Suggested Course Policies

ENG401 is a four month long course designed to get you actively using language that corresponds to specific areas of business. Working week by week, you’ll learn about the text types, stylistic conventions, cultural expectations, and specialized terminology used to communicate about a specific topic. You’ll end the course with a Show & Tell project.

Course Flow

The course assumes that you’re working week by week. Each week’s contents begin with an overview, which are followed by lectures and exercises you can do to build up your communication capabilities. The lectures would usually be read before class, and the exercises would be completed during class meetings. The week’s materials end with an assignment, or a short communication portfolio project that is related to the topic at hand.

There are 3 partial exams over the four months of the course. The course ends with a final Show & Tell project, in which you’ll share with the class your business presentation and reporting skills.

Overall Grading Structure

Category	Percentage of Grade	Detailed description of points available
Attendance & Participation	30%	1 point per class, 2 days a week, 15 weeks required 2 extra credit points available for attending more than 30 classes
General Assignments	30%	10 assignments x 3 points each 3 extra credit points available for completing the 11 available assignments
Partial Exams	30%	3 exams × 10 points each
Final Project	10%	1 project × 10 points

A great goal: Get between 95-100 points to get a grade of Excellent!

Attendance and Participation

A great deal of success is measured just in showing up where one needs to be at the right time. A next important measure of success is being prepared for meetings and sharing one’s perspective.

Grading for Attendance and Participation:

1 point per class: Attending AND actively participating with clear preparation
0 points: Any of the following:
- Attending but not participating
- Attending but clearly unprepared
- Not attending class

Class Meeting Details:

More than 30 total meetings available during this course
Perfect attendance: An excellent foundation to success that is rewarded in this class. Attend all available class meetings and get up to 2 extra credit points.

Late Assignment Policy

Late assignments are not generally accepted in this course. For people taking the course who have justified absences or if you have arranged in advance for an absence, you may turn in a limited number of late assignments.

Late Submission Guidelines:

Late assignments should be submitted within the new time frame established by the student and approved by the instructor.
General assignments: Not accepted without prior arrangements.
Partial exams: Lose 20% of total available points per day

Group Work Policy

Group work is an essential component of this course, particularly for the final project and various collaborative assignments throughout the semester.

Group Work Expectations:

Attend all group meetings and contribute meaningfully to your team’s work
Contribute equitably to all group assignments and deliverables
Communicate actively with your team members about progress and challenges

Consequences for Non-Participation:

Taking credit for work you did not contribute to is not tolerated in this class
Should you fail to contribute to a group assignment, you will receive 0 points for that assignment
Repeated offenses may result in you being removed from a group and failing the class
Repeatedly missing group meetings without valid justification will be treated as non-participation

Extra Credit Policy

Extra credit is designed to reward exceptional effort and consistency, not to replace missed regular coursework. Students who consistently attend and complete assignments should not need extra credit to succeed.

Perfect Attendance Extra Credit (2 points)

Students who attend over 30 class meetings can earn up to 2 extra credit points

Extra Credit for Completing all General Assignments (3 points)

This course has 11 general assignments available worth 3 points each
Anyone who completes all 11 assignments can earn up to 3 extra credit points
You can also skip 1 general assignment entirely and still claim the 30 available points for this part of your grade.

Custom Assignment Extra Credit (3 points)

Students may design their own course assignment equivalent in scope to regular assignments
Assignment must connect to course content and include clear deliverables
Must be submitted for approval by Week 10
Must be completed by Week 15 (no extra credit during final project weeks)
Student provides self-assessment rubric to minimize professor workload

Emerging Trends Zine Editor Extra Credit Opportunity (3 points)

In week 15, the final partial exam requires students to make a creative contribution to our class zine.
Be one of the editors who puts these contributions together into a zine, and you can earn up to 3 extra credit points.

Extra Credit Limitations

Maximum 5 points total (5% of final grade)
Cannot exceed 100% in the course
No extra credit available during weeks 16-18 (final project period)

For detailed information about custom assignment options, see the Extra Credit Assignment page.

AI Usage Policy

This course encourages the thoughtful integration of AI tools as part of your learning process, particularly for enhancing your understanding of course materials and practicing business English concepts.

Approved AI Usage:

First, develop your own thoughts: Draft your initial responses and form your own opinions before consulting AI tools
Then enhance with AI: Use AI to refine, expand, or strengthen your work after you have established your own foundation
Cite AI usage: When AI tools are used for assignments, clearly cite the technology used and explain your modifications

Important Principle:
Being able to form your own opinion without AI influence and then strengthen it through AI assistance is a crucial professional skill. Avoid early AI influence that might prevent you from developing independent analytical thinking.

For Assignment Work:

Complete your initial draft and thinking independently
Use AI as a revision and enhancement tool, not as a starting point
Always maintain your authentic voice and perspective in final submissions

Academic Integrity

In this course you must submit original work. This means that, while you can and should cite your sources, the work must reflect your own analysis and perspective. For many assignments, the use of generative AI is permitted following the AI usage guidelines above.

Regarding Team Work:
All members must contribute equitably to group assignments. If you take credit for group work to which you have not contributed, you may lose between 10 and 20 percent or more of your final grade, in addition to facing more serious consequences depending on the nature of the infraction.

Plagiarism Consequences:
Plagiarism of work from other students or online resources, as well as submission of non-original work, will result in a zero grade on the assignment and will be reported to the program director, with potential additional consequences.

Success Tips

The course requires 6-8 hours of weekly work outside of class. Generally you will have one assignment per week.
Review materials before class meetings to participate effectively.
Start assignments early to have time to resolve questions.
30-minute rule: First research independently, then consult with peers, and if after 30 minutes you don’t find a solution, contact an expert.

📥 Download this Content

Find this file on our repo and download it.

🤖 GAI Study Prompts

Copy the downloaded content and try it with these prompts:

“Explain the difference between appropriate and inappropriate AI usage for this course”
“What strategies can I use to be better prepared for class participation?”
“How should I organize my group work to ensure equal contribution from all members?”

Next: Explore the Bibliography for course resources and recommended readings.