Drexel University
College of Business Administration
BUS 102 Foundations of Business II
Spring 1999


Course CoordinatorsDana C. D'Angelo, CPA, CMAJennifer Wright, CPA
Office:212 Academic Building504J Matheson Building
Office Phone:215-895-2954215-895-6983
E-mail Address:dangeldc@mail.drexel.eduwrightjj@mail.drexel.edu
Office Hours:Tuesday 10-12 and by appointmentTuesday 1-3 and by appointment

Section InstructorsJohn CoppolaDana D'AngeloBob Ferguson
Chris JelepisRosalie KreiderLee Marcus
Bob RossJill TolottaJennifer Wright
Office Hours and TA information will be given in section

TextbookBusiness Essentials, Ebert and Grifin, Prentice Hall, Second Edition
Simulation SoftwareBusiness Simulation, Strategic Management Group, 1996
PeriodicalWall Street Journal

Course ObjectiveThis course is designed to provide an integrated foundation for future business courses. It will orient students to the main disciplines and functions of business, enable hands on analysis of information and decision making in a competitive environment, relate business concepts to current events, provide an environment to develop teamwork and enhance communication and presentation skills.

GradingMidterm Examination200
Final Examination200
Simulation
    Strategic Plan
100
    Analysis and Written Report
100
Peer/Group Evaluations50
Lecture Attendance50
Wall Street Journal Periodical Project
    Individual Project
100
    Group Presentation
100
Section Grade50
Diary\Consultation50
TOTAL1000

General Class Policies
Exam and QuizzesNo makeups will be given for quizzes or examinations without prior approval by the Instructor. If you are ill on the day of the exam, you must contact the Instructor prior to the exam time.
 
AssignmentsTimely completion of assignments is required. Assignments will be accepted up to one week late however at a half credit penalty.

Overview of Assignments
ExaminationsThere will be two equally weighted non-cumulative examinations during the term, based upon class material and textbook information. Examinations will be closed book and closed notes. They will use both objective and essay question formats.

Simulation,
Presentation, and
Strategic Plan		Students will work in small teams taking over a struggling business.The team will act as business consultants, hired by the management,to help the company turn a profit. Teams will analyze competition and the economic environment, make pricing and marketing decisions, forecast and plan sales and production, use financial statement information, determine cash needs and financing methods, and consider research and development in new products.

As consultants, your first job will be to complete a strategic plan for the management team and submit it during week 3 of the spring term. In addition, your team will turn in decision sheets, during the term, recording the various decisions made at each stage of the simulation. A final comprehensive report analysis and summary will be due week 5 of the spring term. This paper should be 4-6 pages in length, not including supplemental material that may be appropriate.


Peer
Evaluations		At the end of the term, each student will fill out a confidential evaluation of team members. Students should be aware throughout the term of their interactions and participations with the team.

Periodical Project
Individual		Each student will be asked to obtain business information using the Wall Street Journal and submit their findings on a weekly basis to their instructor. This will be done over a four week period. Examples of items that will be collected are: financial information; career information; current legislative items.

Periodical Project
Group		Each group will give a presentation based on current information from the Wall Street Journal. Each instructor will provide detail on the type of presentation. Grading will be based on content, performance and teamwork.

SectionThis portion of the grade will be decided by the section instructors.

DiaryThe continued use of the written communication between instructors and students will take place. Diaries are informal, may be written, typed or e-mailed, and may be based upon any topic as determined in section classes. Diaries should be at least one full page in length.

ConsultationAt the end of the term, there will be a brief one-on-one meeting between student and section instructor, for the purpose of wrapping up the freshman year, discussing issues and planning for the sophomore year.


Lecture - Spring Term

Date:TopicChapter
4/2/99Course Intro & Review
Managing Human Resources
and Labor Relations		Chapter 10
 
4/9/99Distribution
Information Systems		Chapter 15
Chapter 12
 
4/16/99Understanding the Legal EnvironmentChapter 3
 
4/23/99Small Business Environment
Review for Mid-term		Chapter 8
 
4/30/99Mid-term Examination
Chapters 5, 6, 7, 10, 12 and 15
 
5/7/99Ethics
Conflict Resolution		Chapter 4
 
5/14/99Understanding Money and BankingChapter 16
 
5/21/99Taxation Basics
Final Exam Review
 
5/28/99Final Examination
Chapters 3, 4, 8, 16, Taxation, Conflict
Resolution and Wall Street Journal
 
6/04/99Resume Workshop
Co-Op Student Panel
 


Section - Spring Term

Date:TopicChapterAssignment
3/29/99Managing the Business Enterprise
Strategic Planning
Wall Street Journal - Introduction 		Chapter 6
 
4/5/99Understanding the Global Context of
Business
Team Reformation
Simulation Case Discussed		Chapter 5 Diary 1 Due
 
4/12/99Organizing the Business Enterprise Chapter 7Business
Simulation
Strategic Plan
 
4/19/99Small BusinessChapter 8Level 4 & 5
Decisions Due
 
4/26/99Open TimeBusiness Sim. -
Final Report Due
WSJ -Indiv. Proj.
Week #1
 
5/3/99EthicsEthics Cases
Chapter 4		WSJ -Indiv. Proj.
Week #2
 
5/10/99Presentations - WSJWSJ -Indiv. Proj.
Week #3
 
5/17/99Presentations - WSJ
Peer Evaluations		WSJ -Indiv. Proj.
Week #4
 
5/24/99Consultations
 
5/31/99Consultations