BA 260 On-line Syllabus

BA 260 - Introduction to Entrepreneurship

Online Sections

Instructor:	Kevin Cassidy, MBA	Office Office Hours	Austin 481 See course schedule
Office Phone:	541-737-0078 (VM Only)	Email:	kevin.cassidy@oregonstate.edu
Day/Time lecture	On line lecture, on line dialog.	Class Location	Online
Prereqs	Sophomore Standing

Course Overview

This online 260 course is fairly rigorous and requires continuous participation each week. There are 2 lessons a week to review, a class discussion board post and team discussion post expected for each lesson. There is usually a quiz each week as well. There is a midterm, final, and a group project (there are teams) with 2 parts. Keep in mind that you would be on a team that expects continual interaction for the group projects. The group project is a significant portion of your grade (40%). If you are not committed to working in teams, this course is likely not a good match for you.

Course Texts – Required

1. Transformation Innovation Edition 2 by Jon B. Broome, 2014 Unity press. This electronic text contains the exercises and text required to complete the term project. It is available for $23.95:

https://jon-broome-m35f.squarespace.com (once you add item to cart, click on cart icon in upper right to proceed)

2. Entrepreneurship 9th edition by Hisrich, Peters and Shepherd, McGraw-Hill 2013 ISBN 978-0-07-802919-6

(OSU Bookstore and Amazon).

Learning Objectives/Outcomes

This course is designed to expose you to the basic concepts and language of contemporary entrepreneurship. A primary objective of this course is to encourage entrepreneurial thinking and enable you to evaluate your personal prospects for entrepreneurship. Whether simply desiring to learn more about entrepreneurship or desiring to launch a venture, this course will expose you to the tools you will need to be more effective in the entrepreneurial process. While the majority of your grade will be based on individual assignments, a significant portion of the course is team-based, where you will jointly propose and investigate starting a new business venture. Through the lectures, required text, and illustrative cases, you will be exposed to the theories, concepts, and techniques of entrepreneurship. Specifically, we will cover:

· The mind set and characteristics of an entrepreneur.

· The process of identifying new opportunities.

· Creating and forming a new business venture.

· Acquiring the resources and financing necessary to start an entrepreneurial venture.

A D M I N S y l l a b u s B A 2 6 0 P a g e 1

At the end of this course, you will be able to:

· Demonstrate that you know what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.

· Analyze new business opportunities that exist in the marketplace.

· Evaluate the feasibility of pursuing an opportunity that you’ve recognized.

· Put together a successful new venture.

With these tools, you should be better prepared for the subsequent courses in the entrepreneurship program, and you should also be better equipped to identify entrepreneurial opportunities in your career.

Basic Class Policies

· Active participation: This is an active, experiential class. You must participate in every online session during the time it is open in order to receive credit. If you have schedule conflicts that would keep you from participating in every class session, please consider taking this class during another term. Your online participation in the electronic forums will count as attendance.

· Midterm and Final Exams are Proctored

The midterm and final exams are proctored. You are required to obtain a proctor for each of these tests. Additional expense is typically involved. See “Start Here” module of Canvas for more information.

· Late assignments. In the interest of fairness to all students, grades on late work will be reduced by one letter grade for every 24 hours late. Assignments are due as stated in the “Course Schedule.”

· Students with disabilities. Accommodations are collaborative efforts between students, faculty and Disability Access Services (DAS). Students with accommodations approved through DAS are responsible for contacting the faculty member in charge of the course prior to or during the first week of the term to discuss accommodations. Students who believe they are eligible for accommodations but who have not yet obtained approval through DAS should contact DAS immediately at 541-737-4098.

· Religious accommodation. Any student having particular needs related to religious observances is requested to speak with me during the first week of the term.

· Email/Canvas communication. I will communicate with you using the email address listed for you as well as through announcements posted in Canvas. I expect your email and Canvas to be checked daily.

· Syllabus and Schedule changes. The syllabus and schedule are guides, not a contract, and therefore may be changed as necessary. If changes are made, I will announce the changes by posting an announcement in Canvas generally at least one class in advance of any changes (e.g., change of due date, change of material being covered).

· Class participation-Lecture-Class discussion board. Each student is expected to participate in every class session by watching the online class lectures and engaging in the “CLASS Discussion Board” in Canvas. These sessions are open and available for a limited time only. You must participate during this time to receive credit. See course schedule for details about when classes are open for your participation.

· Class participation-Team: Each student is expected to participate in every team session by engaging in their “TEAM Discussion Board” in Canvas.

Statement of Academic Integrity

Assignments will be assigned to both individuals and teams. You will be expected to complete your work as is appropriate for each assignment.

Any case of academic dishonesty will result in a grade of F for the course. This action is allowed according to the Academic Regulations and Procedures as described in the Schedule of Courses. This includes anyone found to be using the work or analysis of other individuals/groups in the class or other classes (past or present). Anyone who provides information to other students will be similarly disciplined. Exceptions will not be made for graduation status or magnitude/type of dishonesty. Additional information and a statement of expectations for student conduct, i.e., cheating policies may be found at: http://studentlife.oregonstate.edu/studentconduct

About the Instructor

Kevin Cassidy, MBA

Professional experiences include:

· Owner/Operator Zeus Builders (Vail, Colorado).

· Director, Hewlett Packard (Several locations).

- Key member of business startup teams for HP Scanners,
HP Mobile PC’s, HP Video Collaboration Solutions.

- Key member of HP New Business Creation Organization

that launched several new businesses in a variety of
business segments (inkjet printing, laserjet printing,
wireless sensors).

· Currently Chief Operating Officer of a Solar technology startup (Corvallis, Oregon).

Grading Policies

Your individual performance is based on instructor assessment. Your group performance is based on instructor and team member assessments. The table below shows the points available from the various assignments. There are no extra credit assignments in this course. Your final letter grade is based on total points at the end of the quarter.

Graded Assignment		Possible Points
Team Project (total worth 450 points)*
	Team member evaluation (by team members) 2 times @ 25 points each	50
	Team Paper 1: New Venture Screen	100
	Final Team Project	300
Quizzes (6 @ 20 Points each)		120
Midterm Exam (Proctored)		200
Final Exam (Proctored)		250
Participation on Canvas in Class discussion board 18 lessons @5 points each		90
Total		1110

*IMPORTANT NOTE: At the end of Team Paper 1, any team member who has earned less than an average of 15 points for the peer evaluation will receive two letter grades lower than the team receives. For severe team participation issues, a member may be removed from the team. Should that happen, that person will be expected to complete his or her own project alone. At the end of the final team project, any team member who has earned less than an average of 15 points for the peer evaluation will receive two letter grades lower than the team receives.

Grading

The grading scale is as follows:

A 100-93%; A- 92.9-90; B+ 89.9-87; B 86.9-85; B- 84.9-80; C+ 79.9 77; C 76.9-73; C- 72.9-70; D+ 69.9-67; D 66.9-63; D- 62.9-60; F below 60

Incompletes: Take this course only if you plan to finish it in a timely manner (during this term). I assign an "I" or incomplete only when there is a strong and compelling case for doing so (e.g., health reasons, military commitment). I will not consider assigning an incomplete unless the individual has completed over 75% of the course tasks. Please note that students receiving incompletes are subject to assignment weight reduction (and consequently may not be eligible for A or A- grades) because some of their work will be submitted late.

NOTE: You should decide now what grade you need to receive in this class. You have ample opportunity to earn that grade. Therefore, there is no need to request a grade change at the end of quarter due to your need to either: (1) graduate, (2) avoid academic probation, (3) get off probation, (4) stay in the country, (5) stay in school, (6) keep your scholarship or financial aid, (7) avoid the wrath of your parents, or (8) avoid any other grade related calamity.