This document outlines the syllabus for the BUS 305 Business Communications course taught by Professor Michael Germano in Spring 2014. The course will focus on refining students' communication skills for use in a business context. Students will complete various writing assignments, presentations, and exams assessing their understanding of business communication principles and ability to effectively analyze information and communicate recommendations. The course runs for 10 weeks, meeting twice weekly, and students can earn a total of 100 points through assessments weighted towards an analytical report, oral presentation, short writing assignments, midterm, final, and class participation.

1. BUS 305 Professor Germano Spring 2014 1
BUS 305 BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONSYLLABUSSPRING 2014
Salazar Hall Room 362
Monday and Wednesday 8:00-9:40 AM
Professor: Michael Germano
E-mail: mgerman@calstatela.edu
Text: 769-287-1015
Twitter: @profmgermano
Phone: 323-343-3963
Office Location: Library North Room 1018A (Ask for me at reference desk)
Office Hours: Monday, Tuesday,Wednesday (3:00-4:00) and Thursday 3:00-6:00 or by
appointment
Required Course Materials
Text: Baker, W. H. (2013). Writing and Speaking for Business. 3rd ed. BYU Press.
Course Website: www.calstatela.libguides.com/germanobus305 (password GERMANO)
Course Description
Prerequisite: English 101, 102. A PASSING SCORE ON THE WPE, and 90 QUARTER UNITS
OF COLLEGE WORK. Principles of business communication; emphasis on clear and correct
communication as a tool for business decision-making.
Course Objective
The purpose of this course is to refine your communication skills and develop them within a
business context. To succeed in the workplace you must be a capable and proficient
communicator. Technical skills are important in future success, but soft skills like written and
verbal communication are even more critical. BUS 305 will play a pivotal role in your soft skills
development and allow you to develop these for future professional success.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students that successfully complete BUS 305 will be able to do the following:
Understand the role of communication and its importance in business environments;
Understand the impact and importance of technology on business communication with
emphasis placed upon the role of technology in immediacy and replication of messages;
Understand the difference between primary and secondary information sources and their
respective roles in decision making and analysis;
Understand the types of secondary information available (scholarly, popular, trade) for
business decision making;
Utilize library databases and the internet to find credible, authoritative and reliable
information for business related problem solving and decision making;

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Analyze information for relevancy and applicability to problem solving;
Evaluate research findings and apply them to problem solving in order to make
recommendations and suggestions;
Compose and write effective business correspondence of a variety of types (good news,
bad news, persuasive, analytical);
Evaluate written messages for effectiveness, impact and needed revision;
Draft an analytical business report that is based upon relevant and credible information
(primary and secondary)that is used to solve a specific problem;
Deliver effective business presentations using appropriate visuals and professional public
speaking skills.
Course Requirements
Students in BUS 305 can earn 100 points total over the course of the quarter. The total points
earned will determine the final grade:
A 95-100 C+ 75-79
A- 91-94 C 70-74
B+ 87-90 C- 66-69
B 84-86 D 60-65
B- 80-83 F <60
Grading:
Grades are based upon the followingassigned course requirements/deliverables:
Analytical report 30% (30 points)
Oral presentation 5% (5 points)
Short writing assignments 30% (30 points)
Midterm 15% (15 points)
Final 15% (15 points)
Classroom contributions 5% (5 points)
Brief descriptions of each deliverable are listed below. Consult the course calendar at the end of
this syllabus for all due dates.
Analytical Report: Working (meetingand communicating regularly) in groups, students will draft
an analytical report that examines a business problem or issue and makes recommendations
regarding proposed actions/solutions. The analytical report will have a specific format and be
based upon primary and secondary research. Detailed instructions will be given out week 3. The
report is worth 30 points/30% of your grade.
Oral Presentation: 5 points/5% of your grade will be based upon an oral presentation of your
analytical report. Detailed instructions will be given out week 3.
Short Writing Assignments: 30% of your grade will be based upon six individual short writing
assignments worth five points each. These will be due the subsequent week after they are
assigned. Detailed instructions on each short, 1-3 page writing assignment will be given to you in
class the week before they must be submitted. These assignments will include writing the
following:
1. Statement of interest/cover letter for a job application and resume
2. Acceptance of a job offer

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3. Neutral analysis memo (based upon a specific fact pattern)
4. Disappointing news memo with persuasive change suggestions (based upon a
specific fact pattern)
5. Good news and implications (based upon a specific fact pattern)
6. Summary ofa complex process, evaluation of its effectiveness and persuasive
recommendations for change (based upon a specific fact pattern)
Examinations: The course will include both a midterm and a final. The midterm and final will not
be cumulative and instead cover the material from the first half of the course (midterm) and the
second half (final.) Exams will be a combination of multiple choice, definitions and short essays.
Both exams are open book. Each exam is worth 15 points or 15% of your grade for a total of 30
points/30% combined.
Class Contributions: 5 points/5% of your grade will come from class contributions. Attendance
alone is not sufficient. You must be engaged and participate in order to earn these 5 points. To
receive the 5 points for class contributions you cannot miss more than 2 classes over the course
of the quarter and you must participate and engage during discussions and activities.
Course Policies
A student that succeeds in BUS 305 must demonstrate the following traits and characteristics:
Owns a copy of the textbook and reads it regularly;
Observes all university policies related to academic honesty and adheres to them at all
times;
Shows up on time and prepared for class each week and stays focused for the entire
period;
Actively engages professor and classmates during discussions and class activities;
Adopts disciplined study/work habits that allocate at least 4-6 hours per week on
average for outside preparation and completion of readings;
Is fully aware of all due dates, exam dates, course requirements and asks professor
(via email or office hours) if they do not;
Checks email regularly and communicates with professor in a timely way when
needed;
Does not make excuses for missed deadlines or failed work and instead offers
solutions to the problem of not meeting course requirements;
Is a responsible team member who contributes to group projects and communicates
with team members;
Acts like an adult who accepts full responsibility for their choices and actions whether
they result in success or failure;
Commits fully to their professional success as a student while achieving balance in
their personal life so it does not impinge upon that commitment.
Students with Disabilities
The university provides reasonable accommodations to students with documented physical and
learning disabilities. The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD), located in Student Affairs
Room 115 coordinates all documentation of disabilities (323-343-3140)
http://www.calstatela.edu/univ/osd.

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Class Schedule
Week Topics Covered Required
Reading
Due Dates &
Deadlines
1 Overview of Course and Syllabus
Business and communication introduced
Communication’s foundation for networking
Chapters 1 & 2 Non-graded
networking
introduction
message
2 Planning and outlining messages
Composing written messages
Employment communications
Chapters 3 & 7 Short writing
assignment #1
(Resume & Cover
letter)
3 Writing business reports Chapter 10 Short writing
assignment #2
(Acceptance of
employment)
4 Conducting and documenting business research
Information ethics, citation and plagiarism
Chapter 9
5 Midterm ExamWednesday April 30 8:00 AM
Writing business correspondence Chapter 6
Midterm4/30
(Chapters 1, 2, 3,
7,10, 9)
6 Writing proposals and solving problems Chapter 8 Short writing
assignment #3
(Neutral analysis
memo)
7 Using visuals
Designing visual aids
Chapters 4 & 11 Short writing
assignment #4
(Bad
news/persuasive
memo)
8 Revising and editing text Chapter 5 Short writing
assignment #5
(Good
news/implications)
9 Oral communications Chapter 12 Short writing
assignment #6
(Evaluation of
complex process
and persuasive
change)
10 Presentations None Oral Presentations
Analytical reports
due
Finals Final Exam Monday June 9 8:00 AM Final exam6/9
(Chapters 6, 8, 4,
11, 5, 12)
Class schedule subject to change. Any changes will be communicated during class meetings.
If you have any questions at any point during the quarter please
contact the professor via email or during office hours as soon as
possible.