[ HOME ]

[ L-200 ]

[ L-303 ]

[ Law Links ]

[ A-329 ]

[ A-339 ]

[ Tax Links ]

[ Int. Things ]

[ Contacts ]

This Syllabus contains detailed information on course requirements, including general instructions.

The CLASS SCHEDULE, a separate document, lists the material to be covered during each class session, assignment due dates, and exam dates. The CLASS SCHEDULE may be revised during the term; it is each student's responsibility to consult the most recent version.

I. General Matters

A. Course Coverage

This course provides basic information about U.S. (state and federal) law most relevant to general business operations. Topics covered are the U.S. legal system, court systems, torts (personal injury), products liability, property, agency, and employment. It assumes a basic understanding of the legal rules relating to contracts, which is covered in BUS-L200. Students, particularly those who took L200 more than a few months ago, are advised to review that material; some of the topics in this course draw heavily on contract law. This course does not cover all of the topics that might be included in any particular CPA exam.

B. Course Materials

1. Texts:

Business Law and the Legal Environment for a New Century, Alternate Edition (2001), by Beatty and Samuelson

The related Study Guide may be useful to students who find practice exams helpful. It is not required.

Each student should have access to a legal dictionary. Bookstores frequently have adequate paperback dictionaries that cost $10 or so. Almost any legal (or "law") dictionary will be adequate, so long as it is not one intended to provide do-it-yourself legal advice.

2. Other Materials (generally available on course website):

This Syllabus

Schedule of Classes (including revisions)

Other materials distributed in class or available at website

C. Class Participation

Dealing with "the Law" requires clarity, order, and precision in analysis and expression. Understanding will not be achieved, or even remotely approached, through mere memorization. Participation is the most effective method of learning. The exercise of articulating a problem's resolution and the underlying rationale makes it much more likely that the information will be understood and retained. Class participation is, therefore, more a means of learning than it is a means of obtaining a grade. There is a direct relationship between class participation and final grades, even when "class participation" is not a separate factor in grade calculations. Students who regularly participate in class discussions normally receive above-average grades.

Students are encouraged to ask questions. It is highly unlikely that only one student will be puzzled by a particular problem (unless the "problem" is totally unrelated to contemporary class discussions). The only "dumb" questions are those not asked. Some students who ask questions become frustrated when the instructor responds with a question. When that happens, the instructor's purpose is not to avoid answering, but to lead the student and class through the analytic process that leads to the answer to the initial question. The analytic process is often more important that the particular rule or answer.

II. Grades and Coursework

A. Final Grade Calculation

The final grade is a composite of the grades received for examinations, written submissions, and class participation, as described below.

Based on a scale of 100, passing grades are:

90 to 100 = A 80 to 89.99 = B
70 to 79.99 = C 60 to 69.66 = D

The components:

• Exams (5 @ 16% each) 80%
  

• Class Discussion 10%
  
• Writing Project 10%

Calculation of the final grade is based on numeric scores. For example, a student who scores 94, 87, and 89, respectively, on the three exams has a cumulative score of 90 (i.e. "A", not "B").

B. Examinations

The one-day-per-week schedule presents problems for giving exams. Realistically, giving an in-class exam consumes an entire week's class time. On the other hand, out-of-class exams require time in addition to what a "normal" class requires. One alternative would be to give only one exam – the final exam. Many (most?) students are less than comfortable with that. Giving no exam is also a possibility – in some educational systems it is, or has been, acceptable for the professor to assign grades based on his or her perception of students' learning displayed in class discussions. That, too, would probably find few supporters.

Therefore, the plan is — to use the university's WebCT system and have a greater number of shorter exams. The initial plan is to have five exams. Each exam but one will be on a single topic, or at least closely related topics. Two exams will each cover three chapters, two will cover four chapters, one will cover six, (of which one is of limited significance and another is mostly a combination of things covered in other chapters).

WebCT exams are, necessarily, taken from a computer, either on campus or from any other location/computer that has Internet access. Given that flexibility, there can be no realistic limitation on what the student has nearby while taking the exam. However, exams will be time-limited, precluding extensive research while taking an exam. Additionally, a student will be able to access an exam only once. On the other hand, each exam will be available over a number of days, 24 hours per day, enabling students to take it when they are most prepared.

Further information and directions concerning the exam and the examination process will be available before the first exam.

C. Class Discussions/Participation

The "Class Participation" portion of the grade will be based primarily on in-class discussions. Both voluntary and involuntary participation will be considered. Persons who voluntarily participate will be less likely to be required to respond involuntarily.

During each class session, any student can ask any question she or he might have, assuming it relates to the then-current subject matter. The "relates to" requirement will be liberally interpreted. Since the course is in many ways cumulative, a discussion of issues in one class session may build on, or draw from, materials in prior sessions.

Of course the instructor will ask questions. Those may be directly from the problems at the end of assigned chapters, or relate to assigned text or preceding class discussions. It is the instructor's belief that student questions will be more beneficial, both to the asking student and to the class as a whole.

D. Writing Project/Assignment

This assignment is primarily self-directed. There is a variety of possible topics and only a final due-date is imposed. The assignment is to submit a paper (written by the submitting student, of course) that satisfies the general requirements given here and the particular requirements found on the course website.

Assignment Topics. The assignment topics are keyed to one or more movies that are now available on video or DVD. Copies of those movies are available on course reserve at the library and many of them are available at local video outlets (for sale or rent). There is no requirement that the library copy be viewed. However, if there is more than one version of the movie, the version viewed should be the same as the one in the library.

The particular assignment varies depending on the movie chosen; some require viewing two movies. Overall, the amount of time and effort involved should be about the same.

Paper Requirements, General. All submissions must be typed (or computer-printed) on standard 8 ½ x 11 paper, using 10- or 12-point type, double-spaced, with margins between 0.75 and 1.25 inches (sides, top, bottom). Each page must have a "header" with the submitting student's name and the sequential page number. There must be no fewer than three pages, and anything less than one-half page of type does not count as a page. There is no maximum number of pages, but it should be possible to write an outstanding paper in 10 or fewer pages.

Submission Deadline. The required paper must be submitted no later than the end of the scheduled class session on April 24, 2002. See below, however, an alternate deadline in the event an extra-credit paper is also submitted.

Papers may be submitted at any time during the term. One paper submitted before the April deadline will be treated as the required paper, regardless of when it was submitted. If two papers are submitted, the one with the lower score will be treated as the extra-credit paper (assuming the deadlines for that have been met).

Grading. Since the writing assignment equals 10 percent of the final grade, a grade between 0.0 and 10.0 (in 0.1 increments) will be given. The grade will be based on the paper's quality. For each movie, or set of movies, there are some suggested topics for discussion. The discussion potential is not limited to those topics – each movie can be viewed as raising a number of law-related issues. A paper that discusses one or more movie-raised, law-related topics with clarity and insight will be considered of high quality. In making connections between the movie(s) and law topics, materials covered during the course (or at least included in the course text) must be considered as correct statements of the relevant law. While a paper should not make statements about "what the law is" based on speculation or rumor, it is not expected that students go beyond the course text to find the applicable law. Finally, though proper grammar, word-usage, and the like are not direct components of grading, they do make a positive contribution to any written submission.

Extra-Credit Possibility. Extra credit of up to five (5) final-grade percentage points can be earned by submitting a second paper, following the preceding rules for the writing assignment. Of course the paper must discuss a different selection from the website. HOWEVER, the decision must be made rather early in the term. If a student wishes to submit two papers (one regular, one extra credit), the first paper must be submitted no later than March 20, 2002.

F. Distribution of Grades and Papers

Graded materials will be returned in class. The WebCT system will be set up, if possible, to provide each student with her or his raw score (number correct) as soon as the exam is finished. Percentage scores will be distributed via "listserv," keyed to the final five (5) digits of students' social security/student number. Graded papers will be mailed to a student if she or he submits a sufficiently large, self-addressed envelope with adequate postage. Papers not distributed will be held by the instructor no longer than the end of the following term. Without the student's written permission, no papers or grades will be distributed to any person other than the submitting student.