You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can't get them across, they won't get you anywhere.

Lee Iacocca

Description: Communication is among the top ten factors in corporate hiring decisions. The ability to communicate makes corporate executives more promotable than does personal drive or education. This entry-level course is designed to help students improve their communication skills in corporate settings. It is intended for students with limited work experience, but it can serve to refresh and update the skills of experienced professionals as well. The course will introduce some of the results of recent communication research for the purpose of developing, and working through practical exercises that will help the students to develop skills in interpersonal and organizational, interviewing and group, and public communications.

Objectives: If you successfully complete this course, you will be able to:

• describe, analyze, and critique some examples of corporate communication
• respond effectively to an interview
• conduct an effective interview
• conduct and contribute to the decision-making process of a small group discussion
• give an effective informative presentation

Text: Hamilton, Cheryl, (2001), Communicating for Results: a Guide for Business and the Professions, 6th ed., Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company

Grading: The final grade in this course will be computed as follows:

10% = class participation
10% = Project 1
20% = Project 2
20% = Test 1
20% = Test 2
20% = Project 3

Attendance: You are expected to attend all classes. Attendance is important to your progress and your classmates'. Much of what you learn will come from discussions and interactions with your fellow students. A formal presentation or test for which you are absent will be graded as an F. If an emergency prevents you from attending class (such as a personal illness or family death), you must contact me in advance of your absence and return to class with written documentation for your absence. You may miss two classes without penalty; any additional absences will reduce your final grade.

Punctuality: You are expected to be on time for all classes. Late arrivals are disruptive to the instructor and your fellow students. A lateness counts as an absence.

Deadlines: Refer to Schedule of Events for reading and writing assignments. Late written assignments will be penalized one letter grade for each class day late. No makeups for exams, quizzes, or presentations are allowed. Reading assignments are crucial to the successful completion of this course; use the study guides (hotlinked to each chapter designation) to help identify and understand the key terms and concepts in each chapter.

Academic Honesty: It is assumed that the work you submit for this course, whether written or spoken, is your own. Any attempt to represent someone else's work as your own is plagiarism. Plagiarism includes copying another student's work on papers or tests, copying without attribution the ideas or words from published sources, submitting papers written in previous semesters, and referring to notes during exams. For more clarification on plagiarism, see Drexel's Student Handbook. Such academic misconduct will result in a failing grade for the assignment, a probable failing grade for the course, and a report to the Dean for possible disciplinary action. Be advised that internet services such as EVE 2.3 and Turnitin.com make the detection of plagiarism easy.

Special Needs: If you require special services or resources, please refer to the following Drexel web sites:

• Office of Disability Services
• English Language Center
• Office of Student Services
• Writing Center