Administrative Studies Course Number: 29:011:300 Course Title

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This is a 14-week course designed to help you become a marketable, competitive business professional by

helping you understand how to make informed career choices and, as a result, make your job search

process even more successful. The tools and knowledge provided in the course will help you to navigate

the job market and will help you to develop a skill set that will be valuable beyond the end of the course.

This course is divided into 2 components: Business Forum (BF) and Business Communications

(BC). Therefore, there are 2 professors who teach this class. Professor () will facilitate the general

Business Forum portion of the course. Professor () will facilitate the Business Communications portion of

the course. The professor will be noted next to each date of the course schedule.

In addition, there will be guest speakers, panels, and interactive activities to facilitate an active learning

environment. There will be assignments for which students will be graded and given a final score for the

semester.

COURSE MATERIALS

- Check Canvas (canvas.rutgers.edu) and your official Rutgers email account regularly. Links to all

required course materials will be available on the course Canvas page. It is the student’s responsibility

to maintain an active Rutgers email account and to visit the course Canvas page regularly for course

messages and to access the required assignments. Communication will only be sent to your Rutgers

email account.

You should download this free software that will help correct your grammar. It is www.grammarly.com

These books are suggested to improve your communications skills:

1. The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition, by William Strunk and E.B. White, Pearson, 1999-08-02

2. The HBR Guide to Better Business Writing, by Bryan A. Garner, Harvard Business Press, 2013

3. Talk Like Ted, by Carmine Gallo, St. Martin’s Press, 2014

4. Wait, How Do I Write This Email?, by Danny Rubin, NTLB publisher, 2016

Administrative Studies

Course Number: 29:011:300

Course Title: Business Forum

ASSURANCE OF LEARNING

RBS graduates are knowledgeable professionals who are capable decision-makers, effective

communicators, and are successfully integrated to a working environment. Rutgers Business School is

accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AASCB). To seek continuous

improvement, we assess our program through an assurance of learning plan. Undergraduate students are

evaluated in the following areas: knowledge of business, interview practice, decision making,

communication, technology and professionalism.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

I do NOT tolerate cheating. Students are responsible for understanding the RU Academic Integrity Policy

(http://academicintegrity.rutgers.edu/).

I will strongly enforce this Policy and pursue all violations. On all examinations and assignments,

students must sign the RU Honor Pledge, which states, “On my honor, I have neither received nor given

any unauthorized assistance on this examination or assignment.” I will screen all written assignments

through SafeAssign or Turnitin, plagiarism detection services that compare the work against a large

database of past work. Don’t let cheating destroy your hard-earned opportunity to learn. See

business.rutgers.edu/ai for more details.

ATTENDANCE AND PREPARATION POLICY

Expect me to attend all class sessions. I expect the same of you. If I am to be absent, my department

chair or I will send you notice via email and Canvas as far in advance as possible. If you are to be absent,

report your absence in advance at https://sims.rutgers.edu/ssra/. If your absence is due to religious

observance, a Rutgers-approved activity, illness, or family emergency/death and you seek makeup work,

also send myself or your TA an email with full details and supporting documentation within 3 days of

your first absence.

For weather emergencies, consult the campus home page. If the campus is open, class will be held.

Our class starts at () and I am prompt. Expect me to arrive on time for each class session and stay for the

entirety of each class. I expect the same of you. If you are going to be late or leave early, then expect to

lose 1 point towards your grade. You are considered late if you arrive later than ().

Expect me to prepare properly for each class session. I expect the same of you. Complete all background

reading and assignments. You cannot learn if you are not prepared. The minimum expectation is that for

each 3 hour class session, you have prepared by studying for at least twice as many hours.

Expect me to participate fully in each class session. I expect the same of you. Stay focused and involved.

You cannot learn if you are not paying attention. No sleeping in class.

CLASSROOM CONDUCT

CLASS PARTICIPATION: You are expected to participate in classroom discussions and activities.

Student participation helps to enrich the discussion and bring new perspectives. There is a possibility that

the professor will call on students randomly if there is low participation or if you are not paying attention.

Please make sure to stay attentive in class.

Make sure to raise your hand if you would like to participate in the discussion. Since it is a large lecture

hall it makes it easier to identify who is speaking.

TECHNOLOGY: Make sure to bring a personal device with access to the Internet for class (phone &

Laptop). Attendance will be taken online. Personal devices are only permitted for attendance, quizzes and

certain classroom activities. Do not use your personal devices unless otherwise specified in class.

GRADING POLICY

All assignments must be turned in by the due date. No late assignments will be accepted under any

circumstances. No partial credit will be given for any assignment. There will also be no make-up work

for this course. If you find yourself having difficulty completing an assignment, you must notify your TA

BEFORE the assignment is due. In case of an emergency, documentation must be provided in order to

make up work.

Grades are calculated by points, not by percentage. This means that if you earn a 91/100 points, you will

still receive an A for the course.

Grades for this course will be calculated as follows:

91 or higher

B+

86 to 90

81 to 85

C+

76 to 80

71 to 75

65 to 70

Less than 65

GRADE DISPUTES

Your final grade is not subject to negotiation. If you feel I have made an error, submit your written

argument to the TA within the next day of receiving your grade on Canvas for your assignment. Clarify

the precise error made and provide all due supporting documentation. If an error was made, I will gladly

correct and adjust grades only if an error was made. I cannot and will not adjust grades based on

consequences such as hurt pride, lost scholarships, lost tuition reimbursement, lost job opportunities, or

dismissals. Do not ask me to do so. It is dishonest to attempt to influence faculty in an effort to obtain a

grade that you did not earn, and it will not work. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Business Communication assignments represent 40 points (40%) of your Business forum

grade.

LinkedIn profile 5 points

Case Interview Strategy 15 points

Email Informational Interview 10 points

Career Goals Executive Summary 10 points

Total 40 points

Paper Grading Rubric

Clarity addressing the specifics of the question ………………………………………. 20%

Identification of major points & supporting examples for each topic…………………. 20%

Analysis & critique of issues raised, including suggestions for fixing these issues ….. 40%

General writing style and presentation………………………………………………… 20%

Total: 100%

It is your responsibility to ensure your document submitted for your assignment is correct and not

a BLANK document. BLANK document will be graded as 0.

COURSE SCHEDULE

WEEK 1- ()- Course Overview Professor

Welcome to Business Forum! Today we learn the rules of engagement and how to succeed in this class.

This course is designed to provide tools to support your professional development. The first class will be

an overview of requirements, an introduction to all the systems you will need to become familiar with

during your time here at RBS. Assessment for Assignment.

WEEK 2- ()- Getting Started- Resume and Cover Letters Professor

The resume and cover letter are often times your first introduction to an employer. In this class, we will

discuss the elements of an effective resume and cover letter and learn some tips and tricks to take these

with you when preparing a competitive resume and cover letter.

WEEK 3- ()- The Proactive Job – How to prepare to tell your story Professor

The key to successfully navigating the job and internship search understands how it works. We will

discuss key parts of the recruiting cycle and identify resources and options to ensure you are prepared to

handle the complexity of the job hunt. We will discuss Master and develop your elevator pitch in

preparation of the upcoming Career Fairs.

WEEK 4- () Demystifying the On line Interview Professor

Interviewing is a crucial part of the job search as it is usually the first step in the process that gets you

known and seen by the company. A skill set developed over time and takes practice to master. In this

class, we will focus on making you aware of the essential parts of the interview and the way to effectively

prepare. We will address specific techniques to help you land the job. There has been an uptick in the

popularity of online interviewing amongst companies, which has caused a shift in how students need to

prepare. XXXXXXXXX will be joining us in the lesson to expand upon how online interviewing works

and what you should do to prepare.

WEEK 5- ()- BC #1 - Linked In Profile (Social Media Branding) Professor

LinkedIn has become the most important public business profile you can have. Increasingly, when you

apply for a job, organizations look for your LinkedIn profile. A professional profile can help you get a job

and introduce you to potential employers. It is also an employment search site, a vehicle to find and join

affinity groups, a source to solicit recommendation, and a platform to reach out to Rutgers alumni. This

assignment will focus on how to write an engaging profile and how to use LinkedIn as a networking and

job search tool.

WEEK 6- ()-- Master the Interview Professor

Interviewing is a crucial part of the job search as it is usually the first step in the process that gets you

known and seen by the company. A skill set is developed over time and takes practice to master. In this

class, we will focus on making you aware of the essential parts of the interview and the way to properly

prepare. We will address specific techniques to help you land the job.

WEEK 7- () – BC #2 - Case Interview Strategy Professor

In this class, you will learn firsthand formulas on what is needed to begin understanding how to work

with case interviews. You will get exposure to the thought process required and steps needed to

successfully complete a case interview. Interviewing is a crucial part of the job search as it is usually the

first step in the process that gets you known and seen by the company. It is a skill set you will develop

over time and takes practice to master. In this class, we will focus on making you aware of the essential

parts of the case interview and the way to properly prepare for it. We will address specific techniques by

having you analyze a short case and then prepare persuasive recommendations to help you land the job.

WEEK 8- () Peer to Peer Professor

Get good advice from your peers who have excelled in the recruiting cycle and mastered the process.

Come prepared to ask questions and be mentored by these students who have volunteered to give you

advice. Good opportunity to network with them.

WEEK 9- ()- The Recruiter’s Perspective Professor

Have you ever wanted to know the secrets behind a recruiter’s thought process when selecting

candidates? How about what are the best ways to stand out amongst the competition? We will have a

panel of recruiters who will give us a behind the scenes look at the recruiting process. Be prepared to ask

questions.

WEEK 10- ()- BC #3: Write an Email Requesting Informational Interview Professor

Most communications between people in organizations is conducted via emails. Because they are usually

a short, quick method to convey a message, some students think they can be written the same way you

write a mobile phone text. How you write an email is an indication of how you think. Is it clear? Does it

get to the point? Is it grammatically correct? Does it have a call to action or request for an action to

follow? Underestimating the importance of an email may be a career killer. It is a paper trail of your

follow-ups, assignments, tasks and accomplishments.

This assignment will require you to write an email to an executive or business contact requesting a 15-

minute informational interview. You will learn how to position yourself and structure your content to be

precise and clear to the executive you are writing. You will learn how to ask the person questions about

the company culture, career path, industry trends (not a job) to help you prepare for opportunities.

WEEK 11- () Market Research Professor

Come learn about the resources the Dana Library has available to help you grow your knowledge on

companies and prepare for interviews. () will provide an overview on resources you can use to become an

outstanding candidate.

Learn from your peers who have acquired internships about their experience. With unique perspectives

and different backgrounds, these students can provide valuable insights and advice that can inspire new

ways of thinking about your own job search.

WEEK 12-()- BC #4: Write a Career Goals Plan Professor

Are you in college studying to get a degree and plan to graduate and start a career? What’s your long-term

plan to accomplish your dream? What are your goals? What will you be doing after you graduate from

Rutgers? How will you use the skills you have learned to go to the next level and fulfill your desires?

After RU what? What are your ideal and realistic objectives and how will you achieve them?

This assignment requires you to develop a plan and write an essay about what you will be doing five-

years after you graduate. You will answer the question: Where do I see my career in five-years after I

graduate? What do I want for myself and what will I have achieved in my career after five years out of

college?

WEEK 13- () – Getting your personal finance on!!! Professor

Getting your personal Finance on is all about you learning to navigate your financial future by being

engaged in the following topics:

 Budgeting

 Loan payments and credit (managing a credit report and credit temptation)

 Compound interest in relation to investing

 Investing basics

 Company pension plans (i.e. 401Ks; both traditional and Roth)

 Company benefits other than retirement planning (i.e. FSAs, insurance)

 Taxes

WEEK 14-4()- Succeeding in the Corporate World Professor

Guest Speakers share tips to him you transition into the business world successfully. How to manage

expectations and projects.

Reminder to complete your EOS survey and SIR surveys.

DESCRIPTIONS FOR ASSIGNMENTS

Due Date

Assignment

Description

Point

Value

Make sure to

submit a

screen shot

of the actual

evaluation

along with

the 1 page

write up.

The O*NET Interest Profiler can help you find out what your

interests are and how they relate to the world of work. You can

learn more of what you like to do.

1. Complete the O*NET Interest Profiler here:

https://www.mynextmove.org/

2. From the suggested careers that O*NET provided you,

choose one on the list that best aligns with your career

goals and interests.

3. Click on your chosen position; that brings you to a

summary of the position including the Knowledge,

Skills, & Abilities, Personality, Technology, Education,

and the Job Outlook.

4. Submit a screenshot of the summary page and submit it

to Canvas under Assignment 1: O*Net Interest Profiler

along with your 1 page answers to the questions below

(double-spaced paper based on your results).

5. Question to address for 1 page paper:

o What Knowledge Skills and Abilities do you

currently have that align with this position?

What Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities do you

need to develop and how do you plan to do so?

o What is the job outlook for this position in the

state you plan on working in?

o Is this what you expected? (Under Job Outlook,

select “Check out my state”).

o How does this position align with your

personality traits?

points

Cover

Letter

Resume

Letter

Based on the class lecture, write your resume in the RBS

template.

Submission Instructions:

Submit your resume online to, Business Knight, Handshake NB

and Handshake Newark. Ensure your name appears on the

webpage and is visible in the screenshot. Upload resume to all 3

platforms (1 screen shot per system) VMOCK, submission of

your resume. You must get 60+ in VMOCK.

points

Points

Prepare you’re Cover letter and uploaded on the week of ()

when you sign up for mocks. Make sure to address your cover

letter to the company based on your major, you will find the

jobs post to address your cover letter on Canvas

Master your

pitch

The first part of this assignment is a written paper and the

second part of this assignment is an online recording. Full

instructions and supplementary documentation will be

provided on Canvas under ‘Assignments’ and ‘Course

Documents.’ Please make sure to check both areas.

You will be required to use Interview Stream for the online

portion of this assignment. There are instructions on how to

sign-up for InterviewStream and access the necessary

assignment code on Canvas.

Submission Instructions:

1. Write your elevator pitch using the documents and

following the instructions on Canvas under

‘Assignments.’

2. Record your elevator pitch based on your written pitch on

InterviewStream.

3. Upload your written elevator pitch and the link to your

InterviewStream recording under ‘Assignments’ on Canvas.

points

Final date

to sign up.

Mock

Interview

Sign-up and

completion

Mock interviews are a required portion of the business forum

class and are held outside of class hours. This assignment has

been included as part of the course to provide students exposure

to a real world interview in preparation for the job search. You

must sign-up for your mock interview by . You will be

evaluated base on the 15 point Rubric. There will be no

exceptions or extended time to sign-up.

Mock Interview Dates: () at RBS

Please choose your mock interview date carefully. You will not

be able to reschedule. Do not schedule it during class. Each

interview is scheduled for 1 hour so plan accordingly. A suit is

required for the mock interview. Students will be given a certain

job description for the mock interview that is assigned based on

major.

The points for the assignment can only be earned after

completing the mock interview.

Submission/Sign-up Instructions:

Refer to the Business Forum Mock Interview Step-By-Step

Instructions located under ‘Course Documents’ on Canvas for

information on how to sign-up, how to prepare, the

requirements for the interview, and how you will be graded.

Points

Mock

Interview

Survey

*Complete mock interview survey and gain 1 point

See link in BF Mock Interview Step-By-Step Document

Point

Profile

BC #1

This assignment will require you to create a LinkedIn

profile for yourself.

After completing this assignment, you should be able to:

 Understand how to write a summary about your skills.

 Explain what makes you a potential employee.

 Describe your skills and interests to an organization.

 Be familiar with the basic methods to present your goals to

others.

 Define your career goals.

Even if you have already have a LinkedIn profile, edit it to make

sure it has these elements:

(The details for this assignment are in the Assignment

area in Canvas)

 1. Photo

 2. Informative headline

 3. Education

 4. Professional summary

 5. Experience

points

Case

Interview

Strategy

BC #2

This assignment will require you to read a short case about a

business situation, develop a solution for the case, and write

about the reasons and benefits of your strategy and

recommendations.

In this class, you will learn firsthand formulas on the approach

needed to begin understanding how to work with case

interviews. You will get exposure to the thought process

required and steps needed to successfully complete a case

interview. Interviewing is a crucial part of the job search as it is

usually the first step in the process that gets you known and seen

by the company.

Successful case analysis is a skill set you will develop over time

and takes practice to master. In this class, we will focus on

making you aware of the essential parts of the case interview

and the way to properly prepare for it. We will address specific

techniques by having you analyze a short case and then prepare

persuasive solutions and recommendations to solve the case and

help you land the job.

After completing this assignment, you should be able to:

• Understand how to analyze a case.

• Know how to develop solutions for a business problem.

• Write persuasively about why your recommendation

should be followed.

points

The details of the assignment are on Canvas in the

assignment area.

Write an

Requesting

Informational

Interview

BC #3

This assignment will require you to write an email to an

executive asking for an informational interview.

In this assignment, you will be introduced to effective ways to

write an email that gets to the point quickly and politely and

includes a request for an informational interview. We will

discuss techniques and tactics to make your request effective

and how to search online to contact your targeted company and

executives. We will tie in how LinkedIn and your Rutgers

network and resources can be used to accomplish your

objectives.

After completing this assignment, you should be able to:

 Understand how to write an email using plain English.

 Explain the details needed to get your point across.

 Describe the importance of your message.

 Be familiar with the how to write short and effective emails.

points

Write a

Career Goals

Plan

BC #4

This assignment will require you to write an essay about the

career goals you want to achieve five years after you

graduate from Rutgers.

Are you in college studying to get a degree with plans to

graduate and start a career? What is your long-term strategy for

how you plan to accomplish your goals? How do you define

success five years after college? What are your dreams for a

career? What will you be doing after you graduate from

Rutgers? How will you use the skills you have learned to go to

the next level and fulfill your desires? What are your ideal and

realistic objectives and how will you achieve them?

This assignment requires you to develop a plan and write an

essay about what you will be doing five-years after you graduate

from Rutgers. You will answer the question: Where do I see my

career in five-years after I graduate? What do I want for myself

and what will I have achieved in my career after five years out

of college?

After completing this assignment, you should be able to:

 Understand how to identify your long-term career goals.

 Have the ability to write the important milestones, and

define the people and skills needed to help you

accomplish your goals.

 Write insights gained from thinking about what you

need to reach your objectives.

 Develop a method to assess if you are on the path to

achieving the career you set out to get.

points

Financial

Literacy

Class

See Instructions on Canvas.

points

Use of

Suitable

Need to get over 500 Suitable Events points not including

attendance points). Earn REAL/Suitable points toward your

grade. Points earned before this semester will not be counted.

Please refer to the ‘Technology Guide’ and ‘How to Use

Suitable’ folder located on Canvas under ‘Course Documents

for how to use the app.’ You can earn points throughout the

semester. Suitable points can be earned by attending career

related events on campus and by completing activities in the

app or desktop. If you can look through the app to see what

activities are available for you to complete. Do not wait until

the deadline to try and earn your points!

**This is the only assignment that does not require you to

submit anything on Canvas to earn credit. **

500 or more REAL points = 10 points on this assignment

450-499 REAL points = 9 points

400-449 REAL points = 8 points

350-399 REAL points = 7 points

300-349 REAL points = 6 points

250 – 299 = 5points

200-249 = 4 points

150-199 REAL points = 3 points

100-149 REAL points = 2 points

0-99 REAL points = 1 point

500+

points

End of

Semester

Class SIR

Survey

Upload screenshot of survey completion on to Canvas.

points

SUPPORT SERVICES

If you need accommodation for a disability, obtain a Letter of Accommodation from the Office of

Disability Services. The Office of Disability Services at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey,

provides student-centered and student-inclusive programming in compliance with the Americans with

Disabilities Act of 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments of 2008, Section 504 of the

Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1998, and the New Jersey Law

Against Discrimination. More information can be found at ods.rutgers.edu.

[Rutgers University-New Brunswick ODS phone (848)445-6800 or email [email protected]tgers.edu]

[Rutgers University-Newark ODS phone (973)353-5375 or email ods@newark.rutgers.edu]

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If you are pregnant, the Office of Title IX and ADA Compliance is available to assist with any concerns 
or potential accommodations related to pregnancy.  
[Rutgers University-New Brunswick Title IX Coordinator phone (848)932-8200 or email 
jackie.moran@rutgers.edu] 
[Rutgers University-Newark Office of Title IX and ADA Compliance phone (973)353-1906 or email 
TitleIX@newark.rutgers.edu] 
 
If you seek religious accommodations, the Office of the Dean of Students is available to verify absences 
for religious observance, as needed.  
[Rutgers University-New Brunswick Dean of Students phone (848)932-2300 or email 
deanofstudents@echo.rutgers.edu] 
[Rutgers University-Newark Dean of Students phone (973)353-5063 or email 
DeanofStudents@newark.rutgers.edu] 
 
If you have experienced any form of gender or sex-based discrimination or harassment, including 
sexual assault, sexual harassment, relationship violence, or stalking, the Office for Violence Prevention 
and Victim Assistance provides help and support. More information can be found at 
http://vpva.rutgers.edu/. 
[Rutgers University-New Brunswick incident report link: http://studentconduct.rutgers.edu/concern/. You 
may contact the Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance at (848)932-1181] 
[Rutgers University-Newark incident report link: 
https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?RutgersUniv&layout_id=7 . You may also contact the Office 
of Title IX and ADA Compliance at (973)353-1906 or email at TitleIX@newark.rutgers.edu. If you wish 
to speak with a staff member who is confidential and does not have a reporting responsibility, you may 
contact the Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance at (973)353-1918 or email 
run.vpva@rutgers.edu] 
 
If students who have experienced a temporary condition or injury that is adversely affecting their ability 
to fully participate, you should submit a request via https://temporaryconditions.rutgers.edu .  
 
If you are a military veteran or are on active military duty, you can obtain support through the Office of 
Veteran and Military Programs and Services. http://veterans.rutgers.edu/ 
 

13 
 
If you are in need of mental health services, please use our readily available services.   
[Rutgers University-Newark Counseling Center: http://counseling.newark.rutgers.edu/] 
[Rutgers Counseling and Psychological Services–New Brunswick: http://rhscaps.rutgers.edu/] 
 
If you are in need of physical health services, please use our readily available services. 
[Rutgers Health Services – Newark: http://health.newark.rutgers.edu/] 
[Rutgers Health Services – New Brunswick: http://health.rutgers.edu/] 
 
If you are in need of legal services, please use our readily available services: http://rusls.rutgers.edu/ 
 
Students experiencing difficulty in courses due to English as a second language (ESL) should contact 
the Program in American Language Studies for supports. 
[Rutgers–Newark: PA[email protected]s.edu] 
[Rutgers–New Brunswick: eslpals@english.rutgers.edu] 
 
If you are in need of additional academic assistance, please use our readily available services.   
[Rutgers University-Newark Learning Center: http://www.ncas.rutgers.edu/rlc 
[Rutgers University-Newark Writing Center: http://www.ncas.rutgers.edu/writingcenter] 
[Rutgers University-New Brunswick Learning Center: https://rlc.rutgers.edu/] 
[Optional items that many faculty include:  
  - Students must sign, date, and return a statement declaring that they understand the RU Academic 
Integrity Policy. 
  - Students must sign, date, and return a statement declaring that they understand this syllabus.] 
 