Term: Fall 2025
Contact Information
Instructor: McClain Watson, PhD
Office Hours: Tuesday/Thursday 10am-11:20am. Email or Teams message me *anytime* to set up a Teams chat or phone call
Email: mcclain.watson@utdallas.edu - PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR SECTION NUMBER IN THE SUBJECT LINE!!
Office: JSOM 4.415
Course Prerequisites, Co-requisites, and/or Other Restrictions
Credit cannot be received for both BCOM1300 and BCOM3300.
Course Description
This course introduces students to business communication and professionalism with a focus on developing the skills necessary to communicate professionally and effectively. Particular communication skills include understanding audience and context; writing and evaluating internal and external communications; using appropriate communication tools and channels; effectively integrating research and data into presentations; and networking and professional presence.
Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes:
1. Students will evaluate appropriate communication skills and their own communication ability to improve their transition into JSOM, to find internships, and to begin community engagement.
2. Students will apply appropriate upper-level writing and presentation techniques to professional and academic settings.
3. Students will analyze real-world professional communication best practices, including an elevator pitch, resume, and online interviewing skills, for networking and hiring.
Required Course Materials
Peter Cardon, Business Communication: Developing Leaders for a Networked World, 5th edition. ISBN: 1266678689.
2 ways to purchase this material:
From the bookstore for $60. Click here to choose Option 1.
From MH Connect for $45. You will purchase once you begin your first Connect activity.
Grammarly and Quinncia. You have already paid for these tools and will have access to them for 2 years. CLICK HERE to access these materials.
Assignments
40pts – Peer Feedback Activities (4 reviews x 10pts each)
100pts – Team Presentation
300pts – 2 Exams, 150 points each
300pts – Professional Online Portfolio (POP)
200pts - 10 Connect SmartBooks (20pts each)
940 total possible points
Grading Policy
All work should also demonstrate the same professional and ethical standards expected of you in the workplace, including proofreading and editing carefully all work you submit in this class. Professionalism also means that you use appropriate source citation wherever and whenever necessary so that you avoid violations of copyright and academic honesty – even if those violations are inadvertent.
100-97% = A+ , 96-93 = A , 92-90 = A- , 89-87 = B+ , 86-83 = B , 82-80 = B- , 79-77 = C+ , 76-73 = C , 72-70 = C-
Exams
There are 2 exams in this course. Each exam covers 5 textbook chapters. Exams will be held in the UTD Testing Center. Click here for extremely important Exam Policies!
Business Communication Center
You are strongly encouraged to use the Business Communication Center!! Visit http://bcc.utdallas.edu/ to find more information about their services.
Attendance
Your active attendance is expected and essential to actually learning anything in the course. You get 2 free absences. After those are used, each absence will reduce your final raw score by 10 points.
Of course, it is possible to be physically present in the classroom but not participating at all in the class. For this reason, and in order to strengthen our ability to listen actively and communicate/engage with other humans, laptops should remain closed during class.
Can I use AI tools in my work for this class?
Generally speaking, you are not authorized to use Large Language AI Models (ChatGPT, Google Bard, Grammarly AI, etc.) to produce work for this class EXCEPT when I grant explicit permission to do so. We will be discussing this topic repeatedly throughout the semester because there is a lot to say about how these platforms are changing how people communicate at work.
Other Course Policies
Late Work
If a life situation arises during the semester that affects your ability to meet course deadlines, you need to let me know right away. Not doing this creates extra work for everyone and is not likely to go over well.
It is the policy and practice of UT Dallas to make reasonable accommodations for students with properly documented disabilities.
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need academic accommodations for this class, I encourage you to register with the AccessAbility Resource Center (ARC). Some aspects of this course, the assignments, the in-class activities, and the way the course is typically taught may be accommodated to facilitate your participation and progress. ARC will assist you in determining academic accommodations that are appropriate for your situation.
Any information you provide is private and confidential and will be treated as such. To avoid any delay, please contact ARC as soon as possible. Please note that accommodations are not retroactive and disability accommodations cannot be provided until an ARC Letter of Accommodation has been given to the instructor.
Students who have questions about receiving accommodations, or those who have, or think they may have, a disability (mobility, sensory, health, psychological, learning, etc.) are invited to contact ARC for a confidential discussion. ARC is located in the Administration Building Room 2.224. They can be reached by phone at 972-883-2098, or by email at studentaccess@utdallas.edu.
Individual Extra Credit
I do not curve individual items, nor do I offer “extra credit” work or “special consideration” to allow individual students a chance to raise their grade.
Classroom Citizenship
In keeping with this course’s professional communication mandate, students are expected to use every opportunity in the course to practice communicating in a civil and professional manner.
Technology Requirements
Reliable and frequent internet connectivity is indispensable – not having internet access will make your group projects more difficult and will not serve as a valid excuse for shortcomings. Failure to check your UTD email account, errors in forwarding email, and email bounced from over-quota mailboxes are not acceptable excuses for missing course or project-related email or deadlines.
Additional policies can be found here: http://coursebook.utdallas.edu/syllabus-policies
These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the Professor.