"The most important things are the hardest to say, because words diminish them."
— Stephen King
In this course, students will learn to apply essential business communication concepts. In particular, develop their ability to speak and write in a business context. Students will learn how to create, organize, and deliver their message. They will deliver both planned and extemporaneous public presentations on topics related to data analysis, both individually and in groups. This course will emphasize the creation of presentation slides and other supporting materials, the correct presentation and organization of data analysis results, and listening to and critically evaluating presentations made by other people.
Instructor: Brian Spiering
Contact: Slack DM (more preferred) | bspiering@usfca.edu (less preferred)
Office hours: Mondays & Wednesday 12:30-1:00 in 522 & By Appointment
Grader: Nina Hua
Contact: Slack DM | nhua2@usfca.edu
Office hours: By appointment
Website: github.com/brianspiering/business-communication
Communication: Slack #biz_comm_2019
- Enrollment in the MSDS program.
By the end of the course, you should be able to:
- Analyze situations and audiences to adapt your communication techniques to effectively deliver your message.
- Understand your own communication style and adapt to it to the current context.
- Introduce yourself in a variety of professional settings.
- Create a LinkedIn profile.
- Write business emails for common scenarios.
- Give a short, technical presentation.
Format: Sections, days, times, and rooms §
- Mondays at 10:00-11:55 in Room 451
- Mondays at 1:15-3:05 in Room 450
- Wednesdays at 10:00-11:55 in Room 450
- Wednesdays at 1:15-3:05 in Room 450
§ There will be a shuffle because two Monday sessions are missing. See schedule below.
You have been assigned a specific section for this course. You must attend the section you have been assigned!
Format: Number. Date (Sections) | Date (Sections): Topic
- 8/21 (3 & 4) | 8/26 (1 & 2): Welcome & How to Introduce Yourself
- 8/28 (3 & 4) | 9/4 (1 & 2): How to LinkedIn
- 9/9 (1 & 2) | 9/11 (3 & 4): How to Email
- 9/16 (1 & 2) | 9/18 (3 & 4): How to Interview
- 9/23 (1 & 2) | 9/25 (3 & 4): How to Present
- 9/30 (1 & 2) | 10/2 (3 & 4): Student Presentations, Part I
- 10/7 (1 & 2) | 10/9 (3 & 4): Student Presentations, Part II
None. There are no textbooks that are both high quality and up-to-date on the topics covered in class.
| Item | Weight | Due Date & Time |
|---|---|---|
| Professionalism | 20% | Everyday |
| Assignment 1: LinkedIn | 11% | 9/7 (Saturday) at 9p |
| Assignment 2: Your Story | 11% | 9/14 (Saturday) at 9p |
| Assignment 3: Email | 11% | 9/21 (Saturday) at 9p |
| Assignment 4: Interviewing | 11% | 9/28 (Saturday) at 9p |
| Assignment 5: Meetup | 11% | 10/5 (Saturday) at 9p |
| Final Presentation (FP) | 20% | Session 6 or 7 |
| Assignment 6: FP Reflection | 5% | 10/12 (Saturday) at 9p |
| Total | 100% |
Each item's contribution is capped its respective percentage. The total course percentage is capped at 100%.
Currently, there is no extra credit. If there is any extra credit, it is entirely at the discretion of the instructor.
We'll be using Canvas as the learning management system (LMS), aka the gradebook. The instructional team will do their best to have Canvas accurately reflect your current scores in the course. However, Canvas may not be completely accurate all the time. In other words, your actual grade maybe significant different than it appears on Canvas.
Late assignments will only be accepted for medical emergencies.
Asking for acceptance of any late assignments without a medical emergency or submitting assignment not through Canvas will result in a loss of professionalism points (and your assignment will still not be accepted).
I expect you act professionally in-person (both inside and outside the classroom) and electronically. Since people come up from a variety of backgrounds, I want to be explicit about the elements of professionalism:
- Show up on time and prepared.
- Remain fully present.
- Contribute appropriately and meaningfully.
- Follow staff and faculty instructions appropriately.
- Show respect to all people.
Professionalism points are entirely at the instructor's discretion.
Violations of Academic Integrity are unprofessional, thus you'll automatically lose all Professionalism points for any violations of Academic Integrity.
Part of professionalism may include completing small ad hoc assignments, such as MSDS Student Info Survey and setting up online profiles for the tools MSDS program uses.
I try to create an active learning environment in my classroom. Attendance is mandatory - you can't participate if you don't attend. It is the responsibility of the student to attend all classes. If you have to miss class, due to sickness, job interviewing, or other circumstances, please notify your instructor by Slack in advance. Supporting documents (e.g., doctor’s notes) may be asked for.
Tardiness negatively impacts an active learning environment, thus will impact your professionalism grade.
You must show-up to each session prepared.
Each person is important to the dynamic of the class, and therefore students are required to participate in class activities. Expect to be "cold called". I call on students at random not to put you on the spot but to keep you engaged in the material at all times.
This is a closed-computer classroom. Your phone and laptop must stay put away during the entire class, unless explicitly instructed by me that it is okay to use your laptop for a specific activity. I have observed that just the presence of phones and laptops negatively impacts the learning experience for everyone in the classroom. I expect you to be fully present and engaged in the classroom at all times. I strongly suggest taking notes on paper. A tablet is acceptable for note-taking. A tablet should not be used for any other purpose.
This is your warning for off-topic computer use. Violations include (but not limited to): looking at the screen, typing, and using any type of computer for activities not directly to the current in-class activities. Every violation will negatively impact your total grade by losing professional points. The penalties scale exponentially - The first offense is will result in a 1% loss of total points, the second offense is 5% of total points, the third offense is 10%, the fourth offense is 15%, and the fifth offense is 20% of total points (i.e., the cap is 100% of your professional points).
The MSDS program considers a grade of "A" to represent exceptional work with respect to both the instructor's expectations and peer student achievements. I consider an "A" grade to be above and beyond what most students achieve. A grade of "B" represents the expected outcome, what is called "competence" in a business setting. A "C" grade represents achievements lower than the instructor's expectations for competence in the subject. A grade of "F" represents little or no work in the course.
I will "curve" the final numerical grades at the end of the course. The mapping from percentages to letter grades (e.g., [95, 100] is an A, [90,95) is an A-, etc.) will not be established until the end of the course. Roughly, the top 15% of students will receive grades of A or A-. Roughly, 60% of students will receive grades of B+, B, or B-. Roughly, 20% of students will receive grades of C+, C, or C-. Students can receive failing grades.
The Learning, Writing, and Speaking Centers at USF provide individualized support to assist you in better understanding course material and to aid you on your path to success. Services are free and include one-on-one tutoring, group tutoring, and one-on-one Academic Skills Coaching appointments to discuss effective study strategies. The Learning Center supports over 80 courses each semester. The Writing Center helps students develop their writing skills in rhetoric, organization, style, and structure, through one-on-one interactive conferences. The Speaking Center helps students prepare for public speaking — including speeches, oral presentations, team presentations, and visual aid demonstrations. International students may also contact us to learn more about communicating with professors and general academic study skills. The Learning, Writing, and Speaking Centers are located on the Lower Level of Gleeson Library (G03). Please contact them at (415) 422-6713 for further assistance or visit: myusf.usfca.edu/lwsc
If you are a student with a disability or disabling condition, or if you think you may have a disability, please contact USF Student Disability Services (SDS) for information about accommodations.
All students are expected to behave in accordance with the Student Conduct Code and other University policies.
USF upholds the standards of honesty and integrity from all members of the academic community. All students are expected to know and adhere to the University's Honor Code.
If you ever have questions about what constitutes plagiarism, cheating, or academic dishonesty in my course, please feel free to ask me.
CAPS provides confidential, free counseling to student members of our community.
For information and resources regarding sexual misconduct or assault visit the Title IX coordinator or USF's Callisto website.