BCOM-2080
Professor Hessell

Welcome to
Business Communications for Public Service

Instructor Information

Professor Renee J. Hessell, BBA, MBA

• E-Mail: hessellr@macomb.edu or rjhessell_macomb01@comcast.net
• Contact Information:
  

  586.286.2058		Business Administration Office (please leave a detailed message)
  586.260.0034		M-F 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Sat. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
  I check my e-mail messages daily. In most cases, I will contact you within 24 hours.

  
  
• Office Hours: By appointment.

This course develops entry-level skills in business letters and interoffice memoranda, technical writing, and résumés and employment interviews, which are specifically designed for Public Service personnel (2 contact hours).

Report It in Writing, Fourth Edition by Debbie J. Goodman, Copyright © 2007, 2004, 1999, and 1995 by Pearson Education, Inc. You must have the book by the second session.

Methods of Instruction

Lecture, discussion, video, lab, models, demonstration, and active individual and team participation.

Major Units

It is assumed that you will read the assigned chapters prior to the class meeting. Although the material will be summarized, the lecture cannot be thought of as the only information that is important. Time simply will not permit a detailed discussion of all the important items in the textbook; you will get the most out of this class if you read the assigned sections  prior to coming to class!!

Cell phones should be on manner mode (vibrate) and put away during class sessions.  If an emergency should arise, please notify the instructor and take the call outside of class.

You must do your own work on all assignments. You may discuss assignments with other students or instructors and get advice; however, the actual work must be your own. Students who violate this policy will be subject to receiving an "E" for the course.

Definition of Plagiarism:  The presentation of someone else's ideas or words as your own. You must give credit not only for direct quotations but also for paraphrases (stating someone else's words or ideas in your own words rather than using the original words—the words are your own, but the idea is not) or summarizing.

It is the greatest predictor of success or failure for any class!!

You are expected to be in class for every session. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to obtain any hand-out materials. Please get yourself a partner to get information from when you are absent.

A bonus will be awarded for perfect attendance, as well as for missing only one class. Since all reasons are good reasons, all missed sessions will be treated the same. Excessive absences (defined as missing more than four clock hours) will result in points being subtracted from your total accumulated points. The absence policy is illustrated as follows:

For classes meeting once a week, each class day counts for two class sessions. Consequently, attendance will be taken at the beginning and at the end of class. If you are absent for half the class, it counts as one absence. There is no need to contact me to let me know why you are missing a single class; in fact, please don't. Do, however, leave a detailed message with the Business Administration Office Administrative Assistant if you are going to miss more than one consecutive class. Also, out of courtesy to your fellow students, please try to arrive for class on time and do not enter the classroom when a student presentation is being made.

The final grade for the course is determined as follows. This worksheet provides an on-going status of your final grade.

*Attitude is based on listening attentively to others, respecting opposing viewpoints, participating in class, providing
constructive comments during class discussions, and attendance during presentations.

***Total Points Possible is 800. The assignments for the "written and oral daily work" may vary during the semester with notification.  A grade of 70 or above is required on the formal written report in order to pass the class.

Failure to complete "REQUIRED" work will lower the semester grade. Plagiarism or cheating of any kind will result in an unacceptable assignment. An "I" grade is appropriate on very rare occasions, under unusual circumstances, and only after discussion with the instructor.

Students needing work in grammar, spelling, punctuation, reading or listening skills will be expected to use the facilities of the Learning and Academic Assessment Center to the extent necessary to fulfill class requirements.

SCANTRONS: Students are responsible for purchasing Scantron forms from the bookstore.

PROTECT YOUR BOOKS FROM BOOK THIEVES

Because the campus bookstores buy back books every day, books are like cash and should be protected.  If you follow these simple steps, you can protect yourself against book theft.

1. Do not leave your books in a classroom, Learning Center or Student Center while you leave for “just a minute.”
2. Once you are past the refund period, write your name in the front of the book and write your name or a code word that you will remember on a specific page in your textbook.  If your book is stolen, this information will help the College Police Department and the Bookstores in recovering your textbook.  Writing your name in your textbook will not reduce the buyback value of your book.  The major things that reduce buyback value are water damage, highlighting or marking more than 80% of the book, and extreme damage like missing covers.
3. If your textbook is lost or stolen, report it to the College Police Department immediately, and make sure that the bookstore on your campus is notified.  The bookstore will notify the other campus bookstore and any offsite bookstores that buyback books so that we can try and recover your textbook, and also catch the person who sold it back. 

There will be NO makeup exams, quizzes, or assignments. However, if arrangements are made with me, exams may be taken prior to the scheduled date. All assignments must be completed and turned in on the date specified by the instructor.

Quality of work turned in must be in a professional business-like format, i.e. typewritten, appropriately spaced, and grammatically correct. All work is due on the date specified at the beginning of the class period.

Students who OFFICIALLY WITHDRAW during the first three-quarters of the semester will receive a "W" grade. Students who NEVER ATTENDED class will receive an "N" grade. SEE THE ATTACHED WITHDRAWAL POLICY.

Assignment Schedule (pdf)

http://www.randypausch.com