Westmoreland County Community College

BUS 285: Compensation Management

Westmoreland County Community College

I.  General Information

Course Number/Title: BUS285 / Compensation Management Semester/Year: Spring 2016

Instructor Name: Dr. Leslie Santicola E-mail:

Office Hours: N/A Phone: Please email to contact

Office Location: N/A

Catalog Description:

This course is designed to show students how to create fairness and equity when building a sound and equitable wage structure. Wage and salary administration is developed to enhance employee motivation. Job analysis, job evaluation and performance appraisal are presented as vehicles for advancing the understanding of fairness as it applies to both internal and external wage equity. Pay models are designed to be consistent with the legal framework as it applies to the job market. Competitiveness in performing a job is explored when considering a merit or seniority pay system.

Course Objectives:

A. Comprehend basic compensation concepts, historical and contemporary compensation practices.

B. Identify the bases for compensation.

C. Explain the design of compensation systems.

D. Describe employee benefits.

E. Understand different compensation packages for strategic and international employees.

II. Text/Supplemental Material

Strategic Compensation – A Human Resource Management Approach, 8th edition, Joseph J. Martocchio, Pearson 2015.

III. Required Equipment/Supplies

PC, access to the Internet, an email account, -- available in WCCC Computer Resources Center (CRC).

IV. Reference Materials and Resources

·  Various basic business text books are available in the Learning Resource Center.

·  Student Class Files, grades, Blackboard and email.

·  Business Week and The Wall Street Journal (You will not need subscriptions)

·  Additional reference material will be provided as the class progresses.

If class material is not understood, it is important to remember that TUTORING IS AVAILABLE IN THE COLLEGE LEARNING CENTER - Room 565. Just call 1-800-262-2103, extension 4135 (or direct dial 724-925-4135). Please remember that our professional counselors are available in Student Development to help you with personal counseling.

V. PROCEDURES

A. Evaluation and Grading Scheme:

Final course grade is based on total points accumulated over the semester with the following breakdown:

Grading Source / Points x Frequency / Points
Chapter Assignments / 10 X 12 / 120
Exam #1 / 100 x 1 / 100
Exam #2 / 100 x 1 / 100
Exam #3 / 100 x 1 / 100
Exam #4 / 100 x 1 / 100
Total / 520

Grade Scheme: A final letter grade will be assigned based on the following scale:

Points Earned Letter Grade

520 - 468 A

467 - 416 B

415 - 364 C

363 - 312 D

311 - 000 F

Please keep in mind these are point ranges, not percentages, when grades are assigned.

B. Exams:

Exams are administered after each major section and may include a combination of multiple choice, true and false, and short answer questions. The questions will address chapter material as well as class discussion material. Since quizzes and exams are administered online and available for several days, any student who misses a scheduled exam, quiz, or homework assignment will be given a grade of zero (0). Online students may be required to complete exams at one of the college physical locations if deemed necessary by the instructor. There are no extensions of deadlines or makeup exams – No Exceptions.

C. Homework Assignments:

There will be 12 homework assignments due over the course of the semester. These are designed to provide the student with activities to increase proficiency with the material presented in class. Late assignments will not be accepted and the student will receive a grade of zero (0).

D. In-class Assignments:

Not applicable for an online course.

E. Class work:

Be sure to complete the assignments, discussion questions and examinations by the date and time required. Students withdrawing prior to midterm will receive a grade of “W.” After midterm, a “W” grade will be issued only if you are passing at the time of withdrawal.

Face-to-face students will participate in classroom activities while online students will make regular submissions to the required Blackboard content.

Class Participation (online):

This is an online class, NOT a self-paced class or an independent study. Regular and active participation in this online class will be required. To be successful in this class, it will be imperative to read the assigned textbook chapters each week, complete the assignments and discussion questions before the related examinations, and complete the examinations by the posted deadlines in the Examination Schedule. You will succeed in this course if you participate regularly during the semester.

F. Attendance:

Any college class requires a time commitment from the student. You must plan to spend 6-9 hours per week outside of class time working on course material. This involves:

·  Reading the assigned chapter

·  Reading and reviewing lecture material presented in the classroom

·  Completing textbook/homework assignments

·  Viewing and reporting findings from assigned Web sites

·  Participating in classroom activities

For this to be a rewarding and positive educational experience you must manage your time wisely. Develop a schedule for yourself so that you are completing course work on a regular basis. This may be at the same time and day each week, or as time permits. You should make every effort to attend all classes, arriving on time with the required materials and ready to begin promptly. Irregular or casual attendance results in fragmented understanding and poor performance. You are responsible for all work and all announcements made during class and on Blackboard.

G. Withdrawal Policy:

Students electing to withdraw from this class should email the instructor indicating their intent to withdraw. The instructor will then send a Student-Initiated Withdrawal from via email for you to complete and sign. The signed form should then be mailed to the Computer Technology /Business Division office for approval. Withdrawals must be processed prior to the announced deadline on the WCCC Calendar. Your instructor may also withdraw a student for extended nonparticipation. Students withdrawing prior to midterm will receive a grade of “W.” After midterm, a “W” grade will be issued only if you are passing at the time of withdrawal.

A college initiated withdrawal will be initiated for any student failing to login into this course in Blackboard and/or participate in classroom activities for a period of three consecutive weeks.

H. Academic Dishonesty:

Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. Behavior that violates these standards is not acceptable. Examples are the use of unauthorized material, programming course material into calculator or cell phone memory, communication with fellow students during an examination, attempting to benefit from the work of another student and similar behavior that defeats the intent of an examination or other class work. Cheating on examinations, plagiarism, improper acknowledgment of sources in essays and the use of a single essay or paper in more than one course without permission are considered very serious offenses. Any student who is found to be an active participant in academic dishonesty, on either end, in any incident, will receive a grade of F for the course.

I. Classroom Conduct:

While free discussion, inquiry, and expression are encouraged in this class, classroom or online (campus connections/Blackboard) behavior that interferes with either (a) the instructor’s ability to conduct the class or (b) the ability of students to benefit from the instruction is not acceptable. Examples may include (but are not limited to):

·  routinely entering class late or departing early

·  use of beepers, cellular telephones, or other electronic devices Cell phones and other electronic devices not needed for the course are to be turned off during class.

·  repeatedly talking in class without being recognized; talking while others are speaking; or arguing in a way that is perceived as „crossing the civility line.”

Students enrolling at the college assume obligations to conduct themselves in a manner compatible with the college’s function as an educational institution. Unacceptable conduct will result in a warning. Continuing unacceptable conduct will be result in student withdrawal from the course. Your attention is drawn to the WCCC Catalog and Student Handbook, in particular the sections concerning the Code of Student Conduct, Disruptive Student Behavior, and Academic Dishonesty.

J. E-mail Communication:

WCCC e-mail will be used for all e-mail communication. My email address is Please enter the course number in the subject line of your e-mails. You must also include your full name in the body of the e-mail. Email messages not addressed in this manner or from non-WCCC email accounts will not receive a reply.

K. Students with Disabilities:

If you need an accommodation due to a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, please contact Disabilities Services in Room 130 Founders Hall, 724-925-4121; or Lauren Eicher, Counselor of Disabilities & Student Behavioral Intervention Services, at . Advance notice may be necessary for some accommodations to be provided in a timely manner. Accommodations must be supported by adequate documentation and are determined on an individual basis.

L. TRA Students:

TRA students will be required to complete at least one assignment / discussion question response per week to receive a satisfactory progress report. When an examination is available TRA students must complete the examination before the due date/deadline to receive a satisfactory progress report. An unsatisfactory report from a prior week will not be changed to a satisfactory report if the following week’s work has been completed satisfactorily. TRA students may request verification as early as Tuesday if they have already completed their work for the week. TRA students may not request several weeks worth of late verifications all at once.

VI. Course Schedule:

Although the instructor may deem it appropriate to deviate from the following schedule, the basic design of the course will be:

Week / Topic
Week 1
January 19 – January 26 / Chapter 1: Strategic Compensation
Chapter 2: Contextual Influences on Compensation Practice
Assignment #1 – Due January 26th at noon
Week 2
January 26 – February 2 / Chapter 3: Traditional Bases for Pay
Assignment #2 – Due February 2nd at noon
Week 3
February 2 – February 9 / Chapter 4: Incentive Pay
Assignment #3 – Due February 9th at noon
Week 4
February 9 – February 16 / Chapter 5: Person-Focused Pay
Assignment #4 – Due February 16th at noon
Week 5
February 16 – February 23 / Exam #1 – Chapters #1 - 5
Due February 23rd at noon
Week 6
February 23 – March 1 / Chapter 6: Building Internally Consistent Compensation Systems
Chapter 7: Building Market-Competitive Compensation Systems
Assignment #5 – Due March 1st at noon
Week 7
March 1 – March 8 / Chapter 8: Building Pay Structures that Recognize Employee Contributions
Assignment #6 – Due March 8th at noon
Week 8
March 8 – March 15 / Chapter 9: Discretionary Benefits
Assignment #7 - Due March 15th at noon
Week 9
March 15 – March 22 / Chapter 10 – Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans and Health Insurance Programs
Assignment #8 – Due March 22nd at noon
Week 10
March 2 – March 29 / Exam #2 – Chapters 6- 10
Due March 29th at noon
Week 11
March 29 – April 5 / Chapter 11 – Legally Required Benefits
Chapter 12 – Compensating Executives
Assignment #9 – Due April 5th at noon
Week 12
April 5 – April 12 / Chapter 13 – Compensating the Flexible Workforce
Assignment #10 – Due April 12th at noon
Week 13
April 12 – April 19 / Exam #3 – Chapters 11 – 13
Due April 19th at noon
Week 14
April 19 – April 26 / Chapter 14 – Compensating Expatriates
Chapter 15 – Pay and Benefits outside the United States
Assignment #11 – Due April 26th at noon
Week 15
April 26 – May 3 / Chapter 16 – Challenges Facing Compensation Professionals
Assignment #12 – Due May 3rd at noon
Week 16
May 3 – May 10 / Exam #4 – Chapters 14 -16
Due May 10th at noon