Consumer Behavior 4120
Dr. Nancy Spears
Office hours: Monday and Wednesday, 10:00-12:00 a.m. If these hours do not suit you, please call for an appointment.
------
IMPORTANT MESSAGE:
Some of the course assessments are located in Blackboard Learn. The address is https://learn.unt.edu.
I anticipate that there may be some hiccups with the new system during the course of this semester. If there are significant issues, I reserve the right to make changes to the syllabus so that the class proceeds smoothly and seamlessly.
------
Office phone: 940-565-3127
Email:
Office: BLB 319D
Course Overview
This course examines the behavior of consumers. Course topics will include both external and internal influences of consumer behavior and the consumer decision process.
Required Text: IT IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL THAT YOU PURCHASE AND READ THE BOOK.
Title: Consumer Behavior;
Authors: Hawkins and Mothersbaugh;
12th Edition;
Published by McGraw-Hill Irwin.*
Evaluation System
______
A. In Class Test I: Individual Effort 100
B. In Class Test II; Individual Effort__ 100
C. In Class Test III: Individual Effort 100
D. In Class Test IV: Individual Effort 100
E. In Class Final (Comprehensive): Individual Effort 100
F. Case (individual). One case opportunity: 1 @ 50 points 50
G. Online Quizzes (Individual Effort) (5 @ 10 each) 50
H. In-Class UNANNCOUNCED PROGRESS REPORTS (Individual Effort: 5@10 each) 50
Total Points Possible (lowest test grade dropped) 550
Overall Classroom Seating
This semester, I am going to ask you to choose a seat that you want to sit in. Your choice depends entirely upon your own preferences and typical habits in the college classroom. You know yourself better than I do.
IMPORTANTLY: Once you have made your selection, I will assign you to the seat you have selected for the purpose of attendance and/or just knowing your name on an attendance sheet.
CASE
The case will be related to the chapters at hand. Occasionally the case will be one that you will do outside of class, such as reporting on a recent visit to a restaurant with consumer behavior applications. However, I will provide full instructions as to the expectations on these short assignments. The cases must be typed!!
Late policy: late work is accepted according to the following guidelines: The cases are due during CLASS (9:30-10:50) on the due date listed in the attached schedule. If you turn in your assignment after class on the same calendar day as the due date, you will receive grade minus 25% off for being late. If you turn in your assignment on the calendar day after the due date, you will receive grade minus 50% for being late. If you turn in your case on the second calendar day after the due date, you will receive a zero on the assignment.
I will assign each person to a ‘section.’ Suppose you get assigned to Section 1. As a Section 1 person, you should scan the syllabus schedule at the back of this document to see when your case is due.
How do you know what YOUR section number is? I’m glad you asked. Go to the gradebook in Blackboard Learn. The first column in the gradebook will have a number in it (a 1 or 2 or 3 or 4). That is YOUR section number. Contact me if you are not sure.
I WILL NOT RECEIVE ANY LATE PAPERS THROUGH THE MARKETING & LOGISTICS OFFICE, SLIPPED UNDER MY DOOR, OR PLACED IN MY BOX. IF YOU TURN IN YOUR LATE PAPER IN THESE WAYS, IT WILL NOT BE COUNTED AS RECEIVED.
I WILL ONLY RECEIVE LATE PAPERS SENT TO MY E-MAIL ADDRESS, AND THEY WILL BE GRADED ACCORDING TO THE ABOVE DETAILED LATE POLICY:
Exams and Quizzes
The in-class exams and online quizzes will include multiple choice and true/false questions. Make-up exams and quizzes are permitted only with my PRIOR consent. You must provide WRITTEN documentation as to the need to miss an exam or quiz. You should obtain my consent to miss an exam or quiz in writing as well. In the event of an emergency during any test or quiz dates, such as accident or illness and you miss an exam or quiz without prior notice, you should contact the professor within 72 hours or have someone else contact the instructor with information regarding your condition. Then, as soon as possible, submit in writing the reasons for missing the exam or quiz along with relevant supporting documents. Make-up exams or quizzes may be entirely essay questions.
The legitimate reasons for missing a test or quiz include the following: documented hospitalization, documented contagious disease, religious holiday, documented court ordered appearance, or documented death in the family – you MUST produce a funeral program AND proof of travel (e-ticket, gasoline receipts, etc.). Business trips, arriving late, job-related activities, and trips with family/friends are not excused absences. If proper documentation is not provided, no make-up exam or quiz will be given. If you are absent without a legitimate excuse, no make-up exam or quiz will be administered.
No make-up exams are given during the semester. All excused make-up exams will be given on the day of our final exam.
More Rules
I do not release grades until the registrar does. I do not release grades over the phone or by e-mail or to a friend or to your dog.
You should keep all returned scantron tests for your files.
THE FINAL IS NOT GIVEN EARLY OR LATER UNLESS BY SPECIAL PERMISSION FROM THE DEAN’S OFFICE.
______
So, what are on the tests and quizzes?
The Tests:
(1) A portion of the tests (about 30-40%) is directly from the book that I have not talked about in class. I consider this portion of your test to be testing YOUR background reading of the textbook, outside of class. Thus, it is absolutely essential that you purchase and read the book. To study for this part, you should follow the study guide at the end of each lecture powerpoint file. There, I state exactly which questions I will draw from to develop questions for that chapter. These lecture files are posted in Blackboard;
(2) Another portion of the tests (about 30-40%) is from material that is in your book AND is discussed in class during lectures;
(3) A final portion is taken from in-class examples that I give. These are not in your book, and you must be present to copy them into your notes.
What to do?
For each test, study the book by following the study guide at the end of each powerpoint file (posted on Blackboard Learn). Go over the lecture powerpoint slides, and review carefully your in-class notes. You can supplement my lecture by listening also to my recorded lectures. These are also posted to Blackboard Learn. These lectures are very short (about 15 minutes each) and are not as extensive as those in-class. They do not contain in-class examples that you will surely be tested over.
The Online Quizzes:
Read the chapter before you take the quiz. Carefully go over the questions that are listed at the end of each chapter’s powerpoint file.
______
What are the in-class progress reports all about?
These in-class progress reports are just that. In an unannounced format, I will ask you to fill out a ‘personal progress report’ that I will hand out. On that handout, I will ask you questions about what you are doing to keep up with the class, what you could do more of to prepare, and your opinion about how the class is going in general. I will also ask you if you have done anything that is working well for you and if so, what that is. Other general questions may also be on the page. But, these will be opinion questions. Your grade will suffer ONLY if you are not present to fill out these forms and if you do not fill in the form completely.
______
Students with Disabilities
The COBA complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act in making reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disability. If you have an established disability as defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act and would like to request accommodation, please see me as soon as possible. My office hours and office number are on the syllabus.
______
Scholastic Dishonesty/Cheating Policy
Student dishonesty, including cheating or plagiarism, will result in an automatic F in the course and immediate reporting of the student’s actions to the Office of the Dean of Students and to the Office of the Dean of the College of Business Administration.
Cheating includes, but is not limited to: (1) use of any unauthorized assistance in taking tests; (2) dependence upon the aid of sources beyond those authorized by the instructor in writing papers, preparing reports, or carrying out other assignments; or (3) the use of unauthorized notes for use on examinations, looking at another student’s exam answers, allowing another student to look at your own exam answers, or the requesting or passing of information during an exam.
The term plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgement. It also includes the use of papers and materials prepared by students in previous semesters or unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in the selling of papers or other academic materials. Source: UNT Code of Student Conduct and Discipline and COBA Guidelines). http://vpaa.unt.edu/academic-integrity.htm
Tentative Schedule (I reserve the right to change the
sequence and pacing of the course to meet class needs.)
Week Date and Content Due Dates
Week 1 / August 25 – IntroductionAugust 27, 29 – Chapter 1
Week 2 / September 1 – NO CLASS
September 3 - Chapter 2
September 5 – Chapter 2 / Quiz over Chapter 1 open at 8 a.m. on September 3 (This is online quiz number 1)
Week 3 / September 8, 10 – Chapter 1 and 2 Wrap Up
September 12 – Dr. Spears Blackboard Learn Lecture on Chapter 3 / Quiz over Chapter 1 closes at 11:59 p.m. on September 10 (This is online quiz number 1).
Week 4 / September 15, 17 – Chapters 3, 12
September 17
September 19 – Wrap up and Review / Quiz over Chapter 3 opens at 8 a.m. on September 15 (This is online quiz number 2)
Section 1 Case Due on September 17
Week 5 / September 22 – Test 1
September 24 – Chapter 4
September 26 - Dr. Spears Blackboard Learn Lecture on Chapter 7 / Quiz over Chapter 3 closes at 11:59 p.m. on September 22 AND test over Chapters 1, 2, 3, 12
Week 6 / September 29 - Chapter 8
October 1 – Chapter 8
October 3 – Chapter 8 / Section 2 Case Due on October 1
Week 7 / October 6 – Wrapping up Chapters 4, 7, 8
October 8– Review
October 10 – Test 2 / Quiz over Chapter 7 opens at 8 a.m. on October 6 (This is online quiz number 3)
Test over Chapters 4, 7, 8
Week 8 / October 13 – Chapter 9
October 15 – Chapter 9
October 17 - Chapter 10 / Quiz over Chapter 7 closes at 11:59 p.m. on October 13.
Week 9 / October 20 – Chapter 10
October 22 – Chapter 11
October 24 – Chapter 11 / Quiz over Chapter 11 opens at 8 a.m. on October 20 (This is online quiz number 4)
Week 10 / October 27 – Wrapping up Chapters 9, 10, 11
October 29 – Chapter 13
October 31 –
Dr. Spears Blackboard Learn Lecture on Chapter 13 / Quiz over Chapter 11 closes at 11:59 p.m. on October 27 (This is online quiz number 4;
Section 3 Case Due on October 27
Week 11 / November 3 – Wrapping up Chapter 13.
November 5 - Review
November 7 – Test 3 / Chapters 9, 10, 11, 13
Week 12 / November 10 – Chapter 14
November 12 – Chapter 15
November 14 - Dr. Spears Blackboard Learn Lecture on Chapter 17 / Section 4 Case Due on November 12
Week 13 / November 17 - Chapter 18
November 19 – Chapter 18
November 21 – Dr. Spears Blackboard Learn Lectures on Chapters 17, 18 / Quiz over Chapter 18 opens at 8 a.m. on November 17 (This is online quiz number 5)
Week 14 / November 24 – Test 4
November 26 – NO CLASS / Quiz over Chapter 18 closes at 11:59 p.m. on November 24 (this is online quiz number 5)
AND Test 4 over Chapters 14, 15, 17, 18
Week 15 / December 1, 3, 5 - Preparation for Final Exam
Final Exam: 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 a.m., Friday, December 12
Dr. Spears Page 6
Fall Term, 2014