Course Syllabus
Download the syllabus
Instructor: Dan Ostas
James G. Harlow, Jr. Chair in Business Ethics; Professor of Legal StudiesDepartment: Marketing & Supply Chain Management Areas of Interests and Expertise
Awards and Achievements
Phone: office (405) 325-5619 home: (405) 292-1146 Email: dostas@ou.edu Live Session: Thursdays, 7:00-9:00 pm (Central) Live Session link: https://zoom.us/j/2207518224 |
Course Pre-Requisites
There are no pre-requisites for this course.
Course Materials
Business Law: The Ethical, Global, and E-Commerce Environment (McGraw-Hill: Custom Version) (17th ed. 2018), by Langvardt, et al. ISBN: 978-130-725-281. The custom version (about $80 new) is 7 chapters selected from a longer book. An e-book of the custom version is available from McGraw-Hill (about $42). Here’s the direct link: https://create.mheducation.com/shop/#/catalog/details/?isbn=9781307272567
You may prefer to purchase the longer book (both 16th and 17th editions work) rather than the custom book. Lead author on the 16th ed. was Jane Mallor, but the two editions are essentially the same.
If you are having difficulty purchasing the book or worried about the shipment time, please note that you can go to http://connect.mheducation.com/class/d-ostas-fall-2018
You can register there and have access to the eBook for 2 weeks for free.
There are also some required readings posted on CANVAS.
Course Communication
- If you have general questions about assignments, class logistics, due dates, etc., please post a question in the Course Help Board in the Start Here module. You can post questions about the course to the Course Help Board throughout the semester.
- If you have a personal question (grades, feedback, requests for special accommodation, etc.) please send me a private message via email. In the subject line, write “L S 5802 online” before your subject. For example, if you have a question about a grade, your email subject would read “L S 5802 online – grade inquiry”.
- If you have a question about the weekly topic or learning material, please post in the “Questions” page in the relevant module before noon on Thursday. I will address a few of these questions during our Live Session.
All email sent by your professors will be sent to the email registered in your name at the University of Oklahoma.
If you wish to also receive course emails at another email address, go to your profile in Canvas, and you can add 1 or more alternate emails to your account.
Course Grades
| Midterm Exam | Ch 1-2, 5-7 (Sept 13: Live on Zoom 7:00-8:30 pm (Central) | 100 pts x 1 | 100 pts |
| Final Exam | Ch 5-7, 4, 9 (Oct 11: Live on Zoom 7:00-8:30 pm (Central) | 100 pts x 1 | 100 pts |
| Pre-Session Quizzes | Modules 1-3, 5-7 | 5 pts ea. x 6 | 30 pts |
| Case Briefs | Modules 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 | 8 pts ea. x 5 | 40 pts |
| Live Sessions | Pre-Session Questions, Zoom Attendance & Participation (Wks 1-3, 5-7) | 5 pts ea. x 6 | 30 pts |
| Total | 300 pts |
Grading Scale
| 255 points or more | (85%) | = A |
| 210 points or more | (70%) | = B |
| 165 points or more | (55%) | = C |
| 120 points or more | (40%) | = D |
Exams
There will be two exams in this course. They are administered through Canvas and monitored through Zoom.
Each exam has ten short-answer essay questions. Some questions will test mastery of the basic legal rules, concepts, and the vocabulary of the course. Other questions will present hypothetical fact patterns where the student will demonstrate an ability to identify legal and ethical issues and to apply the concepts of the course to those issues. Although the final exam is partially cumulative, it will emphasize material presented in the second half of the course (Ch. 4, 9). A sample exam is posted on CANVAS to give you a sense of the types of questions asked.
The exams are CLOSED BOOK. You must put all course materials and learning aids away before taking the exams. You may not get any help in taking the exams. The exams are accessible during our Live Sessions on WEEKS 4 and 8. You will have 90 minutes to finish the exam. You must be visible on ZOOM while taking the exam. Each exam starts at 7 pm, and you must submit your answers before 8:30 pm (Central). The instructor will be available through private messaging to answer any questions you have while taking the exams.
Pre-Session Quizzes
Prior to each Live Session (of weeks 1-3, 5-7), you must answer a five-question multiple-choice quiz. Each question is worth 1 point. You will have 10 minutes to complete each quiz, and it must be submitted by noon on the day of the Live Session for that week. The quizzes cover the assigned readings and the online lectures for that week. You may use your course materials (OPEN BOOK; NOTES) during the quizzes; however, you may NOT USE NON-COURSE MATERIALS (such as a general google search) to answer the questions. Each quiz is available online one week in advance of its due date. The first quiz must be completed by noon on Thursday, August 23.
Assignments (Case Briefs)
Prior to the Live Session of Weeks 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 you must turn in a 200-300-word written assignment. Each assignment is worth 8 points and is due by noon of the day for the live discussion for that week. Your assignment for Weeks 1-3 and for Week 7 is to submit a “case brief” for one of the cases that we will discuss during our Live Session.
Your assigned cases are listed below. Both our text and the video lecture for Week 1 explain how to brief a case. You will be asked to lead or actively engage in the discussion on your case during our Live Session. The first case brief must be completed and submitted online by noon on August 23.
Cases
We will discuss the following cases during our Live Sessions. Carefully read these all of these cases. Page numbers are from 17th ed. of Langvardt (the smaller number on the custom edition).
Ch. 1: Price (p 5) (16th – 17th ed.); James (p 25) (16th – 17th ed.)
Ch. 2: Hertz (p 44) (15th – 17th ed.); AT&T (p 59) (15th – 17th ed.)
Ch. 5: Sekhar (p 154) (16th – 17th ed.); Anderson (p 183) (16th – 7th ed.)
Ch. 6: Mathias (p 201) (13th – 17th ed.); Durham (p 207) (15th – 17th ed.)
Ch. 7: Currie (p 252) (14th – 17th ed.); Stahlecker (p 269) (13th – 17th ed.)
Ch. 9: Symons (p 355); (16th – 17th ed.)
Case Briefs
Briefs are assigned from the above list alphabetically by your surname. Each student must submit 1 written case brief for Weeks 1, 2, 3, and 7. Due 12:00 noon, Thursdays.
| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 7 | |
| Adcock-Bicknell | Price | Hertz | Mathias | Symons |
| Coughlan-Dragg | Price | AT&T | Mathias | Symons |
| Gomez-Hayes | Price | AT&T | Durham | Symons |
| Kuegler-Mcnaughton | James | Sekhar | Currie | Symons |
| Miller-Sullivan | James | Anderson | Currie | Symons |
| Thompson-Winters | James | Anderson | Stahlecker | Symons |
Live Sessions (Questions, Attendance & Participation)
Prior to each Live Session, you must turn in two thoughtful questions that you would like to discuss. The questions may ask for clarification or expansion of that week’s material. Any sincere question covering business ethics/law will be respected. The first set of two “pre-session questions” must be submitted by noon on August 23.
You are also expected to attend and participate during each Live Session. I will assign a grade for questions, attendance, & participation (up to 30 points) at the end of the course. There are two ways in which you can earn points for the Live Session. Remember, these Live Sessions will count toward your final grade.
1. Participate Live: This option should be your preferred choice. When possible, you should attend and participate in the Live Sessions in real time. To get credit for your attendance, type in the date and time of the session you attended by clicking on the red "Submit Assignment" button at the top of the Live Sessions page. Your log in will be cross-checked against the attendance tracker in Zoom.
2. Make-Up (Watch Recording-Submit Written Summary): In the event that your work or personal schedule makes it impossible for you to attend, please review the recording of the Live Session then write a paragraph summarizing the Live Session from your perspective.
Note: Be sure to utilize option 1 or 2 for each of the Live Sessions to receive full points. Regardless of when the session occurred, you must post your response based on option 1 or 2.
UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA & PRICE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
ACADEMIC POLICIES & STUDENT SUPPORT
Catalog
Please familiarize yourself with the student catalog: http://catalog.ou.edu/courses/courses.htm
Online Library
Students in the MAcc program can use the University of Oklahoma library by visiting:
Academic Misconduct
In addition to the course conduct policies outlined by your professor in the Course Syllabus in the online classroom, please review the Graduate Student Handbook.
It is the responsibility of each student to be familiar with the definitions, policies and procedures concerning academic misconduct. The Student Code is available from the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and is contained in the Student’s Guide to Academic Integrity, available at http://integrity.ou.edu/students_guide.html This site also defines misconduct, provides examples of prohibited conduct, and explains the sanctions available for those found guilty of misconduct.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the most common form of academic misconduct at OU. There is basically no college-level assignment that can be satisfactorily completed by copying. OU's basic assumption about writing is that all written assignments show the student's own understanding in the student's own words. That means all writing assignments, in class or out, are assumed to be composed entirely of words generated (not simply found) by the student, except where words written by someone else are specifically marked as such with proper citation. Including other people's words in your paper is helpful when you do it honestly and correctly. When you don't, it's plagiarism.
Go to http://integrity.ou.edu/students_guide.html to learn more about the rules for avoiding plagiarism. Test your skills in avoiding plagiarism by taking the library’s plagiarism tutorial, available at https://libraries.ou.edu/content/academic-integrity-tutorial
Reasonable Accommodation for Disabilities
The University of Oklahoma is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for all students with disabilities. Students with disabilities who require accommodations in this course should contact their professor as early in the semester as possible.
Students with disabilities must be registered with the Disability Resource Center prior to receiving accommodations in this course.
If you have a disability and you would like to make a request for reasonable accommodation, please see the Graduate Student Handbook or visit the Disability Resource Center and other disability services at OU at: http://drc.ou.edu/
Adjustments for Pregnancy/Childbirth Related Issues
Should you need modifications or adjustments to your course requirements because of documented pregnancy-related or childbirth-related issues, please contact me as soon as possible to discuss. Generally, modifications will be made where medically necessary and similar in scope to accommodations based on temporary disability. Please see www.ou.edu/content/eoo/faqs/pregnancy-faqs.html for commonly asked questions.
Title IX Resources
For any concerns regarding gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, stalking, or intimate partner violence, the University offers a variety of resources, including advocates on-call 24.7, counseling services, mutual no contact orders, scheduling adjustments and disciplinary sanctions against the perpetrator. Please contact the Sexual Misconduct Office 405-325-2215 (8-5, M-F) or OU Advocates 405-615-0013 (24.7) to learn more or to report an incident.
Religious Holidays
It is the policy of the University to excuse absences of students that result from religious observances and to provide for the rescheduling of examinations and additional required classwork that may fall on religious holidays without penalty. It is the responsibility of the student to make alternate arrangements with the instructor at least one week prior to the actual date of the religious holiday.
Copyright Policy
It is illegal to download, upload, reproduce, or distribute any copyrighted material, in any form and in any fashion, without permission from the copyright holder or his/her authorized agent. The University of Oklahoma expects all members of its community to comply fully with federal copyright laws. If such laws appear to have been violated by any user, the university reserves the right (1) to terminate that user’s access to some or all of the university’s computer systems and information resources and (2) to take additional disciplinary actions as deemed necessary or appropriate. Repeat offenders will be sanctioned and their privileges terminated.
Registration and Withdrawal
If you choose to withdraw from this course, you must complete the appropriate University form and turn the form in before the deadline. If you stop attending the course and doing the course work without doing the required paperwork your grade will be calculated with missed homework and examination grades entered as zero. This could result in receiving a grade of F in the course. Deadlines are shown in the Academic Calendar, which is available from the Office of Admissions and Records or online at http://www.ou.edu/admissions/home/academic_calendar.html
Student Grievances
In addition to any policies outlined related to submitting an informal or formal grievance by your professor in the Course Syllabus in the online classroom, please review the Graduate Student Handbook for more information about the process of submitting a formal grievance.
Course Summary:
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