Professional Development

Course
Semester
Spring
Year
2022
General Course Information

Course Lecturer Name(s):  Ms. QueenAnnie Gill

Course Director Name: Dr. Antonia MacDonald  

Course Lecturer(s) Contact Information:  agill@sgu.edu

Course Director Contact Information: amacdona@sgu.edu 

Course Lecturer(s) Office Hours:  By Appointment 

Course Director Office Hours: By Appointment

Course Lecturer(s) Office Location:  Ballsier Building Upper Floor

Course Director Office Location: Ballsier Building Upper Floor

Course Support: NA

Course Management tool: To learn to use Sakai, the Course management tool, access the link https://apps.sgu.edu/members.nsf/mycoursesintro.pdf

Course Curriculum Information

Course Description: 

The Professional Development and Business Protocol course will meet the needs of senior students preparing to enter the workforce. It will prepare them to function in their future jobs with the utmost professional excellence, and will enable them to conduct themselves with practiced confidence when it comes to etiquette and protocol. This course seeks to polish the student as he/she leaves the world of academia. It will also provide that final perfecting of public speaking skills, especially in terms of speaking fluently, coherently and with confidence when a written test is substituted with an oral defence.  

Course Objectives: 

Upon completion of the course students should be able to :

  1. Function professionally in a business environment prior to leaving the University
  2. Present themselves to formal situations with confidence and according to proper protocol 3. Be well practiced in the art of dining etiquette in general
  1. Understand and appreciate the far-reaching and national impact of professionalism in all areas of their lives.
  2. Deploy good verbal and non-verbal communication skills.

Student Learning Outcomes:

This course seeks to: 

  1. To provide the student with meaningful practice in the execution of business and professional protocol and etiquette. 
  2. To provide the student with meaningful practice in spontaneous public speaking. 

Program Outcomes Met By This Course:

  1. Critically analyse global and regional issues.
  2. Develop quantitative literacy skills and confidence using numeric data.
  3. Effectively communication of information by extracting and constructing meanings through analysis and critical thinking.

SAS Grading Scale: Grades will be assigned as follows:

A  = 89.5% or better

B+ = 84.5 - 89.4%

B  = 79.5 - 84.4%

C+ = 74.5 - 79.4%

C = 69.5 - 74.4%

D = 64.5 - 69.4%

F = 64.4% or less 

Course Materials:

Text: NA

Supplementary Readings/Resources: Student Manual

Course Grading Requirement:

Assessment Procedure:

Attendance:               20%

Group Activities        40%

Participation               40%  

Course Requirements:

Attendance:

Attendance is mandatory and students are expected to be on time for all classes. Students who are more than 15mins late for class will lose 0.5 points from the attendance mark for each time this occurs. NB: If you do not attend classes you cannot participate and this will also affect your participation mark.  

Course Schedule

  • January 17th: Introduction to course, Operational framework
  • January 24th: “It’s not all about me…but sometimes it is.” – Preparing yourself for the world of work in face-to-face and digital spaces.
  • January, 31st: Marketing yourself for success: Pt. 1 - The Resume and Cover Letter
  • February 7th: Holiday – No class
  • February 14th: Marketing yourself for success: Pt. 2  -  The interview                     
  • February 21st: Marketing yourself for success: Pt. 3 – The mock interview (Practical Session)
  • February 28th: Interview Feedback
  • March 7th: Mid term week – No class – No exam 
  • March 14th: Developing a good work ethic – Pt. 1
  • March 21st: Developing a good work ethic – Pt. 2
  • March 28th: Managing Relationships Pt. 1: Bosses, Co-workers, Subordinates.  
  • April 4th: Managing Conflict including dealing with sexual harassment  
  • April 11th: Managing Relationships Pt. 2: dealing with customers/ the public.  
  • April 18th: Public Holiday – No Class
  • April 25th: The Social Aspect of Work – The work self in a social setting, course evaluation and wrap up.

School of Arts and Sciences Master Syllabi — Info for All Sections

Plagiarism Policy

Academic Integrity

The St. George’s University Student Manual (2019/2020) states as follows:

Plagiarism is regarded as a cardinal offense in academia because it constitutes theft of the work of someone else, which is then purported as the original work of the plagiarist. Plagiarism draws into disrepute the credibility of the Institution, its faculty, and students; therefore, it is not tolerated” (p. 48).

Plagiarism also includes the unintentional copying or false accreditation of work, so double check your assignments BEFORE you hand them in.

Be sure to do good, honest work, credit your sources and reference accordingly and adhere to the University’s Honor Code. Plagiarism and cheating will be dealt with very seriously following the university’s policies on Plagiarism as outlined in the Student Manual.

Your work may be subject to submission to plagiarism detection software, submission to this system means that your work automatically becomes part of that database and can be compared with the work of your classmates.

Attendance Requirement

The St. George’s University Student Manual (2019/2020) states as follows:

Students are expected to attend all classes and or clinical rotations for which they have registered. Although attendance may not be recorded at every academic activity, attendance may be taken randomly. Students’ absence may adversely affect their academic status as specified in the grading policy. If absence from individual classes, examinations, and activities, or from the University itself is anticipated, or occurs spontaneously due to illness or other extenuating circumstances, proper notification procedures must be followed. A particular course may define additional policies regarding specific attendance or participation” (p. 9).

Examination Attendance

The St. George’s University Student Manual (2019/2020) states as follows:

All matriculated students are expected to attend all assigned academic activities for each course currently registered. Medical excuses will be based on self-reporting by students. Students who feel they are too sick to take an examination or other required activity on a specific day must submit the online SAS medical excuse, which is available on Carenage. Students are only allowed two such excuses a year. Upon consultation with the Director of University Health Service, the third excuse will result in a mandatory medical leave of absence. The policies regarding make-up examinations are at the option of the Course Director” (p.46).

For additional specific examination policies and procedures, refer to the St. George’s University Student Manual (2019/2020), pages 31 through 37.

Student Accessibility and Accommodation Services Policy

The St. George’s University Student Manual (2019/2020) states as follows:

A student with a disability or disabling condition that affects one or more major life activities, who would like to request an accommodation, must submit a completed application form and supporting documentation to the Student Accessibility and Accommodation Services (SAAS) located in the Dean of Students Office. It is highly recommended that students applying for accommodations do so at least one month before classes begin to allow for a more efficient and timely consideration of the request. If a fully completed application is not submitted in a timely fashion, an eligibility determination may not be made, and accommodations, where applicable, may not be granted prior to the commencement of classes and/or examinations” (p. 8).

Disclaimer

It is the responsibility of the student to read and understand the policies, laws, rules and procedures that while they could affect your grade for a course, have not been specifically outlined in the course syllabus. These are contained in the St. George’s University Student Manual.