Course Description

“Appoint yourselves a teacher, and let not all be spokesman at once; but let one speak at a time and let all listen unto his sayings, that when all have spoken that all may be edified of all, and that every man may have an equal privilege” (D&C 88:122).

Course Objectives and Information

Through experiential teaching and learning, this course provides opportunities to practice the basic facets of group communication. Active participation in small group opportunities will give the student chances to discover more about the principles and processes of communication in small groups.

Textbooks and Required Material

Students will choose one book from a list to read with their assigned small groups. They will be responsible for finding a copy of the book either through the BYUI library or by purchasing a copy of their own. 

Course Outcomes 

• Describe the characteristics of effective and ineffective groups and teams.
• Explain key leadership principles.
• Compare and contrast managers and leaders.
• Demonstrate effective practices for working in groups.

Learning Model Architecture

As with other courses at BYU-Idaho, the student will have the opportunity to prepare intellectually and spiritually throughout this course. This course follows the BYU-Idaho Learning Model and will give the student several opportunities to share those learning and teaching moments with others. The student will also be given opportunities to reflect on what the student is learning and to report on weekly activities. The student will need to be able to devote three or four hours for every course credit, or 9–12 hours weekly.

Class Policies

Assignments

This course runs week to week from Saturday of one week to Saturday of the next week. The student will be required to participate in one small class group where students will discuss and participate in an organized simulation activity. The student will also organize several outside small group projects with people familiar to the student. Each week the student will have reading material such as case studies or manage mentors to study. All quizzes are open book.

Everest Simulation Attendance Policy

The Everest simulation is the only synchronous assignment that you will complete with your classmates this semester. Together, you will virtually “climb” Everest three times. Most students find this a fun, effective way to learn! These climbs will be completed in weeks 10, 11, and 12. Your group is depending on you for your active participation. Failure to participate in the Everest simulations will result in the loss of one final letter grade per climb missed. Please make every effort to support your fellow group members and attend your group’s climbs.

Late Work

Late work will not be accepted, regardless of circumstances. The class schedule is consistent; students will be aware of all of the assignments in time to prepare for and complete prior to the deadlines. This class standard is meant to prepare students for a professional setting, so work handed in past the deadline will not be graded. Please do not ask for exceptions to this policy.

Academic Honesty

“Brigham Young University Idaho students should seek to be totally honest in all their dealings. They should complete their own work and be evaluated based upon that work. They should avoid academic dishonesty and misconduct in all its forms, including but not limited to plagiarism, fabrication or falsification, cheating, and other academic misconduct” (BYU-Idaho Honor Code, 2007).

It is the student's responsibility to understand what constitutes academic dishonesty as stated in the BYU-Idaho Honor Code. In this class, it can include not doing a fair share of work in groups or allowing other students to receive credit for a project, which they did not work on. If the student is not sure if an action is ethical or if what the student is doing is wrong, please ask the instructor.

Violation of University Policy will result in failing the class.

Academic Honesty Definitions

Intentional Plagiarism: The deliberate act of representing the words, ideas, or data of another as one’s own without providing proper attribution to the author through quotation, reference, or footnote.

Fabrication or Falsification: A form of dishonesty where a student invents or distorts the origin or content of information used as authority.

Cheating: A form of dishonesty where a student attempts to give the appearance of a level of knowledge or skill that has not been obtained. Other Academic Misconduct includes other academically dishonest, deceitful, or inappropriate acts which are intentionally committed” (BYU-Idaho Honor Code.)

Consequences: Students involved in such activities will fail the class and will be referred to the Honor Code Office for appropriate disciplinary actions.

Reasonable Accommodation

If the student has a learning disability or other condition that makes it difficult for the student to complete some of the assignments we have discussed in the syllabus, please disclose these conditions to the instructor within the first week of class. The instructor will make reasonable accommodations to help the student learn and succeed in class.

Grading

Each assignment will have a specific grading rubric.

Grading Scale

Grading Scale

Grade	Percentage Range
A	100%–93%
A–	92%–90%
B+	89%–87%
B	86%–83%
B–	82%–80%
C+	79%–77%
C	76%–73%
C–	72%–70%
D+	69%–67%
D	66%–63%
D–	62%–60%
F	>60%

Earning an A

Simply showing up to class and handing in work doesn’t qualify the student to receive an above-average rating. Often at the end of the semester, students will seek mercy but forget the laws of justice. Fear of losing scholarships, receiving a first B, or really needing an A to avoid academic sanctions are not valid reasons for earning a grade reserved for individuals whose academic performance is above average.

With that said, everyone could earn an A in this class. The only requirement is to consistently perform at the A level, which means turning in excellent work, excelling in group performance, and maintaining the highest academic standards.

Homework, Assignments, and Assessments

Minimum Word Count Requirements

This course has a minimum word count requirement of 200 words per question. For example, that means if the learning essay has seven questions, the minimum word count for the entire assignment would be 1,400 words (200 minimum for each response). In addition, each paragraph should be a minimum of four sentences. These requirements are an indicator of how thoughtful and thorough to be in responses.

Similar to an English course where students understand how thorough and detailed to be in assignments, whether the instructor requires a three-page paper or a six-page paper, this minimum requirement indicates how detailed and in-depth the student should be in the responses in this course. 

If the student struggles to meet the word count requirement on a question, the student can further the discussion by relating the material to prior knowledge, or by including an example. It might be helpful to think of the continued discussion as someone asking the student to "Tell me more." In doing so, the student would not repeat the same thing over and over, but think deeper and make additional connections with the material.

If the student's responses do not meet the minimum word count requirements, the response does not meet the requirements of the assignment and there will be a deduction.

One Time Assignments

Introduction Blog

During Week 01, complete a welcome introduction. We will be working with each other all semester; we invite students to introduce themselves to the class. In the post, students should tell the class a little about themselves: what the student likes to do, something that is unique about the student, and where the student is living. Also, feel free to post a picture so we can put a face with a name. This is a great opportunity to make this course a learning community. The Intro Blog must be updated before the end of Week 01.

Syllabus Test

During Week 01, read the syllabus and take the syllabus test. The student can use their syllabus as they complete the test.

Primer on Plagiarism

Some students may not understand plagiarism. This assignment will build the student's knowledge of what constitutes plagiarism and unethical behavior. This assignment can be found in the “Week 01” folder in Canvas. The student must complete the assignment before the end of Week 01.

Weekly Assignments

Learning Assessment

Each week the student will complete a learning assessment. The purpose of this assessment is to help the students link what they learned during the week to applications for future groups. Do not simply provide a summary of activities and events.

Weekly Self-Assessment

Each week the student will complete an assessment about their preparation, participation, and performance for the week. The student will be asked to reflect on specific tasks and assignments. As the student takes the assignment, remember the signed statement of personal honor.

Sharpen the Saw Activity

During Week 01, the student will read a section from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, about what it means to sharpen the saw. For this class, the student will spend at least 45 minutes each week engaged in a Sharpen the Saw Activity for each week of class. The balance between the four areas Covey describes in the book, meaning the student will complete three Sharpen the Saw activities in each of the following areas: physical, mental, spiritual, and social or emotional. The student will report what they did and earned each week in the reflection essay.

It is important to be aware that completing homework for any class will not count for mental activity, ministering or attending church meetings will not count for spiritual or social, and you must complete the 45 minutes all at once or in segments during the week. Remember to be creative and do things you have always wanted to do but never had time before.

If there are any ideas for the project, feel free to ask your instructor if it would count.

Small-Group Project

During Weeks 04, 08, and 14, the student will organize three small group projects in the areas of social, mental, spiritual, physical, or service. Participating in a small group as a leader is an important learning part of this course. The student will select only three of the five groups described in the course. The student will organize the group and turn in a write-up describing and analyzing the group dynamics.

Study Materials

While this course does not have a formal textbook, the student will be studying materials from Manage Mentors and case studies as well as articles posted in class and that the student finds on getAbstract. GetAbstract is a free tool for BYU-Idaho students with amazing summaries of books and articles. Movies will also be used as a resource throughout the semester. Students will use these resources to gain a foundation of what group dynamics is.

Quizzes

Quizzes will be given on course materials. All quizzes will be open book and untimed. Students will not be allowed to communicate with others during the quizzes.

Everest Group

With this in-class group, the student will be completing the Everest simulation. This simulation will help students apply principles learned from other groups on how to effectively work as a team. The simulation will be done three times virtually. This will give students experience in how to work with a group.

Standard Code of Conduct

Demand the Highest Ethical Standards from Yourself

The collaborative and team-oriented nature of this class means that there are many group projects both in and out of class. Students will inevitably have opportunities to hand in work that is not their own. Remember when these opportunities present themselves that students are being trusted and challenged to uphold the highest standards of ethical behavior. We want students to learn from the experiences in this class and at BYUI in general, that students need to be able to trust each other and themselves to make the ethical decision. Accordingly, cheating, plagiarism, and other cases of intellectual dishonesty will not be tolerated, and the instructor will be responsible to decide what action to take place.

Take Pride in Your Work

Business leaders know that everything they present to the public reflects on them and their organization. Long-term success comes only to companies and individuals who produce the highest quality products and services and deliver them in a timely fashion. Every paper, presentation, and project is an expression of the pride a student takes in them self and their work. Make every effort to write well, meet deadlines, and take the time to make both the format and the content of the student's own work of the highest quality. This may mean writing one more draft, double-checking spelling and grammar, or reviewing and practicing the presentation one more time.

Demonstrate Respect for Yourself and Others

Managers make decisions and lead others to implement those directives. Thus, if the student is going to be a manager, they must learn how to influence others to accept and respect the student. The student will need to show themselves to be worthy of their respect, and in turn, show that the student respects them. A professional demeanor sends messages about your leadership ability and level of dedication. A lot of credit can be earned by following some very basic guidelines:

• Be On Time: Professional behavior means being on time for class deadlines. Group work is important for this course, and contributions are essential in order to ensure discussion flow. 
• Be Prepared: Unprepared managers have very short careers (or end up in dead-end jobs). To succeed, students need to prepare for each class session. Nothing shows less respect for others than making them wait while one does something they were supposed to have done in advance. If students don’t come prepared and try instead to participate without knowing how to talk about the topic they run the risk of looking foolish and wasting everyone’s time with irrelevant comments.
• Show Respect: Professionalism also means being civil to those with whom any student disagrees. In business, you may have to work with people who have different or conflicting opinions and styles than yours. An ability to work with, tolerate, and effectively interact with these individuals is critical to success. Do not engage in private discussions during any kind of meeting, as doing so shows a lack of respect for your colleagues and/or professors.
• Get Involved: Professionals closely follow and contribute to discussions in appropriate ways; don't be afraid to share a little humor, but do so appropriately. Any of your contributions as a professional should be respectful.

University Policies

Students with Disabilities

Brigham Young University-Idaho is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere that accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. If you have a disability and require accommodations, please contact the Disability Services Office at (208) 496-9210 or visit their website and follow the Steps for Receiving Accommodations. Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified documented disabilities. Services are coordinated with students and instructors by the Disability Services Office.

This course does require synchronous meetings. If you are currently registered with the Disability Services Office and need an interpreter or transcriber for these meetings, please contact the deaf and hard of hearing coordinator at (208) 496-9219.

Other University Policies

Student Honor and Other Policies

Please read through the document called University Policies. It gives important information about the following topics:

• Student Honor
  • Academic Honesty
  • Student Conduct
    • Sexual Harassment
• Student with Disabilities
• Complaints and Grievances
• Copyright Notice

Go to the Student Resources module to review further resources and information.

Support

If students need assistance, select the question mark icon located on the lower left-hand side of your Canvas page to visit the I-Learn Help tab. This tab has additional information about how to contact the correct support center.