LS 3323 Legal Environment of Business (online)

Professor Daniel T. Ostas

http://www.ou.edu/content/price/management_ib/faculty/daniel_ostas.html

Email: dostas@ou.edu

Live Session: Every Thursdays, at 3:15-4:00 pm (Central)

Zoom link: https://oklahoma.zoom.us/j/99155426854?pwd=bGtzQU9OZmpTbTErOUlJQzhXL0hqZz09

Meeting ID: 991 5542 6854

Password: 3323-002

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Download Syllabus: Syllabus F20-3.docx

For a list of course activities, scroll to the bottom of this page.

 

Required Textbook:

Kubasek et al., Contemporary Business Law in a Global Economy (2003) (Crown Publishing, Inc.).  Available in hard cover or with spiral binding (ISBN 1-933403063).  If you order from the publisher (Phone: 330-273-3024), leave a message, and they will call you back.  It’s about $65 for a new spiral-bound copy, and they will mail to you.  Or, you can buy the book from the OU Bookstore on Asp Ave, or remotely (free shipping) from their website at: https://ou.textbookx.com/institutional/index.php?action=browse#books/2196743/.

There is no electronic version, or “e-book.”  I have used this book previously, so used spiral-bound books may be available at the OU Bookstore.

Grades

The Midterm and Final are each taken via CANVAS while attending a proctored ZOOM session.  The quizzes and assignments are due on Thursdays at 12:01 p.m.

Group	Modules	Breakdown	Weight
Quizzes	Modules 2, 4, 7, 12, 13	(5 x 10 pts each)	50 pts
Assignments	Modules 5, 6, 10, 11, 15	(5 x 10 pts each)	50 pts
Midterm: Ch 1, 3, 6-8	Module 8 (Thur. Oct. 15)	(3:15-4:30 pm)	100 pts
Final Exam: Ch 5-7, 4, 9	Dec.16, 4:30	(1:30-3:30 pms)	100 pts
TOTAL:			300 pts

 

Scale

Points/Percentile	Grades
> 255 pts (85%)	A
> 210 pts (70%)	B
> 165 pts (55%)	C
> 120 pts (40%)	D

 

 

Course Components

Midterm & Final Exams:

Each exam has multiple choice and true/false 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 requiting you to identify legal issues and apply the concepts of the course to those issues.  A sample of both the Midterm and the Final are posted on CANVAS to give you a sense of the types of questions asked.

The exams are CLOSED BOOK.  You must clear your desk of all notes or study aids. The MIDTERM is on Thursday, October 15 from 3:15 to 4.30 pm.  The FINAL is on Tuesday, December 15 from 1:30 to 3:30 pm. You must be visible on ZOOM while taking both the MIDTERM and the FINAL.  I will be available in an online-chat room to answer any questions you have while taking the exams.

Quizzes:

In Modules (weeks) 2, 4, 7, 12, and 13 you must answer a five-question multiple-choice quiz.  Each question is worth 2 points.  You will have 10 minutes, and the quiz must be submitted by noon of the day for the ZOOM discussion for that module.  The quizzes cover the assigned readings and online lectures.  You may use your course materials (OPEN BOOK) during the quizzes; however, you may NOT USE NON-COURSE MATERIALS (such as a google search) to answer the quiz questions.  Each quiz is available online for two weeks in advance of its due date. The first quiz (Module 2) must be completed by noon on September 3.

Assignments (Case Briefs):

In Modules (weeks) 5, 6, 10, 11, and 15 you must submit via CANVAS a 200-300-word written assignment.  Each assignment is worth 10 points and must be submitted by noon of the day for the ZOOM discussion for that module.  Your assignment is to submit a “case brief” for one of the cases that we will discuss during our ZOOM session.  The recorded lecture for Module 2 explains how to brief a case.  You will be asked to lead or actively engage in the discussion on your case during our ZOOM session.  Cases are assigned alphabetically in accord with your last name.  The page number to each case is in parentheses below.

 

Name	Module 5	Module 6	Module 10	Module 11	Module 15
	(Criminal Law)	(Int’l Torts)	(Agreement)	(Consideration)	(Contracts in Writing)
A-F	NY RR (127)	Sagan (154)	Lucy (287)	Hamer (307)	Gegg (366)
G-M	Park (129)	Mitchell (159)	Martin (292)	Schlegel (312)	Webcor (369)
N-R	Singleton (135)	Gordon (161)	Okosa (298)	Angel (314)	Simplex (374)
S-Z	Cohen (138)	White (163)	Hollywood (299)	Carlisle (317)	Columbia Gas (378)

Zoom Attendance

You are expected to attend and participate during each ZOOM session.  We will discuss the cases, and I will answer your questions.  I encourage you to come to the ZOOM session with a question or two from the readings and recorded lectures.  I will ask for volunteers to discuss the cases.  I will also invite questions. The ZOOM session will be recorded, and the link we be provided for review and for those unable to attend.

Course Policies

Academic Integrity

Cheating is strictly prohibited at the University of Oklahoma, because it devalues the degree you are working hard to get. As a member of the OU community it is your responsibility to protect your educational investment by knowing and following the rules. For specific definitions on what constitutes cheating, review the Student’s Guide to Academic Integrity at http://integrity.ou.edu/students_guide.htmlLinks to an external site.

To be successful in this class, all work on exams and other assignment must be yours and yours alone, uncles the assignment as been made as a group project.  Should you see someone else engaging in inappropriate behavior, I encourage you to report it to me or directly to the Office of Academic Integrity Programs. That student is devaluing not only their degree, but yours, too. Be aware that it is my professional obligation to report academic misconduct, which I will not hesitate to do. Sanctions for academic misconduct can include expulsion from the University and an F in this course, so don’t cheat. 

Make-up Policy

I follow OU guidelines with regard to make-up exams and extended deadlines for assignments.  If a make-up or extension is needed due to an OU recognized issue (documented illness, death in the family, or other issue specified in OU policy), contact me before the exam or deadline, and we will arrange a mutually convenient make-up or extension, without penalty.

Absences

Attendance is expected in this class.  If you must miss a ZOOM session, please note that the session will be recorded, and you will have access to that recording.

Teaching Philosophy

I am committed to student success, and I will be available both prior to and throughout the term of this course for guidance and help in both understanding and fulfilling course requirements.  Please email me at dostas@ou.edu (please don’t use CANVAS to email me) with any concerns. 

 

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UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA

ACADEMIC POLICIES AND STUDENT SUPPORT

Course Catalog 

Search the OU Course Catalogue.

Student Handbook

Please familiarize yourself with the OU Student Handbook.

Online Library

Access digital materials and other resources at OU Libraries.

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.

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. 

For more information about plagiarism, watch this video 

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 get in touch with the Disability Resource Center.

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 your options. Generally, modifications will be made where medically necessary and similar in scope to accommodations based on temporary disability.  Learn more about the rights of pregnant and parenting students by consulting the FAQ sheets provided by the Institutional Equity Office.

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 at 405-325-2215 (8-5, M-F) or OU Advocates at 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 coursework 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 the Registrar.

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.