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PROFESSIONAL AND BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
Spring 2006
COURSE OVERVIEW
Communication is what makes organizations work--or not. It's what can get you hired--or
not. It’s how you will influence the organizations you join--or not. Employer surveys
put communication skills at the top of the list of most essential employee qualifications
needed in the business world today.1 Not only will good communication skills get you
the job, but they will also ensure your effectiveness in the workplace and move you up
the managerial ladder.
Nothing is more important to the well-being of an organization and its managers and
employees than effective communication. Organizations with poor communication
climates seldom survive. Employees who aspire to positions of organizational leadership
must be able to persuade others, motivate them, and give them clear and useful
information. Workers who want only to do their jobs well and make significant
contributions to the larger mission of the organization must be able to coordinate their
efforts with others and share relevant information. In fact, all organizational employees,
from president to part-time apprentice, can benefit personally and professionally by
improving their communication skills.
A major purpose of this course is to help you better understand the principles of good
professional communication. It offers guidelines for developing the ability to communicate
effectively in diverse organizational settings. In this course we will analyze what makes good
business and personal communication, and discuss useful strategies for achieving it in the
workplace. We will examine general principles of business communication, such as the roles
of the audience and context in shaping your message. In addition, we will discuss real-world
business communication needs, examine current management communication problems, and
you will respond to these issues using effective communication strategies that adapt to the
audience and the situation. By the end of the course, you should have a good sense of general
1
National Association of Colleges and Employers (January 15, 2004). Employers Identify the Skills,
Qualities of the “Ideal Candidate.” National Association of Colleges and Employers Press Release.
Retrieved August 10, 2004, from the World Wide Web:
principles of effective communication in business and professional environments as well as an
awareness of what specific skills are called for in certain professional contexts.
TEXTBOOK
COMM 4334.002 will use, Communicating for Results, seventh edition, available at the
campus bookstore, for the official textbook.
COURSE POLICIES
Students will be required to attend all meetings, read assigned work from the text and to
be able to discuss it on the assigned date; students who must miss class for any
reason are subject to grade penalty, even failure of the class. Furthermore,
excessive tardiness will negatively affect your participation grade. Each absence will
reduce your participation grade by 10 points. Two tardies will equal one absence.
Work Quality
All work must exhibit professional quality and collegiate level writing skills, including timely
submission and thorough proofreading for grammatical and mechanical errors. Written work
must demonstrate clear structural elements, fully developed paragraphs, strong argumentation,
and correct citations. Also, if you ask in a timely fashion (typically at least four school days
before the assignment is due) and my schedule allows, I will review your drafts, outlines, and
presentations to offer advice. However, I am not your copy editor or speechwriter. You are
ultimately responsible for applying those comments and advice throughout the assignment to
improve the work quality. Messy work will receive a messy grade!
Students are required to complete all assignments in a timely, professional fashion. Late
or incomplete work is not acceptable. Late work is especially problematic on speech
days. Unless you receive permission in advance or can show written proof of an
unanticipated emergency, failure to speak on your assigned day will result in a failing
grade for the speech. There is no guarantee that you will be able to make up any
assignment.
Scholastic Dishonesty
You have the ultimate responsibility for the quality of your work. Unless stated otherwise, all
work must be original and completed on an individual basis. Scholastic dishonesty, whether
plagiarizing, cheating, colluding or falsifying academic records, is a serious offense that will
result in referral to the Dean of Students for proper adjudication, which may include failing
the assignment, failing the course, being put on academic probation, or, in extreme cases,
dismissal from the university. You can find further descriptions of scholastic dishonesty
violations and how it affects you, including the discipline process, on UTD’s Scholastic
Dishonesty web page.
GRADES
This course’s assignments are designed to accomplish two main objectives: 1) to assess
your understanding of professional communication and 2) to help develop your
professional skills and toolbox. The following table lists the required assignments for
Professional Communication.
You will receive detailed descriptions of each of these assignments in class. Homework
and in-class exercises will be minimal – not even every week. Grades will be calculated
on the following scale and will use a rounding factor of 0.5:
This schedule is tentative and subject to change at the instructor’s discretion. All changes
to the schedule will be posted in WebCT.
Informative Presentations Wk 7
Persuasive Unit Wk 8
Persuasive Presentation Assignment
Toulmin Model
Types of Persuasion
Spring Break Wk 9
Persuasive Speech Run Through Wk 10
Persuasive Presentations Wk 12
Persuasive Presentations Wk 13
Group Presentations Wk 14
Wk 15
Exam 2
Finals Week Wk 16
Tuesday,
April 25 –
May 1