BU121 - FUNCTIONAL AREAS

COURSE SYLLABUS
WINTER 2023

COURSE SYLLABUS TABLE OF CONTENTS

Faculty Team & Office Hours p. 2
Support/Resource Staff p. 2
Learning Objectives p. 2
Course Schedule Overview p. 3
Course Methodology p. 4
Assessments & Assessment Policies p. 5-7
Bonus Mark Opportunities p. 7-8
Lab Expectations, Grades & Attendance Policies p. 8-10
Required Course Materials & Digital Text Details p. 11
Student Codes of Conduct & Academic Integrity p. 11-12
Student Resources: Academic Advising & Support Supplemental Instruction, p. 12-14
Student Success Session, Accessible Learning, Health & Wellness, Faculty Office
Hours, IA Office Hours
Student Privacy p. 14-15
Religious Observances p. 15
Adherence to Public Health Guidelines p. 16
Intellectual Property p. 16

*The course schedule, evaluation scheme, methodology, assessments, lab attendance and
exam policies have been planned based on current public health guidelines. Should these
guidelines change, any adjustments will be communicated to students.
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FACULTY TEAM & OFFICE HOURS

Lecturer/Course Coordinator: Leanne Hagarty
Sections/Days/ A Tues./Thurs. 8:30 – 9:50 AM LH3094
Times/Classroom: B Tues./Thurs. 10:00 – 11:20 AM LH3094
C Mon./Wed. 1:00 – 2:20 PM LH3094
D Mon./Wed. 2:30 – 4:00 PM LH3094
Office Hours: IN-PERSON: Wednesdays 4:30 – 5:30 PM in LH4072 (masks
required)
VIRTUAL: Thursdays 2:30 – 3:30 PM at this ZOOM LINK
Alternate dates/times: By appointment
Email: lhagarty@wlu.ca

Lecturer: Brandon Van Dam

Sections/Days/ E Mon./Wed. 4:00 – 5:20 PM LH3094
Times/Classroom: S1 Mon./Wed. 5:30 – 6:50 PM LH3094
Office Hours: VIRTUAL: Tuesdays 5:00 – 6:00PM at this ZOOM LINK
IN-PERSON or other alternate dates/times: By appointment
Email: bvandam@wlu.ca
SUPPORT/RESOURCE STAFF
Faculty Assistant Indera Singh isingh@wlu.ca
Head IA Rohit Dabke BU121HeadIA@wlu.ca
Business Librarian Matthew Rohweder mrohweder@wlu.ca
IA Office Hours posted on MyLS under ‘Lab Information’

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At a high level, BU121 is designed to help undergraduate students:
• transition to University,
• create connections with other students and a sense of belonging,
• become “…capable of thinking in a complex, and uncertain world…” (Martin, 2020), and
• work toward BBA competencies if they are enrolled in a BBA or Double Degree program.
Specific content and skill development learning objectives (LOs) are as follows:
LO1 Understand and apply the three aims of critical thinking.
LO2 Understand and apply how to generate and evaluate new venture ideas, and how
and why business organizations use models to create, deliver, and capture value.
LO3 Understand and apply the key activities and decisions of the functional areas of
business organizations (marketing, finance, human resources, and operations) at an
introductory level. The concepts will provide a foundation that may be further
developed in senior courses.
LO4 Practice and develop key skills including: business writing, individual presentation,
teamwork, group presentation, and independent learning.
LO5 Understand and apply integrative thinking.
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COURSE SCHEDULE (OVERVIEW ONLY – FOR DETAILS OF WHAT TO READ AND PREPARE FOR
LECTURES AND LABS, USE THE WEEKLY CHECKLIST IN MyLS)
Week/Date Lecture Topic(s) Lab Exercises Due Dates
1 – Jan. 9th Course Introduction Lab 1 – Intros, Expectations,
What is a Critical Thinker Success Strategies
and Why Become One?
2 – Jan. 16th Understanding the Three Lab 2 – Critical thinking activities
Aims of Critical Thinking
3 – Jan. 23rd Ideation Lab 3 – Argument development
Pitch and writing activities
4 – Jan. 30th Business Models Lab 4 - Ideation activities Critical Thinking Report due
Feb. 3 before 6:00 PM
5 – Feb. 6th Marketing – Understanding Lab 5 – Pitch & BMC activities Ideation & Pitch assignment
Marketing Principles and due Feb. 12 before 6:00 PM
Developing Products
6 – Feb. 13th Marketing – Developing Lab 6 - Pitch Presentations
Products cont’d
Marketing – Pricing and
Promoting Products
Feb. 20-26 READING WEEK – NO READING WEEK – NO LABS
LECTURES
7 – Feb. 27th Marketing – Promoting Lab 7 - Marketing activity & MIDTERM EXAM –
Products cont’d and midterm question practice SATURDAY, MARCH 4,
Distributing Products 11:30 AM TO 1:30 PM
Finance – Intro
8 – Mar. 6th Finance – TAM/SAM/SOM Lab 8 - Teamwork and feedback
Finance - Cash Budget activities, discussion of New
Venture project
9 – Mar. 13th Finance – Cash Budget Lab 9 – BMC and Sales Forecast Interim Peer Evaluations due
cont’d Peer Reviews Mar. 15 before 11:59 PM
Finance - Break-even

10 – Mar. 20th Human Resources Lab 10 – Cash Budget and Break- Bus. Model Plan &
even Practice Qs Presentation Slides due Mar.
26 before 6:00 PM

11 – Mar. 27th Operations Lab 11 - NV Presentations/Q&A Peer evaluations due Mar.

30 before 11:59 PM
NV Competition* Saturday,
April 1st (semis in morning,
finals in afternoon)
12 – Apr. 3rd Career Integrated Learning Lab 12 – Reflections on Year 1 of
Workshop university & practice questions to
Course Recap & Reflection prepare for final exam

*BDO New Venture Competition Details will be announced in BBA and DD lectures and posted on MyLS.
BBA and DD students: book the competition date of April 1st on your calendar and do not make any
other plans. This is a required component of BU121 and your participation is mandatory. Check your
calendar NOW to identify if you have a conflict with the competition time. An academic conflict (exam
for other courses) will be accommodated if you report it well in advance of the competition but NOT if
you report it after semi-finalists are announced.
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COURSE METHODOLOGY
In BU121 we will be using 4 approaches to learning:

1. Textbook and course readings/videos – The assigned chapters, readings, and videos
provide you with the base knowledge needed to understand the ‘threshold’ concepts and
terminology required for the course. These concepts are needed to understand the richer
classroom discussions. It is expected that you have completed the readings and videos
and have reflected on them prior to attending lectures.

2. Lectures – Lectures focus on deeper and more advanced discussion of the base material.
Power Point slides will be available ahead of time on MyLS. The slides are not a substitute
for attending class; they are provided as a base only. Active listening and comprehensive
notetaking are critical to success in the course.

3. Labs – A weekly 80-minute lab is a required component of BU121. Labs start the FIRST
week of classes (week of January 9th,2023). Labs provide students with the opportunity
to reflect on, engage with and apply lecture content through interactive activities.
Additionally, students can practice and develop key skills that are important to academic
and career success (outlined in LO4). Some of the course assessments take place in the
lab.

You will earn your lab preparation and contribution grade, worth 10% of your total course
mark, in your weekly lab. This grade will be based on your level of preparation as well as
the level and quality of your engagement during the lab. You can only earn these marks
in the lab that you are registered in.

More details about lab expectations and grades will be discussed in Lecture 1 and Lab 1.
However, we wish to emphasize here that active involvement in the lab is paramount to
the quality of your learning experience. It has a direct impact on the value you derive
from the course, and it impacts the learning environment of your peers as well; if you are
disruptive, disrespectful, and/or unprofessional during the lab, it will be reflected in your
marks and escalated to your Lecturer to be considered in the final evaluation of your
grade.

You will receive feedback on your lab preparation and contribution each week. Lab
expectations, grades and attendance policies are outlined in more detail on pgs 8-10.

4. Individual and Group Assignments – To move from a base knowledge of business to a

much richer understanding, the course concepts will be applied to a variety of
assignments. Your meaningful and equitable participation in these assignments is
required to succeed in this course.
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ASSESSMENTS
Detailed assignment instructions and rubrics are posted on MyLS.

Individual Assessments Marks Due Date Time

Critical Thinking Report 10 Friday, Feb. 3 Before 6:00 PM
Ideation & Pitch 10 Sunday, Feb. 12 Before 6:00 PM
Pitch Presentations made in
labs week of Feb. 13
Lab Preparation & 9 Weekly Registered lab time
Contribution
Lab 10 Finance Practice Quiz 1 Sunday, Mar. 19 Before 10:00 PM
In-person Midterm 20 Saturday, Mar. 4 11:30 AM
In-person Final Exam 30 TBD between Apr. 13-29 TBD

Group Assessments Marks Due Date Time

Business Model Plan 10 Sunday, Mar. 26 Before 6:00 PM
Business Model Presentation 10 Slides due Sunday, Mar. 26 Before 6:00 PM
Presentations made in labs
week of Mar. 27
Peer evaluations Wednesday, Mar. 15th Before 11:59 PM
Thursday, Mar. 30th

ASSESSMENT POLICIES
Assignments:
• All assignments must be submitted to the relevant MyLS dropbox (outlined in instructions)
before the due date and time. Detailed assignment instructions and rubrics are posted on
MyLS; read them carefully and refer to them regularly for guidance on completing your
assignments.
• All assignments will be reviewed in Turnitin.com to assist in upholding our academic
integrity standards. Ensure that you are submitting your own, original work and citing your
sources properly. More information regarding academic integrity can be found at Academic
Integrity Guidelines.
• If you miss the assignment deadline:
o Submit your assignment as soon as possible to the MyLS dropbox and email your
Lecturer (with cc: to your IA) to explain why you were late, what steps you took
before the deadline to try to meet the submission deadline and what you will do in
the future to ensure on-time submission.
o Your assignment will be graded, and you will receive feedback so that you can track
your achievement of learning objectives, but the grade will be overridden to ZERO
(0).
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o At the end of the semester, your Lecturer will review your explanation and your
track record throughout the course to determine if the late penalty may be reduced.
Late penalties are not waived unless there are exceptional circumstances.
• NOTE: All group members receive the ZERO (0) grade for late group assignment submissions
(not just the student who was responsible for submitting the assignment on behalf of the
group). Communicate closely and proactively to ensure this does not occur!
• NOTE: Connectivity and technology issues are not considered valid reasons for late
submissions. Assignment deadlines are set at the beginning of term and there is an ample
submission window. Complete and submit work in advance of deadlines to avoid last-
minute technology issues.

Exams:
• You will be required to complete multiple choice questions on a Scantron card for both the
midterm and final exams. You are responsible for following the instructions carefully to
ensure your answers are assigned to your Student ID.
• To achieve a passing grade in the course, students must demonstrate their ability to achieve
the learning objectives without the assistance of peers, IAs or Lecturers. To do so, students
must pass EITHER the midterm exam or the final exam. Failing both exams may result in
an automatic failure in the course.

Midterm Exam: There is no deferred midterm exam scheduled for BU121. Students who have
an academic, religious, or varsity conflict with the midterm exam must notify their Lecturer by
January 13, 2023. Students who experience illness or a serious and unavoidable emergency
must do the following:
• Email their Lecturer before the midterm exam start time.
• Within 48 hours of the midterm exam start time, complete the self-declaration form found
here https://web.wlu.ca/illness/
• Provided the student fulfills both steps 1 and 2 with sufficient detail to confirm the midterm
absence and no other contradictory information becomes known to the Lecturer, the
weight of the midterm will be transferred to the final exam. Note that the final exam
would be worth 50% of the student’s overall course grade and may be cumulative in terms
of course content (the regular final exam only includes material covered after the midterm).
• If a student does not fulfill both steps 1 and 2 with sufficient detail, they will receive a ZERO
(0) grade on the midterm.
• It is ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT to submit a false self-declaration form. If other contradictory
information becomes known to the Lecturer, the student may be asked for further evidence
to corroborate the existence of the illness or emergency.
• Under no circumstances should students assume that special arrangements or deferred
midterm exams will be set by the Lecturer. Vacations are NOT considered a sufficient
excuse for missing an examination.

Final Exam: The date and time of the final exam is set by the Exams Office and normally posted
in Week 7 of the semester at Exam Schedule. The final exam period is April 13-29, 2023.
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• Final exam deferrals are approved by the Lazaridis School of Business & Economics Petitions
Committee. The process and appropriate forms can be found at Deferred Exam Procedures.
• The Petitions Committee will not approve deferrals due to travel commitments; do not
book any travel plans until you review the final exam schedule!

Teamwork & Peer Evaluations:

• Teamwork is a critical skill in your academic, professional and social life. BU121 provides
you with the opportunity to develop your teamwork skills. As a student who chose to enroll
in this course, it is your responsibility to meaningfully participate in group activities and
tasks.
• Success strategies for effective teamwork will be discussed in your lab. Guidelines for
effective teamwork and peer evaluation procedures are also posted on MyLS.
• To support the development of your teamwork skills and to help ensure that group
assignment grades are allocated fairly and equitably, students must complete an interim
peer evaluation (March 15, 2023) and final peer evaluations for both the report and
presentation (March 30, 2023). Your feedback needs to be detailed and constructive.
• Penalties for late submission of peer evaluations are as follows:
o 10% individual penalty if submitted .1-24 hours after the deadline
o 20% individual penalty if submitted more than 24 hours after the deadline
• The interim peer evaluation does not impact your grade; it is for information and
development.
• A grade for the Business Model Plan and Business Model Presentation will be assigned to
the entire group and then adjusted according to peer evaluations. If a student does not
demonstrate commitment to contributing fairly and equitably to group work despite
receiving verbal and written feedback, the Lecturer will review their involvement and may
assign a grade of ZERO (0) on the group assignments.
BONUS MARK OPPORTUNITIES
Students can earn up to 3.75 bonus marks in BU121 as follows:
1. BU121 Academic Success BootCamp: Earn .25 marks for attending this workshop on Friday,
January 20th from 1:30 to 3:30 PM. Location will be posted by Jan. 13th. More details can be
found on p. 13 of the syllabus.

2. Supplemental Instruction (SI): Earn .25 marks for each non-exam review SI session you
attend and properly participate in, to a maximum of 1.5 marks. More details can be found
on p. 12 of the syllabus and the schedule of session times can be found at SI Sessions
Website.

3. Pearson Homework & Dynamic Study Modules: Earn up to 1 bonus mark by doing
textbook chapter review quizzes, mini-simulations and Dynamic Study Modules in the
Pearson MyLab platform. There are 9 different homework assessments; each one is worth
.11 marks. The amount of bonus earned will be the sum of the percentages received on
each activity. DEADLINE FOR COMPLETION is March 31st, 2023 at 11:59 PM. Homework
assessments are found in the ‘Pearson MyLab Assessments’ folder in MyLS and they open
during the week the related topics are covered in lecture. In addition to earning up to 1
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bonus mark, these assessments can test and improve your understanding of course
material.

4. BDO New Venture Competition: Earn 1 bonus mark if you are a group member of the semi-
finalist team chosen from your lab (applies to all students). BBA and DD students that
proceed to the final round of the BDO New Venture Competition and complete all
competition requirements will be eligible for scholarship prizes.
LAB EXPECTATIONS, GRADES AND ATTENDANCE POLICIES
As noted on p. 4, active involvement in the lab is paramount to the quality of your learning
experience and your ability to develop the skills outlined in Learning Objective 4. As a result,
LAB ATTENDANCE IS COMPULSORY.

ENSURE YOU UNDERSTAND AND ADHERE TO THE LAB ATTENDANCE POLICIES CAREFULLY.
You will receive a mark of ZERO (0) on all assignments and lab preparation/contribution if
you have more than one unvalidated absence and/or more than one substitute lab per
semester. These components are worth 50 marks in the course.

1. Expectations: As noted on pages 4 and 5, and as discussed in lecture and lab, your
engagement in the lab is directly correlated with the value you derive from the course. It
also impacts the learning environment of your peers; you are expected to conduct yourself
respectfully, professionally and act with integrity during the lab. If your conduct is
disruptive or problematic, it will be reflected in your lab marks and escalated to your
Lecturer to be considered in the final evaluation of your course grade.
2. Grades: Your preparation for and contribution during your weekly lab are worth 9 marks in
BU121. You can only earn lab grades when you attend the lab you are registered in. Lab
grades apply to labs 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 12. 1 additional lab grade can be earned by
completing a finance quiz before Lab 10. More details regarding lab preparation and
contribution are listed below:

Lab Preparation
• Review readings/videos posted in MyLS Weekly Checklist and reflect on the material prior
to attending your lab.
• At the beginning of each lab, you will be required to answer two (2) reflection questions
about the assigned material (except in Lab 3 when there are a larger number of shorter
questions).
• After the lab is over, your IA will review your preparation answers and assess the level of
your preparation i.e. thorough, mediocre, little to no preparation.
• Preparation is worth .5 marks each week that lab grades are earned however, understand
that preparation is closely correlated to your contribution. Do not underestimate the
value of good preparation!
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Lab Contribution
• Engage fully in the lab activities and exercises that are facilitated by your IA.
• When you participate, the intent is not to be ‘right’. Remember that the lab provides you
with the opportunity to reflect on and engage with the course material in order to
improve your understanding and help you achieve the learning objectives. Therefore, you
need to open yourself up and interact with the concepts; doing so helps you and your
peers truly learn.
• You will be assessed on the level of your engagement i.e. never, occasional, regular, or
always.
• You will also be assessed on the quality of your engagement. While you don’t need to
be ‘right’, there are ways to demonstrate quality engagement:
o contributions reflect that student is well prepared for lab
o contributions are relevant to the discussion and activities, adding value to the
learning
o contributions are provided in supportive, respectful and professional manner
(with IA and peers)
• Within one hour of the completion of your lab, you will be required to complete a lab
contribution quiz in MyLS in which you will propose a contribution grade for yourself and
provide reflection comments about how you demonstrated the development of the lab’s
learning objectives.
• After the lab is over, your IA will review your proposed grade and reflection comments
and assign a grade that reflects the level and quality of your contribution.
• Contribution is worth .5 mark each week that lab grades are earned.

3. Absence/Substitution: You are allowed one unvalidated absence from labs per semester
and you are allowed to substitute one lab per semester. Each unvalidated or substitute lab
results in a 1-mark deduction.
An unvalidated absence means you: a) cannot prove that the absence is unavoidable, and
b) you do not attend a substitute lab during the same week.

A substitution lab means you attend a different lab than the one you are registered during
the same academic week that you missed your own lab (see MyLS for the lab schedule).
Email your IA and the IA of the lab that you wish to attend IN ADVANCE OF ATTENDING the
substitute lab, informing them of your intention to attend a different lab for that week. YOU
MAY NOT SUBSTITUTE LABS 6 OR 11.

4. Illness: If you are ill and cannot attend your lab, you must do the following before your lab,
or in the case of a medical emergency, as soon as you are able to:

Complete this self-declaration form https://web.wlu.ca/illness/

Email your IA and Lecturer, informing them of the reason for your absence. Once your
Lecturer receives your email and the self-declaration form, they will determine if your
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absence can be validated. FOR YOUR HEALTH, AND FOR THE HEALTH OF OUR LEARNING
COMMUNITY, PLEASE DO NOT COME TO CAMPUS IF YOU ARE UNWELL.

If the illness is chronic and likely to occur more than once through the term, please email
your Lecturer and IA at the beginning of the term to arrange accommodations. The student
may be required to receive approval for accommodations through the Accessible Learning
Centre.

5. Serious & Unavoidable Absence: If you are absent due to a serious and unavoidable
reason, i.e., funeral, e-mail your Lecturer and your IA notifying them of the circumstances.
This should occur before the lab where the situation was known in advance or the
circumstances reasonably allow. Your Lecturer will review your information and determine
if your absence can be validated.
6. Late Arrival to Lab: If the lab has started and you aren’t present, you will be marked as late
(assuming you are under 20 minutes late). Every three late arrivals to lab (less than 20
minutes late each time), will result in a 1-mark deduction from your overall grade.
If you are more than 20 minutes late to a lab, it will be recorded as an unvalidated absence,
resulting in a 1-mark deduction from your overall grade. If there are extenuating
circumstances that contributed to your late arrival, email your Lecturer and IA to explain the
situation.

REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS & DIGITAL TEXT DETAILS

Textbooks:

Ebert, R., Griffin, R.W., Starke, F.A., & Dracopoulos, G (2023). Business Essentials, 10th Canadian
edition. Pearson Canada Inc.

Ivory, S. (2021). Becoming a Critical Thinker. Oxford University Press.

• Both textbooks are offered through the Digital Text Access program. They are embedded in
our MyLS course website within ‘Content’ under the ‘E-Texts’ folder.
• Read the email from digitaltextaccess@wlu.ca that was sent to your @mylaurier email
address on January 3, 2023 for important information about the digital program, how to use
it with maximum functionality and opt out instructions/deadlines.
• The Digital Text Access program uses an OPT-OUT model and you will receive emails to your
@mylaurier email address with an opt-out link and instructions prior to the opt-out
deadline
• If you do not wish to access one or both E-Texts and online learning resources, OPT-
OUT of the program
• Please understand that once you OPT-OUT of the program, you lose access to BOTH
the E-Texts and online learning platforms via MyLS and you cannot opt back in
• The OPT-OUT deadline is January 23, 2023
• If you choose to keep the E-Texts and online learning resources:
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• you will need to convert the license for your digital resources from temporary to
permanent by clicking on the link in BU121 on MyLS
• the charges will be billed to your LORIS student account approximately 4 weeks after
the opt out deadline
• The functionality and flexibility of E-Texts are vastly improved by downloading the
VitalSource E-Reader; see more details at https://wlu-store.vitalsource.com/ .

STUDENT CODES OF CONDUCT & ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

As a student who chose to enroll in a course at Wilfrid Laurier University, you have both rights
and responsibilities. Please review and adhere to the Non-Academic Student Code of Conduct
as outlined in detail here: Non-Academic Student Code of Conduct

Additionally, in the Lazaridis School of Business & Economics, we believe it is important for
students to develop and exhibit the levels of respect, professionalism, and ethical behaviour
that will be expected of you in the workforce. Over several years, we – together with students
and IAs – have developed an academic code of conduct for BU121. When you enroll in this
course, you are expected to act as follows:

Treat others with RESPECT

• Treat others (students, IAs, staff, faculty) in the same manner you would wish to be treated
• Do not demean other students in or out of the classroom
• Avoid derogatory comments regarding other students, IAs or faculty
• Respect differing points of view
• Do your fair share of group work
• Respect the learning environment – do not disrupt the lab or lecture
• Turn off cell phones and shut down extraneous computer programs when in lab or lecture
• Respect university property and those who use it – when on campus, take your garbage
with you or deposit it in the nearest garbage and recycling receptable when you leave the
classroom
• Do not use social media in any way that discredits, disrespects, disadvantages, or threatens
fellow students, the IAs, the faculty, the course, or the School
o NOTE: If you create a social media platform for use in this course i.e., DISCORD,
you take full and sole responsibility for monitoring the comments, and ensuring
the tone of the comments are respectful, professional, and promotes academic
integrity. If the social media platform is not managed appropriately, the student
who created it and any students that are misusing it will be subject to Laurier’s
Non-Academic Code of Conduct.

Act PROFESSIONALLY
• Behave as you would in a business setting with your colleagues and/or supervisors
• Stay on task during labs and lectures – do not multi-task
• Arrive on time and leave after you are dismissed from labs and lectures – do not arrive late
and/or leave early until cleared with your IA and/or Lecturer ahead of time
• Be alert and engaged during labs and lectures
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• Once labs and lectures begin, stay in the classroom unless it is absolutely necessary to leave
• Listen when others are talking - do not talk or disrupt when others are talking
• Use information technology in a responsible and professional way. Refer to the Use of
Information Technology policy found HERE.

Act with INTEGRITY

As a member of our learning community, you must also understand and follow Wilfrid Laurier
University’s codes and standards of academic integrity. The BU121 faculty and IA team take
academic integrity seriously and uphold these policies. It is your responsibility to become
familiar with and adhere to university and course expectations regarding academic integrity.
To highlight:
• submit your own work
• do not plagiarize
• do not collaborate on assignments that are individual
• do not cheat
• do not purchase or obtain assignments for submission as your own
• do not impersonate someone, and
• do not falsify or misrepresent academic records or supporting documents.

Lack of knowledge will not be accepted as an adequate defense for any violations committed.
Please review and adhere to the Academic Integrity policies outlined in detail here: Academic
Integrity Definitions and Procedures.

STUDENT RESOURCES
There are many resources available to help you succeed at University; some resources have
been specifically created for this course and some are general to all students.

Academic Advising and Support: A variety of resources and supports are housed under
Academic Advising and Support including Academic Advising, GPA Calculator, Study Skills and
Course Support, Writing Services, Math and Statistics Support, and Accessible Learning Centre.
Course Specific Resources:

Supplemental Instruction (SI): Each week SI Learning Assistants will facilitate 80-minute remote
sessions where you and your peers will work together to develop ways to gain a deeper
understanding of the material covered in lectures. Regular engagement with SI sessions is
strongly correlated with overall course grades; when you understand the material, you are
better able to apply it to assignments and exams.

To encourage you to proactively take responsibility for your learning, you can earn up to a total
of 1.5 bonus participation marks by engaging in the weekly SI sessions.

SI sessions begin on Sunday, January 15th, 2023. You will be added to a MyLS page for BU 121
SI: BU-121 Supplemental Instruction (SI) | Winter 2023. Through this site, you will get access
to the scheduled remote SI sessions as well as location details for the in-person SI sessions. If
you register late in the course and/or don’t have access, or have questions, reach out to Tammy
Rowe at trowe@wlu.ca.
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We encourage you to participate in as many sessions as possible, but only one non-exam review
session per week (Sunday through Thursday) will count for 0.25 bonus participation marks each
to a total of 1.5 marks. To qualify for the bonus participation marks, students must participate
in the sessions, be fully engaged for the entire time (not doing other homework or being
disruptive) and complete the exercises. Simple attendance at the sessions is not sufficient, and
full attendance (not arriving late or leaving early) is necessary to receive the bonus.

Please note: Although SI can significantly enhance your ability to learn in this course, it is only
designed to be supplemental and does NOT replace lectures or labs.

BU121 Academic Success Boot Camp: Friday, January 20th, 1:30 to 3:30 PM. In this workshop,
you will identify your academic strengths and challenges and develop a plan for success in
BU121. You’ll explore and implement strategies to learn course material in a way that increases
comprehension and decreases the need to cram for exams. Topics covered include time
management, metacognition, and active learning.

Faculty Office Hours: Your Lecturer will be available for office hours as outlined on page 2 of
this syllabus. Office hours are intended to provide support to students that have attended class,
read instructions, and have clarification questions OR for students that have an unique,
personal situation to discuss with the Lecturer. Lecturers do not re-teach content to students
who miss lecture during office hours. If you miss a lecture, review the relevant materials,
borrow notes from a classmate and/or attend SI the following week.

IA Office Hours: Each week, IAs will host IN-PERSON group office hours for students. Again,
these office hours are not for re-teaching course content to students who miss lectures;
instead, they are intended to provide support to students that seek clarification. Times are
posted on MyLS under ‘Lab Information’.

General Resources:

Accessible Learning Centre: As part of Academic Advising and Support, the Accessible Learning
Centre provides services and resources to students with disabilities or special needs. Students
with disabilities or special needs should proactively contact Laurier’s Accessible Learning
Centre for information regarding its services and resources. If you are unsure what resources
are appropriate for you or require any assistance with any type of academic issues, contact the
Central Academic Advising Office at http://www.wlu.ca/academicadvising.

Health & Wellness Resources: Laurier’s Student Wellness Centre is the home of all physical,
emotional and mental health services for students. Their multidisciplinary team offers
comprehensive, collaborative service to help students get the best support in the most
seamless and coordinated manner possible. All students have access to these services through
their OHIP and extended health plans. The Centre welcomes and supports diverse
communities. Please refer to this website for more information: WLU Health and Wellness
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Academic Progression Resources: It is important for students to understand the progression

requirements and academic regulations for their program. Refer to the 2022/23
Undergraduate Academic Calendar as well as Program Requirements . For additional support,
we strongly encourage BBA and Double Degree students to attend the virtual Re-Orientation
Session on Friday, January 13 at 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM. The Zoom link for this important
session is on the BBA MyLS page under Zoom meetings.

Your Strengths Resiliency Program: This program aims to help you move from surviving to
thriving at university by helping you build resiliency. Resiliency can help you live with the
stressors of university life by allowing you to develop coping skills to overcome common
challenges you may face, while becoming stronger from them. The program is now offered in-
person (Brantford & Waterloo Campus’) in the winter semesters. Workshops are open to all
Laurier students.

The program consists of five modules, completed in one term:

1. Perseverance, Grit and Creating Habits
2. Strengths, Balance and Confidence
3. Optimism, Perspective and Self-Compassion
4. Gratitude, Battling Burnout and Forgiveness
5. Flow, Thriving and Curiosity

Registration will be open in mid-January for Winter 2023; spaces are limited so be sure to
register today! Each individual session can be included on your Laurier Experience Record .
Bonus: Students will also receive a specially curated items to add to their resiliency toolkit for
every module they attend. Items include gratitude journal, habit tracker, productivity timer,
tea, seedlings & pot, stationary & pens. Light refreshments will also be provided.

Many other student resources are available from the University; please be sure to learn about
them and use them! You pay for these resources and they are in place to help you succeed,
feel safe, and develop your whole self! Go to https://students.wlu.ca/ regularly.

STUDENT PRIVACY
Every reasonable effort will be made to keep the personal information of the student private and
secure. The following measures have been put in place to balance the requirements of the course
with the need to protect personal information:

▪ Exams and assignments will only be released to the student who submitted them.
▪ Marks will only be released through mylearningspace.wlu.ca. They will only be discussed with
the student, after valid identification has been provided.
▪ The individual circumstances or performance of a student will not be discussed before, during
or after class. Students wishing to review their performance or discuss personal
circumstances affecting their performance should make an appointment to speak to the
Lecturer privately.
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▪ Group work is a necessary component of this course. This will involve disclosure of some
personal information to other class members in order to assign topics, arrange groups,
submit, evaluate and return work. Enrolment in the course is deemed to be consent to such
necessary disclosure.
▪ Class participation is a vital component of this course. This may involve the use of class lists,
name tags, etc. If students are uncomfortable with their name being disclosed in these
formats, they should bring this matter to the attention of the Lecturer during the first week
of class so that alternate arrangements can be made.
▪ The Lecturer will only respond to student email sent from the student’s WLU or UW account.
Students should not contact the Lecturer from any other email (i.e., hotmail).
▪ Peer evaluations will be used in this course. These evaluations will be held in confidence and
will only be disclosed to the student whose mark is affected. Such disclosure will be in an
aggregate form. Individual peer evaluations will not be disclosed. If this is unacceptable to
the student, prior alternate arrangements must be made with the Lecturer.
▪ The record of the student’s progress throughout the course will be maintained by the
Lecturer for a period of one year after completion of the course.

Zoom Security: When you use Zoom for office hours, steps have been taken to protect the
security of information shared. For more information about Zoom and Office365 (including
Teams), please visit ICT’s Tech Support and Services page. Zoom sessions may be recorded with
the video and audio (and in some cases transcription). The recordings may capture your name,
image or voice through the video and audio recordings. By attending these sessions, you are
consenting to the collection of this information for the purposes of administering the office
hours, and associated course work. If you are concerned about the use or collection of your
name and other personal information, please contact the Lecturer to identify possible
alternatives. To learn more about how your personal information is collected, used and
disclosed by the University, please see Laurier’s Notice of Collection, Use and Disclosure of
Personal Information. Policy 9.3: Classroom Use of Electronic Devices.
If students are concerned or need to make special arrangements to accommodate specific
privacy issues, they must bring these matters to the attention of the Lecturer within the first
week of classes so that reasonable accommodations can be made, or an alternate course can
be selected by the students.

RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES
As per University policy effective January 2020, developing accommodations for religious
observances is a shared responsibility between students and their Instructors. To request
accommodations to midterms, quizzes, assignments, labs or other course work due to spiritual
or religious observance, students must alert the instructor within two weeks of the start of
term by submitting the Student Request for Accommodation for Religious Observances form
located here: Accommodations for Religious Observances
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ADHERENCE WITH PUBLIC HEALTH GUIDELINES

Laurier’s face-covering policy will remain in effect when classes resume in January 2023 and
masks will continue to be required for any indoor activity that is part of academic course
delivery.

In following provincial recommendations, the university recommends that Laurier community

members wear a mask in all indoor campus settings to prevent the spread of viruses.

Visit the COVID-19 recovery hub for resources, FAQs, and the most up-to-date information on
Laurier’s health and safety measures.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
The educational materials developed for this course, including, but not limited to, lecture notes
and slides, handout materials, examinations and assignments, and any materials posted to
MyLearningSpace, are the intellectual property of the Lecturer. These materials have been
developed for student use only and they are not intended for wider dissemination and/or
communication outside of a given course. Posting or providing unauthorized audio, video, or
textual material of lecture content to third-party websites violates a Lecturer’s intellectual
property rights, and the Canadian Copyright Act. Recording lectures in any way is prohibited in
this course unless specific permission has been granted by the Lecturer. Failure to follow these
instructions may be in contravention of the university’s Student Non-Academic Code of
Conduct and/or Code of Academic Conduct and will result in appropriate penalties.
Participation in this course constitutes an agreement by all parties to abide by the relevant
University Policies, and to respect the intellectual property of others during and after their
association with Wilfrid Laurier University.
References
Martin, R. (2020). When more is not better: overcoming America’s obsessions with economic
efficiency. Harvard Business Review Press.

THANK YOU FOR READING THE SYLLABUS!