ALBANY STATE UNIVERSITY

College of Business, Education & Professional Studies

School of Business

COURSE: BUSA 1105

COURSE TITLE: Introduction to Business
CRN: 81997
CREDIT HOURS 3 semester hours
PREREQUISITES
Co-REQISITES (if applicable) None

INSTRUCTOR Dr. Corrine Sweet

Campus Office Hours in I-135:
Corrine.sweet@asurams.edu
229-500-2110
229-296-8498 (will respond to text and calls during office hours)
Monday 2:45 - 3:15
Tuesday 9:00 - 11:00, 1:45 - 3:15
Wednesday 2:45 - 3:15
Thursday 9:00 - 11:00

Virtual Office Hours via email/text Monday 10:00 - 11:00, 12:45 - 1:30
Wednesday 10:00-11:00, 12:45 - 1:30

CLASS MEETING TIMES Monday and Wednesday 1:30 – 2:45

CLASS MEETING LOCATION I-120 on West campus

COURSE REQUIREMENTS: 1. Microsoft Office 365 or similar to create documents, presentations, and
spreadsheets
2. Introduction to Business textbook from openstax.org; can be downloaded
for free here: https://openstax.org/details/books/introduction-business

Course Description: This course is designed to expose students to key functions of a modern business. Topics
covered will include finance, operations, management, marketing, and human resources.

Expected Student Learner Outcomes (SLOs)

As a result of completing this course the student should be able to:
1. At least 70% of students will be able to differentiate between the major functions (finance, operations,
management, marketing, management information systems, and human resources) within the business
environment at least 70% of the time.
2. At least 70% of students will be able to demonstrate 21st Century skills including critical thinking, written
communication, and creativity at least 70% of the time.
3. At least 70% of students will be able to demonstrate teamwork and communication skills in a group
environment at least 70% of the time.
4. At least 70% of students will be able to identify social and environmental issues that impact the decision-
making process for business at least 70% of the time.

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Course Objectives
❖ During the course of the semester students will:
o Learn about the major functions of business including finance, operations, management,
marketing, management information systems and human resources
o Develop 21st Century skills including critical thinking, written communication, and creativity
through the creation of a variety of documents
o Develop and perform teamwork skills in the completion of a team project presentation
o Learn about social and environmental issues that impact businesses and factor into business
decision making.

Course Activity Components

❖ This course will utilize a variety of activities for learning including, but not limited to, textbook reading,
lecture, discussion, hands-on activities, reflective journaling, and case studies. These activities will help the
learner to achieve the course objectives listed above and will prepare the student for the course assessment
components listed below. Course activities will count towards a student’s final course grade and will be
primarily conducted in the classroom, class absences will impact a student’s course activity grade.

Course Assessment Components

❖ Business Functions Multiple-Choice Quiz (SLO1)
❖ Article Summary & Connection Short Essay (SLO2)
❖ Team Business Presentation (SLO3)
❖ Issues Decision Making Study (SLO4)

I. Course Schedule (Subject to change. Any changes will be announced in GaView via Announcements tool.)

Date Topics Aligned with Homework/Readings Major Assessment

Student Learning (Additional homework will be announced in (exact due dates are in
Outcomes class and/or via GaView) GaView)
Week 1 Syllabus, Student Success Syllabus Assignment
8/16-8/22  Success Plan Quiz
 Read College Culture and Expectations
 Read Chapter 3 of College Success
Week 2 Critical Thinking,  Share a Source Discussion
8/23-8/29 Information Literacy (SLO2)  Read Chapter 1
Week 3 Economics (SLO1)  Read Chapter 6
8/30-9/5  Read Chapter 7
Week 4 Management (SLO1)  Read Chapter 14
9/6-9/12  Read Chapter 16
Week 5 Finance (SLO1)  Read Chapter 8
9/13-9/19  Read Chapter 9
 Read Chapter 17 of Organizational
Behavior
Week 6 Human Resources (SLO1)  Read Chapter 11
9/20-9/26  Read Chapter 12
Week 7 Marketing (SLO1)  Read Chapter10
9/27-10/3  Read Chapter 17 of Prin. of Management
Week 8 Operations (SLO1)  Read 17.2 Business Functions Quiz
10/4-10/10  Read 17.5 (SLO1)
 Read Chapter 11 of Organizational
Behavior
Week 9 Communication (SLO2)  Read Chapter 2
10/11-10/17  Read Chapter 5 of Prin. of Management

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 Week 10 Ethics (SLO2), Social  Read Appendix A
10/18-10/24 Responsibility  Read Chapter 9 of Business Law
 Read Chapter 10 of Business Law
Week 11 Law (SLO4)  Read Chapter 3 Article Summary Essay
10/15-10/31  Read Chapter 6 of Prin. of Management (SLO2)
Week 12 Globalization (SLO4)  Read Chapter 5 of Organizational
11/1-11/7 Behavior
Week 13 Issues (SLO4)  Read Chapter 9 of Organizational Issues Decision Making
11/8-11/14 Behavior Study (SLO4)
 Read Chapter 15 of Prin. of Management
Week 14 Teamwork, Team  Start thinking about who you want to
11/15-11/21 Presentation Introduction partner with and what company to
(SLO3) present
Week 15 Team Creation, Team  Select teammates
11/22-11/28 Research (SLO3)  Assign research jobs and roles
 Begin researching company
Week 16 Team Presentations (SLO3)  Continue researching company Team Presentations
11/29-12/5  Present team presentation (SLO3)
Finals Week Team Presentations (SLO3)  Present team presentation
12/6-12/9

Description of learner-centered Activities/Exercises/Projects/Labs/Written Assignments

Quizzes: Some topics will utilize quizzes to guide you in thinking about the related content. These quizzes will be
short and will utilize open ended questions allowing you to reflect on what you’ve learned and consider
how to apply it to the scenarios and questions provided. These will not be timed, but you will only get one
chance to complete them. The goal is to critically think about the topic and how it can be applied to your
life, the “real world” or a specific provided business example.
Discussions: Some topics will utilize discussions to provide a space to reflect, analyze, and apply what you’ve
learned to a question or scenario. All discussions will require at least 2 replies to classmates that are
thorough, detailed, and informative. Initial posts will need to be detailed and show strong application of
the content to the question. You should strive for at least 150 words in your initial posts and 50 words
in any reply posts; anything less than that suggests that you do not have a strong grasp on the content
and will be reflected in the grade for the discussion.

II. Method of Student Evaluation

Business Functions Multiple Choice Quiz (SLO1): The goal of this assessment is to give you the opportunity to
show that you can differentiate between the different functions of business. There will be a variety of
multiple-choice questions including selecting the appropriate business function when given a scenario to
analyze and being able to match a function to its definition/description.
Article Summary & Connection Short Essay (SLO2): The goal of this assessment is to give you an opportunity to
see how what you’ve learned in class applies to the business world while also utilizing 21st Century Skills.
For this assignment, you’ll pick one of the homework assignment topic options provided in class and find a
news article that discusses the selected topic. After reading the article and reflecting on how it connects to
the content in this course, you’ll write a short essay consisting of two parts: first, a summary that
summarizes and analyzes the article and second, a reflection on how the article connects to the course
content. For the summary you should briefly summarize the main points of the article and also express
your opinion on the action, scenario, or ideas discussed in the article. For the connection, you will want to
give specific examples of how the article topic connects with theories, ideas, descriptions, definitions, or
functions from within the course content. More detailed guidance will be provided in a separate document.
Team Business Presentation (SLO3): The goal of this assessment is to give you the opportunity to develop
teamwork and communication skills while applying what you’ve learned to basic analysis of a publicly-
traded company. This assignment meets course SLO2 and School of Business AOL goal team skills.
During the course of the semester you will learn about a variety of business topics and segments of

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 business operations, and you will use what you learn to gather information about your company and present
that information to your classmates. More detailed guidance will be provided in a separate document.
Issues Decision Making Study (SLO4): The goal of this assessment is to give you the opportunity to analyze a
case study and determine what social and environmental issues are at play. Additionally, you will suggest
potential solutions to address the identified issues. More detailed guidance will be provided in a separate
document.

A. Course Grading Policy

Activity and/or Description Maximum Possible Score

Assignments
1 Business Functions Multiple-Choice Quiz (SLO1) 24
2 Article Summary & Connection Short Essay (SLO2) 30
3 Team Business Presentation (SLO3) 100
4 Issues Decision Making Study (SLO4) 30
5 Course Activities 10
6 Homework 10
Total Points

B. Assessment The final grade in the course will be determined as follows:

Business Functions Multiple-Choice Quiz (SLO1) 20%
Article Summary & Connection Short Essay (SLO2) 15%
Team Business Presentation (SLO3) 20%
Issues Decision Making Study (SLO4) 15%
General Course Activities 15%
Homework 15%

C. Course Grades The final grade in the course is defined as follows:

Grade Equivalent Percentage Equivalent

A 100 – 90
B 89 – 80
C 79 – 70
D 69 – 60
F 59 and below

III. Course Policies

A. Course Information and Instructor Expectations
Students are expected to come to class on-time and prepared to participate and learn! The following
expectations should govern your behavior for this course:
● Be on time
● Be sure to have read the assigned readings before class
● Bring note-taking materials such as pen and paper, laptop, etc.
● Bring a cellphone or tablet for interactive activities
● Be as quiet and non-disruptive as possible if you need to leave early or arrive late
● Bathroom breaks are expected occasionally, no need to ask permission, just don’t be a distraction
● Being curious is strongly recommended, always feel free to ask questions
● Bring your experiences, ideas, and concerns to the classroom, this helps me build an experience that
shows you how business applies to your life

Late/makeup work: Activities conducted in class cannot be completed or submitted late. Other assignments
can be submitted late with a 25% penalty. Should you need to submit an assignment late you must email the
professor with the name of the assignment and the words Late Submission in the subject of the email so that
she can give you guidance on how to submit the late assignment.

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 B. Academic Honesty/Integrity
All papers submitted for grading are subject to scrutiny via electronic software (Turnitin.com) designed to
determine if the work is your own. The simplest way to avoid plagiarism is to be clear about the sources of
information you use. Many of the ideas used in essays, articles and books inevitably build on the work of
others, and it is only honest and courteous to acknowledge that work. TurnItIn Originality Checker is built
into the GaView page for this course and will be utilized to detect plagiarism and academic dishonesty. Any
files that score 50% or higher on non-original content will automatically earn a score of 0!

(See ASU Student Handbook for rules on academic honesty/integrity Page 62)
https://www.asurams.edu/student-affairs/student-handbook/2017-handbook/

The consequence for a violation of the Academic Honesty Code is “zero points” for the assignment.

C. Students with Disabilities

a. Please refer to the following link for Counseling and Disability Services:
https://www.asurasm.edu-student-affairs/counseling-disability -services/

Students with Disabilities:

If you are a student with a disability, you should consult the Testing & Disability Services, East Campus,
Billy C. Black Building Room 170, phone 229-500-2013, to identify which accommodations might be needed
for this course. Please contact the course instructor as soon as possible to discuss your needs.

D. Campus Carry Information

a. Please refer to the following link for Campus Safety Information:
https://www.asurams.edu/police-policy-procedures/

E. Sexual Misconduct Policy (Harassment Policy)

a. Please refer to the following link for Title IX: Sexual Misconduct Policy:
https://www.asurams.edu/adminstration/title-ix/sexual-misconduct-policy/

F. University Math and Writing Centers Reinforcement Policy

a. Support for math and writing is available at the various math and writing centers across campus.
Please ask your instructor for help locating the most convenient one for you.
b. Writing Center Information: https://www.asurams.edu/academic-affairs/learning-centers/east-
writing-center/ OR https://www.asurams.edu/academic-affairs/learning-centers/west-writing-center/
c. Math Center Information: https://www.asurams.edu/academic-affairs/learning-centers/east-math-
center/ OR https://www.asurams.edu/academic-affairs/learning-centers/west-math-center/
d. SmartThinking is available through GA VIEW. Please sign into GA VIEW and find the tutoring
opportunities on the toolbar.

G. Integration of Technology
The use of technology is integral to the course design. You should have access to a computer (e.g., computer
lab, library, home, or work), a general knowledge of the operation and care of a computer, and know some basic
troubleshooting techniques. You should also have some basic understanding of how to use the Internet to seek,
find, and retrieve information. Should you experience technology difficulties, please consult Information
Technology Services, https://www.asurams.edu/Technology/ , https://www.asurams.edu/Technology/getting-
started-students/ OR https://www.asurams.edu/Technology/?s=student+support for assistance with common
issues.
All candidates should have a workable (functioning) ASU e-mail account, know how to send and retrieve e-
mail messages with and without an attached file, know how to attach a file to an e-mail message, and how to
download and open attached files. To ensure that you receive timely communications, it is your responsibility
to notify the professor immediately of any changes to your e-mail address. All candidates should also know how
to access the course in GAVIEW and be able to complete and submit assignments.

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 It is your responsibility to have access to the software and technology needed for this class and a backup plan in
case something happens! Your instructor is not responsible for software, hardware, or Internet access problems
off campus or on your personal computer. Waiting until the night an assignment is due and having technology
issues will not change the policies as outlined above!

*NOTE: “ASU RAMmail account is the university’s official means of electronic communication with
students. Students are required to use the ASU website (www.asurams.edu) and RAMmail for important
university’s official information on financial aid, current class schedule, registration holds, account balances,
etc. In order to communicate with students by other means as needed, each student is required to provide the
university with his/her current telephone number(s) and mailing address via BannerWeb.”

H. Course Attendance Policy

Attendance is important to ensure you are giving yourself every chance to be successful in your course. No
portion of the final course grade is awarded for attendance, however, a portion of the final course grade is
awarded based on course activities and if you miss class you are also missing the chance to earn any points
for course activities conducted in class on that day.

I. Class Cancellation Policy

In the event of a class cancellation an announcement will be made via the Announcement tool on the course
GaView page with as much advanced notice as possible. It is a good idea to setup your GaView account to
forward course announcements to your phone/text to ensure you don’t miss any important announcements.

Inclement Weather and Catastrophic/Pandemic Readiness Statement

In the event of a campus emergency due to unintended disturbances, the syllabi and course delivery are
subject to change. This includes course requirements, deadlines, and grading percentages. First, review all
information on the ASU homepage for information and important announcements. Second, if the course is
not able to meet face-to-face, students should immediately log onto GaVIEW and read any announcements
and/or alternative assignments or by contacting my email address: Corrine.sweet@asurams.edu or office
phone 229-500-2110.

J. Important University Dates

a. Please refer to the online calendar for additional information:
https://www.asurams.edu/academic-affairs/academic-services-registrar/academic-calendar/

IV. Directions and Rubrics

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 Scoring Rubric for Team Presentations (SLO3)
Team Name: Topic:

Total
Category Scoring Criteria Points Score
Preparatio Team members present themselves appropriately while presenting. 5
n Team members are dressed in business casual or professional attire. 5
(15 points) 5
Team members are prepared and appear to have practiced as a group.

Name 1
Content History 5
(48 points) Chief Executives 5

Mission Statement/Vision Statement 5

Goals 5

What they do 2

Marketing methods 5

Financial statements 5

Stock prices and performance 5

Recent news 5

Recent lawsuits 5

Visual aids are well prepared, informative, effective, and not distracting. 5
Presentatio
Length of presentation is within the assigned time limits. 4
n
Information was well communicated. 4
(17 points)
Information is presented in a logical sequence. 4
Total Points 80

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 Rubric for Article Summary & Connection Short Essay (SLO2) and Issues Decision Making Study (SLO4)

(AOL Written Communication Skills Rubric)

Student Name Date Course

Unsatisfactory Acceptable Exemplary

Criteria Score
(0-3) (4-7) (8-10)
● Plans information to flow Failed to demonstrate the ability to Demonstrated the ability to prepare Demonstrated the ability to prepare quality
Writin logically through the written
work. prepare satisfactory written work: satisfactory written work: written work:
g Style ● Work generally flowed smoothly but was
● Presents work in a • Ideas and paragraphs were
professional way a bit brief (or ‘wordy’) in places.
disjointed and did not flow ● Work presentation was satisfactory. • Work was easy to read, logical and
(spacing, diagrams, smoothly. flowed smoothly from issues to
lists, appendix). ● Some references properly cited in body of
● Uses proper grammar, • Work had frequent grammatical work and in reference/bibliography conclusions.
syntax and spelling errors, section, some omission in body of work or • Work presentation was competent and had
● Uses references and bibliography.
colloquialisms, and logical only minor spelling and/or grammatical
citations properly sequence errors. errors.
• No references or citations listed • All references properly cited in body of work
and in reference/bibliography section
● Communicates ideas clearly. Failed to demonstrate the ability to Demonstrated a basic ability to analyze Demonstrated the ability to analyze and
A ● Includes appropriate analyze and synthesize information: and synthesize information some of the synthesize information:
n concepts, models and theories
and integrates them • Ideas were inadequate; time: ● Ideas were all relevant and clearly stated.
a ● Appropriate concepts, models or
effectively. arguments were disjointed; ● Ideas were mostly relevant and
l ● Demonstrates knowledge of the and there were logical theories were included and integrated
clearly stated. effectively.
y issues. inconsistencies. ● Most concepts, models or theories were
s ● Demonstrates the ability to ● Demonstrated competence and knowledge
synthesize ideas and draw • Work was missing or lacked included but some key areas were missing of the key issues.
i integration of most key or lacked integration. ● Ideas were synthesized and
appropriate conclusions.
s ● Showed some evidence of competence appropriate conclusions drawn.
concepts, models, or theories.
a • Failed to demonstrate adequate and knowledge of the key issues.
n ● Ideas were related to conclusions.
knowledge of the issues.
d • Ideas were not linked to
S conclusions.
y
n
t
h
e
s
i
s

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 ● Articulates clearly Failed to demonstrate the Demonstrated an ability to write Demonstrated the ability to
Persua the value of the
conclusions. ability to write persuasively: persuasively some of the time: write persuasively:
sivene
● Convinces the • Failed to provide information • Work had detailed information but was • Work provided information competently and,
ss reader to support or to clearly articulate the not organized around the value of the in most cases, articulated the value of
conclusions. value of the conclusions. conclusions. conclusions.
• Made no attempt to convince the • Attempted to convince the reader of • Convinced the reader of the reasonableness
reader of the reasonableness and the reasonableness and and appropriateness of the conclusions.
appropriateness of the appropriateness of the conclusions.
conclusions.

Total

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I have received a copy of the syllabus for this course. I have read and understand the requirements necessary to
successfully complete this course and I understand that it is my responsibility to follow the policies set forth and
complete the work required in order to pass this course.

Once again, I am also acknowledging my understanding of the Academic Honesty Policy, the Honor
Code, and all other Program Handbook policies.

I have received a copy of the syllabus for the course and understand the requirements for successful completion of
this course.

Student Name: (Print) ___________________________________

Student Signature: ____________________________________

Date: ____________________________________

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