SOLANOCOMMUNITY COLLEGE
INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS
FALL 2005
COURSE MATERIALS
Professor Thom Watkins
SOLANOCOMMUNITY COLLEGE
Introduction To Business, Bus 5
FALL 2005
Aug 22nd thru Dec 19th
Course Title: Bus 5, Introduction to Business Instructor: Thom Watkins
Telephone: (707) 864-7000 ext 374 E-Mail:
Class Hours: Mon-Wed-Fri, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 pm Location: Room 506
Text: UNDERSTANDING BUSINESS, 7th edition, Nickels, McHugh & McHugh.
Purpose of the Course.
The purpose of this class is to introduce you to the many facets of the free enterprise system and of the business that operate within it. Since it is the first course in business, Introduction to Business is not going to teach you "everything you wanted to know about business but were afraid to ask". It is anticipated, though, that through your experiences in this course, you will gain a better understanding of what private enterprise is all about and what is included in each of the several academic areas of study in business at institutions of higher learning such as the one you are attending. It is hoped that this improved understanding will increase your appreciation of the free enterprise system and will assist you in planning both your academic program and future career.
Goals of the course.
1.Acquaint you with the free enterprise system - the foundation upon which American business is built;
2.Acquaint you with the American economic system and contrast it to other possibilities:
3.Acquaint you with the aspects involved with starting a business;
4.Acquaint you with the various functional areas of business - accounting, finance, management, and marketing, - and how these areas are interrelated by means of information systems;
5.Acquaint you with the nation's security markets - a dynamic part of your everyday life;
6.Stimulate you to think about howyou are affected by the business system and how you might fit into that system;
7.Acquaint you with the language of business.
Resource Materials.
Periodicals such as Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Forbes, Newsweek, Time, U.S. News and World Report, and your daily newspaper; The Library; and the Internet.
Method of Instruction.
I plan to use a combination of any or all of the following instructional methods: lecture, discussion student case analysis, controversial topic debates, films, and guest speakers.
Class Attendance and Participation.
Students must attend class in order to participate in student-involvement activities. I expect each student to be prepared for each evening's lesson. That is: student will have read the material to be covered in that day’s lesson prior to class; be prepared to ask questions; answer questions; and otherwise participate in discussion of the topics for that day.
Consistent and timely attendance is expected. Past experience indicates a direct relationship between regular attendance and passing grades. Also, with that in mind, each student is expected to read and understand the attached page titled Student Responsibilities, Attendance and Participation as extracted from the Solano Community College Catalog.
There will be a ten-point penalty assessed on all examinations not taken when scheduled.
Grades and Grading Criteria.
Grades will be based on your performance on the following:
Grades and Grading Criteria.
Grades will be based on your performance on the following:
Examination #1 ------12%
Examination #2 ------11%
Examination #3 ------11%
Examination #4 ------11%
Examination #5 ------13%
Examination #6 ------11%
Final Examination------13%
Term Paper------18%
Participation------+ / - (Instructor appraisal)
The following grading criteria will be in effect for this class:
A = 90 - 100
B = 80 - 89
C = 70 - 79
D = 60 - 69
F = 59 and below
Extra Credit.
NONE...ZERO…ZILCH
There are plenty of opportunities during the semester for you to achieve the grade that you desire providing that you are willing to put in the effort. So please do not ask.
Student Responsibilities
Attendance and Participation
Students must attend the first meeting of their classes each semester in order to verify their class enrollments. Students failing to appear are withdrawn from class rolls.
Regular attendance and participation is required of all students enrolled in courses and laboratories at SolanoCollege. This includes regular attendance, completion of examinations, assignments, participation in class activities and discussions. Instructors shall provide students with written statements describing course requirements, grading standards and course prerequisites.
Regular attendance is an obligation assumed by every student at the time of registration. Absences per semester should not exceed the number of hours or the number of days, as determined by the instructor, that a class meets per week. Absences in excess of the maximum may result in students being dropped from classes or having their grades lowered. Students who fail to attend their classes may be dropped by their instructors no later than the end of 62.5 percent of the full-term class, short- term class, or summer session.
Students have the responsibility for verifying their enrollment status. If students withdraw from classes, it is their responsibility to make sure that drop cards have been submitted to the Office of Admissions and Records or that they have completed the withdrawal via RSVP telephone or online services.
It is the responsibility of students to know the status of their attendance records and to complete all academic work missed due to absences.
Compliance with the above regulations may be waived in the presence of verifiable extenuating circumstances including accidents, illnesses, shift changes and temporary changes in military assignments. Students who are dropped from classes because of unsatisfactory attendance and/or participation may petition their instructors for class reinstatement. Instructors may reinstate a student by signing an add card and writing “Reinstate” on the card. The add card must be submitted to the Office of Admissions and Records.
Withdrawal from Classes
Students are responsible for officially dropping from classes and verifying that drop cards are submitted to the Office of Admissions and Records or complete the drop process by using the RSVP telephone system or web online services.
A student may withdraw from a class during the fast four weeks of instruction by filing a drop card with the Office of Admissions and Records or complete the drop process by using the RSVP Telephone system or web online services. Courses dropped by the end of the first four weeks of instruction will not appear on the student's record.
Courses dropped after 30% of instruction through the end Of 62.5% of the term/session will be recorded as a “W” on the student's record. A student must petition the Academic Council for a “W” after the last day to drop if extenuating circumstances apply. Documentation shall be required.
Short-term or summer session courses, which are less a full semester in length, dropped during the first 30% of the class will not appear on the students record Courses dropped 31% to 62.5% of the term/session will be recorded as a “W” on the student's record. Courses dropped after 62.5% of the term/session maybe recorded as a “W” if extenuating circumstances apply. The student must petition the Academic Council and provide documentation to verify cases of accidents, illnesses, or other circumstances beyond the control of the student.
Withdrawal from College
Students who find it necessary to drop all courses during the semester are required to fill out a Withdrawal Card at the Office of Admissions and Records or the withdrawal using the RSVP telephone system or web online services Seeing a counselor is advised before deciding to withdraw. It is important to clear any debts owed to the College before leaving the College. Failure to withdraw properly could result in a failing grade.
SCC Catalog 2005-2006.
Bus 5 Course Schedule – Fall 2005
AUGUST
TuesdayThursday
23rd 25th
Intro to Course Chaps 1 & 2
Chap 1
30th
Chap 2
SEPTEMBER
TuesdayThursday
6th 8th
Chap 3 Chap 4
13th 15th
Exam #1Appendix, Chap 4
Chaps 1thru 4
20th 22nd
Chap 5Chap 6
27th 29th
Exam #2 Chap7
Chaps 4A, 5, 6
OCTOBER
TuesdayThursday
4th 6th
Chap 8 Chap 9
11th 13th
Exam #3 Chap 10
Chaps 7 thru 9
Bus 5 Course Schedule – Fall 2005, cont.
OCTOBER, cont’d.
TuesdayThursday
18th 20th
Chap 11 Chap 12
25th 27th
Exam #4 Chap 13
Chaps 10 thru 12
NOVEMBER
TuesdayThursday
1st 3rd
Chap 14 Chaps 14 & 15
8th 10th
Chaps 15 & 16Chap 16
15th 17th
Exam #5Chap 17 & 18
Chaps 13 thru 16
22nd 24th
Chap 18<Thanksgiving>
29th
Exam #6
Chaps 17 & 18
DECEMBER
TuesdayThursday
1st
Chap 19
6th 8th
Chap 20 Chap 21
13th
Appendix, Chap 22
NOTE WELL:
Term Paper Deadline:Tuesday, December 6th; 11:00am.
Final Examination:Thursday, December 16th; 10:30am-12:30pm, Room 506.
Business 5 Term Paper
The following is offered to you as guidance in the preparation of your Term Paper for this class:
The paper must be typewritten; hand-written papers will not be accepted.
Suggested length is somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 double-spaced pages – enough length to present a logical and scholarly analysis and investigation of your topic.
A bibliography is required. Be sure to correctly cite your sources.
Topics are to be associated with the subject areas of this course.
Your proposed topic must be approved by me in advance. Use the supplied Proposed Term Paper Topic handout for approval of your topic.
Sources must be other than those in your text. For instance, sources such as the following might be used:
- Internet Web Sites – pay close attention to those mentioned in the course text.
- SolanoCollege Library
- The Wall Street Journal.
- Business Week.
- Fortune.
- Other professional journals in the field you have chosen.
Grading will be essentially reserved to the content of the paper and the perceptible scholarship.
Poor composition, grammar spelling, etc., will detract substantially from your grade.
Above all, always give proper credit where credit is due. Understand the meaning of plagiarism – the presentation of someone else’s ideas or words as your own. Papers displaying signs of plagiarism will receive a failing grade.
Review the attached MLA Citation Formatput together by Dr. Quentin Carter of the SolanoCollege Library. This handoutis useful to show how to properly cite from books, periodicals, Internet resources and more. The handout is in PDF format, so you need to have the Adobe Acrobat Reader software in order to use it.
It can be accessed from the Library’s Home Page: .
Suggested topics to choose from may include, but are not limited to:
- Future trends in business and management – be specific here.
- Technology’s application to small business.
- Total Quality Management in business.
- Employee protection / privacy protection.
- Trends in international management.
- Regional and off-shore production.
- Off-shore production and finance.
- Trends in global marketing.
- Effects of globalization, e.g., NAFTA, The EU, on American business.
- Labor-Management Relations.
- Careers in business – trends and opportunities.
- Small business – yesterday and today.
Business 5 Proposed Term Paper- Fall Semester 2003
NAME: ______
I propose my term paper topic will be on the subject of:
______
My sources will include the following:
______
This topic is important to me because:
______
This topic is related to this course in this way:
______
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