SYLLABUS: BUSINESS LAW
BA 230, Fall 2005
OFFICE PHONE: 541-737-8717. HOME PHONE: 503-236-3559
EMAIL: kenstodd@earthlink.net, or
BIOGRAPHY: Mr. Stodd has more than 30 years law practice experience, primarily in the fields of business and insurance law. He has many years of general practice experience as well as stints as general counsel to medium sized corporations. He has been an insurance claims manager and claims counsel, and a litigation attorney with an insurance defense law firm. He has served on three Oregon State Bar committees, and is a past president of the Columbia County Bar Association. Most recently he was employed for seven years as General Counsel to a permanent employee leasing corporation with over 250 client employers and 3,000 leased employees in five western states. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Lewis& Clark College, and a Juris Doctor degree from Northwestern College of Law.
In addition to Oregon State, he has previously taught Business Law at Mt. Hood Community College, University of Phoenix, Keller Graduate School of Business Management and the College of Legal Arts. He has also taught courses in Employment Law, Administrative Law and Introduction to Law.
CLASS MEETING TIME AND PLACE: Section 004 meets Tuesday and Thursday, 10:00 – 11:50 a.m. in Bexell 102. Section 005 meets Tuesday and Thursday, 12:00 – 1:50 p.m. in Bexell 102.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: 1) Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the legal environment of business including the judicial system, legislative system, and administrative agencies; 2 Demonstrate understanding and skill applying business law concepts to business problems including those involving contract, tort and criminal law issues; 3) Demonstrate the ability to critically analyze news reports of current legal proceedings and issues and relate them to the material covered in the course; 4) Demonstrate the ability to analyze the meaning of selected judicial cases including the management implications of legal rules drawn from those cases; 5) Demonstrate the ability to use the Web to research basic legal issues, to find cases and other legal reference materials and to access and download materials for the course; 6) Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of contemporary legal issues related to managing a business including the impact of global business markets, e-business, and sustainable business practices, business ethics and social responsibility as well as the legal implications of business problems.
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
Text: Miller, Cross & Jentz, Essentials of the Legal Environment (2005).
Course Website: Available on the COB Website, click “student services,” “course material,” “BA 230,” click on the section with my name, “Ken Stodd,” or “Staff.” The section Website contains the syllabus and other materials for my sections of the course. Additional materials will be provided in class and/or on this Website.
OFFICE HOURS:
Bexell Hall Room 315, Tuesdays 2:00-3:00 p.m., Thursdays 2:00-2:30 p.m., or at other times by appointment
Generally the assigned reading for each class includes one chapter from the Miller, Cross and Jentz text and additional assigned readings as listed in this syllabus or assigned in class. You are required to do the reading assignments in the text before the class for which it is assigned. Tips: 1) It is a good idea to go to the text website and take the interactive quizzes for each chapter. Some of these question will be included on chapter tests and/or the final exam. 2) Make sure you read the court opinions (“cases”) in each chapter carefully and that you understand them. You may need to read the entire chapter before reading the case to fully understand the courts’ opinions.
There will be 3 writing assignments, involving 1) a Web Research Problem requiring you to use the internet to access Websites containing legal reference materials and to read and analyze business law materials on the sites; 2) Legal Reasoning reading and considering judicial opinions and writing about those decisions; 3) Sustainability involving a consideration of sustainable business practices –note-this material is not presented in your text so being in class for the lectures on this topic is essential.
Writing assignments each comprise 5% of your grade, a total of 15%.
Late work is extremely discouraged and will be subject to serious penalties.
There will be four chapter tests covering multiple chapters, as described in the syllabus. A chapter test may be given any time during the class period. Your three highest scores will be counted toward your final class grade, with each counting 15%, a total of 45%, of your total grade. Chapter tests will be largely objective, i.e. true/false, multiple choice. These tests are closed-book and no notes or study materials of any kind may be consulted once a test has begun. You will not be allowed to make up a missed chapter test. However, should you miss more than one test for reasons beyond your control, you may petition for a make-up, which may or may not be granted, in the instructor’s discretion.
You are expected to do the assigned reading before the class for which it is assigned, and you should be prepared to discuss the questions at the beginning of each chapter.
10% of your grade will be awarded for this category, based upon your instructor’s largely subjective impression of your interest and dedication to the class and course materials. Relevant factors will include your attendance, promptness, contributions to in-class discussion, and manifest preparation for and interest in each class objective.
The final exam is comprehensive and may test any material (lecture, text, class problems, etc.) covered in the course, however emphasis will be on the material covered beginning with Chapter 9 (Business Organizations) through the end of the course.
Questions will follow the same format as chapter tests. The final exam will count 35% of the total grade.
During the final exam, you may refer to one page of notes, prepared only by you, typed or handwritten on one or both sides of one 81/2 X 11 piece of paper. You may be required to turn in the notes with your final exam. You may not photocopy pages of the text, or any materials from the class, and may not use the notes of other students, current or former. No computers, cell phones, PDAs or other electronic equipment are permitted in the final exam or in chapter tests.
Using or claiming even a small part of another’s work as your own, or assisting another to do so, is cheating. It is dishonest and unethical and will result in an F for the course.
This action is allowed by the Academic Regulations and Procedures as described in the schedule of classes.
This course is graded on a plus/minus scale. For example, an 82% iis a B-, and 88% is a B+. There will be no curve applied, and no extra credit will be accepted. I do round up partial percentage points over .5% to the next whole number.
Source of Grade Available Points
1. Chapter Tests (best 3 out of 4, worth
150 points each) 450
2. Writing (3 at 50 points each) 150
3. Class Participation 100
4. Final Exam 300
Maximum Possible 1,000
You may calculate an estimate of your course grade at any time curing the term by adding up the points you have received and determining if you have at least the minimum percentage of available points to earn the applicable grade, as follows:
A 93% C 72%
A- 90% C- 70%
B+ 88% D+ 68%
B 82% D 62%
B- 80% D- 60%
C+ 78% F 59%
This syllabus is a guide to the course, not a contract, hence changes may be made at any time by the instructor, which will be announced in class should they occur.
Assignment Schedule
Includes Reading Assignments; Due Dates for Writing Assignments; Schedule for Chapter Tests; and Final Exam Date
|
Week of |
Tuesday |
Thursday |
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9/27 – 9/29 |
Chapter 1: Business and the Legal Environment |
Ch. 1 and Appendix to Ch. 1 |
|
10/4 – 10/6 |
Ch. 2: The Court System |
Ch. 3: Alternative Dispute Resolution |
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10/11 – 10/13 |
Ch. 4: Ethics, Chapter Test #1, Chapters 1,2,3 |
Ch. 4 (cont.) |
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10/18 – 10/20 |
Ch. 5: Constitutional Law, Writing Assignment #1 due today, Web research problem. |
Ch. 6 Administrative Law Chapter Test #2, Chapters 4,5,6 |
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10/25 – 10/27 |
Ch. 7: Criminal Law (omit criminal procedure pp 227-238) |
Ch. 8: International Law (omit Comparative Law)
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11/1 – 11/3 |
.Ch. 9 Business Organizations (omit private franchises) Writing Assignment #2 due today Legal Reasoning |
Read Handout on Sustainable Business Enterprises; This material is not found in the text, and will be provided in supplementary reading assignments, PowerPoint slides, and lecture material |
|
11/8 – 11/10 |
Ch. 10 Contract Law (omit third party rights) Chapter Test #3, Chapters 7,8,9 and Sustainability. |
Ch.11 Sales, Leases and e-contracts (omit Title, Risk and Insurable Interest through Revocation of Acceptance, pp 377-395) |
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11/15 – 11/17 |
Ch. 12 Torts and Product Liability. Writing Assignment #3 due today Sustainable Business Practices |
Ch. 12 (cont.) and Ch. 13 Intellectual Property Chapter Test #4, Chapters 10,11,12 |
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11/22 – 11/24 |
Ch. 13 (cont.) |
No Class Today - Thanksgiving |
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11/29 – 12/1 |
Ch. 14 Employment Law |
Ch. 15 Employment Discrimination |
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12/5 |
Final Exam building and time to be announced |
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