TO KEEP YOU INFORMED OF ANY CHANGES TO THE
COURSE OUTLINE.
Name: _______________________ Contact:______________
Learning Objectives:
 Students will effectively communicate information, concepts and ideas in writing.

Student will be able to prepare and deliver a professional speech on a business issue.

Students will utilize technology to produce a professional business document &/or
presentation demonstrating proficient use of spreadsheet, word processor, and
presentation graphics.
Course Objective:
In today’s business world, especially with the increase in globalization and technologymediated communication, business professionals must now, more than ever before, be
able to write clearly and concisely. Thus, this course has been designed to give you a
greater appreciation of, and real-world practice with, the many forms of business
communication: letters, memos, e-mails, cases, reports, proposals, presentations, etc.
Through practical application of the concepts in the textbook, critically analyzing your
writings, and class discussions, you will be able to communicate with other employees,
clients, and an almost unlimited number of individuals.
Course Format:
Readings: You are expected to read the assigned chapter(s) as indicated in the course
outline that follows. Discussions in class will be centered on these readings. It is critical
that you READ and THINK ABOUT the assigned material PRIOR to class. To be
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successful in this class, it is necessary for you to attend class regularly, participate in
class discussions, and be informed of assignments and their due dates.
Exams: Two exams will be given on the dates indicated in the course outline. The
exams will be based on all material discussed in class, assigned chapters from the
textbook, and other presented materials. The exams will consist of some or all of the
following: multiple-choice, true-false, matching, and essay questions. Since the exam
dates are known to you, I strongly recommend that you plan accordingly and not miss
any. The final exam will be given only during the final week class schedule set by the
University.
Homework:
 Each week you will have one or more homework assignments that will be graded
using the CLASS rubric. A copy of this rubric is available on the course website. All
homework assignments must be written using formal business English and are due at
the beginning of class. If you are not present when homework is collected, it will not
be accepted.
 As this is a business communications course, all homework must be professional and
polished. In other words, you will need to get in the habit of reading and revising and
revising and revising your writing to ensure you have written appropriately for your
audience and addressed all assignment parameters.
 To receive credit for homework assignments each must be:
o Formatted correctly for business communication;
o Revised at least once before it is turned in with at least one revision
attached;
o Stapled with the final professional document on top followed by revisions.
o Typed in 12-pt Times New Roman font.

No late homework will be accepted and no homework will be accepted via e-mail
to instructor.
Presentation: Every student will make one formal business presentation. Using the
Internet or the library, secure the most recent annual report for a company that lost
money, i.e., no income for the year (a net loss). Assume the role of the company’s CEO,
prepare a seven to ten minute presentation designed for a breakfast meeting of the New
York Investment Council, a group made up of institutional investors and large private
investors. Your purpose is to persuade the audience that your organization is still a good
investment. Assume that the audience is somewhat familiar with your annual report. On
the day of your presentation, you must turn in a paper copy of your PowerPoint
slides and the annual report to receive credit for your presentation.
In-class, R&R, or Pop Quizzes: Various in-class, revise and review exercises, and/or
pop quizzes will be given throughout the semester. Each assignment must be handed in
at the end of the class to receive credit; there is no make-up for missed in-class
assignments.
Cengage Website: Ten end of chapter quizzes and one homework assignment are on this
website. In addition, there are many other resources available to you, including the
textbook as an e-book, videos, and flashcards, to help you successfully complete the
course.
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Research Paper: A research paper will be assigned and the specific details will be
discussed in class.
Résumé and Cover Letter: Each student will prepare his/her own résumé and cover
letter aimed at a prospective employer. Your résumé and cover letter must be targeted
towards a professional job opening that you find and for which you are qualified. The
job advertisement must be turned in with your résumé and cover letter to receive
credit.
Participation: Points will be allotted as follows: 150 points for completion of your
Career Action Plan and attending the 2 workshops necessary to complete the plan-- 1
point for each evaluation of your peers’ presentations, and the remaining points for class
preparation i.e., ability to answer questions about lecture topics.
GRADING POLICY: Straight letter grades will be the general policy; however, the
instructor retains the prerogative to assign a “plus or minus grade” in certain exceptional
cases. Percentages: 100-90 =A, 89-80 = B, etc. Note: Points are not rounded to the
nearest whole. Your final grade will be determined as follows:
Exams ( 2 @ 150 points)
300
Oral Presentation
150
Research Paper
300
Résumé and Cover Letter
Cengage online quizzes: 10 end of chapter: 15 pts each:
See website for due dates
200
In-Class, R&R, and/or Pop Quizzes (10 points each)
Class participation
(Includes: Peer Evaluations,1 pt each; 150 pts Career
Action Plan workshop and Networking Event; and class
preparation)
100
Homework 48 points
336
150
200
Total Possible Points (Subject to change)
1736
**** NOTE: THE FOLLOWING COURSE OUTLINE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Statement on Disability Services: Any student with a disability needing academic
adjustments or accommodations is requested to speak with me or the Disability Resource
Center as soon as possible to arrange for appropriate accommodations.
Academic Dishonesty: Any form of cheating on group or individual assignments,
projects, or exams will result in an automatic grade of F for the course. Further
disciplinary action in consultation with the Chair of the Department may also be taken.
Academic dishonesty, as defined by the University of Nevada, Reno, is: cheating,
plagiarizing, or otherwise obtaining grades under false pretenses. Plagiarizing is defined
as submitting the language, ideas, thoughts, or work of another as one's own; or assisting
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in the act of plagiarism by allowing one's work to be used in this fashion. Cheating is
defined as (l) obtaining or providing unauthorized information during an examination
through verbal, visual or unauthorized use of books, notes, text and other materials; (2)
obtaining or providing information concerning all or part of an examination prior to that
examination; (3) taking an examination for another student, or arranging for another
person to take an exam in one's place; (4) altering or changing test answers after
submittal for grading, grades after grades have been awarded, or other academic records
once these are official.
Video Policy: Surreptitious or covert video-taping of class or unauthorized audio
recording of class is prohibited by law and by Board of Regents policy. This class may
be videotaped or audio recorded only with the written permission of the instructor. In
order to accommodate students with disabilities, some students may have been given
permission to record class lectures and discussions. Therefore, students should
understand that their comments during class may be recorded.
Electronic Policy: NO CELLPHONE USAGE IN CLASS.
COURSE OUTLINE – Effective Business Communication
DATE
IN-CLASS
IMPORTANT
DUE DATES
ASSIGNMENTS
Tue Aug 30
Introduction
Read Chapter 1
Th. Sept 1
Lecture Chp 1
Getting to Know You
Read Chapter 2
Tue Sept 6
Cont. Chp 1
and begin Chp 2
Career Action Plan:
Stallar Lufrano
Career Director
Th. Sept 8
Tue Sept 13
Lecture Chp 2 cont.
begin Chp 3
Th. Sept 15
Lecture Chp 3
Tue Sept 20
Lecture Chp 11
Th. Sept 22
Lecture Chp 11 cont.
Tue Sept 27
First Exam: Chapters
1, 2, 3, & 11
Th. Sept 29
Lecture Chp 4
Getting to Know You
HMWK: Chapter 2: #12
Bring Completed Career
Module Quiz
Read Chapter 3
HMWK: Chapter 2: #12
Read Chapter 11
HMWK Chapter 11: Find 2
videos on YouTube or Ted.
Memo format: Tell me what
you learned and will adopt.
Read Chapter 4
HMWK Chapter 11: Videos
HMWK Chapter 4: #10
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Tue Oct 4
Presentations
Th. Oct 6
Lecture Chp 5
Read Chapter 5
HMWK Chapter 4: #10
Lecture Chp 5 cont.
Read Chapter 6
Th. Oct 13
Lecture Chp 6
HMWK Chapter 6: #5
Read Chapter 12 and 7
Tue Oct 18
Lecture Chp 12
Resume and Cover letter
Th. Oct 20
Presentations
Tue Oct 25
Chp 12 continued
Tue. Oct 11
Th. Oct 27
Tue Nov 1
HMWK Chapter 6: #5
In-class Resume
review
2nd Exam:
Chapters
4, 5, 6, & 12
Th Nov 3
Lecture Chp 8
Tue Nov 8
Chapter 8 cont.
Th. Nov 10
Research Project and
Teams Assigned
Tue Nov 15
Lecture Chp 9
In-Class Assignment
Th. Nov 17
Lecture Chp 9 cont.
Tue Nov 22
Lecture Chp 10
Th. Nov 24
Happy
Tue Nov 29
Chp 10 cont. and
in-class questionnaire
review.
Th Dec 1
Presentations
Tue Dec 6
Presentations
Read Chapter 8
Resume and Cover letter
HMWK Chapter 8 Online
submission via Cengage
website.
Read Chapter 9
HMWK Chapter 8 Online
submission via Cengage
website.
Read Chapter 10
HMWK Chp 9: #15
Career Action Plan Due
Thanksgiving
No Class
HMWK Chp 9: #15
Questionnaire draft
Section I draft
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Th. Dec 8
Presentations
Tue Dec 13
Presentations
Tue Dec 20
Finals: Presentations
Research Project Due
5:00-7:00 p.m.
FIND A PARTNER TO KEEP YOU INFORMED OF ANY CHANGES TO THE
COURSE OUTLINE. Name: _______________________ Contact:______________
Cengage: MindTap Due Dates
Chapter 01 Quiz
Chapter 02 Quiz
Due Sun, Sep 4 at 11:00 PM
Available: Aug 29 at 7:00 AM
Available: Aug 29 at 7:00 AM
Chapter 03 Quiz
Due Sun, Sep 11 at 11:00 PM
Available: Sep 4 at 7:00 AM
Chapter 11 Quiz
Due Sun, Sep 18 at 11:00 PM
Available: Sep 11 at 7:00 AM
Chapter 04 Quiz
Due Sun, Sep 25 at 11:00 PM
Available: Sep 18 at 7:00 AM
Chapter 05 Quiz
Due Sun, Oct 2 at 11:00 PM
Available: Sep 25 at 7:00 AM
Chapter 06 Quiz
Due Sun, Oct 9 at 11:00 PM
Available: Oct 2 at 7:00 AM
Chapter 12 Quiz
Chapter 07 Quiz
Due Sun, Oct 16 at 11:00 PM
Available: Oct 9 at 7:00 AM
Available: Oct 9 at 7:00 AM
Chapter 08 Quiz
Due Sun, Oct 30 at 11:00 PM
Available: Oct 23 at 7:00 AM
Due Tue, Nov 15 at 11:00 PM Homework
Performance Evaluation: Homework
Available: Nov 3 at 7:00 AM
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