Where do I Start
I am your online instructor and my name is Prof. Valerie Lopez - see http://lamission.edu/law/faculty/lopez for my contact information. .
Introduction
Welcome to Law 1 - Business Law I (UC/CSU) 3 Units at Mission College.
I am a criminal defense attorney specializing in defending drug cases and medical marijuana patients. I currently have my own law office, VSL & Associates, in Sherman Oaks, CA. I received her undergraduate degree from Georgetown University's School of Business, where I majored in International Business. After graduation I worked in the fields of finance and telecommunications. I received my law degree from Pepperdine University. While there I studied abroad in London England and participated in various moot court competitions.
In addition to teaching at Mission College, I also teach in the business department at Pierce College. I love teaching Mission College students because of their dedication to learning, curiosity and the joy they bring to the classroom. Mission students always have tons of stories and examples to bring to the classroom. I have met so many interesting, dedicated and truly driven students while teaching at Mission College. When I am not practicing law or teaching, I spend my time with my husband and my very rambunctious daughter.
Business Law I
Law I is a study of the fundamental principles of law as they apply in the business world. The course examines legal rights and remedies, business torts and crimes, contracts, agency, employment, and negotiable instruments. This class will help you better understand and interpret contracts.
This class is a general education class and is UC/CSU transferable. It is also one of the 12 law classes required for our paralegal certificate. There are no prerequisites to take this class.
Course Design
This class consists of 12 weeks of work - late start - (starts on3/5/12 and end on6/3/12) (readings, assignments, quizzes, discussion forums, contracts to draft, and a final contract project. All assignments, and quizzes must be submitted through our Course Management System (Moodle) by Sunday evenings at 11:55 pm. On Discussion Forums, students need to submit an original post by Wednesday at 11:55 pm, and then comment on two students posting by Sunday evening at 11:55 pm (for a total of 3 posts, one original, and two comments).
Grade distribution is as follows:
Quizzes = 30 % of your grade
Assignments = 35 % of your grade
Contracts (6) = 10 % of your grade
Final Contract Project = 10 % of your grade
Forum Discussions - 15 % of your grade
Will taking a class online work for you?
Online courses are not for everyone. Is the online format likely to work for you? To help you in determining whether to take this class online pleasse take the assessment at http://bellevuecollege.edu/distance/WebAssess/ to help you make an informed decision. There is no shame in deciding to take an on campus class. If you'd like to discuss the issue with Prof. Jordan, the Director, he is available. Contact him at 818-415-2015 or at abogado@pacbell.net
Time Management
How much time should you expect to spend on this course? If you took this class on campus you would spend about 3 hours per week and and 3 hours per week for class readings, homework assignments, quizzes, etc. for a total of 6 hours per week. This is close to 100 hours for the semester. Then there's the time spent outside of class doing readings, homework, Many previous students who were successful in this class report spending from 8 to 10 hours per week. Getting on the computer and "cramming for this week's quiz" didn't serve them well. Things went much better when that spent time several days during the week conducting their experiment, posting to the Discussion board, reading and studying. They scheduled in time to take the online quiz on the first or second day it was available. As a general guideline, you should expect to log in to your course at least 3-5 times a week. While there, check for any new announcements or emails from your instructor.
Review the class calendar and schedule your work load so you can submit work on time. Submitting assignments before the due date gives you some leeway in case you encounter unexpected problems. Submit work that demonstrates you have a clear understanding of the concepts under study. A very important goal of a college education is to expand your mind. So keep an open mind regarding course materials and other people's views.
Although Business Law I is an online course, it has firm deadlines. We do not accept "Late Work" - Please carefully review our Late Work Policy. It is very important to keep up with the course work!
It is the responsibility of the student to consult the course calendar and keep up with all assignments, discussions, quizzes and exams. You may be withdrawn without notice if you do not login and post your introduction to class within the first two weeks of class. Also you may be withdrawn from class if your grade is below a 60, or a D. If you have missed assignments or quizzes, it is your responsibility to contact your instructor to discuss your options.
You will get more out of your course if you and your instructor communicate well. Notify your instructor is you encounter problems or have concerns in a timely fashion. Students who do not post work, such as assignments, quizzes, forum discussions with the instructor for five consecutive weeks will be automatically dropped from the class with the grade they have earned up to that point. Any missed assignments will be averaged in with a grade of zero.
Disablity Resources
For students requiring accommodation the DSPS office provides special assistance in areas like: registering for courses, specialized tutoring, note-taking, mobility assistance, special instruction, testing assistance, special equipment, special materials, instructor liaisons, community referrals, and job placement. The phone number for the Office of Students with Disabled Student Programs and Services is: (818) 364-7732.
Syllabus
The syllabus lays out important information about course details. Including the course calendar, technology requirements, and how grades will be calculated in the course.
Grading Policy
There are three components that determine your course grade Assignments, Tests/Quizzes, and Discussions, They are weighted as shown below to calculate your course grade:
Quizzes = 30 % of your grade
Assignments = 35 % of your grade
Contracts (6) = 10 % of your grade
Final Contract Project = 10 % of your grade
Forum Discussions - 15 % of your grade
ASSIGNMENTS
Expect assignments to be graded within seven to ten days. You can check on the status of your assignment (whether it's been graded or not) by clicking on the Assignment tool. Your grade will be posted in the online course Grade book along with any feedback from your instructor.
DISCUSSIONS
Discussions are accessible via the Discussions tool on the course homepage. There are two parts to each Discussion. The instructor will post a question to which you should post an original reply by 11:55 pm each week on Wednesday, and then within the next 4 days, or before 11:55 pm on Sunday evening, you should respond to at least two of your classmates' postings. Each posting should be at least 3 to 5 sentences in length. It should relate to the topic at hand, be concise and substantive in nature, following accepted rules of grammar andcorrect spelling. Relating the subject matter to personal experience is acceptable as long as the focus remains academic in nature. Postings that say simply "Good job!" or "I agree!" will not earn credit. Use your posting to provide evidence you understand the concepts being studied. A good posting explains, explores, or expands on a concept. A good message appears in the context of other similar messages. Reading the discussion regularly provides the opportunity to enter the discussion on a timely basis.
TESTS/QUIZZES
Weekly quizzes are accessible via Quizzes on the left of your moodle page, or under weekly work.
Here are the list of quizzes
Quiz A - Chp. 10 - Nature & Terminology of Contracts
Quiz B - Chp. 11 - Agreement
Quiz C- Chp.12 - Consideration
Quiz D - Chp. 13 - Capacity
Quiz E - Chp.14- Genuineness of Assent
Quiz F - Chp.15- Statute of Frauds
Quiz G - Chp. 16 - 3rd Party Rights
Quiz H - Chp.17- Performance & Discharge
Quiz I - Chp. 18 - Breach of Contract
Quiz J - Chp. 19 - E-Contracts
Quiz K - Chp. 20 - Formation of Sales & Lease Contracts
Quiz L - Chp. 22 - Remedies for Breach of Sales Agreements
Quiz M- Chp. 24 - Function & Creation of Negotiable Instruments
Test N - Chp. 31- Agency Formation & Duties
Test O - Chp. 21 Title
Test P – Chp. 23 Warranty and Product Liability
Each quiz is worth 100 points. Each Chapter of your textbook will have a quiz, with 20 multiple choice questions. You prepare for these quizzes by carefully reading the textbook, and the quizzes are timed (1 hour or 60 minutes)
Contacting Your Instructor
You can contact me at http:/lamission.edu/law/faculty/lopez I will do my best to return your email within 24 hours, during the weekdays, and 72 hours if over the weekend.. If I do not respond within that period of time, please email me a 2nd time.
Remember you can also post questions for your classmates under "Questions" at the top of the moodle classroom.
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for this class
Technical Requirements
To be successful in this course you will need to have good basic computer skills.
These include knowing how to:
· create files, edit them, save them, and retreive them · use a word processor (such as Microsoft Office Word or Open Office) to create,edit, save and retrieve a document · create, send, read, and reply to email messages · use a search engine to locate desired items on the internet · use a link to access an internet site · locate and copy the URL for an internet site.
You will also need to have Adobe Acrobat reader and Adobe Flash player installed on your computer to access some of the course resources. These programs are free. You may already have them on your computer. If you don't have these programs or aren't sure if you have these programs, download them
While you are in the process of downloading these software programs, be sure toremember the location on your computer to which you direct the download (the desktop works nicely). Once the download is complete, you should double click (click your mouse two times quickly) on the file name to install the program. Once the program has been installed, you can delete the original download from your desktop (or whatever location you directed it).
If these tasks seem somewhat daunting, you may want to consider enrolling in a basic computer course. The techniques you learn there will serve you in many capacities, including enrolling in an online course.
Also if your computer works very slowly, you might want to download the tuneup utility which is "free" and run a clean up of your computer. This should improve the performance of your computer.
Etiquette and Academic Integrity
Learning happens best in a comfortable environment, whether on campus or online. Thus disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. Inappropriate behavior will lead to student disciplinary action, including possible withdrawal from the course. Examples of such behavior include posting unsuitable message on the Discussion board and/or sending inappropriate email messages to the instructor and/or classmates. A warning will be given to the student upon the first incident. Subsequent actions will be reported to the Department Chair, the appropriate Dean, and the VP of Student Services for further action. For net a guide netiquetteclick here.
We take academic integrity seriously, whether you are in an on campus or online course.. Misconduct for which students are subject to disciplinary action falls into the general areas of cheating, plagiarism, verbal statements that threaten the educational process, violation of California Law and/or college regulations andpolicies, and inappropriate use of computer resources. If you choose to engage inacademic misconduct, expect to suffer consequences that may include a grade penalty, failure to pass the course, and withdrawal from the class and/or the college. If you are in doubt as to the appropriate academic conduct in a particular situation, you should consult the course instructor, department chairperson, or the dean of the appropriate college division for guidance.
Student Resources
- Consult the library resources and databases. They are helpful in finding information and resources
- Class wikis - look at these for additional resources for your classes
- Help Desk - These are resources which will help you with moodle navigation. it includes tutorials and self-instruction videos
- Overview of the California State Court System
- Capsule Summaries of the Law (Lexis-Nexis)
o What should you do if you can't log into your course or you encounter other technical problems? Call the Help Desk at 818-415-2015
Often the issue that is troubling you has been encountered by one or more of your classmates. Some of them may be more experienced at taking online classes than you are. Take advantage of the collective wisdom by posting your questions or concerns under "Questions" on your moodle class page. Just remember that this is a site for questions of a general nature. If you have a specific question, such as about your particular grade, that should be addressed in a private email to your instructor.
o There are a few secrets to being a successful online student. Get the scoop and start out a winner! Visit http://missionparalegal.pbworks.com/w/page/21558668/success
Tutoring
Contact our paralegal tutors if you need help with tutoring in your various law classes.
** special thanks and credit to Mt. Sac for their "Sample Statements for your Online Course" at http://ctl.mesacc.edu/wiki/images/c/c0/Samples.pdf
updated: 1/28/12