SUNY OSWEGO

Department of Communication Studies 

COM 211

STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION IN BUSINESS

3 Credit Hours

Fall 2025

Course #11379 Section 820

Tues/Thurs 12:45 PM – 2:05 PM

Rm. 130 Hewitt Hall

Final Exam: To Be Announced

Professor: Jim Dunagan Office Hours: Tuesday/Thursday 11 am – 12:30 pm
Email: jdunagan@oswego.edu Office Phone: 315-312-2022
Office: Hewitt 146 Mailbox: Communication Studies Office in Hewitt 159 

REQUIRED TEXT

We will be using an online text that is provided at no cost to you. You can find the text here:

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-oswego-businesscommunicationmgrs2/

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Recognizing that it is imperative for business leaders to have superior communication abilities, Strategic Communication in Business is designed to improve students’ ability to communicate effectively and develop professional skills and behaviors. Through the exposure to communication principles and skills, students learn how to evaluate communication situations and audiences, and determine the most effective way to relay impactful messages. This interactive course improves students’ abilities to gather, organize, and evaluate content, as they learn to create and deliver strategic oral, visual, and written materials that are common in the business world. Through collaborative work activities, students practice interpersonal, time management and team-building skills that are critical for future success.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

  • Evaluate various communication situations and audiences to determine the most effective way to communicate messages.
  • Complete library database research using appropriate and reliable resources to develop effective oral and written pieces.
  • Develop written documents that are grammatically correct and appropriate for business application.
  • Develop dynamic presentation skills that require extemporaneous methods of delivery, and, in some instances, effective use of visual aids including presentation software.
  • Analyze and critique oral and written work.
  • Develop effective interpersonal communication skills and teamwork skills.
  • Use college resources such as Experience-Based Education and Career Services.

COURSE SCHEDULE

The course schedule is provided in a separate document and is also available on the Professor Dunagan website. The schedule is subject to change.

METHODS OF INSTRUCTION

  • Class discussion, student interpretation/reaction to work, review video projects
  • Learning module content delivered via Common Ground Scholar learning environment
  • In-class presentations
  • Team projects

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

  • Attendance in-class, participation and professional conduct
  • Complete all Scholar learning module updates including assessments, satisfy contribution requirements
  • Final exam
  • Graded speeches, including required components
  • Team assignments, including final team presentation and written report

POLICIES

Strategic Communication in Business is an essential element to your training as a future business professional.  My job will be to help you successfully complete COM 211 which will aid your development as a business professional. A good deal of your work in this class will be done via what’s called “asynchronous” content (online only), thanks to a new tool called Common Ground Scholar. It is an online learning community which we will start working with right away.

Class Activities – Your final grade will include both individual and team activities. Teams will work to complete a semester-long project that will require all students to contribute to their individual teams’ progress. Individual work will be completed through creating updates in Scholar and taking quizzes that measure your understanding of Scholar content. Scholar update creations and assessments will be completed on a weekly basis through the semester.

Scholar – Common Ground Scholar will be the principal learning environment for this class. Please visit my Professor Dunagan website for help with creating a Scholar user account and then joining our class community, which is called “COM 211 Fall 2025 Strategic Communication for Business.” Both sections taking the class with me will be a part of this community. We’ll spend a significant amount of time during the first week in class working together to make sure everyone understands how it works and how you will contribute to it. The importance of participating in Scholar activities throughout the semester cannot be understated. A failure to join the class Scholar community and complete the required work will result in a failing grade in the course.  Be sure to speak or meet with me if any part of your Scholar participation is difficult or unclear to you.

Attendance–This class is considered “in-person instruction,” which means attendance every class session is required. Missing even a few class sessions will put you behind. A total of 150 points, or 15% of your final grade, is based on attendance and participation. While I do expect you to attend all class sessions, I also know that life often interferes with our best-laid plans. If there is a situation that keeps you from attending class, you will find me both understanding and fair in my dealings with you, provided you keep me informed.  Read more about how excused and unexcused absences are treated below.

  • Excused absences will be permitted if I am notified in advance for an appropriate reason (illness, personal/family issues, etc.) Doing work for another class or some related reason will not be excused.  If you are excused from class attendance, you will still receive attendance points for that day, but you will not earn participation points. An excused absence also does not relieve you of any other class responsibilities. A maximum of two excused absences will be permitted. Student athletes with permission from their team to miss class for games/events will be given excused absences for those occasions. If you face serious life/family/health difficulties that are impacting your attendance, please let me know and I will help you to figure out what to do.
  • Unexcused absences are simply any absences that are not excused. Unexcused absences receive no points for attendance or participation for each instance. Those absences will also result in a zero for any work done in class that day. Multiple unexcused absences will have a damaging effect on your final grade.
  • In addition, 6 unexcused absences will require a mandatory meeting with me to avoid getting a failing final grade for the class. In this meeting, we will address issues related to your absences. Eight or more unexcused absences will result in a failing final grade.

Participation – Class participation is crucial in our work together. It is often my best indication that you understand the concepts that we are talking about. There will be in-class discussions I will initiate with you. I will also ask each of you to speak to the class multiple times, including an ethics presentation, content you create in Scholar as well as a brief impromptu speech and a prepared informative speech. You are ultimately responsible for keeping track of your progress for these activities by regularly monitoring you grades on Brightspace.

Punctuality – Being on time means being in the classroom when class begins. I know that there is a significant distance between Rich Hall, where you take your business courses, and Hewitt Hall, where our class will meet. Because of that, I will, as a rule, be understanding of students arriving a few minutes late from time to time.  If this is likely to be a regular issue, please see me so I will know of your situation. Ultimately, this is a responsibility that I expect you to manage. Chronic tardiness or excessive lateness without notice will result in an unexcused absence. Please do your part by being on time and to let me know if something will cause you to be late.

Deadlines – To be honest, I am not a fan of deadlines. I find them somewhat arbitrary and unnecessary for those students able to manage their workloads. However, they are useful for students who struggle with time management. So, there are deadlines established for all individual and team assignment work and I will retain discretion as to whether or not I will consider any such work as “late.” You will be expected to keep up with the weekly updates from Scholar and complete the required activities, including Scholar assessments you will take on Brightspace. Since Scholar is not designed to be deadline-friendly, you should periodically meet with me in a 1-on-1 session to review your Scholar progress.

Technology – Since our class work requires that you have a mobile device, so I am asking you to bring your laptop to each class meeting. You may also use a phone or tablet if you prefer. However, please limit any device use to classroom activity.  If you have a pressing need to call or text someone, please leave the classroom so as not to distract your fellow classmates.

Communication – In the event that you need to email me, please use ONLY your oswego.edu email account and in the subject line include “COM 211.”  I will do my best to respond to you in a timely fashion, but don’t assume I have forgotten about you if it’s less than 24 hours after sending me a message.

Brightspace – While I don’t use Brightspace extensively, it will be a part of your work outside of class. Grades will be available on Brighspace to help you keep track of your grade progress (exclusive of Scholar). In addition, Scholar assessments will be completed on Blackboard and team assignments will be submitted there.

Grading – You will have constant and real-time access to your grade progress during the course on Brightspace.  You can track your completion of in-class activities like Scholar update presentations, attendance, and discussion participation. You’ll also be able to monitor your progress in Scholar via the Analytics module.  As you complete Scholar activities, you will be assessed a score based on the individual metrics of each activity. It’s a bit complicated but it will make sense as we progress through the semester. My goal for each of you is to encourage you to do your best possible work, which will include getting feedback from me and fellow students. It’s part of a proven effort that improves your quality of work, and in turn, your grade.  In any case, please remember that I will always be happy to work with you on succeeding in this class. That said, it is ultimately your responsibility to make sure you have received credit for the work you have done, which means monitoring your grades in Brightspace and the Analytics tool in Scholar. I will always be happy to make sure your grades are correct, but I will not be making such changes as a result of last-minute requests at the end of the semester. Once a final deadline for requesting changes has been established and communicated to you (which will be done well in advance), NO REQUESTS FOR GRADE CHANGES WILL BE CONSIDERED. Grades for this course will be determined based on the table below:

Requirement Total Points
“Ready for Scholar” activities (watch videos, join group, complete first update) 40
Scholar assessments (22 @ 5 points) 110
2 Scholar update presentations @ 10 points each 20
Attendance and participation 150
Ethical Moment presentation (10 points), Impromptu speech (10 points), Informative Speech (10 points) 30
4 Team Assignments @ 25 points 100
1 final team report/paper 125
1 final team presentation 75
Scholar participation based on Analytics score of 65 200
Final Exam 150
Total Points 1000

Grading Breakdown: 1000 – 930 = A; 929 – 900 = A-; 899 – 870 = B+; 869 – 830 = B; 829 – 800 = B-; 799 – 770 = C+; 769 – 730 = C; 729 – 700 = C-; 699 – 650 = D; 649 – 0 = E

COLLEGE POLICY ON INTELLECTUAL INTEGRITY

SUNY Oswego is committed to Intellectual Integrity. Any form of intellectual dishonesty is a serious concern and therefore prohibited. Student guidelines and the university’s Academic Integrity Policy can be found at https://www.oswego.edu/intellectual-integrity/key-points-students.

In addition, the rise in awareness and popularity of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools is a fluid and ongoing matter of some importance. While there are some legitimate benefits in using AI tools, there are also dangers that relate to student academic integrity.

Using generative AI tools can bypass the process of learning and improving critical thinking and writing/communication. As such, you may not use AI tools for any submitted work, assignments, and assessments in this course. Faculty expect you to submit work that represents your own efforts. This includes the use of programs that will suggest alternative writing styles or sentence patterns, such as Grammarly, but does not include standard spell and grammar checkers.

Clery Act /Title IX Reporting: SUNY Oswego is committed to enhancing the safety and security of the campus for all its members. In support of this, faculty may be required to report their knowledge of certain crimes or harassment. Upon receipt of a report of harassment or discrimination based on sex, gender, pregnancy and/or related conditions, or familial status, all employees have a responsibility to report to the Title IX Coordinator. For more information about Title IX  protections, go to https://ww1.oswego.edu/title-ix/ or contact the Title IX Coordinator, 407 Culkin Hall, 315-312-5604, titleix@oswego.edu, or schedule a meeting here: tinyurl.com/MeetWithLisaE. For more information about the Clery Act and campus reporting, go to the University Police annual report: https://www.oswego.edu/police/annual-report.

COMMUNICATION STUDIES DEPARTMENT WRITING STATEMENT:

Writing is essential to critical thinking, which is an important component of a liberal arts education. The Department of Communication Studies shares a commitment to writing and expects quality professional and academic writing from our students. Your grade in this course will reflect the quality of your writing.

DISABILITY SUPPORT SERVICES

If you have a disabling condition, which may interfere with your ability to successfully complete this course, please contact the Office of Disability Services.

SUNY OSWEGO BASIC NEEDS STATEMENT

SUNY Oswego is dedicated to recognizing the basic needs of every individual on campus by connecting them to resources and services that assist them in meeting their basic needs. If you are in need of food, clothing, academic supplies, emergency housing, addiction services or are unsure of what resources are available to meet your basic needs, please complete the following form to connect to the Office of the Dean of Students: Basic Needs Self-Disclosure Form.

For information on mental health services visit the Counseling Services website and for information on health services visit the Health Services website.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule a meeting with one of the Assistant Dean of Students, email deanofstudents@oswego.eduor call 315-312-5483. Visit the Office of the Dean of Students website https://ww1.oswego.edu/dean-students/ for more information.

For other inquiries, visit the Oz Concern Navigator at https://oswego.concerncenter.com.