GEB 1011 Introduction to Business

GEB 1011 INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS 

FALL 2011 (20121)

Reference Number 412346

FULLY ONLINE CLASS 

Your Professor

My name is Greg Lindeblom. I have been a professor at Broward College since January 2003. I have a Honours B.A. from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario (Canada) and a M.A. in Economics from New School University in New York City. My academic specialties are: Macroeconomics, International Economics and Finance, Money and Banking, Economic Development, and the History of Economic Thought.

Prior to coming to BC, I worked in banking and finance for 23 years. Throughout my career, I have had some fascinating jobs in banking. I was on the trade floor in New York for 12 years -- six years in the foreign exchange markets and six years in charge of the techology on the trade floor. Later in my career, I was responsible for web development for all my bank's trading and brokerage departments. That was at the very inception of web application development -- so I'm either a pioneer or a dinosaur depending on your perspective.

During my years in banking, I lived in Toronto; Portland, Oregon; San Francisco; and New York City, prior to moving to Florida in 2001. Believe it or not, I moved into my house on 9/11/01! Since moving to Florida, I have done bank consulting work, in addition to my teaching. Some of my consulting assignments have been in Canada and Mexico.

During my tenure at BC, I have taught:

• Principles of Macroeconomics
• Principles of Microeconomics
• Money & Banking
• Introduction to Business
• Principles of Supervision
• Personal Finance

I genuinely enjoy teaching here at BC. I find the students very personable and eager. I'm sure you'll find this course challenges you, but you'll also find it rewarding and relevant to your life.

Course Description

This course provides a basic study of business activity and how it relates to our economic society. Topics covered include how businesses are owned, organized, managed and controlled. Course content emphasizes business vocabulary, areas of business specialization, and career opportunities.

This is an introduction to business.  It is a great survey of the basic issues that a business needs to consider:  the economic environment, ethics, human resources management, marketing, production, technology, and basic financial and accouting principles.  

A full description of course outcomes is on hard-copy reserve in the periodicals section of the library and may also be downloaded from BC's web site.

Methods of Instruction

This is a fully-online course, so all classwork, quizzes, discussions, assignments and your business case are done online.  This includes your orientation activities, which must be completed within the first week of the semester.  

Course Materials

The required text for the course is Boone & Kurtz, CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS, 14th edition, John Wiley & Sons, 2011 

Learning Outcomes

BC's course outline for ECO2023 indicates the following general course outcomes:

Course Overview -- This course provides a basic study of business activity and how it relates to our economic society. Topics covered include how businesses are owned, organized, managed and controlled. Course content emphasizes business vocabulary, areas of business specialization, and career opportunities.

Unit 1: The Business Environment
Unit 2: Management 
Unit 3: Marketing & Production
Unit 4: Quantitative Business Decisions
Unit 5: Managing Financial Decisions

Course Requirements

There are no special requirements or admission criteria for this course.

It is adviseable that students have regular access to a computer and be comfortable working online. Students should be able to open/save files, surf the internet, send and receive email, and post to discussion topics.

All email in this course must be sent within Blackboard.

The complete syllabus for the course will be available on the first day of class.

Course Technology Requirements

If you are taking an online course for the first time, you must review BC's Online Student Support Site, which is located at http://www.broward.edu/flexible/student.jsp Click on the "Are You Ready" link to take an online readiness evaluation.

The only unique software you require for this course is a PowerPoint viewer, which can be uploaded at no cost. Refer to the Blackboard Plug-ins document to get find the link for the viewer.

Some discussions require you to watch and make a report on videos. Your PC must have speakers or headphones that allow you to hear the videos.

How to Register for this Course

To enroll for the course, please refer to BC's Student Online System. Students must be paid before they will be able to log into the course. If you register late, it may take 36 hours for you to gain access to the course after paying.

Contact Information

My office hours this semester (Winter 2011) are posted on the door to my office, which is located on South Campus, Building 71, Room 218. If you wish to meet with me prior to enrolling in the course, feel free to visit me during those hours or send me an email (glindebl@broward.edu) to make an appointment.

How to Access the Course once you are Enrolled in this Course

Once you are enrolled and have paid, access to the course will begin with an on-campus orientation scheduled during the first class session of the semster. During the orientation, we will review login and access procedures, requirements for the course, and begin our study of economic principles.

In the meantime, refer to the BC Flexible Learning page for email lookup and login instructions. All students must obtain and use a BC email address for this course, so please obtain a user ID and PIN code before attempting to login to Blackboard. You can access this course at the beginning of the semester on August 18, 2011.

Students in who encounter login difficulties should contact the Blackboard 24-Hour Helpdesk at 1-800-630-8715.