Business Law I Syllabus for 2019-2020
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Course Information

COVID-19 Protocols

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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

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Students who do not attend class on or prior to the census date will be administratively dropped. Effective Fall, 2016

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Course

BUSI-2301-004 Business Law I

Prerequisites

Course Description

The course provides the student with foundational information about the U.S. legal system and dispute resolution, and their impact on business. The major content areas will include general principles of law, the relationship of business and the U.S. Constitution, state and federal legal systems, the relationship between law and ethics, contracts, sales, torts, agency law, intellectual property and business law in the global context.

Student ResourcesStudent Resources Website

Department Expectations

Occupational License Disclaimer

Notice to Students enrolled in an educational program for preparation of issuance of certain occupational licenses:

Students enrolled in an educational program in preparation for obtaining certain occupational licenses are potentially ineligible for such license if the student has been convicted of an offense. For further information, please contact:

Melodie Graves
Justice Involved Advocate
Student Service Center 117
mgraves24@actx.edu
806-371-5995
Make appointment at https://melodiegraves.youcanbook.me

You can also contact the Legal Clinic, or the faculty member in charge of the educational program that you seek to enroll in. The further information you will receive will include notification to you of your right to request a criminal history evaluation letter from the licensing authority in order to clarify your particular situation.

Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec)

Class Type

Online Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

Business Law: The First Course--Summarized-Case Edition Fourteenth Edition by Roger LeRoy Miller

ISBN 978-1-305-96727-4 (NO ACCESS CODE IN BOOK - DIGITAL COPY REQUIRED from Cengage to take the chapter quizzes with Mind Tap)

Supplies

3 Ring Binder OPTIONAL 

Student Performance

• To learn the basic forms of business organizations;
• To learn pertinent legal terminology;
• To apply such terminology to legal topics relevant to business;
• To understand the foundations of legal systems;
• To understand the foundations contract law; and
• To develop critical thinking for solving business law problems.

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

I. Students and teachers have obligations to each other.

II. What I expect from students:

You will treat everyone in the class with the respect due all human beings.

You will do the work outlined in the syllabus on time.

You will not plagiarize or otherwise steal the work of others.

You will accept the consequences – good and bad – of your actions.

III. What students can expect from me:

I will treat you with the respect due all human beings.

I will treat you as an individual.

I will not discriminate against you on the basis of your identity or your viewpoints.

I will manage the class in a professional manner.

I will respond to student email within 24 hours, including weekends and holidays if emailed to my work email at prawlins@rawlinslegal.com.

I will pursue the maximum punishment for plagiarism, cheating, and other violations of academic integrity.

I will keep careful records of your performance and progress.

I will make myself available to you for help and am willing to discuss anything even tangentially related to this class, college, law school, or the legal profession.

I will respect the fact that you have lives and commitments outside college, but I do not consider those to be excuses for not being prepared.

If I am notified in advance, I will make every reasonable effort to accommodate particular situations that may arise in your life.

I will make every reasonable effort to accommodate sudden, unexpected, extraordinary situations that are impossible for you to notify me about in advance.

I will maintain confidentiality concerning your performance.

I will provide you with professional support and write recommendations for you, if appropriate.

I will be honest with you.

Your grade will reflect the quality of your work and nothing else.

Grading Criteria

Grading:

Syllabus Test (1) – 5%

Chapter Quizzes (32) - 50%

Current Events/News - COVID-19 & Ethics/Law (5) - 10%

Tort Wars Video Assignment and Quiz (1)  - 10%

Corporate Social Responsibility Paper (1) - 25%

Grading Criteria:

90-100 = A

80-89 = B

70-79 = C

60-69 = D

Below 60 = F

Quizzes: (Administered using Electronic Book from Cengage and Mind Tap) 

• •           There will be 4 MindTap 10 Question Multiple Choice and True/False Quizzes due each week.

  •           Chapter Quizzes are one hour and open book

  •           It is your responsibility to complete each assignment by the due date.

  •           MindTap assignments are due generally every Monday night by 11:59 P.M. except the first four chapter quizzes the first week and Also the last 4 chapter quizzes the last week of class, according to the Calendar below unless otherwise specified.  

  •           There will be NO Deadline Extensions given. However, I will waive the two lowest quiz scores to account for the fact that sometime life happens. 

•  

  There is NO Mid Term or Final Exam at the end of the semester However your social responsible paper and 8 chapter quizzes are due the last week of the course, so it is strongly encourage that you work ahead of schedule. 

  •           If your computer crashes or you have technical difficulties, email me immediately, and I will decide on a case-by-case basis the appropriate solution. I highly recommend using Firefox as your browser. If you consistently have technical problems, I will insist you complete these assignments in one of AC’s computer labs.

Syllabus Test – Due Saturday April 4th, 2020 at 11:59 PM

10 Question Multiple Choice and True/False test with question from the Course Syllabus. You will be given one hour to complete the test. You can take the Test two times if needed.   

 

Current Events/News - COVID-19 related Ethics/Law (5) - Due Dates See Assignment Calendar Below

For five (5) weeks of the semester (not the first, nor last week) you will be expected to select and read five (5) current events/news article about Ethical and/or Legal problems in business as related to/caused by the current Corona Virus epidemic. Then for each article you will be required to write a short analysis (one (1) page max) covering the following: 1) brief summary of the article, 2) what is the ethical/legal problem, 3) is their a solution offered in the article? and 4) how do you think it should be solved? The weeks that the current event/news articles are assigned you will be required to send me via Blackboard your written analysis and either a copy of the article or link to it by the following Saturdays at 11:59 PM as noted on the blackboard assignment and in your syllabus calendar. Note: Review the Course Description above in the Syllabus for additional themes and guidance when selecting articles and doing your analysis.  

 

Tort Wars You Tube Video Assignment and Quiz (1) 

You have 1 Assignment:

1. Watch the 9 part Mark Lanier Tort Wars You Tube Video and answer 10 multiple choice questions (10%) – I recommend that you take notes while watching to video to use during the quiz. There is a 1 hour time limit on the quiz, but you can take the quiz twice if needed so do not wait until the last moment. Due by Saturday, April 25, 2020 by 11:59 PM

Corporate Social Responsibility Paper:  

•        You will be required to find and watch a movie that addresses how a business was socially responsible or socially irresponsible. You will then write a 3-5 page double spaced page paper over your selected movie. Further detailed instruction will be provided the 2nd week of class.  A Rubric wll be posted on Blackboard that will list my expectations and how I will grade this assignment. This is only a 8 week course so I suggest getting start early on this assignment. Also, feel free to email me if you want me to okay the movie you have selected. This will be due the last week of class on Wednesday, May 20th by 11:59 PM. 

Attendance

Since this is an online class, your attendance each week will be the completion of your quizzes. You generally have 4 Quizzes due each week, so you better get busy now and stay busy until the last week of school in May. That is the nature of an online course. I will be monitoring your progress throughout and will answer any questions you have about the material. PLEASE ask me questions about the material and remember to email me at prawlins@rawlinslegal.com for quicker response times. 

Calendar

Additional Information

SPRING 2020 8 Week Course - Important Dates

March 9-29th	Spring Break and Semester Postponement AC Closed
Mar 30 Apr 6	First Day of Class Census Day
Apr  10 - 12	Easter Holiday AC Closed
May 12 May 22	Last Day to Withdraw Final Grade Due