Valencia College
	Business Law I-BUL 2241
	CRN 10121

	Syllabus Fall 2019
	Monday-Wednesday
	11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m.

Instructor:  Richard Johnston
Class Meeting Room:  West Campus, Building 11, Room 218

My email address is rjohnston@valenciacollege.edu. If for any reason you would like to talk to me personally about a matter, see me before or after class and we can arrange a mutually convenient time to meet on campus.

Course Prerequisites 

ENC 1101 or ENC 1101H or ENC 1210 or GEB 1011 or IDH 1110 or OST 1335

Text
No text is required for this course. We will be using open educational resources (OER) accessible online at the following site:
https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/273 	
Download text in PDF format (no table of contents) or
Online text (with table of contents)

Credit Hours

3 Hours

Course Description

The purpose of the course is to give the student an introduction to the law; its social forces, and agencies for enforcement; the effects of governmental regulation on business and society including environmental law; community planning and consumer protection; contracts; personal property, including bailments and sales. 
Course Requirements

There will be two regular tests and one non-comprehensive final exam. There will be three scheduled quizzes. If a test or quiz cannot be taken at the scheduled time, it is the student's responsibility to inform the instructor in time to arrange a make-up exam in the testing center before the regular scheduled time, if allowed by the instructor. There will be no make-up exams given after the regular scheduled time. All tests and quizzes are mandatory. If a test or quiz is not taken, it will be graded as a zero.

Grading Scale				Grade Computation

A = 90-100					Exams (20% each)	  	  60%
B = 80-89					Quizzes (10% each)	  	  30%
C = 70-79					Attendance 			  10%
D = 60-69									100%
F = below 60

Class Attendance

A student’s overall attendance will be worth 10 points and account for 10% of the course grade. You will be graded on your attendance in the following manner:

0-1 	absence 	= 10 points for the attendance grade
2	absences 	= 8 points for the attendance grade
3	absences 	= 7 points for the attendance grade
4+	absences 	= 0 points for the attendance grade

Three partial attendances count as an absence.  A partial attendance is defined as arriving tardy or leaving early. There will no excused absences from my class. I reserve the right to withdraw or fail a student due to excessive absences, normally viewed as 4 or more.

Class will start promptly at 11:30 a.m. and students should be seated and prepared to begin discussion at that time. Do not arrive late to class. If you plan to leave during a class session, inform the instructor before that class. Regular attendance is expected.

In accordance with the college’s No Show policy, a student who misses both the first and second class meetings will be withdrawn. This policy is recorded in the college catalog. The No Show Period deadline is September 3, 2019.

Course Content

1.	Legal rights and social forces, including:

Law and law enforcement agencies, law as an expression of social forces, criminal law and business, and the law of torts and business.

2.	Government, business, and society, including:

Government regulation, administrative agencies, environmental law and community planning, and consumer protection.

3.	Contracts, including:

Nature and classes of contracts, the agreement, contractual capacity, genuineness of assent, consideration, legality and public policy, form of contract, interpretation of contracts, third persons and contracts discharge of contracts and breach of contract and remedies.

4.	Sale of goods, including:

Nature and form of sales, risk and property rights, obligations and performance, warranties and other product liabilities, and remedies for breach of sales contract.

Major Learning Outcomes

At the completion of this course, students should be able to: 

1. Describe the sources of the law. Achievement of this Major Learning Outcome will be evaluated utilizing students’ written resolution of actual case problems during class exercises, quizzes, and exams.

2. Explain the structure of federal and state government and court systems. Achievement of this Major Learning Outcome will be evaluated utilizing students’ written resolution of actual case problems during class exercises, quizzes, and exams.

3. Explain the overview of the process of litigation and alternative dispute resolution. Achievement of this Major Learning Outcome will be evaluated utilizing students’ written resolution of actual case problems during class exercises, quizzes, and exams.

4. Apply theories of business ethics to hypothetical problems. Achievement of this Major Learning Outcome will be evaluated utilizing students’ written resolution of actual case problems during class exercises, quizzes, and exams.

5. Describe the basic forms of business entities. Achievement of this Major Learning Outcome will be evaluated utilizing students’ written resolution of actual case problems during class exercises, quizzes, and exams.

6. Classify and explain the elements of crimes and torts relating to business issues. Achievement of this Major Learning Outcome will be evaluated utilizing students’ written resolution of actual case problems during class exercises, quizzes, and exams.

7. Explain patents, copyrights, and trademarks. Achievement of this Major Learning Outcome will be evaluated utilizing students’ written resolution of actual case problems during class exercises, quizzes, and exams.

8. Explain contract formation, modification, and enforcement. Achievement of this Major Learning Outcome will be evaluated utilizing students’ written resolution of actual case problems during class exercises, quizzes, and exams.

Withdrawal Policy 

The Withdrawal Deadline is November 1, 2019. A student is permitted to withdraw from a class on or before the withdrawal deadline of November 1, 2019.  A student is not permitted to withdraw from a class after the withdrawal deadline.  The professor is permitted to withdraw a student from the class for violation of the professor’s attendance policy with written notification to the student prior to the beginning of the final exam period as published in the faculty member’s syllabus.  

A student who withdraws from a class before the withdrawal deadline will receive a grade of "W." A student who is withdrawn by a professor will receive a grade of "W." A student who is withdrawn for administrative reasons at any time will receive a grade of "W" or other grade as determined in consultation with the professor.  Any student who withdraws or is withdrawn from a class during a third or subsequent attempt in the same course will be assigned a grade of "F".  The grades of “WP” and “WF” are eliminated.  Final course grades of "A", "B", "C", "D", or "F" shall be assigned based upon the student's academic achievement upon the completion of all course work, including the required final examination. A student who fails to take the required final examination may receive a final course grade earned, unless the professor elects to assign the student a grade of "I" or as otherwise addressed in the Professor’s course syllabus.

Academic Honesty 
All forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited at Valencia College. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, acts or attempted acts of plagiarism, cheating, furnishing false information, forgery, alteration or misuse of documents, misconduct during a testing situation, facilitating academic dishonesty, and misuse of identification with intent to defraud or deceive.
All work submitted by students is expected to be the result of the students' individual thoughts, research, and self-expression.  Whenever a student uses ideas, wording, or organization from another source, the source shall be appropriately acknowledged.
Students shall take special notice that the assignment of course grades is the responsibility of the students' individual professor.
Students will be expected to adhere to the Valencia College Student LifeMap Handbook as it references Valencia College's Policy #6HX28:08-11
The policy can be located at the following link: http://valenciacollege.edu/generalcounsel/policy/default.cfm?policyID=193&volumeID_1=8&navst=0
Student Code of Conduct
Valencia College is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge and learning and also to the development of responsible personal and social conduct. The primary purpose for the maintenance of discipline in the College setting is to support a civil environment conducive to learning and inquiry.
Students will be expected to adhere to the Valencia College Student LifeMap Handbook as it references Valencia College's Policy #6HX28:08-03
The policy can be located at the following link: http://valenciacollege.edu/generalcounsel/policy/default.cfm?policyID=180&volumeID_1=8&navst=0

Student Assistance Program

Valencia College is interested in making sure all our students have a rewarding and successful college experience.  To that purpose, Valencia students can get immediate help with issues dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, adjustment difficulties, substance abuse, time management as well as relationship problems dealing with school, home or work.  BayCare Behavioral Health Student Assistance Program (SAP) services are free to all Valencia students and available 24 hours a day by calling (800) 878-5470. Free face-to-face counseling is also available.

Important Note

"Students with disabilities who qualify for academic accommodations must provide a letter from the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) and discuss specific needs with the professor, preferably during the first two weeks of class. The Office for Students with Disabilities determines accommodations based on appropriate documentation of disabilities (West Campus SSB 102, ext. 1523)."

Disclaimer

The schedule, procedures, and assignments are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances.  However, any such change will be clearly announced.  Such changes are designed to deal with unforeseen circumstances that arise during the course.  The changes will be intended to benefit the student and will not significantly add to the rigor of the course.

Course Outline	Business Law I	Full Term Fall 2019
Please read the assigned chapter in the text by the class meeting indicated below and be prepared to discuss all relevant issues.
Week Date 		Topic 						OER material
01	Mon Aug 26	Introduction and Overview		
	Wed Aug 28	Lecture 1-Introduction to Contract Law	Read Ch. 8	
02	Mon Sept 2	NO CLASS		
	Wed Sept 4	Lecture 2-The Agreement	Read Ch. 9	
03	Mon Sept 9	Lecture 2, continued		
	Wed Sept 11	Lecture 3-Capacity	Read section 4, Ch. 10	
04	Mon Sept 16	Lecture 4-Assent	Read Ch. 10	
	Wed Sept 18	Lecture 5-Consideration	Quiz 1 (Lectures 1-4)
Read Ch. 11	
05	Mon Sept 23	Lecture 6-Legality and Public Policy	Read Ch. 12	
	Wed Sept 25	Lecture 6, continued		
06	Mon Sept 30	Lecture 7-Writing Requirement	Read Ch. 13	
	Wed Oct 2	Lecture 7, continued; Review for Test 1		
07	Mon Oct 7	Test 1 (Lectures 1-7)		
	Wed Oct 9	Lecture 8-Third Party Rights	Read Ch. 14	
08	Mon Oct 14	Lecture 9-Discharge of Obligations	Read Ch. 15	
	Wed Oct 16	Lecture 10-Remedies	Read Ch. 16	
09	Mon Oct 21	Lecture 11-Introduction to Sales	Quiz 2 (Lectures 8-10)
Read Ch. 17	
	Wed Oct 23	Lecture 12-Title and Risk of Loss	Read Ch. 18	
10	Mon Oct 28	Lecture 12, continued		
	Wed Oct 30	Lecture 13-Warranties	Read section 2, Ch. 20	
11	Mon Nov 4	Lecture 14-Performance and Remedies	Quiz 3 (Lectures 11-12)
Read Ch. 19	
	Wed Nov 6	Test 2 (Lectures 11-14)		
12	Mon Nov 11	NO CLASS		
	Wed Nov 13	Lecture 15-Introduction to the Law	Read Ch. 1	
13	Mon Nov 18	Lecture 16-The United States Court System	Read Ch. 3	
	Wed Nov 20	Lecture 17-Business Ethics	Read Ch. 2	
14	Mon Nov 25	Lecture 18-Intellectual Property	Read Ch. 32	
	Wed Nov 27	THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY NO CLASS		
15	Mon Dec 2	Lecture 19-Business Organizations		
	Wed Dec 4	Lecture 20-Crimes and Torts	Read Chs. 6 & 7	
16	Mon Dec 9	Test 3 (Lectures 15-19)		

The major topic for each class session is not exclusive of other legal concepts, which may be introduced at the discretion of the professor to enhance the lecture and introduce other legal topics which will not be studied as discrete subject matter.