Mortuary Management II Syllabus for 2014-2015
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Instructor Information

Course Information

Recording Policy

Disability Statement

Any student who, because of a disabling condition, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact disAbility Services (Student Service Center room 119, phone 371-5436) as soon as possible.

Statement for Mental Health and Advocacy & Resource Center:

As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc

Amarillo College Tutoring for Success Policy:

Administrative Drop Policy

N/A

Student Withdrawal Procedures

N/A

Privacy Statement

The Amarillo College Privacy Policy is found at https://www.actx.edu/-amarillo-college-privacy-notice , and applies to all Amarillo College students.  If you have questions about this privacy statement or you believe that your personal information has been released without your consent, send email to humanresources@actx.edu .

Course

MRTS-2342-002 Mortuary Management II

Prerequisites

Corequisite: MRTS 1342 and MRTS 1360

Course Description

Examination of the management of a funeral home as a small business. Topics include funeral service merchandising and marketing, human resource functions and professional practice.

Student Resources Student Resources Website

Department Expectations

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Occupational License Disclaimer

Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec)

Class Type

Online Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

\ 1.  Funeral Directing and Funeral Service Management, Ralph L. Klicker, Ph.D -- ISBN 978-0-96479675-1

Supplies

\ TEXTBOOKS:  See textbooks on this syllabus.

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\ COMPUTER or ACCESS TO A COMUTER:  You MUST have access to a computer with active internet service, Mozilla Firefox (free download availab

Student Performance

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\ STUDENT PERFORMANCE:

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• \ Regular  log-in and keeping current will all discussions, assignments, projects, quizzes and exams is necessary for satisfactory achievenment.  There is no foreseeable excuse for not being able to log on and complete any activity.  There are several libraries and numerous computer labs on the AC campus.  If your computer is inoperable, you should be responsible and make plans to access a computer at another location to do the work.  Incomplete work will result in a poor grade and may put you in danger of failing the course.
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• \ Follow guidelines set forth by the Mortuary Science Program and Amarillo College.  www.actx.edu/mortuary
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• \ Communicate with the instructor when you are having difficulty with course.  
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\    COURSE OBJECTIVES:

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1. \ Define management, specifically as it relates to funeral service
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2. \ Explain the management wheel
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3. \ Discuss the two principle concepts of mortuary management
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4. \ Identify the types of organizations and ownership
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5. \ Assess the value of appropriate personal selection
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6. \ Discuss merchandising, retailing and promotion as they relate to funeral service
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7. \ Compare the relationship of costs to revenue
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8. \ Identify various casket styles and designs
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9. \ Relate the parameters of law to mortuary operations
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10. \ Evaluate the benefits due survivors as a result of death
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11. \ Recall selected business terminology
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• \ Demonstrate knowledge of funeral merchandise to facilitate communications with colleagues, sales representatives and the public.
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• \ Understand the component parts of funeral merchandise, including materials used, component parts styles, finishes, dimensions and functions
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• \ Demonstrate conceptual and practical knowledge of factors and strategies for determining the firm's product mix.
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• \ Establish methods of price determination and price quotation.
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• \ Demonstrate an understanding of effective methods of merchandise display.
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• \ Recognize the importance of monitoring and evaluating sales.
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Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

\ STUDENTS SHOULD:

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1. \ Log-in atleast two times per week. (Recommended: Once at the beginning of each week and once at the end of the each week.)
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2. \ Read assigned text book material.
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3. \ Read all other assigned material.
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4. \ If in doubt, ask...
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5. \ Actively participate in discussions (these are graded and are considered class participation).
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6. \ Do not judge other students.
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7. \ Respect each others opinions.
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8. \ Respect deadlines and turn in assignments on time.
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9. \ DO NOT procrastinate. (As the saying goes...a lack of planning on your part does NOT constitute an emergency on mine.)
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10. \ *Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated in this class and will result in a grade of on the exam or assignment involved that cannot be replaced or dropped. Please see Student Rights and Responsibilities for a specific description of academic dishonesty. Any cases of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Students at Amarillo College.
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Grading Criteria

\ Your grades for this class will be broken down into the following categories.  Each category will count a percentage towards your final grade.

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• \ Discussions (5) / Assignments (1) - 10% of final grade
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• \ Casket Selection Room Project - 15% of final grade
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• \ Quizzes (5) - 25% of final grade
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• \ Exams (2) - 20% of final grade
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• \ Final Exam (comprehensive) - 30% of final grade
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\ Grading Scale

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• \ A=92-100
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• \ B=83-91
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• \ C=75-82
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• \ F=74 and below
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• \ (To pass the State and National Board Exams, you must score a 75 or better.  Please note that we gear our grading policy towards that standard.  Be aware of this as you take this class and all other MRTS courses.)
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\ Each student is responsible for ensuring the integrity of his/her own work.  Cases of academic dishonesty will result in either zero points or administrative withdrawl from the Mortuary Science Program.  There will be no tolerance for missed due dates, assignments, projects, quizzes or tests.  IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO GET ASSIGNMENTS AND SUCH TURNED IN AND IN ON TIME.  If you wait until the semester is over to resolve an issue with missing assignments, projects, exams, etc., then it will be too late.  ALWAYS KEEP COPIES OF YOUR WORK (projects, assignments, clinical paperwork, etc.).  Students should have a back up plan for computer problems.  Most public libraries have internet access for students' use.

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\ ALL course work is expected to be typed with correct grammar, punctuation and spelling.  PROOF READ your work before submitting.  Failure to do so will result in a lower grade.

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\ ALL EXAMINATIONS WILL BE COMPREHENSIVE.

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\ Class Discussions Participation Grading Scale (In addition to 100 word minimum; and correct grammar, punctuation and spelling): 

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• \ Outstanding Contributor: Contributions in class reflect exceptional preparation. Ideas offered are always substantive, provide one or more major insights as well as direction for the class. Challenges are well substantiated and persuasively presented.
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• \ Good Contributor: Contributions in class reflect thorough preparation. Ideas offered are usually substantive, provide good insights and sometimes direction for the class. Challenges are well substantiated and often persuasive.
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• \ Adequate Contributor: Contributions in class reflect satisfactory preparation. Ideas offered are sometimes substantive, provide generally useful insights but seldom offer a new direction for the discussion. Challenges are sometimes presented, fairly well substantiated, and are sometimes persuasive.
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• \ Non-Participant: This person says little or nothing in class. Hence, there is not an adequate basis for evaluation.
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• \ Unsatisfactory Contributor: Contributions in class discussions reflect inadequate preparation. Ideas offered are seldom substantive, provide few if any insights and never a constructive direction for the class. Integrative comments and effective challenges are absent.
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\ LATE WORK (Assignments/Projects):

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• \ 1-5 days after due date (includes Saturday and Sunday) will result in an automatic 10 point deduction.
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• \ 6-10 days after due date (includes Saturday and Sunday) will result in an automatic 20 point deduction.
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• \ 11-15 days after due date (includes Saturday and Sunday) will result in an automatic 30 point deduction.
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• \ Unless a specific deadline is given within the course, all assignments and projects not received by the day of the final, will result in a grade of  0 (ZERO).
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\ QUIZZES/EXAM MAKE-UP POLICY:

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• \ In this class, your Final Exam is to be proctored. What is a proctored exam? A proctored exam is an exam that is administered by an individual who supervises the student while they are taking the exam. The proctor's function is to ensure the integrity and security of the exam in a secure environment.
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• \ Within the first two weeks of class, you will be given specific instructions on how to find a proctor. There will be certain requirements and information needed before the proctor can be approved.
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• \ IF you are within driving distance of Amarillo College's West Campus, you may set up an appointment with the instructor to take your final exam in the instructor's presence using your own laptop and the schools wireless internet access. If the instructor for THIS course allows, you may take a written version in their presence on a date set by the instructor.
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• \ No quiz or exam make-ups will be given.  You are given atleast 3 days to take a quiz or exam.  There is ample time given to plan ahead to take your quiz or exam.  Remember to have a back-up plan in case of computer problems.
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• \ The FINAL EXAM will be given during the week of final exams.  It will be offered one day only.  The exact time and day will be announced during the semester.  If you miss the Final Exam, no make-up will be allowed.       
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Attendance

\ ONLINE ATTENDANCE:  This is an online course and is intended to give you flexibilty.  However, it is still the same time frame of a full 16-week semester.  You are expected to make an effort to log-in atleast twice a week.  It is recommended that you log-in at the beginning of a week and at the end.  Often times, changes have to be made and are announced through course e-mail and announcements.  If you fail to log-in regularly, you may miss vital information concerning changes within the course.  Online learning requires the student to be disciplined to keep up with online participation, assignments, scheduled quizzes and exams.   IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO GET ASSIGNMENTS AND SUCH TURNED IN AND IN ON TIME.  If you wait until the semester is over to resolve an issue with missing assignments, projects, exams, etc., then it will be too late.

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\ COURSE COMMUNICATION:  The instructor will make announcements through course email and course annoucements.  It is IMPORTANT that you log-in atleast twice a week not only for course material, but for emails and announcements as well.

Calendar

Additional Information

\  COURSE MATERIAL DELIVERY METHOD:

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• \ The FALL 2013 semester is a 16-week semester.
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• \ The course material will be divided into 8 Modules.
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• \ Beginning with the 1st day of the semester, Module 1 will be opened.  It will contain Week 1 & Week 2 materials (readings, assignments, dates, etc.).  Once a Module is opened, it will remain open until the day of the final exam.
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• \ Module 2 will be opened on the Monday of Week 3 and so on.  Sometimes things change, so it is important to log-in atleast two times a week as stated before.
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\ NOTE:  The instructor may change materials, assignments, due dates, quiz/exam dates and such at his discretion.

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\ GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE:

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\ If a student has a grievance with the course instructor, the following "due process" protocol will apply.  The student must follow the protocol steps in the order shown.

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1. \ Make every effort to resolve the concern directly with the course instructor.  The instructor should be contacted by the student before the conclusion of the course.
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2. \ If the concern cannot be resolved to the satisfaction of the student after meeting with the course instructor, the student should seek satisfaction from the immediate supervisor of the instructor within one week of the student-instructor meeting.
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3. \ If the concern cannot be resolved to the satisfaction of the student after meeting with the Allied Health division chairperson, the student should seek satisfaction from Dean of Health Sciences within one week of the student-division chairperson meeting.
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4. \ If the concern cannot be resolved to the satisfaction of the student after meeting with the dean, the student should seek satisfaction from the Vice-President of Academic Affairs (VPAA) within one week of the student-Dean meeting.
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5. \ If the concern cannot be resolved to the satisfaction of the student after meeting with the Vice-President of Academic Affairs, the student should seek satisfaction from the college President within one week of the student-VPAA meeting.  The decision of the President will be final.
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