Business Law

What is this class about?

Welcome! This is a 100% online section of Business Law (BUS-211). This means students are never required to meet face-to-face with each other or myself, although optional Office Hours are available through Zoom videoconferencing. The class is taught through Canvas, which is the name of College of the Canyon's online learning platform. Students must log-in to the class on the first day of the term.

In this class, you will be introduced to the legal environment in which business operates in the United States, including learning about court systems and procedures, business crimes, contract law, tort law, employment law, and varieties of business organizations. The class objective is for you to be able to analyze legal conflicts in a business environment to formulate legally sound, practical, and ethical solutions.

My name is Gary Collis, and I'm happy to be your instructor. Whether you're new to the subject of law or not, you're in good company—most students here are first-timers as well.

A bit about me: I'm an attorney licensed in California and Illinois, and I've spent two decades practicing law before transitioning to teaching. I encourage you to watch my introductory video to get to know me better. After that, please feel free to explore this page to discover all that our online class has to offer. I'm looking forward to a great semester with you!

My teaching philosophy

I believe that meaningful learning arises from the unique perspectives each student brings to our course, enriching the experience for all. The beauty of online learning, particularly in an asynchronous format like ours, lies in its flexibility. It allows you to engage with course material on your own schedule, providing time for thoughtful reflection before interacting with peers. This approach ensures everyone has a place at the table and extends our classroom boundaries globally.

In designing this course, I aim to highlight and celebrate the diversity within our learning community. I encourage you to connect the concepts we discuss to your own experiences, fostering a deeper and more personal understanding of the material. Let's make the most of the opportunities our virtual classroom offers!

Our Learning Pact

What you can expect from me

I will provide you with a clear, organized course that is designed to ensure you meet our course outcomes in a meaningful manner.
I will provide a variety of assignments to ensure your learning needs are met.
I will be actively present in your learning.
I will provide a supportive and safe environment for you to share and discuss ideas with your peers.
I will reach out to you when I sense that you need support.
I will treat you with dignity and respect and be flexible to support your individual needs.
I won't be perfect. I am human and will make mistakes at times. I will view mistakes as an opportunity to learn and grow.

What I will expect from you

You strive to be an active participant in this course and strive to meet due dates.
You will maintain and open line of communication with me so I understand how to support you.
You will contact me if you cannot meet or have missed a due date.
You strive to regularly contribute to collaborative activities to ensure other members of the community have ample opportunity to read/listen, reflect, and respond to your ideas.
You will treat your peers with dignity and respect.
You will do your best to have patience with technology. There will be hiccups, expect and plan for them.
You will give yourself grace. Expect to make mistakes. You are human and you are stressed.

Why Is Studying Business Law So Important?

Understanding the basics of business law is crucial for business owners, managers, employees, and other professionals as it enables them to make informed decisions. Much like individuals, businesses are governed by a comprehensive set of laws designed to outline unacceptable behavior, ensure certainty and stability, protect the public, and offer mechanisms to resolve disputes.

Throughout its lifecycle, a business can perform many actions that an individual can, such as buying and selling property, suing and being sued, entering into contracts, hiring and firing employees, and even committing crimes. It's essential to understand the legal implications of these activities.

This course is designed not to make you an expert in business law but to prepare business students—who are the future managers, owners, and executives—for the myriad legal issues that arise in everyday business operations. A fundamental grasp of business law will help you recognize legal issues, make superior decisions, and determine when professional legal advice is necessary.

What Will Your Learn in the Class?

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

Explain the historical development of the law, operation of the court system and sources of commercial law.
Describe the Constitutional basis for federal government regulation of business, including limits of government power.
Differentiate the relationship between state and federal systems, jurisdiction, international and domestic law, and the importance of alternative dispute resolution methods to the participants.
Explain how cases progress through the court system from problem, to filing, to trial, and appeal.
Distinguish between torts and crimes and describe the purpose of criminal and tort law.
Appraise the relationship between law and ethics.
Evaluate when a promise is enforceable, the elements of a contract, performance, and the remedies available in the event of breach.
Describe the various agency relationships and the duties and liabilities of agents and principals.
Explain the social, political and ethical implications of the law and their application to actual and hypothetical business transactions.
Distinguish between contracts governed by the Uniform Commercial Code and those governed by the common law of contracts.
Analyze cases. Identify issues and apply the appropriate legal rules to the fact patterns to reach defensible legal conclusions.
Categorize the types of government agencies, powers and functions, controls through congressional action, executive action, and the courts.
Explain a corporation's legal structure and differentiate it from other forms of business organization, the meaning of limited liability for the owners; describe the relationship of the various stakeholders.

Our Textbook

Roger LeRoy Miller, Business Law Today: Comprehensive Edition Text & Cases (13th ed.)

Publisher: Cengage Learning.
Visit COC's bookstore to purchase the materials or to find the correct ISBN if you want to purchase the materials elsewhere.
In addition to the textbook, all students must purchase access for one-semester to Cengage's online homework platform, called "MindTap." Access to MindTap is mandatory to pass the class. COC's bookstore sells access to MindTap, which includes access to the e-book. These are not two separate purchases at COC's bookstore but, rather, access to MindTap and access to the textbook come together with one purchase.
You may also obtain the book from online sellers (such as Amazon) but, if you do that, please make sure you purchase the correct textbook (using the publisher, title, author's name, and edition to identify it). There are earlier editions of our textbook, textbooks with similar-sounding titles, and sellers who do not include the mandatory MindTap access code with the textbook. Therefore, I strongly encourage students to make the purchase from COC's bookstore.

MindTap, an online reading and learning platform

We will complete weekly assignments online through MindTap. As discussed above, MindTap is a digital learning platform hosted by Cengage, our textbook's publisher.

MindTap is an very engaging website that allows you to read a digital textbook (on which you can make highlights and take notes), view helpful and interesting videos, prepare custom flashcards, create custom study guides, and do other awesome things, in addition to completing your assignments.

Assignments & Grading

During a typical week, students will read two chapters in our textbook, watch video lectures, and complete several assignments for each chapter. Some weeks, students will also participate in a discussion with other students in the class about a legal topic. Students take several examinations throughout the semester. I very rarely allow students to make-up a missed exam.

COC requires that I assign final letter grades. Determining that final letter grade begins by calculating an overall percentage performance on all of the individual assignments. I place each assignment into one of three categories and then assign a weight to each category. After calculating a student's overall percentage performance, I assign letter grades using the following scale: A (100% to 89.50%); B (89.49% to 79.50%); C (79.49% to 69.50%); D (69.49% to 59.50%); F (59.49% and below).

Honorlock Virtual Exam Proctoring

I use virtual exam proctoring software called Honorlock in this class. This proctoring software reduces instances of academic dishonesty and helps to ensure that the grades assigned to students are understood to be well-earned and deserved.
To facilitate use of the virtual exam proctoring software, I require that students take all exams on a laptop or a single-monitor desktop PC or Mac using the most recent Google Chrome web browser with the Honorlock extension installed. Students may not complete exams using mobile devices, such as cell phones or tablets.
Students lacking the required equipment may take the exam on either of COC's campuses at one of the computer labs offering free student access.

Computer keyboard with key marked "Exams"

What Resources Must Students Provide for the Class?

You are responsible for ensuring that you have access to the following items throughout the entirety of the semester:

The textbook and access to "MindTap". Access to the e-book is included with MindTap. Access to a paper textbook is not required.
A reliable and fully functional desktop or laptop computer having the following features, components, and/or applications:
- The most recent version of the Google Chrome web browser loaded with the Honorlock extension.
- A web-camera for use with Zoom (for office hours) or which may be used to record videos for use with class discussions.
- Software allowing the display of videos.
- Speakers or other audio output capability for listening to video lectures and watching other assigned videos.
- Software allowing the display of files in PDF format.
Wired or wireless high-speed internet access.

Please note that students have free high-speed, wireless internet access on both of COC's campuses. In addition, students may access reliable desktop computers, with internet access, for free on both campuses at the Associated Student Government's Computer Labs.

Communication Essentials

You can email me at gary.collis@canyons.edu. I respond to emails as quickly as possible; mostly within two working days.
I will host office hours via Zoom videoconferencing technology. The office hours schedule will be posted in Canvas

Support for You

COC wants to help you succeed! Please make sure to check out the amazing services offered by these campus offices and organizations. If you need a boost up, you will find lots of helping hands at these offices and organizations:

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