NORTHLAND PIONEER COLLEGE

CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY DIVISION

AIS 170 BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS

COURSE SYLLABUS 3 CREDITS

INTRODUCTION:

This course is designed for students wanting to learn the foundations needed for developing sentences and paragraphs (including punctuation, grammar and spelling) and using the appropriate approaches to creating effective communication.  The study and practice composing goodwill messages, claim and adjustment messages, and persuasive messages will also be presented. .  Reports and media communications will be emphasized to equip students with the necessary tools to develop reports news release, and newsletters.    Other skills will include principles of preparing employment communications.   

PREREQUISITES:

Keyboarding (AIS 110 or instructor's permission)

OED 145 MS Word

OED 102 Business Grammar and OED 112 Proofreading not required but helpful.

REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS AND MATERIALS:

PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS WRITING, 7^TH ED.  Kerbey and Satterwhite, Glencoe-McGraw Hill

INTERNET STUDENTS WILL NOT BE USING WEBCT AND WILL NOT NEED A PASSWORD. 

STUDENT CONDUCT and ATTENDANCE:

All students are responsible for knowing and understanding the Northland Pioneer College Student Conduct Code.  The code is in the Student Guide, available from any campus or center office.  Any violation of the conduct code, academic or otherwise, will be reported to the appropriate vice president for investigation and decision.

Upon entering Northland Pioneer College, a student assumes the responsibility of completing each course for which he/she is registered. The student is expected to attend all sessions of the classes in which he/she are enrolled.  Students should review attendance policies as stated in the Northland Pioneer College Student Guide under “Student Rights and Responsibilities.”

Internet students will contact me at least once a week.  If I do not hear from you for 3 weeks, you will be dropped.   There is no penalty for turning in work ahead of schedule.  You may be penalized, however, for work turned in late.

DISABILITY STATEMENT:

If you are a student with a disability and need accommodations for this class please contact the Disability Resource and Access office located at the White Mountain Campus. The coordinator, Sandy Manor, travels to all campuses and centers and an appointment can be scheduled to meet with her by calling:   532-6178 (Local in Show Low) –or-  1-800-266-7845  ext. 6178  

PUBLIC NOTICE OF NON-DISCRIMINATION: 

 The College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, marital status, gender, age or disability in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in its educational programs or activities.  District grievance procedures will be followed for compliance with Title IX and Section 504 requirements.  The Affirmative Action Compliance Office is Mr. A. Daniel Simper, Director of Personnel, 103 North 1^st Ave. at Hopi Drive, Holbrook, AZ  86025, (928) 524-7671.    Coordinator of Disability Resources and Access, 1001 West Deuce of Clubs, Show Low, AZ  85901, (928) 532-6178.    The lack of English Language will not be a barrier to admission and participation in vocational educational programs. 

COURSE COMPETENCIES:

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Identify and apply the "six Cs" of effective correspondence.

• Identify basic principles of good written communication.

• Select appropriate words for intended meaning.

• Evaluate and apply correct word usage.

• Construct sentences using correct grammar, punctuation and spelling.

•  Analyze situations to select the best approach when responding to communications.

• Develop planning procedures for organizing communications.

• Use appropriate equipment and technology to enhance your writing skills.

• Use proper electronic mail etiquette.

• Use the Internet to research information.

• Use proper formatting techniques for business messages.

• Write various types of letters:  goodwill, inquiries and requests, claim and adjustment, persuasive, and credit and collection.

• Create reports and media communications, press releases and newsletters, and meeting communications.

• Conduct a job search by preparing a persuasive cover letter, preparing for an interview, preparing effective follow-up letters, and preparing effective resignation letter.

• This course text is based upon SCANS foundation skill/competencies.  These include:  basic skills, thinking skills, personal qualities, resources, interpersonal skills, information, systems and technologies. 

 GETTING STARTED IN THE COURSE: 

1. Print this and read this course syllabus completely.

2. Read the objectives for each chapter. 

3. Proceed through each chapter paying close attention to all concepts and principles and all Key Points (these you can do either written or mentally).  The Key Points will draw your attention to concepts or principles of significance that you need to commit to memory.

4. Checklists:  These are provided for you to apply the principles to a communication message and verify your understanding of the principles.

5. Opps! Features:  give you real-world examples of the misuse of communication!  You can answer these mentally or in a notebook.

6. Succeed!:  These give you an opportunity to analyze, critique and decide

7.  What should be done about a particular situation. 

8. The CD:  References are provided throughout the text to this to reinforce principles and concepts.  To complete the chapter CD Activities:  Open MS Word, click on File, Open, and go to where your CD is, select Chapter.   Complete the activity, save it properly labeled and then attach to me in an email.

9. Internet Activities:  These will give you the opportunity to search the World Wide Web to further your knowledge about different topics.  (Internet activities are optional.).  You will be completing the CD Activities.  To open these, open Word first and access them from there.  

10. Proofreading Activities:   These will help you improve your understanding of punctuation, grammar and spelling.

11. Read your summaries and then go back over any material that you didn’t understand.

12. End-of-chapter Worksheets:  You will complete these in MS Word and attach them to me in an email.  You will complete as appropriate.  Some you will just answer questions, make selections, and some you will rewrite sentences (yes, you can add or subtract words to complete the sentences) and compose your own.  On the composition of business documents, you will set these up with correct format.  Points will be deducted for errors in spelling, punctuation, format, and correctness.  

13. Review your Appendices!

14. You will be able to resubmit any work that I have graded and returned to you with comments and input for a better grade!  Be sure to submit the original with any you resubmit. If you are taking this on the Internet, use another color of ink for your corrections on the original.  This will help to identify where the errors were and how you corrected them.  You can also redo the work underneath the original.

15. All letter activities should include the date, inside address, and proper format.

16. Where the text asks you to work with a partner, you will not be able to do this!  You will do this yourself.

17. Be sure to ask questions as you proceed through the course.

18. Sending your work:  INTERNET STUDENTS:  You will complete your work in MS Word answering questions, rewriting sentences, and for the letters:  formatting them properly, and attaching them to emails to me at seittreim@npc.edu.

GRADES AND EVALUATION: 

As you complete and send assignments to me (seittreim@npc.edu), I will grade them and post them and send you an electronic gradesheet so you will know where you are and how you have scored on your assignments.   

WORKSHEETS:   Worksheets will be worth 45 percent of your grade. What’s Wrong With These? Analyze and Write,  Writing an Answer; Rewriting Sentences; Proofreading, and Letter Exercises. All of these will be graded based on simple averaging based on the scale below.   Points will be taken from 100 for incorrect answers, spelling, content, grammar, and punctuation, and letter/memo format.   Some of these will be graded so that you can go back and edit and resubmit for higher grade if you wish. 

 

A = 90-100% correct.

B = 80-89 %

C= 70-79%

D= 60-69%

F= 59%

 

A = Perfect.  No changes

B = Minor Errors (incorrect format, minor punctuation errors)

C = Letter should be retyped to be “mailable.” 

D = Poor letter with errors.

F = Any errors that would make this not mailable (typo, incorrect spelling, incorrect grammar) .  Mailable letters are those you or your boss would consider to be error free. 

 

CD ACTIVITIES:  You will go to MS Word first, click on File and then Open and go to your CD (included in textbook) and open the CD Activities.  These are worth 20 percent of your grade. 

 

 Portfolio:  This includes your resume, sample of letter of application, and thank you letter.  You may also include copies of any certificates, awards, letters of recommendation you may have. (Do not turn in original certificates.)   You will email me your resume and letters and then describe to me in an email exactly what other documents you have to include in your personal portfolio.

This is worth 35 percent of your grade. 

 

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 COURSE SCHEDULE/POINT SHEET

AIS 170