Business Fundamentals Essay

This course will provide the student with information about business operations and business vocabulary and it will help direct the thinking of each student to the field of business best suited for her/his interest and talent. Subject matter includes an analysis of the specialized fields within the business organization. The course covers concepts of business, management functions, organizational considerations, and decision-making processes. This course is beneficial to business majors and non-business majors. There is no prerequisite. (If you are trying to make a decision as to the course you should take next, Principles of Management is a good choice for business majors. ) PUBLISHER’S WEBSITE This book also has a website that is first rate! I encourage you to use all the materials that are available to you especially this website. The student site is located at: www. mhhe. com/ub9e PREREQUISITE Working knowledge of the use of computers, email and the internet. COURSE REQUIREMENTS 1) Complete the orientation quiz and Biz game for 5 extra credit points added to the avg of your exam scores for each!. 2) Read the text book chapters. 3) Complete the stock project and the Biz Game. 4) Students are highly encouraged to keep up and on schedule. Homework or extra credit projects may be graded for extra credit or as a sign of effort (at the discretion of instructor). Each extra credit assignment is worth 5 points on an exam. 5) Students are required to get the help they need in a timely fashion (do not wait till the end of the semester). If for some reason, your messages are not returned in a timely manner, it is up to you to follow up and get help. Make sure you include your name, section number and the name of your class in all communications. Sometimes my schedule is hectic so don’t waste time waiting, contact again if you don’t get the help you need. READING It is important to read the chapters. Also, all the test questions come from the textbook. EXAMS All tests will be given at the testing centers. All of the exams are multiple choice. The student will be allowed to use pencils, scantron, and ruled paper. Since this is an introductory course, many of the exam questions will be definitions. There will also be several theory questions on each exam and not much history. My plan is to ask a lot of easy questions about almost everything. Exams are scored as the percentage correct. It is up to the student to check that the grades are posted correctly. Please keep your copy of your test scores as they have been known to disappear. On some exams short answer or essay questions might be available for extra credit. These are NOT open book exams, and you will NOT be able to use notes for these exams. Late Exams It is extremely rare for a student to be successful in the course once they get behind. To ease your scheduling, I will list the week you should take the test to stay on schedule. If you take an exam after the assigned time and date, 2 points may be deducted from your test score for everyday after the exam date that you take it. **TESTING CENTERS The tests may be taken at any of the following ACC testing centers: Rio Grande Campus Riverside Campus Eastview Campus Northridge Campus Round Rock CampusCypress Creek Campus Pinnacle Campus Fredericksburg Campus San Marcos High School The testing centers in bold above are able to administer the exams via computer which will automatically give you your grade as well as feedback when the exam is completed. You may use the others but realize that until I receive the exam from the testing center, I cannot post your grades. Check with the center you are interested in for their hours and allow 1 1/12 hours to take the exams. You will need a student identification (or fee receipt card) and a picture identification (drivers’ license works great) to take the exams in the testing centers. You can get student identification at the Bursar’s Office at any of our main campuses. Extra Credit Completion of the orientation quiz and information sheet is worth 5 extra credit points to be added to your exam scores. Completion of the Biz Game is another 5 points. Additional extra credit opportunities are in the assignment section. COURSE GRADE FINAL AVERAGE GRADE ASSIGNMENT A 90 – 100 Percentage correct on exams EXAM 1 17%B 80 – 89 EXAM 2 17%C 70 – 79 EXAM 3 17%D 60 – 69 EXAM 4 17% F Below 60 EXAM 5 17% STOCK PROJECT 15% TOTAL 100. 0% WITHDRAWALS You are responsible for withdrawing by the withdraw date. Failure by you to withdraw from the course or successfully complete the course may result in a grade of â€Å"F†. INCOMPLETES An incomplete (I) grade will only be given if the student has substantially completed the course with a passing grade. A student must have completed all exams and assignments to date, be passing, and have circumstances that prevent course completion that occur after the deadline to withdraw with a grade of â€Å"W†. All work to complete the course must be completed before the end of the following semester for the granting of an appropriate grade. Failure to do so will result in a failing grade for the course. The instructor must be notified before the end of the semester if the students need an incomplete and all work must be made up as soon as possible. Incompletes are not recommended as students will miss the extra credit for finishing on time and many incompletes are never completed. Also see departmental policies below. ACADEMIC PROGRESS A student who is not meeting course objectives may be withdrawn from the course at the discretion of the instructor. It is the student’s responsibility to consult with instructors and seek support services when course objectives cannot be met. The student may appeal instructor-initiated withdrawals within 10 days. RULE OF THREE – NEW Per state law, effective spring 2006 any student taking a class for the third time or more may be charged an additional $60 per credit hour unless exempted. Visit the â€Å"Rule of Three† web site for additional information http://www. austincc. edu/admiss/ruleofthree/ Rule of 6 W’s – NEW Per state law, students enrolling for the first time in fall 2007 or later at any Texas college or university may not withdraw (receive a W) from more than six courses during their undergraduate college career. Some exceptions for good cause could allow a student to withdraw from a course without having it count toward this limit. Students are encouraged to carefully select courses. CALCULATORS The use of a calculator is strongly encouraged. Use them during exams and when completing homework. Any basic hand-held calculator will do – just be sure you know how to use it. A square root function is most helpful. COMMENTS FOR SUCCESS You are responsible for all assigned readings and assignments. Students are strongly encouraged to meet with the instructor for assistance whenever needed. Refer to my office hours listed above. If these are not convenient for you, I will be happy to schedule appointments at other times. Many resources are available to help you succeed in this course – you need only ask for help. The material starts at a very easy level but quickly gets harder. Remember as the semester progresses, things inevitably come up so keeping on pace will make your life much easier. This is a demanding course and everyone must work hard to succeed. Students can significantly improve their chances of success by using the following tips: Do not panic! Although this is a demanding course, it is a procedural process to learn the material and if you put in the effort you will do fine. There is nobody in this class that is unable to learn and fulfill your grade expectations! Use the textbook web site comes with the course Read all the text chapters carefully: Do anything you can to improve your reading skills. You will spend much of your college and professional career reading and anything you can do to improve your ability is time well spent. If you are not reading straight down the page than you are not reading fast enough! After you read the material, take a breath and think how the material might apply to your world! If something does not make sense make a note and ask a  fellow student or your instructor to help you understand the concept. Complete all assignments. ask questions, you are probably not the only one who has that question. If you miss something, be able to explain to yourself or someone else why you missed the answer. Again relate the information to your life. Use the student CD that comes with the book. Ignoring it is to lose a great tool for the course. The most important thing to remember about answering questions is to READ the Questions Carefully. Make sure you understand what the question is asking. Eliminate extraneous data you might be given! Check on the Blackboard site regularly. Get in a study group if possible. Work together and prepare for exams together. Take advantage of the free help available at ACC and contact the instructor if you have any problems Free tutoring is available at all the major campuses The web sight for all our campus tutoring is: http://www. austincc. edu/tutor/HELP If you are having any problems contact your instructor right away. Don’t sit and spin your wheels. If it is slowing you down I take it seriously. If for some reason you don’t hear from me contact me again or contact my assistant. I need to get you back on track Policies for Incompletes, Attendance, and Withdrawal are as follows: Incomplete Policy: An incomplete (I) will be granted to a student in rare circumstances. Generally, to receive a grade of I, a student must have completed all examinations and assignments to date, be passing, and have personal circumstances that prevent course completion that occur after the deadline to withdraw with a grade of W. Withdrawal Policy: It is the student’s responsibility to withdraw from a course. Instructors are allowed to withdraw students for non-attendance and lack of academic progress but students must not rely on their instructor to withdraw them if they wish to withdraw. Austin Community College policies for Academic Freedom, Scholastic Dishonesty, Student Discipline, and Students with Disabilities are as follows: Academic Freedom Statement: Each student is strongly encouraged to participate. In any classroom situation that includes discussion and critical thinking, there are bound to be many differing viewpoints. These differences enhance the learning experience and create an atmosphere where students and instructors alike will be encouraged to think and learn. On sensitive and volatile topics, students may sometimes disagree not only with each other but also with the instructor. It is expected that faculty and students will respect the views of others when expressed in classroom discussions. Scholastic Dishonesty Statement: Acts prohibited by the College for which discipline may be administered include scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating on an exam or quiz, plagiarizing, and unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing outside work. Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of their thought, research or self-expression. Academic work is defined as, but not limited to tests, quizzes, whether taken electronically or on paper; projects, either individual or group; classroom presentations, and homework† (Student Handbook). Penalties for scholastic dishonesty will depend upon the nature of the violation and may range from lowering a grade on one assignment to an F in the course and/or expulsion from this institution. Student Discipline Statement: Classroom behavior should support and enhance learning. Behavior that disrupts the learning process will be dealt with appropriately, which may include having the student leave class for the rest of that day. In serious cases, disruptive behavior may lead to a student being withdrawn from the class. ACC’s policy on student discipline can be found in the Student Handbook. Students with Disabilities Statement: Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented physical or psychological disabilities. Students with disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the Office for Students with Disabilities on the campus where they expect to take the majority of their classes. Students are encouraged to do this three weeks before the start of the semester†. WEEK  Due Dates and Chapter Titles CHAPTER ASSIGNMENT 1 Start of course January 17 Introduction to Course and Orientation Orientation quiz and information sheet Managing within the Dynamic Business Environment: Taking Risks and Making Profits P, 1 2 Week of January 23 How Economics Affects Business: The Creation and Distribution of Wealth Competing in Global Markets 2, 3 3 Week of January 30 Demonstrating Ethical Behavior and Social Responsibility Exam I over Chapters 1,2,3,4 4, Test 4 Week of February 6 Choosing a Form of Business Ownership Entrepreneurship and Starting a Small Business. 5, 6 5 Week of February 13 Management, Leadership, and Employee Empowerment Adapting Organizations to Today’s Markets 7,8 6 Week of February 20 Producing World-Class Goods and Services 9 7 Week of March 5 Exam II over Chapters 5,6,7,8,9 Motivating Employees and Building Self-Managed Teams test,10 8 Week of March 12 SPRING BREAK!!! 9 Week of March 19 Human Resource Management: Finding and Keeping the Best Employees Dealing with Employee-Management Issues and Relationships 11, 12 *Schedule Might Change. Be sure to check Blackboard for Announcements and changes to schedule.