Learning Outcomes
Updated on 05/26/2005 16:59

 BA 171 is a one-hour Pass-Fail course that is an introduction to the business profession, fields of business, business organizations, operations and management, and careers in business. Students also learn how the College of Business (COB) programs are structured to prepare business students to work in these fields.  Students use Internet resources to prepare short research papers on each of the COB options and COB study programs :  College of Business programs, Accounting, Finance, General Business, International Business, Management, Management Information Systems, and Marketing.  Students attend interactive lectures covering each of the disciplines and apply their research to what they learn in the lectures. Students also prepare a resume and learn how to take advantage of the career-support programs on campus. The class is designed to provide information about business career paths including what it is like to work in the various business disciplines. 

Click here to view an introductory slide show for the course.

Instructor  

• Instructor:  Ray D. Tanner
• Phone: 737-6065
• Office: Bexell 337
• E-mail: tannerr@bus.oregonstate.edu  Reponses time is generally within the next scheduled class period.
• Office Hours:
  • If you need help, contact me by phone, email or come to my office.  If I am not available, we will arrange another meeting time.  In general, students will have to meet with me during my office hours.
  • I will post a note on my door and reschedule the time if I have a time conflict.  
    • Monday 10-10:50am and 2-2:50pm, Thursday 10-11am
  • Advising and COB Assistance:  While I would enjoy the opportunity to talk at length with each of you about your career aspirations and questions, that advising process is better served by the experts:  College of Business Office of Student Services (Room 214 in Bexell Hall) is staffed by a number of professional advisors who have access to your records and can give you definitive support and guidance.  You don't need an appointment-and generally you will not need to wait more than a couple of minutes to see an advisor.  My door is still open if you want to chat; but I will encourage you to meet with the advising staff for your COB questions.
  • What to Expect: I will help you understand processes and procedures, guidelines and grade results, and assignment structures, grades, etc.  I don't offer tutoring or one-on-one help sessions-but I will do my best to show you how to help yourself.  You should feel free to come and see me if you need to chat--there may be times when there are a number of students waiting to see me and you may have to wait a few minutes.  I enjoy meeting with students and hope you will learn to use all of the resources that are available to you.

Information and Materials

• You will use the Internet to access the BA171 course web site.  You will link to web-based resources to complete several short pre-study assignments and a resume. 
• Each student will learn how to access the course web site.
• There are no required books for this class.
• If you have problems with writing-or just need some writing help, visit the Center for Writing and Learning located at the Valley Library.  The Center offers free help for any writing task at any level or stage.

Assignments

• The work you do for this class is to be done entirely as independent study. Study groups, assignment teams or shared work is not allowed for these assignments.
• The schedule of assignments and due dates can be found on the course website.  Navigate to the College of Business home page (www.bus.oregonstate.edu) and then choose Course Material and select the appropriate course number (BA171) and description from the list.  This will link you to the course web site.
• You will complete several typed pre-study assignments and a resume.  Your assignments need to follow the format to be accepted.  Un-formatted or hand-written assignments will not be accepted.
• Submitted assignments and resumes are not returned.  All submitted materials are kept on file until final grades are submitted each term.  At that time, all submitted materials are made available for students to retrieve and are recycled as appropriate prior to the beginning of the next term.
• All assignments are to be submitted typed and in final form (no written changes or corrections are allowed).
• Papers containing spelling or significant grammar or conventions errors must be corrected and re-submitted.
• Scores for papers are posted on the course "Grades" web-spot on Monday or Tuesday following the lecture.  Check your scores and resubmit any time during the term (not finals week-and no later than the last day of classes)--Refer to Grading, below for more information.
• Email or electronic copies of assignments are not accepted.

Accommodations

• All alternate accommodations are governed by OSU policy or governing statute.  Students with documented disabilities who may need accommodations, who have any emergency medical information the instructor should know of, or who need special arrangements in the event of evacuation, should make an appointment with the instructor as early as possible, no later than the first week of the term.   Accommodations may not be possible after that time.  

Academic Integrity

• Academic Integrity is the guiding and fundamental principle for the University (refer to the OSU mission statement at http://osu.oregonstate.edu/mission/.  Personal and intellectual integrity requirements are clearly stated in the University's Honesty policy and in this policy statement. You are expected to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and must be honest and ethical in all of your work.  Academic dishonesty is defined as an intentional act of deception in one of the following areas:

  1. Cheating- use or attempted use of unauthorized materials, information or study aids.  Examples for this class: turning in all or part of someone else's work as your own; obtaining solutions to assignments from another person or organization; use of previous term exams or assignments as study aids.

  2. Fabrication- falsification or invention of any information.  Examples for this class: Making false statements about your experiences or fabricating your work or education history; providing false answers to surveys completed in class; use of a previous term exam or assignment and turning it in as a current term assignment or exam.

  3. Assisting- helping another commit an act of academic dishonesty. Examples for this class: giving someone else your solution files; sending assignment files by email to another student for their use; doing another persons assignments for them.

  4. Tampering- altering or interfering with evaluation instruments and documents.  Examples for this class:  Any use of any device or technology to attempt to circumvent the requirements of an exam or assignment--such as altering the "properties" of any assignment or exam file to attempt to change file attributes to obscure or alter information about your files.

  5. Plagiarism- representing the words or ideas of another person as one’s own.  Example for this class:  use of any number of words in any sequence from someone else's work and representing the work or ideas as your own; lack of appropriate citations in any work.

  Possible penalties for a violation include a failing grade for the assignment or exam, a failing grade for the course, or administrative disciplinary action by your major college or COB, or both, as well as overall OSU actions--which could mean disciplinary suspension from the College or University system. For more detailed information on this subject, visit the OSU Student Conduct web site: www.orst.edu/admin/stucon/achon.htm  and the following OSU web site regarding the University's mission: http://osu.orst.edu/mission/.

Grading

Grading: BA 171 is a pass/no pass fail course based on mandatory active attendance and completion of the required research papers and a personal resume. Your Grade (P/NP) is determined by three items:

• Your attendance at the lectures
  • First Day
  • Remaining Lectures
• Your appropriate completion of pre-study assignments for each lecture other than the first.
• Your appropriate completion of a personal resume.
• A Pass will be assigned if you successfully achieve at or above the minimum points (check the schedule and your printed syllabus for specifics)
• Grading is set up to accommodate missing one lecture and one research paper-missing more than this will result in a no-pass.
• Late arrival at two or more lectures is an automatic fail.  Students will not be allowed to arrive more than 8-minutes late.
• Research papers with scores of 6 and below must be revised and re-submitted.  Re-submitted papers can be turned in at any time during the term except finals week but no later than the last day of classes (Friday prior to finals week).  Turn in re-submitted papers using the submittals box on the third floor of Bexell Hall at the east end of the hallway.  Place your paper in one of the provided envelopes and make sure my name is on your paper.
• Research papers with scores of 7 and above are treated as full credit (10 Pts.) submissions for the purpose of figuring your final course grade.  You are still encouraged to resubmit your paper even if your score is 7-9 so you get the most out of the materials.

Incomplete Grades

• This course conforms to the OSU Grading System Academic Regulation AR17 for incomplete grades.   I do not allow students to receive an incomplete "I" in this class because of the real-time nature of the lectures.  All approvals for incomplete grades and requirements for removal are completed in writing.

Additional Course Policies

• Professional Behavior In Class: Behavior in class should be professional at all times. Behaviors that are disruptive to teaching or learning will not be tolerated and may be subject to disciplinary action (including review for  failing grade in the course) or referred to the Office of the Dean of Students for disciplinary action.  The University and the Oregon State Board of Higher Education have student conduct regulations and sanctions regarding student behavior which all apply in these courses.  The content of email messages you write in this class or concerning this class is subject to professionalism standards and regulations.
  •     Examples of unprofessional behavior:
    • Not paying attention to speakers or classroom activities
    • Showing disrespect to speakers, teaching assistants, lecturers
    • Passive-aggressive activity, such as asking inappropriate questions
    • Reading the newspaper during class
    • Sleeping during class
    • Operating a cell phone (or even leaving a phone "on" during class)
    • Having a "side-conversation" not related to the class activity
    • Using inappropriate language (swear words, street language)

  Habitual late arrival to class by more than a minute or two is considered disruptive behavior.  If you need to leave early, please advise the instructor in advance and sit in the room such that you do not disrupt others when you leave.

• Discrimination or Harassment: Discrimination or harassment will not be tolerated in the classroom. Most cases of discrimination or harassment violate Federal and State laws and University Policies and Regulations. Intentional discrimination or harassment will be referred to the Affirmative Action Office and dealt with in accordance with the appropriate rules and regulations. Individuals should be sensitive to the feelings of others and tolerant of the remarks and actions of others. If you find the remarks or actions of another individual to be offensive, you should immediately bring it to their attention. If you believe those remarks and actions constitute intentional discrimination or harassment, please immediately bring it to the instructors attention.
• Electronic-based Class:  You must use the Internet to complete the requirements of this class.
• Attendance: If you are unable to attend a class session, it is your responsibility to acquire the class notes, assignments, announcements, etc. from a classmate. The instructor will not give private lectures.
• Late Arrival:  You will not be allowed to enter the classroom and will be counted absent if you arrive more than 8 minutes late. 
• Submission of Assignments: Your performance in this course will depend on your ability to submit your work according to the assignment instructions on the day the assignments are due to be eligible to receive credit. 
• If you have a legitimate personal emergency (e.g., health problem) that may impair your ability to turn in an assignment on time, you will be expected to contact the instructor before the due date/time (or as soon after your emergency as possible) to communicate the situation.
• Pay close attention to the assignment submission instructions.  These instructions provide you with the required locations for submittal.  
• Resubmission Policy:  Late assignments will not be accepted for credit.  
• Standards for written work and e-mail:  Assignments must conform to the format shown on the course web.  Written work and e-mail correspondence related to BA 171 use the Oregon Department of Education CIM (Certificate of Initial Mastery) Benchmarks for Writing standards for construction, usage, grammar, spelling and conventions. Written work, including course e-mail is expected to be at level 4 or above. If you need a refresher or are not familiar with the benchmarks for writing:
  1. Go to this link and read the CIM Benchmark Scoring Guides for High School Writing (use the [Back] button on your browser to return to this page), or
  2. Go to this link at the Oregon Department of Education and read about CIM scoring guides. (use the [Back] button on your browser to return to this page).

  If you are having difficulty with appropriate writing standards, you should visit the OSU Center for Writing and Learning for assistance.  Visit the Valley Library Writing Desk or link to the OSU home page for information on the Writing Center.

  E-mail messages that do not conform to the minimum standard will result either in a written warning from the instructor or will not be read.  Hostile, threatening or other inappropriate e-mail messages may result in sanctions and may be subject to discipline as outlined in "Behavior in Class" above.

© 2002-2005   Ray D. Tanner; Oregon State University