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SYLLABUS: BUSINESS LAW
BA 230, Spring 2006
PROFESSOR NANCY KING
OFFICE PHONE: 737-3323
EMAIL: kingn@bus.oregonstate.edu
OFFICE NUMBER: Bexell #336
Much of this course’s on-line information can be found at its Blackboard website.
OFFICE HOURS:
Bexell Hall Room 336, Monday 11-noon; Tuesday, 10-11:00 a.m. (Note: no office hours on May 23 or May 30) Drop-ins during office hours are welcome; outside office hours appointments may be made. Office Phone: 737-3323. Email is encouraged. Send to: kingn@bus.oregonstate.edu.
CLASS MEETING TIME AND PLACE: Section 004 meets Monday and Wednesday, 2-3:50 p.m. in Bexell 417.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Business Law I (4). Nature and function of law in our business society. Obligations arising out of agency, contract formation and breach, crimes, torts, warranty, regulation of competition, and international aspects thereof. PREREQ: Sophomore standing.
MEASURABLE LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon the successful completion of this course, students should be able to identify and effectively communicate ethical and legal concerns relating to managing people and organizations. To accomplish this overall learning outcome, students shall be able to:
1) Explain the interrelations of the major components of the legal environment of business including the judicial system, legislative system, executive branch and administrative agencies.
2)
Apply business law concepts to solve problems
involving contract, tort, criminal, employment and intellectual property law
issues.
3)
Relate news reports of current legal
proceedings and issues to the material covered in the course.
4)
Critically analyze the meaning of selected
judicial cases including the management implications of legal rules drawn from
those cases.
5)
Use the Web and online legal databases to
find cases and other legal reference materials.
6)
Discuss contemporary legal issues related to
managing a business including the impact of global business markets,
e-business, and technology.
7)
Explain concepts of sustainability, ethics, and
social responsibility as they relate to solving contemporary business problems.
LEARNING RESOURCES:
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
Text: Roger LeRoy Miller, Frank B. Cross, and Gaylord Jentz, Essentials of the Legal Environment (2005), with accompanying Online Legal Research Guide (2005).
Blackboard Course: The blackboard site contains the syllabus, assignments for the course and other materials for my sections of the course.
Additional materials will be provided in class and/or on this Website.
SUPPLEMENTARY
MATERIALS
Text Website: http://www.swlearning.com/blaw/ele/ele1e/ele1e.html
(includes practices quizzes for each chapter;
to access: click “interactive study center”, from the drop down menu at the
top, select the chapter that you want; then, click “interactive quiz”).
EVALUATION OF STUDENT
PERFORMANCE INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING:
Sustainability: Consistent with the
WRITING ASSIGNMENTS: In addition to the assigned reading, you will have 3 writing
assignments. See Assignment Schedule on Blackboard for the
due dates for writing assignments. Writing
assignments must be typed and must be completed by class start time on the due
date.
Your writing on these assignments must be your own work. A writing submission on these assignments
that is too similar to that of another student will result in neither student
receiving credit for the assignment. It is academic dishonesty for a student to submit another student’s/person’s
work as the student’s own work (in part or whole) or to assist another student
in the process of submitting another student’s/person’s work as his or her own
work. Late homework is not accepted (see petition rule). You may always turn in your writing assignments early
to cover any absence that you know you will have. To turn in work early, email your
work to me (in Microsoft Word) or turn them in at my office (Bexell 336).
·
Brief Description of Writing Assignments:
·
Ethics: This
assignment requires you to consider ethical issues in scenarios involving
management of a company, to read materials about corporate social
responsibility, and to write about your insights from an ethical and social
responsibility perspective.
·
Sustainability:
You will do a written assignment involving sustainable business practices. This topic is not covered by your text, so it
is important to be in class to learn about sustainability and sustainable
business practices.
·
Legal Reasoning: this assignment involves reading and analyzing judicial opinions, and
writing about the meaning of those decisions.
·
Directions and
other materials to complete these assignments will be given in class.
CLASS PARTICIPATION: Class participation points will be assigned based on your participation in activities in class. These activities are generally not announced in advance and you must be in class and participate to earn the participation points. Most class participation assignments are worth 20 points. To receive full credit for class participation, you need to earn 100 class participation points. For example, the class may do a problem in class and students who participate in the exercise will be asked to turn in a record of their participation for class participation points. Also, a short “pop quiz” on the reading for the day may be given as a class participation exercise. Pop quizzes will be graded. There is no make-up of missed class participation points; however one extra opportunity will be provided that will count toward the maximum points for class participation.
THREE CHAPTER TESTS
Three chapter tests, each covering multiple chapters, will be given as listed in Assignments Schedule on Blackboard. A chapter test may be given anytime during the class period. All scores count towards your grade in the course, however the First Chapter Test will be weighted less heavily in calculating your total grade. Test questions may be objective or short answer/essay. If you miss one or more chapter tests because you are absent, late to class, or leave class early you will not be allowed to make-up the test(s) or be given more time to complete the test(s). See Administrative Rules for Final Exam and Chapter Tests, below.
Hint: You can take a practice quiz to prepare for chapter test or review for the final exam by using the interactive quizzes on the Text Website.
FINAL EXAM: 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. See Administrative Rules for Final Exam and Chapter Tests, below, for rules on using one sheet of your notes on the Final Exam.
ADMINISTRATIVE RULES FOR FINAL EXAM & CHAPTER TESTS/RULE ON NOTES FOR FINAL EXAM:
The First-Third Chapter Tests are closed book, no notes will be allowed.
On the Final Exam, you will be allowed to use one page of notes. These notes must be your own notes (prepared only by you), typed or handwritten on an 8 ½ x 11 piece of paper; both sides may be used. You may be required to turn in the page of notes with your final exam. You may not photocopy pages of the text, PowerPoint slides or any other materials from the class to include in this page of notes. You may not use the notes of other students, whether from this term or a previous term. Failure to follow this rule will be considered evidence of academic dishonesty. Note sheets may be examined by the instructor during the Final Exam and/or may be required to be turned in with you test materials.
Identification for exams/rule on no electronic equipment. You are required to bring your student I.D. (with your picture) to the final exam. You are required to present your I.D. when you turn in the final exam if asked. No computers, cell phones, PDA’s, or other electronic equipment are permitted in the final exam or in chapter tests.
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY FOR
ASSIGNED MATERIALS
For all exams and chapter tests, you are responsible for all materials
in the text or other reading materials that are assigned, unless expressly
excluded. All aspects of a chapter or
other reading assignment will not necessarily be covered in class and current
material outside the text will be discussed in class; consequently lecture
material will be emphasized on the tests and exams. You are encouraged to be present for all
classes and to take good notes.
WRITTEN PETITION FOR
EXCEPTION TO SYLLABUS RULES
If you have a serious emergency or other extreme circumstances that prevent you from complying with the rules in this syllabus you may make a written petition for an exception. No make-ups of chapter tests will be allowed unless an emergency or other extreme situation caused missing the Chapter Test(s). The following are generally not adequate reasons to support a make-up of a missed test: illnesses not requiring hospitalization, doctor’s appointments, court appointments, work schedule conflicts, child care problems, and travel home for a holiday or break or travel delays on returning to campus.
Petition format/Time
to Appeal: You must make your petition in writing and state the
circumstances and reasons you believe that an exception should be made. Include your name, email address, and class
number (BA 230) and Section number on the petition. Petitions regarding late
homework or missed chapter tests will not be considered unless received by me
within one week of the due date or test date.
Petitions to take the final exam on a date different than the
scheduled date must be made in advance, at least two weeks in advance except
for emergencies, and will be granted only for extreme circumstances. You
must deliver your petition to me by email. Do not deliver petitions to my
office, faculty services, or through the mail. If you are unable to take the final exam on the scheduled date for any
reason other than a conflict between two or more exams, I reserve the right to
substitute a 12 page, double spaced, research paper on an assigned legal topic
in lieu of the scheduled exam.
GRADING
Source of Grade: Available Points
1. In Class Participation Points (20 points each) 100
2. Chapter Tests (3 chapter tests, 100 for the First
Chapter Test and 150 each for the Second and Third
Chapter Tests; maximum 400 points) 400
3. Writing Homework (3 assignments at 100 points each) 300
4. Final Exam 200
Maximum Possible Points 1000
**Unless there is a calculation error, grades are
final unless questioned within one week of receiving the grade and before the
last day of class.
**Course grades will be on a “+/-“ grading system.
You may calculate an estimate of
your course grade at any time during 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%
Link to Statement of Expectations
for Student Conduct: http://oregonstate.edu/admin/stucon/achon.htm.
See also discussion above under Written Deliverables for the Course re Using
Your Prior Work, Referencing the Work of Others, and Citing Online Reference
Sources.
DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION:
Accommodations are collaborative efforts between students, faculty and Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD). Students with accommodations approved through SSD 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 SSD should contact SSD immediately at 737-4098.
The syllabus is a
guide, not a contract, and therefore may be changed as necessary. If changes are made, I will announce them in
class and place them on the board, generally at least one class in advance of
the due date for an assignment, etc.
Date last revised:
March 17, 2006