FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY

BUSINESS LAW BUL4421- 10868

SYLLABUS SPRING 2012
TUESDAY, THURSDAY 8:00-9:20 AM
BOCA RATON BU 303
INSTRUCTOR:
DR. ROBERT WILLS
Telephone: 954-831-8677
Email: rwills1@fau.edu
Office Hours: BY APPOINTMENT BY CALLING 954-831-8677 and between 6:507:30 PM on Tuesday.
TEXT: Business Law: Text and Cases - Legal, Ethical, Global, and
Corporate Environment, 12th Edition Kenneth W. Clarkson; Roger
LeRoy Miller; Frank B.Cross. ISBN-13: 978-0-538-47082-7.
CUSTOM EDITION INFORMATION: Loose-leaf customized
version; CengageNow: 2 semester access code with full ebook access:
Bundle ISBN# 1133302092
WEB ADDRESS:

http://blackboard.fau.edu

CATALOG COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Business Law 1 (BUL 4421) 3 credits
Prerequisite: Junior standing
A survey course focusing on the legal aspects of business decision-making, including
torts, contracts, Uniform Commercial Code, and debtor/creditor law. The course
provides students with an understanding of the role of legal rules and their impact
on business. Students learn through assignments that teach them to analyze issues
and appreciate the philosophy behind court decisions.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
At the end of the term:
1. Students will be able to identify the different types of contracts, torts,
liens, and secured transactions.
2. Students will learn to identify the differences between civil and
criminal law.
3. Students will learn to recognize important legal doctrines in various
areas contract and tort law.
4. Students will develop the ability to identify and evaluate critical legal
issues that arise in transactions involving contracts, torts, bankruptcy,
liens, and secured transactions.
5. Students will learn to apply the legal rules and concepts in contract,
tort and debtor/creditor law to hypothetical scenarios.

6. Demonstrate analytical critical thinking by applying ethical principles

to hypothetical business scenarios.
COURSE OBJECTIVES: to help students better understand law, the legal system
and lawyers. In addition, we will learn the basic rules of law on the legal topics
described below. We will also be learning to help spot legal issues and how rules of
law affect businesses, the business owner, and consumers.
The instructor reserves the right to change this syllabus at any time during the
semester. The official syllabus will be maintained on BLACKBOARD.
GRADING POLICY: Your final grade will be based upon the total number of
points that you receive on the following:
Three (3) exams (non-cumulative):

100 points each

Department Exam (25 questions):

50 points

Ethics Exam

20 points

Pop QuizzesExtra Credit :

1/2 points each

Exams will be multiple choice and essay. All essays and special assignments will be
posted under assignments on BLACKBOARD.
At the end of the semester, the total number of points earned on the above work will
be totaled and curved. Your course grade will come from this grade curve.
However, any student who obtains: 90% of all possible points is guaranteed an A-;
80% of all possible points is guaranteed a B-; 70% of all possible points is
guaranteed a C-; 60% of all possible points is guaranteed a D-. The grade curve
MAY be LOWER than these percentages. MISSING QUIZZES/SPECIAL
ASSIGNMENTS WILL LOWER YOUR COURSE GRADE.
DEPARTMENT EXAM:
ALL Florida Atlantic University students enrolled in Business Law I will be
required to pass (76%) a comprehensive objective test of approximately 25 online
questions in order to receive credit for the course. This test will be administered at
the end of the semester on the dates announced on Blackboard. Additional
information on the Department Exam will be posted in a special section in
Blackboard during the semester. Class points earned on this exam will be based
upon your first completed attempt.
ETHICS EXAM:
ALL Florida Atlantic University students enrolled in Business Law I will be
required to pass an ethics exam (75%). This exam will be administered on
Blackboard by the Department early in the semester. Dates, procedures, and

further information will be posted on Blackboard. Students will earn up to a

possible 20 class points for this exam.
EXAM MAKE UPS:
Any student who misses exam 1 must make it up during the next two scheduled
classes. Make ups for exam #3 and the Department Exam must be set by the
instructor during final examination week. Students who do not pass the
Department Exam or the Ethics Ethics will receive an incomplete (I) for the course.
Make up exams will not be the same as the regular exam and the instructor reserves
the right to change the difficulty or manner of the make up exam (i.e. open
book/closed book; notes allowed/not allowed; essay/multiple choice).
EXTRA CREDIT POP QUIZES:
Pop quizzes will be given periodically in class for an extra credit maximum of one
half (1/2) point per quiz. These pop quizzes may not be made up. Pop quizzes are
usually collected the day of the quiz; however, pop quizzes may be collected during
the next class or submitted online at the instructors discretion. Any extra credit
points earned during the semester will be added to your semester point total after
the final grade distribution is established.
ATTENDANCE POLICY:
EXCEPT FOR MISSING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR EXTRA CREDIT POINTS
by taking pop quizzes, there is no other penalty for failure to attend class. However,
the material will be considerably more difficult to understand if you have not been
attending class. Frequently, the instructor will give information and examples that
can be used on the exams. Regularly cutting class and receiving a good grade are
not compatible. You will be expected to prepare the assigned chapters for that day's
class including being familiar with the facts and holding of the cases contained in
the text. Time will not permit the instructor to cover each term or case discussed in
the text during class; however, students are responsible for all material contained in
the text whether or not discussed in class. Please fell free to ask questions or request
explanation on material of which you are unclear. Students may expect some of the
problem cases at the end of the chapters to appear on exams.
CONTACTING THE INSTRUCTOR:
The fastest method to contact the instructor is by calling 954-831-8677. If the
instructor is not in, please state your message clearly and provide your name and
telephone number. Please use a number that has voice mail for return calls. The
instructors voice mail is secure; the nature of any problem can be stated there. You
may leave a message on the instructors voice mail at any time of the day/night, 24
hours a day. Contacting the instructor by email may result in a delayed response
because the instructor typically receives over 200 emails a day.

If you wish to meet with me, please see me after class to make an appointment or
call my voice mail at 954-831-8677.
DISABILITY POLICY:
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), students who
require special accommodation due to a disability to properly execute course work
must register with the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) -- in Boca Raton,
SU 133 (561-297-3880); in Davie, MOD 1 (954-236-1222); in Jupiter, SR 117 (561799-8585); or at the Treasure Coast, CO 128 (772-873-3305) and follow all OSD
procedures.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
Students at Florida Atlantic University are expected to maintain the highest ethical
standards. Academic dishonesty is considered a serious breach of these ethical
standards, because it interferes with the University mission to provide a high quality
education in which no student enjoys an unfair advantage over any other. Academic
dishonesty is also destructive of the University community, which is grounded in a
system of mutual trust and places high value on personal integrity and individual
responsibility. Harsh penalties are associated with academic dishonesty. For more
information, see the Code of Academic Integrity in the University Regulations at
http://www.fau.edu/regulations/chapter4/4.001_Code_of_Academic_Integrity.pdf.

SCHOOL OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES:

ALL STUDENTS ARE URGED TO READ THE FOLLOWING POLICIES OF
THE SCHOOL OF ACCOUNTING:
http://business.fau.edu/departments/accounting/school-of-accountingpolicies/index.aspx
PASSING GRADE: All students enrolled in the College of Business must receive at
least a C grade in order to pass this course.
THE COURSE SCHEDULE will be posted and updated on Blackboard.