Syllabus for BUS-101
INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS
Introduction to Business outlines a concise overview of the world of business. Emphasis is placed on the following topics: economics and economic systems; ownership; risk; production; finance and the financial system; marketing; human resources; how to form a union; and the effect of government in business. The primary objective is to introduce students to the world of business and formulate an opportunity to define and apply the language of business to various endeavors in which businesses operate.
After completing this course, you should be able to:
You will need the following materials to complete your coursework. Some course materials may be free, open source, or available from other providers. You can access free or open-source materials by clicking the links provided below or in the module details documents. To purchase course materials, please visit the University's textbook supplier.
ISBN: 978-0078023163
Introduction to Business is a three-credit online course, consisting of six modules. Modules include topics, learning objectives, study materials, and activities. Module titles are listed below.
For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in online discussion forums, complete written assignments, take a proctored midterm examination, and complete a final project. See below for more details.
Consult the Course Calendar for assignment due dates.
One or more of your course activities may utilize a tool designed to promote original work and evaluate your submissions for plagiarism. More information about this tool is available in this document.
Introduction to Business has six graded online discussions, each focusing on a different subject. There is also an ungraded but required discussion in Module 1 titled "Introductions."
Communication among fellow students and with the mentor is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct activities: an initial response to a posted question (discussion thread) and subsequent comments on classmates' responses. Meaningful participation is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement. You will be evaluated on the quality and quantity of your participation. Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.
For posting guidelines and help with discussion forums, please see the Student Handbook located within the General Information page of the course Web site.
You are required to complete six written assignments. The written assignments are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules.
Answer all essay questions in each assignment. Your answer to each question should be between 250 and 500 words (or approximately 1–2 pages per question, typed double-spaced). Be sure to proofread your work carefully for correct spelling, grammar, and clarity of expression.
The questions in the assignments require critical thinking. Take the time to determine what you need to include to present a thoughtful, complete response.
Formulate answers in your own words; do not merely copy answers from your reading materials. However, support the points you make with information from your course materials and from outside sources. Cite and document all sources of information with an appropriate reference.
Prepare your written assignments using whatever word processing program you have on your computer. Include your name at the top of the paper, as well as the course name and code and the semester and year in which you are enrolled.
Before submitting your first assignment, check with your mentor to determine whether your word processing software is compatible with your mentor's software. If so, you can submit your work as you prepared it. If not, save your assignment as a rich-text (.rtf) file, using the Save As command of your software program. Rich text retains basic formatting and can be read by any other word processing program.
When satisfied that your assignment represents your best work, submit it to your mentor.
For help regarding preparing and submitting assignments, see the Student Handbook located within the General Information page of the course Web site.
You are required to take a proctored online midterm examination.
The midterm is a closed book, multiple choice exam. It has a 2 hour time limit and covers all reading and assignments from modules 1-3.
For the midterm, you are required to use the University's Online Proctor Service (OPS). Please refer to the "Examinations and Proctors" section of the Online Student Handbook (see General Information area of the course Web site) for further information about scheduling and taking online exams and for all exam policies and procedures. You are strongly advised to schedule your exam within the first week of the semester.
Online exams are administered through the course Web site. Consult the Course Calendar for the official dates of exam weeks.
You are on your honor not to cheat during an exam. Cheating means:
If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in an exam, the exam will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course.
You are required to submit a final paper at the end of the course. As part of your course requirements, in Module 4 you must submit a final paper outline, worth 5% of your total course grade. Your mentor must approve this outline. The paper itself, due in the last week of the course, is worth 15% of your total course grade. Consult 'Final Paper Outline' in Module 4, and 'Final Paper' in Module 6 for details regarding this paper. Consult the Course Calendar for due dates.
Please note: Although the due date for the final paper is the last day of the course, students may submit the paper earlier. Planning to submit earlier in the week is, in fact, an excellent idea.
For help regarding preparing and submitting assignments, see the Student Handbook located within the General Information page of the course Web site.
Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:
All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:
A | = | 93–100 | C+ | = | 78–79 | |
A– | = | 90–92 | C | = | 73–77 | |
B+ | = | 88–89 | C– | = | 70–72 | |
B | = | 83–87 | D | = | 60–69 | |
B– | = | 80–82 | F | = | Below 60 |
To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or better (for an area of study course) or D or better (for a course not in your area of study), based on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, etc.).
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:
Consider the following study tips for success:
To ensure success in all your academic endeavors and coursework at Thomas Edison State University, familiarize yourself with all administrative and academic policies including those related to academic integrity, course late submissions, course extensions, and grading policies.
For more, see:
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