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MGMT 332: Business Communication

T/TR 5:30pm – 6:45pm • Beatty Center 220

Section 01 • CRN: 12119

“Once a human being has arrived on this earth, communication is the largest single factor determining what kinds of relationships she or he makes with others and what happens to each in the world. How we manage survival, how we develop intimacy, how productive we are, how

we make sense, how we connect with our own divinity—all depend largely on our communication skills.” – Virginia Satir, The New Peoplemaking

“Jump To” Table of Contents:

What will we learn? What will I achieve in this class? How will this course be structured? What materials are required? What can I expect from you? How should I communicate with you? What do you expect from me? How will I earn my grade? What assignments will I complete? 5 Things This Instructor Loves 

 

Contact Information Instructor: Dr. Jessica T. Smith

Office: 320 JC Long Bldg.

Email: smithjt@cofc.edu

Backup Email: commprof82@gmail.com

Phone: (843) 953-5431

Celly: @jtsmith

Twitter: @CofCCommProf

Office Hours: Click here to make an appointment

What will we learn? Employers demand a high level of communication competence and these “soft skills” are the chief criteria in both hiring and promotion decisions. To help you meet those expectations, we will explore the communication process from an organizational and interpersonal perspective.

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This course was designed in response to industry feedback about the communication skills needed for graduates to enter successfully into today's competitive marketplace. This semester, you will develop a foundation for designing effective messages, both written and oral, from concept to delivery. Particularly, the course emphasizes elements of strategic and persuasive communication: how to design messages for diverse audiences and how to present that information in credible and convincing ways. You will practice drafting and editing clear, precise, and engaging business documents that are easily accessible to a busy, executive-level reader. In addition, you will develop and deliver oral presentations, both formal and impromptu. You will also gain experience managing social media, both for routine and crisis communication. By the end of the semester, you will gain knowledge and skills that will assist you not only in your chosen career, but will be useful in your academic and social lives as well.

An important note: This course will be challenging, requiring active participation,

intellectual curiosity, time-management, and self-motivation. If you are unprepared to work hard and contribute to the class community, this is not a course for you. If, however, you are willing to fulfill expectations, then you may look forward to lively discussions, engaging activities, and gaining knowledge that directly applies to your everyday life.

Course Prerequisite: Junior standing (60 hours)

What will I achieve in this class?

1. Demonstrate versatile and competent written, oral, and digital business communication. 2. Evaluate communication situations and audiences to make choices about the most

effective ways to deliver messages. 3. Analyze and solve organizational problems by applying theoretical knowledge to real-life

circumstances. 4. Integrate information from other disciplines to broaden the scope of discussion and

deepen your understanding of business communication. 5. Gather and critically evaluate information from multiple sources. 6. Provide, accept, and use feedback to improve communication skills.

This class will also fulfill the following School of Business Goals:

1. Communication Skills: Students will demonstrate the ability, via both written and spoken word, to effectively present, critique, and defend ideas in a cogent, persuasive manner.

2. Global and Civic Responsibility: Students will be able to identify and define social, ethical, environmental and economic challenges at local, national and international levels. Students will also be able to integrate knowledge and skills in addressing these issues.

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3. Intellectual Innovation and Creativity: Students will be able to demonstrate their resourcefulness and originality in addressing extemporaneous problems.

4. Synthesis: Students will demonstrate the ability to integrate knowledge from multiple disciplines incorporating learning from both classroom and non-classroom settings in the completion of complex and comprehensive tasks.

How will this course be structured? This course will be "flipped." This means that I will do very little lecturing during our class meetings. Instead, you will watch short video lectures outside of class to absorb the information you need to apply to the simulations and activities that will take place during class.

Why will we be doing this? First, it has been extensively demonstrated that you learn better when working actively as opposed to listening passively. Second, when I lecture in class, we run out of time for the most useful and fun aspects of learning, such as hands-on application and collaboration with your colleagues. Learning is not a passive process. Nor should it be boring. So jump in, get your hands a little dirty, and have some fun!

What materials are required?

Texts and Video Lectures ❖ There is no required textbook to purchase. Instead, we will utilize a variety of texts,

including case studies, book chapters, academic journal articles, popular press articles, and blogs. All readings will be posted in OAKS, under the “content” tab.

❖ You will access the video lectures through Educanon. Links to each video will be posted inside OAKS, under the “content” tab. These videos will also be posted to the MGMT 332 Youtube channel. Click here to access that channel.

Social Media and Other Technology ❖ OAKS: I will use OAKS to post announcements, required readings, assignment

instructions, rubrics, and grades. Please check your account regularly. You can access our OAKS course by visiting lms.cofc.edu

❖ Google: We will rely on Google Drive throughout the semester. As a CofC student, you have free access and should sign in using your g.cofc.edu email and password.

➢ Please create a folder in your Google Drive account and title it with your first and last name. Then share that folder with me and give me “editing rights.”

❖ Twitter: We will use Twitter as a back-channel source of communication and a place to post relevant observations, articles, and media. Tweeting is a required component of this class. Refer to this document for detailed instructions.

➢ Class Twitter handle: @CofCCommProf ■ Please follow me and your classmates

➢ Class Hashtag: #CofCMGMT

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■ You should include this hashtag in EVERY tweet you post.

❖ Educanon: This is where you will access the video lectures which should be watched before coming to class. The content of these videos will prepare you for in-class simulations and activities.

➢ To encourage you to watch these videos, questions will be embedded throughout and your progress will be monitored. These questions will be graded pass/fail.

➢ Links to these videos will be located inside the Content tool in OAKS.

❖ Hootsuite: Hootsuite is a social media management platform which provides a program for college students to learn about social media marketing and public relations. You'll not only learn how to use the Hootsuite dashboard to manage multiple social media accounts, you'll also learn best practices that will be useful regardless of what career you pursue. You will even have the opportunity to earn an industry-recognized certification.

➢ You will be provided with login credentials in the second week of class. ➢ Access Hootsuite University by visiting: learn.hootsuite.com

What can I expect from you?

A syllabus is a contract between students and instructor, so you can expect this from me:

❖ My goal is to challenge you and help you excel. I will set high expectations and push you to surpass them. I plan to do this in the most enthusiastic and supportive way I can.

❖ I will provide you with detailed instructions and expectations for your work and fairly evaluate you according to those expectations.

❖ I will always make time to listen to your ideas and concerns, and support your endeavors to become a more competent communicator.

❖ This course will only succeed if, together, we create an atmosphere of respect, openness, and honesty. To be blunt, I won’t “BS” you, so don’t “BS” me.

How should I communicate with you? Ask Three, Then Me I receive hundreds of emails every week, many from students asking questions that could easily have been answered by reading the syllabus or asking a classmate. Thus, before emailing me, please follow these steps:

1. Consult the class schedule and syllabus. 2. Check OAKS for announcements and instructions. 3. Confer with three classmates.

If you still don’t know the answer to your question, you may email me or text me using Celly. Please help me stay sane by following these procedures!

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Email Most organizations are dependent on email for internal and external communications. The way you present yourself in emails says a lot about your work ethic and your priorities. Start practicing email etiquette now so that it will be second-nature when you enter the workforce.

❖ When corresponding with me, please: ➢ use a descriptive subject line ➢ include a respectful greeting (e.g., “Hi Jessica” or “Dear Dr. Smith”) ➢ fully sign your name ➢ use complete sentences ➢ proofread your email

❖ Typically, I will respond to your email within 24 hours, although my response time will be slower on weekends. I stop responding to emails after 10:00pm. This applies as well to messages sent through Celly.

❖ If you do not receive a reply within 36 hours, please re-send your message (unless, of course, you haven’t followed the “ask three, then me” policy).

Office Hours I do not have drop-in office hours because I work a full-time job in addition to teaching. However, I strongly encourage you to make routine appointments to meet with me outside of class. Over the years, I’ve found that students who visit my office to chat tend to perform better in class. Office hours are for you and are not limited to the discussion of course-related material. If I am not able to help you myself, I will assist you in finding someone who can. To schedule an appointment, click here. You'll be prompted to log into your CofC Google account.

Celly This tool allows us to communicate with one another via text message, email, the Celly website, or the Celly app. Members are only identified by username and cell phone numbers are kept private. Please keep messages relevant to class, such as asking questions about assignments or notifying me of an absence. This is an optional way to communicate with me.

❖ Join our “cell” by ➢ texting @CofCMGMT332 to 23559 or clicking here ➢ The password for joining is communication

❖ Please choose a username that includes your first name so I can recognize who you are when you text.

❖ To text just me, include @jtsmith in your message rather than @CofCMGMT332 (which would text the whole class).

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What do you expect from me? As an adult, you alone are responsible for your learning and performance. Being prepared and responsible involves several elements:

Class Preparation

❖ Refer to page 76 (item 2.7) in the Student Handbook: http://studentaffairs.cofc.edu/honor-system/studenthandbook/index.php

❖ Watch the video lectures before class. Simply put, you will not be able to participate in the class activities, discussions, and simulations without watching these videos because you will lack the necessary knowledge.

❖ Readings should be brought to each class period, as I will likely ask you to refer to specific passages during discussion. You may bring paper or digital copies. While we will not go over every reading in detail, without completing the readings, you won’t be able to contribute to class discussion and your professionalism grade will suffer.

❖ During most class periods, we will use the Internet to complete a variety of tasks. Therefore, please bring a laptop or tablet to each class period. If this will be problematic, please talk with me so other arrangements can be made.

Attendance Just like any organization, this class is a community whose success is dependent on everyone’s participation. Also, there is a strong correlation between class attendance and grades. Therefore, attendance is vital for your achievement. [Refer to page 75 (item 2.1) in the Student Handbook]

❖ Roll call will occur at the beginning of class. If you miss this, it is your responsibility to let me know you arrived late.

❖ THERE ARE NO EXCUSED ABSENCES. Sickness, funeral, personal emergency, school-sponsored event, wedding, family vacation, etc. are all considered absences. Also, absence memos from the College are not recognized. If an emergency arises, please let me know as soon as possible. Think of this as preparation for your future career—you can only “call in sick” so many times before being fired.

If you miss six (6) or more classes, for any reason, you will receive a WA, which is equivalent to failing the course.

❖ First Week Attendance Policy: I reserve the right to drop any student who misses the first week of classes without notifying me in advance.

❖ Tardy/Early Exit Policy: Although life sometimes “happens,” showing up to class late or leaving early is a disruption. Would you show up late to a board meeting? After arriving to class late and/or leaving class early three times, one absence will be recorded.

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Late Work I expect you to treat this class like a job and deadlines must be met. LATE WORK WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Please don’t make things awkward by asking for an extension...

❖ All assignments are due the day they are listed on the course schedule or on the day I verbally announce in class. [Refer to page 76 (item 2.8) in the Student Handbook]

❖ If extraordinary circumstances arise (e.g., hospitalization), notify me as soon as possible so arrangements can be made.

❖ If you know in advance that you will be absent on the day an assignment is due, it is your responsibility to turn in the assignment early.

Submitting Assignments ❖ All formal assignments should be submitted electronically to the Drop Box in OAKS.

❖ They should be saved as PDFs and include your first and last name in the file.

❖ Work from in-class activities will be completed in Google Drive and submitted to the folder you shared with me.

Assignments that are handwritten, emailed, left in my mailbox, slid under my office door, or have file extensions other than .pdf will not be accepted.

❖ Murphy’s Law: “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” Laptops are stolen. Printers run out of ink. Hard drives crash. The campus wireless connection fails. So, do not wait until the last minute to submit your assignments and SAVE OFTEN.

❖ Always save duplicates of your work on an external source (e.g., thumb drive, Google Drive, Dropbox.com). Every single semester, a student loses their work because of a hard drive crash or a Library computer logging off unexpectedly.

❖ For your protection, keep all assignments that are graded and returned to you until final grades have been submitted at the end of the semester.

Writing Style & Format: It is expected that all written assignments in this course be word-processed in 12-point font, double-spaced, 1-inch margins, and closely proof-read.

APA: Since Communication is a social science, we utilize the American Psychological Association (APA) style manual. Accurate APA documentation and formatting will be standard in this course. One resource you may find helpful is the Writing Lab at Purdue University (“the OWL”), which you can find at: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

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Grammatical Errors Policy: I take a tough stance on grammatical errors to encourage students to edit their work carefully.

I will stop reading your written work after five (5) grammatical, sentence structure, and/or formatting errors.

❖ Errors include, but are not limited to, inappropriate verb tense shifts, incorrect semi-colon use, spelling mistakes, run-on sentences, sentence fragments, missing punctuation, “text speak,” and incorrect formatting. These are mistakes no college student should make in a final draft!

❖ If you make five or more errors, I will return your assignment ungraded. You may edit the paper and resubmit it for a one-letter grade reduction. Edit your work carefully: read your papers out loud; have someone else proofread your work; make use of the Writing Lab; come to my office to discuss your drafts. Good writing requires rewriting.

❖ Writing Lab: The Writing Lab offers walk-in assistance and can be found on the first floor of Addlestone Library. Please use this resource when working on any element of the writing process. http://csl.cofc.edu/labs/writing-lab/index.php

Academic Integrity

❖ You are responsible for understanding and adhering to College policies regarding academic honesty, as specified in the current Student Handbook http://studentaffairs.cofc.edu/honor-system/studenthandbook/index.php

❖ All work must be original and must reflect careful preparation. Standards of originality and thorough preparation require that the viewpoint, structure, and style of writing and presentations be your own, except where specific indebtedness is acknowledged by oral or written citations. The undocumented use of someone else’s words or ideas in any medium is a serious offense, subject to disciplinary action that may include failure in the course and/or dismissal from the College.

❖ I will report all cases of suspected academic dishonesty to the Dean of Students. This includes incidents that may not have been intentionally deceitful (e.g., “I didn’t know! I made a mistake!”). If you’re uncertain about citing sources or other ways to avoid plagiarism, please ask!

Classroom Climate

❖ “A college classroom requires a higher level of courtesy than many people exercise in ordinary public space. Everyone in a classroom is there for the purpose of learning, and no one should be able to deprive another person of the chance to learn. Expressions of rudeness and even carelessness degrade the high purpose of learning that should be paramount in a college classroom” (Student Handbook, p. 75).

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❖ We must work together to make our classroom a safe and respectful forum. I expect everyone in the class to respect others’ rights to speak, to listen attentively to what is said, and to use discretion and sensitivity when speaking.

❖ This does not mean you have to agree with everything said in class. However, I expect you to be respectful of me and of your classmates. Avoid using sexist, racist, and homophobic language in your writing and speaking; it will not be tolerated.

SNAP Accommodations

❖ Students with approved SNAP accommodations must provide the Professor Notification Letter and discuss your needs with me during the first week of class. Students approved to receive accommodations are responsible for contacting me at least one week before any accommodation is needed. I want you to succeed so please plan ahead.

Student Athletes

❖ If you are a student athlete, it is your responsibility to let me know in advance if practice, traveling, or game times will interfere with class. If you will be absent on a day an assignment is due, you must submit the assignment in advance. The attendance policy still applies to student athletes.

How will I earn my grade? College is designed to be challenging and grades are earned, not given.

❖ A grade of “C” will be assigned to average college work. Grades in the “B” range signify work that stands above the average. Grades in the “A” range are reserved for students who do exceptional work and are earned by those who go ABOVE and BEYOND. Will you go above and beyond? I hope so!

❖ Students often expect a higher grade because they “worked hard.” This will be my response if you tell me you worked hard: “That’s fantastic! I hope you continue to work diligently. Let’s talk about strategies to make your efforts more successful.” I expect you to put forth considerable effort to produce work that reflects your intellectual and creative capabilities.

❖ If you are having difficulty with the class, please ask me for help. I want you to succeed, but I won’t be able to help if you ask me for assistance the night before an assignment is due. Also, waiting until the end of the semester to express concern with your grade will not allow me to assist you.

❖ Typically, I use rubrics when I grade assignments. I will post these rubrics on OAKS so you can use them as checklists to ensure you have followed instructions.

❖ I use the OAKS gradebook, but will not update it immediately after every assignment is returned. So you should keep track of the points you earn during the semester so you

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always know how you’re progressing.

❖ Please do not ask your parents to contact me regarding your grades. You are responsible for your grades, not your parents. Furthermore, federal legislation (FERPA) prohibits me from discussing your academic record with your family.

Grading Scale

93 – 100% = A 80 – 82% = B- 67 – 69% = D+ 90 – 92% = A- 77 – 79% = C+ 63 – 66% = D 87 – 89% = B+ 73 – 76% = C 60 – 62% = D- 83 – 86% = B 70 – 72% = C- Below 60% = F A note about “rounding up”: At the end of the semester, it is possible you may be on the cusp of a higher grade. I make these decisions based upon your performance and professionalism throughout the semester. Please keep that in mind. . . Grade Appeals Process: I encourage you to talk with me regarding your grades. To ensure a productive and thoughtful conversation, please follow these procedures:

❖ Do not approach me with grade questions during class, or in the few minutes before or after class. And please do not ask me to reconsider your grade via email. These discussions should take place privately in my office.

❖ Please wait at least 24 hours after you receive your grade before appealing. Use this time to read my feedback and develop a thoughtful appeal that details your concerns and

justification. After submitting your appeal, make an appointment to see me.

What assignments will I complete? Educanon Reflection Questions (100 points) Educanon is the platform you will use to view the video lectures before coming to class. Embedded in these videos will be a series of questions asking you to reflect on the content, make connections between ideas, and apply concepts to your life. These questions will be graded pass/fail. As long as you put intellectual effort into your responses, you will earn full credit. Keep in mind there is no partial credit -- you need to complete all questions to receive credit. Hootsuite Participation (100 points) Hootsuite is a social media management platform that provides a program for college students to learn about social media marketing, branding, customer service, and more. Your participation will involve watching videos and responding to questions (just like with Educanon) and experimenting with the Hootsuite platform to manage multiple social media accounts. You will even have the opportunity to earn an industry-recognized certification. The knowledge you gain will be applied to a variety of assignments you will complete during the semester. You will be provided with login credentials in the second week of class. Access Hootsuite University by visiting: learn.hootsuite.com

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Choose Your Own Adventure Assignments (100 points each) Because each student enjoys and benefits from different types of learning opportunities, you will have the chance to choose some of your assignments for this course. You should choose three out of five of the following assignments. More detailed instructions will be available in OAKS.

Each assignment has a different due date. When you choose a project, you are also choosing a due date. Thus, I encourage you to think carefully about how each assignment option will fit with your workload and obligations (e.g., family, jobs, travel). Also, to prevent you from procrastinating, you must choose two assignments with due dates before October 30th.

If you have another idea for an assignment that involves synthesizing and applying concepts from this course, please let me know. We can discuss the nature and due date of the project you develop.

❖ New Media Audit: To remain relevant, engage clients/customers, and promote their brand, organizations must communicate via new media. You will work on behalf of an organization of your choosing to “audit” its new media communication use (at least what you can find externally). You will examine how that organization uses online tools to conduct public relations. What publics does the organization seem to be focused on? How does the organization use new media to promote their brand? How does the organization use those platforms differently/similarly to communicate messages about the same issue/event? What strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, or threats do you see with how they’re communicating? Finally, you will make recommendations for improved new media use by the organization.

❖ Crisis Case Study Analysis: While most business communication is routine, even

mundane, there will likely be times of organizational crisis. Consider classic examples like the Tylenol recall in 1982 or the recent cyberhack of Sony Pictures Entertainment. One of the best ways to learn how to successfully manage organizational crises is to examine real examples, modeling your own response on what was done effectively and avoiding the mistakes of others. To complete this assignment, identify a real organizational crisis, either historical or contemporary, and analyze the company’s response. What was handled well, what errors were made, and how could the crisis have been managed differently?

❖ Business Professional Interview: Many of the most successful people were

mentored by others in their field, epitomizing the saying “standing on the shoulders of giants.” This assignment asks you to identify two professionals who have jobs you admire - one who has a job you would like to have in the next five years and one who has a job you would want in twenty years. The purpose of these time restraints is for you to think about both the near and distant future. You should compose a list of questions before your interview inquiring about how their career began, challenges they’ve overcome, and advice they would give to those wanting to follow in their footsteps.

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These interviews may be conducted face-to-face, over the phone, or virtually using a program like Skype. Because you will need to arrange appointments with two very busy individuals, this assignment cannot be put off.

❖ Small Talk Diary: A large percentage of networking connections, client referrals, and leads happen through “word of mouth” and “chit chat.” Thus, small talk is anything but small! Being a skilled conversationalist is of vital importance to your future success. This diary will record your experiences conversing with people you don’t know but who might offer something useful to you (e.g., career advice, leads on an internship, possibility of introducing you to someone important). You will keep a log of your small talk interactions and reflect on your conversational successes and failures.

❖ Personal Reputation Audit: An important part of being a successful professional is being aware of your own online presence and reputation. Are you aware of what people can find just by Googling you? For this assignment, you will conduct an online audit of your digital footprint. To complete your report, you will need to critically examine your presence on social media platforms and utilize a variety of analytics and reputation monitoring programs, such as Google Alerts, Twitter Analytics, and Klout. You will assess strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats then make recommendations for improvement.

Impromptu Elevator Pitches (50 points total) Impromptu speeches are made without preparation. Though this may sound intimidating, most of your communication is impromptu and learning to “think on your feet” is an incredibly useful skill to possess. Throughout the semester, you will be asked to present 1-2 minute pitches, such as selling a silly product or promoting yourself for a job. Impromptu pitches cannot be made up; so if you are absent, you will lose those points. Branding Campaign Proposal (200 points total) My full-time position at the College is with the department of Teaching, Learning, & Technology. We are responsible for supporting faculty's endeavors to integrate instructional technologies into their teaching. Our biggest event is the annual Faculty Technology Institute, which has been held since 2002. I was approached by my boss regarding the re-branding of this event and we decided it would be a fantastic opportunity for you to learn how organizations brand and promote products/services. You will form teams and, throughout the entire semester, complete all phases of a campaign proposal, including audience analysis, new media audit, logo design, and communication plans. At the end of the semester, you will pitch to my boss and colleagues who will choose the winning proposal. With their permission, the winning team's ideas will actually be used to brand this very popular CofC event.

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Twitter (50 points total) Businesses use Twitter for marketing, public relations, and customer service so knowing how to use it effectively will benefit your career. Thus, you will be required to establish a professional handle and tweet multiple times per week. Throughout the semester, I will issue a variety of Twitter Challenges that relate to concepts we're discussing in class. There may even be prizes involved for the winners. Consult this document for guidelines and other helpful information. Career Portfolio & Press Kit (50 points total) Throughout the semester, you will complete a variety of tasks and assignments that will be included in a digital portfolio, showcasing your work. Ultimately, this portfolio could be presented to future employers to provide evidence of your skills. Included will be all written assignments, examples of your tweets, a video of your campaign proposal pitch, and press kit. A press kit, sometimes called a media kit, is an information packet that promotes a business or product. In this case, you will be promoting yourself. It will include your résumé, letter of introduction, and URL to your LinkedIn profile. You will present this portfolio and press kit to me during your exit interview. Exit Interview (50 points) Instead of an exam, your final assignment will be an exit interview. Exit interviews are conducted with employees who are leaving a company with the intent of gathering feedback that could help the organization improve. Our exit interview will be an opportunity for you to reflect on the progress you’ve made throughout the semester. During our interview, you will present your “elevator speech” and I will ask you questions about strengths, weaknesses, and future goals. I will also ask you to walk me through your portfolio, pointing out what you are most proud of. Also as part of the interview, you should identify a job that you would like to apply for in the near future. I will ask you questions related to that position as if I was the person responsible for hiring. You should treat this as a professional interview in preparation, demeanor, and appearance. I will create a Doodle sign-up and you can choose a 15-minute time slot. We will discuss this further in class. Final Exam Period: Thursday, December 10th, 7:30-10:30 PM Our official final exam period will be used for pitching your TLT branding campaign proposals. We will not take the entire three hours, but you should plan on two. I realize this is late at night, but this is our official exam period which cannot be changed. Therefore, make plans now. Do not buy plane tickets home or make other arrangements. If you do not attend, not only will you forfeit a huge number of points, you will also be letting your teammates down. This presentation will be discussed in much more detail in class. But keep in mind: this is not a class activity. This is a real pitch in front of real professionals. Treat it as such.

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Professionalism (100 points)

I treat class like a workplace and I expect students to do the same. Thus, I take professionalism very seriously. A professional is courteous, focused, motivated, reliable, and contributes to the community.

The highest professionalism grades are reserved for students who (1) regularly attend class, (2) remain focused and attentive, (3) comment frequently and insightfully on the readings/lectures, (4) remain engaged during in-class activities, (5) bring materials to class when requested and (6) treat everyone in the class with respect. But do not equate “showing up” with participation. I am looking for quality involvement, not simply quantity. Use the following as a guide:

A professionalism = Demonstrates thorough preparation and engagement with course materials. Is assertive yet respectful during class discussion. Consistently asks challenging questions that draw connections between concepts discussed in readings and lecture. Extends the conversation by relating his/her own comments to classmates’ contributions. Does not monopolize the discussion or discredit others’ comments. Demonstrates digital citizenship through his/her contributions to Twitter. Brings all requested materials to class. Is present and on time for each class. Treats the class like a job and classmates as respected colleagues.

B professionalism = Less frequent and insightful contributions than A-level professionalism but demonstrates a good grasp of lecture topics, readings, and relevant media. Comments are well informed and questions confirm engagement. Does not monopolize the discussion or discredit others’ comments. Demonstrates digital citizenship through his/her contributions to Twitter. Brings all requested materials to class. Is present and on time for each class. Treats the class like a job and classmates as respected colleagues.

C professionalism = Average demonstration of knowledge of course concepts. Participates sporadically and is often distracted or disengaged. Comments are not well prepared or are superficial, rather than demonstrating critical thinking. Dominates class discussion, interrupts, or discredits others’ contributions. Rarely participates on Twitter, or makes unprofessional or irrelevant contributions. Sometimes forgets to bring requested materials to class. Periodically misses class or arrives late. Does not treat the class or classmates with respect.

D professionalism = Very infrequent participation both in class and using social media. Makes superficial or disruptive comments. Typically is unfocused and disengaged. Frequently forgets to bring requested materials to class. Is often absent or late. Is unprofessional and disrespectful.

F professionalism = Rarely, if ever, speaks during class. Rarely, if ever, contributes to social media. Attends class sporadically and is disengaged when in attendance. Is unprofessional and disrespectful. {If you are especially introverted and concerned about participation, come talk to me.}

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5 Things This Instructor Loves 1. Teaching. As an adjunct, I earn a few hundred dollars a month teaching you (not

joking). So why do I do it? Because I love teaching! I love the energy in a college classroom. I love the discussions and discoveries. I love mentoring and advising. I love being on the sidelines watching you evolve during this exciting time in your life. I teach every day with this passion in my heart.

2. Students with Open Minds. This course is a survey of business communication, so we cover a lot of material. You may think something doesn't apply to your major or career path. It's possible you're right, but it's also possible that you just haven't made the connection yet. So I love it when students are a little resistant to my approach to business communication, but eventually realize that so much of it is relevant to them. I always appreciate an open mind.

3. Students Who Chat with Me Outside Class. Whether you need help understanding a concept, want to practice a particular skill, are looking for advice, or just want to chat about life, I'm available. I love it when students engage me outside of class (whether that's in my office, on Twitter, via text message, in the Library Starbucks, wherever). Just so you know, I'm an awesome listener.

4. Students Who Come to Class Prepared. There is no backseat in my class. There's no room for slacking off. Since this is a flipped class, most of our class periods will involve discussion, activities, and simulations. This means you absolutely cannot be passive. You will get out of this class what you put into it. I love it when students jump right in and give it their all. The return on investment is big, I promise.

5. Students Who Own Their Learning. Attending college is a privilege. For most of you, there will never again be a time you can devote your days to meeting new people, learning new things, and enjoying so much freedom. I love it when students recognize this privilege and take responsibility for their intellectual development. Why not soak it all in? Why not experience everything you can? Why not learn something new every day?