California State University, Bakersfield

School of Business and Public Administration

Department of Management and Marketing, 20BDC
9001 Stockdale Highway
Bakersfield, CA 93311-1022
BA 2900 : Introduction to Business Professions
Tu -TH 5 :30pm-6 :20pm
Spring 2017
BDC 155B
Office: BDC 138A
Course Instructor Office: BDC 138A
Office Hrs: T/TH 4:30pm-5:30pm
Joseph Castillo, (Or by appointment) Office Phone: 661.654.2181
MBA Course Credit: 1
jcastillo22@csub.edu

REQUIRED MATERIALS:
Business Week. Bloomberg Press. (To Be Provided By Instructor)
My Writing Lab (csub.mylabsplus.com)
Blackboard and an Email Account
Sufficient preparation to be an active participant in class.

OFFICE HOURS, APPOINTMENTS AND EMAIL: I encourage you to come by my office or contact me via
email f you have any questions, need clarification on assignments, or need to obtain additional help. I check
my email several times a day, including most weekends. You are also responsible for checking Blackboard
and your CSUB email on a regular basis for updates and materials.

CATALOG DESCRIPTION: This course provides an introduction to the business professions, including an
overview of business operations and ethics, exposure to the variety of careers in business, and development of
key skills necessary for success in the business curriculum. Course skill development focuses on writing and
critical thinking, as well as the introduction of the student to the basic rubrics for evaluation of these skills in the
business school. This course is intended for business majors. Note: A grade of C or better in this class is
required in order to enroll in upper division business courses.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: Upon completion of this course, students will have worked on the following BPA
ACADEMIC PROGRAM OBJECTIVES.

Goal 1: Communication Skills

o Objective 1a: Writing: Students will be able to produce concisely written documents that: (a)
have a clear focus and address the intended audience, (b) are logically organized with cogently
developed ideas, (c) are free of spelling and grammar errors, (d) effectively employ vocabulary
and balance a variety of standard English sentence structures, and (e) employ software to
create a high quality appearance.

COURSE GRADING
Evaluation Tool Point Values
MyWritingLab 25
- 10 points for 10 topics
- 15 points for final test
Career Paper 70
Cover Letter 30
Participation 75
- 24 points for attendance
- 15 points - Interview a Professor
- 20 points Modules
- 10 points - 5 worksheets
- 6 points -Career exploration assignment
Total 200
 Grading Scale Cutoff Points

93 = A 77 = C+ D- = 60
90 = A- 73 = C F = below 60
87 = B+ 70 = C-
83 = B 67 = D+
80 = B- 63 = D

ASSIGNMENTS: (LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED)

MyWritingLab: The lab is intended to develop your writing skills (BPA Learning Goals and Objectives: 1a),
through a self-paced website application. This application will need to be completed primarily during the first
few weeks of the term.
Step 1: Take the Pathbuilder pre-test self-diagnostic test (this can take up to 1 hours, so allow
plenty of time). Once this is completed, the program will identify your main target areas for
improvement.
Step 2: Work on your ten (10) weakest (note: this means that each student will be working on a
different set of skills and exercises). Completion of these modules should improve your writing skills,
with the evidence seen in the writing assignments (the writing assignment will be explained further in
the syllabus).
Step 3: During the tenth or eleventh week of the term, you will be required to return to this website and
take the Master post-test diagnostic exam in order to get full credit for this assignment.

Writing Assignments: Keep module materials and assignments in a folder which will be turned in at the end
of the semester, along with your career paper and your cover letter.
Career Paper: Using the Course Modules and assignments as a Guide, you will write your career
paper (Approx. 10 pages double spaced). The career paper assignment in understanding and
developing the necessary knowledge, skills, abilities and attitudes needed to ensure that you are career
ready upon graduation. This exercise will lead you to reflect on who you are, what you want,
challenges that you may experience and real opportunity pathways for success. Detailed instructions
for this assignment will be provided under separate cover.
Cover Letter: You will be required to write a cover letter to a company of your choice. Detailed
instructions for this assignment will be provided under separate cover.

An Additional Word on Writing: It should be clear at this point that effective writing is a critical element of
this class. This ability is stressed because in the real world an inability to write (meaning incorrect spelling,
poor grammar and sentence construction, and an illogical presentation of your ideas) is often equated with
ignorance. Said another way, many managers believe that poor writing = poor thinking! Therefore, I intend to
help you build your writing skills. As I grade your writing assignments, I will identify those students who can
benefit from additional writing instruction. If you are so identified, you must arrange to meet with an English
tutor to review drafts of your subsequent assignments (a referral form will be provided).

Participation/Module Discussion: We will be working on oral communication and application in class by

discussing the text and/or Module questions and Business Week articles; therefore, participation is critical! If
you are not active in class, as evidenced by a failure to participate in the discussions or a clear failure to keep
up with the module assignments or Business Week readings, you will not receive the points! Module
discussion points are attached to this syllabus.
BA 2900 COURSE POLICIES:

Late Work: I will not accept late work. You must bring your assignments with you to class. I do not
want assignments sent via email. If you must miss a class, please let me know and we will arrange a
way for you to submit your homework to me.

Computers and cellphones are allowed in class for note taking, research, and textbook purposes only.
Surfing the Web and texting/social media during class time is disrespectful, distracting to other class
members, and will result in termination of computer and cellphone privileges.

Hats, computers, cell phones, and MP3 players are not allowed during quizzes and exams. These
items must be turned off and stored away during quizzes and exams.

Students are expected to be punctual and behave in a professional manner during class sessions.
Tardiness is disruptive to classmates and to the instructor. Class will begin promptly as scheduled.
Attendance at every class meeting is highly recommended. In the event that you are unable to be
present, it is your responsibility to obtain information regarding the material we covered during the
class. Teammates may choose to help each other with notes and providing assignment information.
Use WebCT to communicate and share information.

The CSUB Catalog contains the following policies and regulations which you should review:

o Principles of the Community, Principles of Academic Freedom, Nondiscrimination Policy and

Unlawful Harassment Policy, Policy of the Rights of Individuals, Privacy Rights of Students in
Education Records, Student Discipline. See Website: http://www.csub.edu/catalog/_files/2013-
2015_updated/013.pdf

It is essential to the learning environment that you respect the rights of others seeking to learn, respect
the professionalism of the instructor, and maintain the general goals of academic freedom. Differing
viewpoints or concerns should be expressed in terms, which are supportive of the learning process,
creating an environment in which students and faculty may learn to reason with clarity and compassion,
to share of themselves without losing their identities, and to develop an understanding of the
community in which they live. Student conduct that disrupts the learning process will not be tolerated
and may lead to disciplinary action and/or removal from class.

If you have special needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and need course
materials in alternative formats, please notify me immediately. Reasonable efforts will be made to
accommodate your special needs. For more information, contact Services to Students with Disabilities.
Phone: (661) 654-3360 TDD: (661) 654-6288 Office: SA 140

Academic dishonesty is an offense against the University and other students in the class. A student
who has committed an act of academic dishonesty has failed to meet a basic requirement of
satisfactory academic performance. Thus, academic dishonesty is not only a basis for disciplinary
action, but is also relevant to the evaluation of the students level of performance. When there has
been an act of academic dishonesty, the instructor will likely assign a failing grade for the course. If you
have any further questions regarding University policy regarding academic dishonesty, please see me,
your academic advisor, or other University officials. You should also consult the Academic Information
section of the CSUB catalog; in particular pages 84-88 http://www.csub.edu/catalog/_files/2013-
2015_updated/013.pdf
 TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE: This course schedule is a proposed course schedule. The instructor
reserves the right to modify this schedule as necessary. Students will be notified of any changes in class (It
is your responsibility to get information on schedule changes if you are not in class).

Week Date Class Topic Assignment Due Dates

Week 1 Introduction
Week 2 BAT (Section 1)
Week 3 BAT (Section 2) Business Week Career Builder Worksheets
MWL Plus Path Builder Completed

Week 4 Course 1 Module 1 Module 1 (Discussion)

Cover Letter
Career Exploration Assignment
Week 5 Course 1 Module 2 Module 2 (Discussion)
Week 6 Course 1 Module 3 Module 3 (Discussion)
Week 7 Course 1 Module 4 Module 4 (Discussion)
Week 8 Course 1 Module 5 Module 5 (Discussion)
Week 9 Course 1 Module 6 Module 6 (Discussion)
Course 1
Week 10 Course 2 Module 1 Module 1 (Discussion)
Week 11 Course 2 Module 2 Module 2 (Discussion)
Week 12 Course 2 Module 3 Module 3 (Discussion)
Interview a Professional
Week 13 Course 2 Module 4 Module 4 (Discussion)

Week 14 Course 2 Module 5 Module 5 (Discussion)

MWL Plus Mastery
Cover Letter Revised
Week 15 Course 2 Module 6 Module 6 (Discussion)
Course 2
Week 16 Final Paper Due
Finals Week (May 15-18th)