Discussion Notes / Assignments (Class Moodle)
Business and Professional Communication: an applied course that seeks to improve workplace communication skills. We will cover a lot of ground in the course, including basic communication theory, intercultural communication, interpersonal communication, small group communication, interviewing, and presentations, but we'll try to do so in an practical and integrated way. You will do real work in groups that will be constructed using an interviewing process and which will do practical work. Along the way you'll wind up learning something about the stock market (which will be the focus of your research, group work, and presentations) as well.
Adler, R., Elmhorst , J.M. , and Lucas, K.L. (2012). Communicating at Work: Principles and Practices for Business and the Professions, 11th Edition. McGraw-Hill. (Make sure you get the 11th Edition and not a prior edition.
The Adler, Elmhorst, and Lucas text in expensive (about $150) in its paper edition. I recommend getting a electronic copy that runs on your computer, tablet, or e-reader. Both Barnes and Noble and Amazon rent electronic version of the text for roughly a third that price ($40-$50) and sell it for about $100. Used hardcopy versions are much more expensive ($130), although you may find used copies available at better prices from other sources. The publisher also provides electronic access through McGraw-Hill Connect (http://connectstudentsuccess.com/). I do not know what their prices are, but they provide a 14 day period where you can access it for "free". I have not provided the bookstore with information about this text, so you should get it from the least expensive online supplier you can.
The electronic version works on computers and color tablets. Amazon supplies free Kindle software that you can download to your computer to read the text. So does Barnes and Noble. I read my copy on my iPad using the Kindle tablet application for iPad. Other e-book software should work with electronic editions available from other booksellers, including Barnes and Noble. I find the electronic version more readable than the text version, but it's your choice. The only option you don't have is to NOT read the assigned chapters in the text.
Attendance is required for all classes, including the final exam period. Punctuality is much desired.
The reading and writing load for this course is moderate, but needs to be done. If you can't keep up with the readings, papers, or other assignments, you may want to drop the course early on and try again in another semester.
Attendance is mandatory. The Brooklyn College Bulletin states that "Students are expected to attend all scheduled sessions of every class for which they register. Students late for class may be excluded from the room. An instructor may consider attendance and class participation in determining course grade." While I am unlikely to lock the door, I will take account of missed class time in computing grades. You should not, as a general note, ask me for "permission" to miss class. While I will try to be understanding of documented emergencies, the basic reality (which has more to do with your ability to learn when you aren't in class than anything else) is that absences make your grade grow smaller.