This course deals with major aspects of business including management, marketing, accounting, information processing and finance. Emphasis is on real business personalities and situations. Upon completion, students should be able to demonstrate an understanding of business concepts as a foundation for studying other business subjects.
This course is an introduction to many aspects of the private enterprise system and of the businesses that operate within this framework. Your experience in this course will enable you to gain a better understanding of what business is all about, how a business operates, and which business functions are needed in any business enterprise. The course will consist of lectures, readings, assignments, quizzes, and exams to help you apply in a practical way key concepts of a business environment.
Woodard, Howard C.
Dr. Howard C. Woodard will be retiring as Associate Chief Information Officer for Academic Technology and Professor of Information Systems at Georgia College & State University in December 2015. He also served from 2011-2015 as the Coordinator of the Master of Logistics and Supply Chain Management Program in the J. Whitney Bunting College of Business. From 2011–2015 He served as Director of Georgia College at Robins Air Force Base. He has a broad range of managerial, business development skills and technology consulting experience within both the public and private sectors. Previously, Dr. Woodard served on a special assignment as the Chief Information Officer for the Georgia Department of Education from 2003-2007. Dr. Woodard is a former Department Chair of Computer Information Systems at Ambassador University, Big Sandy, TX. Dr. Woodard has over thirty years of experience successfully applying Management Information Systems and Business Solutions in domestic and international banking, computer software, financial services, manufacturing, mining, and education. Dr. Woodard's research interests encompass information systems planning and success, educational technology strategic planning, and technology utilization in higher education administration. He has written numerous publications on technology, training and learning. Over his business and technology career he worked in ever increasing levels of responsibility from programmer to CIO. He also served as president and CEO of a number of companies. Dr. Woodard holds a Certified Computing Professional certification.
Dr. Woodard was born and raised in Georgia, USA. He is married with one son and a granddaughter.
As a result of participating in BUS 112 the student will be able to:
- Explain the term Business including its history and purpose in today’s modern economy.
- Be able to identify and explain the 6 principle forms of business.
- Explain the functions that make up the operations of business including Management, Human Resources, Production, Marketing, Information Technology and Finance.
- Apply the course concepts by creating a simple business plan.
No textbooks required at this time. [12/13/16]
Additional readings will periodically come from church literature and other sources. The appropriate web links will be designated on the course website. Be sure NOT to miss these readings as listed on the lesson pages of the course.
Course lectures will take the format of both video and audio. PowerPoint slides will accompany lectures and videos will also periodically be available for download with lectures. See the course website for details.
| Lesson | Topics | Assignments |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction, Syllabus, Explain Assignments, CH 1-4 Business in a Global Environment |
Post Icebreaker Read CH 1-4 Discussion Quiz |
| 2 | CH 5-6 Starting and Growing Business | Read CH 5-6 Discussion Quiz |
| 3 | CH 7-10 Management | Read CH 7-10 Discussion Quiz Start Final Project |
| 4 | CH 11-13 Marketing | Read CH 11-13 Discussion Quiz |
| 5 | CH 14 Information Technology | Read CH 14 Discussion Quiz Biblical Perspective Paper |
| 6 | CH 15-17 Financial Resources | Read CH 15-17 Discussion Quiz Course Evaluation |
| Final Project | Create a Simple Business Plan | |
| Final Exam | Covering ALL Lessons |
1. Due dates and extensions: Submit assignments on or before the date due. No late or make-up assignments will be allowed except for extreme circumstances; permission of instructor is necessary. Students must complete the course by the last official day of instruction as set forth in the academic calendar.
2. Icebreaker: To begin this course, students must complete an Icebreaker assignment to introduce themselves to their professor and classmates through the posting of a short autobiography on the forum. Simply tell the class about yourself and your goals (1-2 paragraphs). The Icebreaker assignment is due by the eighth day of the semester. Students post their biographies as a reply to the Icebreaker topic on the course forum. A student can earn 30 points in this course by doing so “on time.” As there are people from all over the world enrolled in this course, each autobiography will help all know, understand, and appreciate each other. Students are to read and comment on each other’s bios throughout the first week of class.
3. Reading assignments: Students will be responsible for the chapter readings that correspond with the class lecture. Be sure to read the chapter prior to logging in and completing the weekly assignment. Readings will correspond with in-class assignments and will help you be better informed. Completing the readings in advance will make the assignments make more sense to you!
4. Discussion forums: Students will also be expected to take part in lesson discussion forums. Each of the six (6) lessons will include discussions on a topic or news item related to the material covered in that lesson. Two (2) additional topics will be assigned during the semester. Each discussion assignment will be worth 5 points each (total = 40). Students will respond to two of their peers in the discussion assignment.
5. Writing assignments: All writing assignments in this course should follow the MLA style as set forth in Writing Research Papers: A Complete Guide (14th edition) by Lester & Lester. Please cite your sources and use quotation marks where needed. To submit your work, select the appropriate assignment from the Assignments tab to go to the Assignment Submission webpage. Use the file attachment feature below the textbox to upload your WORD document. Please do not use the textbox to “post” your assignment: the textbox is used for student/instructor communication only, pertaining to the assignment.
- Biblical Perspective: This writing assighment will be a minimum 3-page paper on a biblical perspective of Business. Topic(s) will be assigned in Lesson 4 and the paper will be due with Lesson 5 assignments. The Paper will be worth 100 points.
- Final Project. The final project will be due the last week of class and will consist of developing a Simple Business plan. This project will begin after completion of Lesson 3 and will be built over the semester. The student must demonstrate proficiency in the class material and include aspects of all lesson units in their financial plan. The final project will be worth 400 points.
6. Quizzes and examinations: Six (6) quizzes will be given throughout the course. There will be a quiz on each of the 6 lessons covered in class. Quizzes will be multiple choice, matching or short answer, and open book and notebook. Quizzes will address chapter readings, assignments, and lectures. Your quiz is due by the last day of each lesson. Quizzes are worth 50 points (total=300). IMPORTANT NOTE: Although the quizzes are open book and notebook, you really need to “study” ahead of time for these assessments. If you study ahead of time by reviewing your notes and the chapters covered, it will greatly expedite your quiz time on task. If you do not study ahead of time, the quiz will end up taking a great deal of time. There should be NO discussion with classmates regarding the quizzes.
Final Exam. There will a final exam at the end of the course covering cumulative topics and concepts from all lessons. The Exam will be a proctored exam worth 100 points. A proctored exam is one that is overseen by an impartial individual (called a proctor) who monitors or supervises a student while he or she is taking an exam. The proctor ensures the security and integrity of the exam process. The proctoring process helps assure that the student who takes a proctored examination in a course is the same person who enrolled in the course and that examination results reflect the student’s own knowledge and competence.
7. Course evaluation: A student can earn 30 points by completing the evaluation (see more below).
| Summary of Course Requirements | Point Value | Letter Grade | Total Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Icebreaker | 30 | A | 900 points or above (90%) | |
| Discussion (5 points each x 8) | 40 | B | 800-899 points (80%) | |
| Quizzes (50 points each x 6) | 300 | C | 700-799 points (70%) | |
| Biblical Perspective Paper | 100 | D | 600-699 points (60%) | |
| Final Project | 400 | F | 599 points or below | |
| Final Exam | 100 | |||
| Course Evaluation | 30 | |||
| Total | 1000 |