SRJC Course Outlines

12/8/2024 12:47:30 PMBMG 52 Course Outline as of Fall 2025

Changed Course
CATALOG INFORMATION

Discipline and Nbr:  BMG 52Title:  BUSINESS COMMUNICATION  
Full Title:  Business Communication
Last Reviewed:2/13/2023

UnitsCourse Hours per Week Nbr of WeeksCourse Hours Total
Maximum3.00Lecture Scheduled3.0017.5 max.Lecture Scheduled52.50
Minimum3.00Lab Scheduled06 min.Lab Scheduled0
 Contact DHR0 Contact DHR0
 Contact Total3.00 Contact Total52.50
 
 Non-contact DHR0 Non-contact DHR Total0

 Total Out of Class Hours:  105.00Total Student Learning Hours: 157.50 

Title 5 Category:  AA Degree Applicable
Grading:  Grade or P/NP
Repeatability:  00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP
Also Listed As: 
Formerly: 

Catalog Description:
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In this course, students will learn effective communication skills applied to business letters, memos, emails, proposals, reports, and presentations. Students will also learn strategies for organizing, composing, and presenting information clearly and accurately while incorporating appropriate goodwill. This course also includes writing for the employment process.

Prerequisites/Corequisites:
Course Completion of ENGL C1000 OR EMLS 10 (formerly ESL 10)


Recommended Preparation:
Completion of COMM C1000, BGN 71, CS 60.11A, CS 61.11A, and CS 62.11A or Completion of COMM 4, BGN 71, CS 60.11A, CS 61.11A, and CS 62.11A

Limits on Enrollment:

Schedule of Classes Information
Description: Untitled document
In this course, students will learn effective communication skills applied to business letters, memos, emails, proposals, reports, and presentations. Students will also learn strategies for organizing, composing, and presenting information clearly and accurately while incorporating appropriate goodwill. This course also includes writing for the employment process.
(Grade or P/NP)

Prerequisites:Course Completion of ENGL C1000 OR EMLS 10 (formerly ESL 10)
Recommended:Completion of COMM C1000, BGN 71, CS 60.11A, CS 61.11A, and CS 62.11A or Completion of COMM 4, BGN 71, CS 60.11A, CS 61.11A, and CS 62.11A
Limits on Enrollment:
Transfer Credit:CSU;
Repeatability:00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP

ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Associate Degree:Effective:Inactive:
 Area:
 
CSU GE:Transfer Area Effective:Inactive:
 
IGETC:Transfer Area Effective:Inactive:
 
CSU Transfer:TransferableEffective:Fall 1981Inactive:
 
UC Transfer:Effective:Inactive:
 
C-ID:
 CID Descriptor: BUS 115 Business Communication SRJC Equivalent Course(s): BMG52

Certificate/Major Applicable: Both Certificate and Major Applicable



COURSE CONTENT

Student Learning Outcomes:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:
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1. Apply principles of communication to plan, organize, and prepare effective and ethical business letters, memos, emails, proposals, reports, resumes, and oral presentations.
2. Critically analyze content, organization, style, tone, sentence structure, grammar, goodwill, and business format.
3. Present information and ideas clearly and accurately in writing and verbally.
 

Objectives: Untitled document
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:
1. Describe the communication process:  the sender, the message, the channel, the receiver, and the feedback.
2. Analyze how word selection, content, organization, style, tone, sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, goodwill, and business format affect business communications.
3. Analyze audience and anticipate audience needs, recognizing dimensions of culture including context, individualism, and time orientation.
4. Recognize professionalism, ethical business practices, and business etiquette in communication situations, including in social media and intercultural interactions.
5. Utilize techniques to listen, problem solve, plan, organize, compose, and present information clearly and accurately.
6. Plan, organize, write, proofread, and revise business letters, emails, memos, proposals, reports, resumes, and presentations.
7. Deliver individual or team oral business presentation.
8. Select an appropriate resume format for a specific job position to create a resume and application cover letter.

Topics and Scope
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I. Business Communication Foundations in the Digital World
    A. Information flow in today's business world
    B. Ethics in today's workplace
II. Professionalism
    A. Effective work teams
    B. Face-to-face and virtual meetings
    C. Listening in the workplace
    D. Communicating nonverbally
    E. Professionalism and business etiquette
III. Intercultural Communication
    A. Effects of globalization
    B. Cultural and ethical business practices
    C. Social media and networking                                                                                                              
IV. Planning Business Messages in the Digital Age
    A. Analyzing and anticipating the audience
    B. The writing process and writing techniques
    C. Team writing and team revision of collaborative documents
V. Organizing and Drafting Business Messages
    A. Researching and gathering organizing information
    B. Organization through alphanumeric or decimal outlines
    C. Writing draft of effective sentences and paragraphs      
VI. Revising Business Messages for Conciseness and Clarity
    A. Readability through document design
    B. Proofreading complex documents
VII. Short Workplace Messages and Digital Media      
    A. Writing email messages, memos, and texts
    B. Writing podcasts and blogs for business
VIII. Strategies for Positive Direct Messages
    A. Writing request, response, and instruction messages
    B. Writing direct claims, complaints, and adjustment messages
    C. Writing goodwill messages
IX. Strategies for Effective Negative Indirect Messages
    A. Writing messages to deny requests
    B. Writing messages to deny claims
    C. Writing messages to address bad news      
X. Strategies for Persuasive Messages and Sales Messages in the Digital Age
    A. Writing persuasive request, claim, and complaint messages
    B. Writing effective, legal sales messages in print and online
    C. Writing direct-mail and email sales messages
XI. Reporting in the Digital-Age Workplace
    A. Formal and informal methods of research
    B. Primary and secondary sources of data
    C. Documentation of research data and references
    D. Effective and ethical charts and graphics
    E. Intellectual theft:  plagiarism
XII. Informal Business Reports
    A. Interpretation of digital-age data
    B. Writing recommendation reports
    C. Writing informational reports
    D. Writing analytical reports
XIII. Proposals, Business Plans, and Formal Business Reports
    A. Writing formal and informal business proposals
    B. Creating effective business plans
XIV. Delivery of Effective Oral Business Presentations
    A. Audience analysis for most effective impact
     B. Preparing and organizing material
    C. Visual aids and multimedia presentations
    D. Polishing delivery to aid in avoiding stage fright
XV. Employment Communication and Resumes in the Digital Age
    A. Preparing for and conducting a successful job search
    B. Organizing education, experience, and skills into categories
    C. Creating an effective customized resume and persuasive cover letter

Assignments:
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1. Written assignments, such as business letters, emails, memos, proposals, reports, resumes, and presentations
2. Proofreading and formatting business documents
3. Prepare and deliver oral presentation(s)
4. Assigned reading
5. Quizzes and/or exams

Methods of Evaluation/Basis of Grade.
Writing: Assessment tools that demonstrate writing skill and/or require students to select, organize and explain ideas in writing.Writing
70 - 80%
Written assignments
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.Problem Solving
5 - 10%
Proofreading and formatting business documents
Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams.Skill Demonstrations
10 - 20%
Prepare and deliver oral business presentation(s)
Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams.Exams
5 - 15%
Quizzes and/or exams
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.Other Category
0 - 0%
None


Representative Textbooks and Materials:
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Business Communication Process and Product. 9th ed. Guffey, Mary Ellen and Loewy, Dana. Cengage Learning. 2021.
Instructor prepared materials

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