Course Description

In MGMT 520, students learn how to be great project communicators. The course includes instruction in the project

manager’s most important tools: writing, speaking, presenting, emailing, and conducting meetings. Students study the process of adapting communications to suit a variety of audiences, writing with clarity and simplicity, and adapting

writing to be accessible to international audiences. The class features practice in editing and improving business

documents that will be posted on the online forum for peer review, homework exercises, and chapter tests.  This course  supports Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Task 10 Project Communications Management and subtasks 10.1, 10.2, 10.3.

Course Prerequisites: None. Students must have a good working knowledge of business English.

For students participating in Curriculum Practical Placement (CPT) or Occupational Practical Training (OPT), many   assignments, discussions, activities, projects, and homework are focused on the student’s current employment. This allows them to apply what they are learning in the classroom to real-world, professional training.

Course Learning Outcomes

1. Plan and analyze communications management, specifically effective business communication methods and models. (PMBOK 10.1 Plan Communications Management)

2. Manage communications, including proposals and reports geared to a business audience in accordance with the communications management plan. (PMBOK 10.2 Manage Communications)

3. Monitor communications, including evaluating the impact of verbal and non-verbal behaviors, particularly in small groups and meetings in a business setting. (PMBOK 10.3 Monitor Communications)

Textbook and Course Materials

Required Text - Newman, Amy. Business Communication: In Person, In Print, Online, 10th Edition, Cengage Learning, 2017

Optional Text - APA Style Manual.  The preferred edition is Publication Manual of the American Psychological

Association, 7th  Edition, Washington DC, 2020

Supplemental material posted on Canvas.

Course Requirements

Student Engagement. Students are expected to spend a minimum of 126 hours of student engagement led by a faculty

member. These hours are delivered through a variety of instructor-led activities, and may include Canvas sessions, online discussion boards, one-on-one dialogue, problem-solving scenarios, projects, research papers, etc. to ensure all course

outcomes are met. For a graduate-level course, this averages 9 hours of individual work per each 3-credit class.

Students must have a laptop. Students at Harrisburg University must have a working wireless network connection and the ability to print documents. It is the responsibility of every student to have a working computer and printer access.

Information about minimum requirements for your computer and connecting to the HU wireless network can be found at

https://ithelp.harrisburgu.edu

•    Students enrolled in Harrisburg University of Science and Technology’s degree program are required to have a laptop computer to complete specific course requirements.

•    Students are required to have a working external microphone to use in online sessions.

•    It is the policy of Harrisburg University that university business be conducted using a HarrisburgU.edu or

my.HarrisburgU.edu email account.  Emails to staff or faculty should be written clearly, respectfully, and concisely.  It is a requirement that each student check their my.harrisburgu.edu email account regularly.

•    Students and faculty are required to use Canvas (the course management system for HU) located

athttps://canvas.harrisburgu.edu. This maybe required both during and outside of class. Instructors regularly post  information such as assignments, due dates, readings, and outlines on Canvas. Students are responsible for reading any course announcements that are posted on Canvas. In addition, students may have to complete assignments or  upload documents to Canvas.

Access to your courses will open prior to the first day of the semester and you are expected to log onto your courses when the semester starts even if this is prior to your executive weekends on the actual campus.

Responsibility for resolving any computer/software problems is the responsibility of the individual student. Students

should visit the OIS support page athttps://ithelp.harrisburgu.edu.  This page allows you to search a knowledge base for answers to your technology-related questions at Harrisburg University.  If you are unable to find a solution by searching  the knowledge base,you can submit a ticket to get assistance from one of our support staff.

Course Structure

This course is synchronous. Students must participate in designated online and "live" sessions. Additionally, each week includes submission deadlines.  There will be three "In Residence" 4-hour blocks on campus for those enrolled in the     “Executive” version of the course in Harrisburg PA.  Attendance is a requirement of the course.

Active student engagement is a necessary part of the learning experience. Because such a large part of Project   Management is concerned with communications it is expected that students will respond orally using their own

microphone if / when called upon during class discussions and in small-group breakouts. Failure to respond to direct

questions using the microphone and / or failure to respond to in-class surveys, polls or breakouts may result in a rating of Absent for that online session. Credit for attendance maybe obtained in the manner prescribed by the instructor.

Course Policies

Attendance at the Executive Sessions and Weekly Class Sessions is very important at Harrisburg University. It affects your learning, and it affects the credit you receive for your courses, for which Harrisburg University is accountable.  The total loss of points due to lack of attendance can be a 20% deduction from your final course grade. There are no “extra points” because you attended, you can only lose points if you do not attend.

Not attending an executive session: Minus 5% per session.  Executive sessions cannot be made up. Attendance points will be deducted if you arrive late or leave early.

Missed Online Class Policy: Students are expected to attend the weekly sessions and if absent to watch the live recording within 7 days of the missed session. An email must be sent to the professor notifying them of the missed class session

along with a summary of the session within 7 days to receive full credit for attending the session. It should include the following:

•    Title and date of missed class in topic line

•    Up to 4 key learning points noted while watching the session

•    At least 1 “take away” or “lesson learned” that you can apply to your professional or personal life

Excused Absences. Please visit thiswebsite for details on excused absences for F-! visa students.

Digital Citizenship. Students are required to know and adhere to all HU technology requirements. While many devices can be used to access course materials, you may be required to use a laptop computer to fully participate in some classes.

Please limit your use of technology concepts related to course discussions and in-class activities, as these technologies can be distracting - not only for you, but to others in the class.

Academic Honesty. Academic dishonesty, including cheating, plagiarism, and fabrication, undermines the learning

experience. It is deceptive and consequently corrosive to HU’s intellectual principles and ethical standards. Students must adhere to the Academic Code which sets forth standards of integrity and honesty. The Academic Code is located in the

Student Handbook, located onMyHU.

Generative AI Policy. This course does not include generative AI as a tool for learning and for assignment completion,    however, if you plan to use generative AI to motivate research, inspire creativity, and increase knowledge, please get in touch with your professor for approval. Generative AI should not be used to produce completed assignments. All

assignments will be submitted to Turnitin for student exploration of the AI detection tool. If you have ethical questions about using generative AI, please consult your professor.

APA Format. All students are required to quote or paraphrase borrowed material correctly and to cite the source of such borrowed material completely following current American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines for style, format, and content, or another style of citation approved by the course instructor.

Course Outline Schedule

The following schedule reflects guidelines for the course. Refer to LMS for updated due dates and assignment information.

Course Schedule.

CPT/OPT aligned assignments are designated with an *