Preliminary Course Greensheet
Prof. Joel West
Spring 2009
Instructor: Joel West, Ph.D.
Department: Organization & Management
College of Business, San Jose State University.
Spring Semester, 2009
Course Title:
Bus 182: Planning the New Venture
1,2
Course Code:
Section 1: 24028
Section 2: 27086Class Hours & Location:
Section 1: MW 1200-1315, BBC 021
Section 2: M 1800-2045, BBC 104
Jan. 26-May 13 (except March 23,25)Office Hours:
Monday 1400-1745 or by appointment
Office Location:
BT555
Office Phone:
408-335-0115
E-mail:
Preferred Contact:
e-mail only
Department Fax:
408-924-3555
Students are responsible for obtaining all assignments from the course web pages on Blackboard. Blackboard URL: TBD
This is the updated catalog description for Bus 182, Planning the New Venture (formerly known as Business Plans for New Ventures):
An integrative course in which students conceive and plan the creation of a new business, and communicate that plan to potential investors and other stakeholders. This includes analyzing industry, firm and market factors, as well as the actual and necessary human and financial resources.
While the course was previously limited to the business plan deliverable, this course uses the business plan as the framework for considering all aspects of planning a new business venture.
The course is a Group A elective for students in the B.S.B.A. concentration in Entrepreneurship. It can also be used as a management elective, or for unrestrictive elective (or overload) for other majors and concentrations.
Bus 181 is a recommended prerequisite for students taking this class — or co-requisite, i.e. taken concurrently. However, students who have done well in at least three upper division core classes (particularly Bus 130, 160, and 170) should be well prepared for the course.
The required texts are available from Amazon (or other online booksellers):
The price of the first two books is $28 (plus $0-14 shipping), or $45 for all three.
Supplemental materials — including cases and other reading materials — are posted to Blackboard
The course has two major objectives:
In 2006, Prof. West’s business plan students included two of the four undergraduate finalists— one of which won the top prize.
The learning objectives for students include developing the ability to:SJSU policy S98-1 states:
Academic dishonesty defrauds all those who depend upon the integrity of the University, its courses, and its degrees. Such dishonesty includes both cheating and plagiarism. Any suspected case of academic dishonesty will be vigorously pursued, with possible consequences including a failing grade for the specific assignment that you cheated on, failure in the course, and further disciplinary action.
Forms of academic dishonesty include (but are not limited to)
Ignorance of college or university policies is no defense. You are encouraged to ask the instructor (in person or via e-mail) if at any time you are unclear as to whether something would violate the policy.
Students will work in teams of 3-4 students to complete a business plan suitable for submission to the Silicon Valley Business Plan competition. Other team sizes will be considered under exceptional circumstances.
The deliverables will be
Each deliverable include both an oral and written component. Students will be evaluated by their peers for their contribution to the intermediate and final team efforts.
There will be two exams in the class, to allow you to demonstrate that you have retained the material assigned earlier in the course, and are able to apply the concepts developed up to that point. No makeup exams or other special arrangements will be provided unless requested in writing by the student and granted by the instructor before the scheduled exam time. Requests on the same day as the exam will not be considered.
One or more individual assignments will be given during the term.
The goal of the class discussion is to get every student to make a meaningful contribution each week. Meaningful in this context means that it is relevant both to the assigned materials and also to what is being discussed at that time. The class will include both volunteer and “cold call” responses.
See the official schedule on Blackboard; students are responsible for any changes throughout the semester.
Grades will be calculated based on total points. The weighting is as follows
| Intermediate project presentations† |
30% |
| Final Business Plan† |
30% |
| Exams |
25% |
| Individual Assignments | 5% |
| Class Participation |
15% |
| Total |
100% |
† As adjusted by teammate evaluation
Teams that reach the finals of the SVBPC will be eligible for extra credit.
Academic honesty and fairness foster ethical standards for all those who depend upon the integrity of the university, its courses, and its degrees. … The public is defrauded if faculty and/or students knowingly or unwittingly allow dishonest acts to be rewarded academically and the university’s degrees are compromised.
Faculty are required to report infractions to the Office of Student Conduct & Ethical Development. The campus policy on academic integrity can be found at http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/F06-1.htm
Necessary course accommodations will be made for students who notify the instructor of their requirements at the beginning of the semester. University policy (under Presidential Directive 97-03) requires all students with disabilities register their disability with the SJSU Disability Resource Center.
You are assumed to understand and comply with all relevant college policies. These can be reviewed at http://www.cob.sjsu.edu/cob/5_STUDENT%20SERVICES/cobpolicy.htm