Bus 222- Business Writing Syllabus

Course Description: 

Business 222 provides an overview of communication skills used in business; emphasizes guidelines for improving communication skills, common solutions to common communication problems, ethical issues facing business communicators today, instructions on how to identify areas of legal vulnerability, and tested techniques for communicating successfully in today’s high-tech, international business environment.

This course is part of the SAC Business certificate and degree program. It is expected that you are taking this class to obtain either a Business certificate or degree.

Textbook Information:  

This is a new textbook through Lumen. There is a $5 materials fee. A link to the textbook is available on the Canvas course page’s navigation bar. You can:

• read the text online
• download this textbook in Adobe Acrobat PDF format for print or offline use.
• download the optional eReader Textbook Version for Offline Use
• download this textbook in EPUB format for offline use in eReaders that support EPUB, like Kobo, Apple iBooks on Mac computers, iPhones and iPads, Google Books on Android, iPhones and iPads, Barnes & Noble Nook, Amazon Kindle Fire, Sony Reader, and various other eReaders.
• Download the optional Amazon Kindle Textbook (Links to an external site.) Version for Offline Use
• For Amazon Kindle, download the PDF Textbook above and follow Amazon's directions (Links to an external site.) to move it to your Kindle.

Additional Course Information:  This is a transferable course with 16 weeks worth of work condensed into 8 weeks. You need access to a computer with high speed access. When on campus, you can use computers in the Academic Computing Center (ACC, A106) or the library.  Check the SAC website for their availability and restrictions. Every registered SAC student is given a FREE email and access to Microsoft Office 365. Click on the link for more info: FREE SAC Student Email and Microsoft 365 Instructions.

Course Learning Objectives: 

The objective of this course is to improve your practical communication skills. Developing excellent communication skills is extremely important to your career success, whether you are already working or are about to enter today’s workplace.

 Students will be required to:

• Describe written, verbal, and nonverbal communication and its value in business.
• Describe how legal and ethical constraints, diversity challenges, changing technology, and team environments act as contextual forces that influence the process of business communication.
• Identify factors affecting group and team communication.
• Describe contextual forces that may affect whether, how, to whom, and when a message is sent.
• Demonstrate effective writing of business letters, memos, instant/email messages to convey good news and bad news.

Student Learning Objectives: 

As a result of this course, students will:

• Use effective written communication skills as the basic principles of professional success.
• Utilize effective time management strategies.
• Make use of campus resources contribute to success in college and beyond.
• Appreciate the value of cultural differences and diverse perspectives.
• Utilize professional etiquette in educational and business settings.

Meet Your Instructor: Susan Damon has been a professional writer in the medical, defense, computer science, and educational industries for 20 years. She has taught in the SAC business division for almost 10 years. Susan has a Master's degree in Education, a Master's degree in Business Administration, and a Bachelor's degree in English. She is considered a highly skilled educator by the state of California. When she's not teaching at SAC, Susan teaches business, computer science, and technology at a local high school.  

Instructor Welcome Video: 

https://youtu.be/eG3Qji0oDdM

Course Syllabus:  bus222_40434_Syllabus_F17_online.pdf