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MANGT 525: COMMERCIAL LAW AND PROJECT PROCUREMENT (3 credits)
A problem-based course that addresses elements of commercial law and procurement practices and their implications for project management. Prerequisite or concurrent: MANGT 510
Note: Students who have completed a master's degree (M.S., M.A., or M.B.A.) are not permitted to transfer credits from that degree into another master's degree at Penn State.
Overview
This course will introduce you to the legal environment of business. The emphasis will be on the law of contracts and sales as it applies to project management, but other topics in the law, in the bidding process and in negotiation will be discussed. The Common Law tradition of the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada provides the intellectual underpinnings of this course. In the settings in which the commercial law of the three countries has diverged, the differences will be noted. The required assignments seek to have you draw on your own work experiences. However, we ask you to be thoughtful in avoiding the names of specific individuals or breaching the integrity of what should be considered private information.
- The course has an established start and end date and you will interact with other students throughout the course.
- While the content of the course is found in your Module workbook and in the assigned textbook, you will need regular online access in order to interact with other students on the discussion forum.
So How Are We Going to Do This?
MANGT 525 consists of a module workbook containing all course content and a textbook. The module workbook for this course contains 12 lessons, or topics of study. You will study this material within a schedule, meaning that you will be able to read and work through this information at a rate that works best for your learning style, but that you will also in some cases rely on your fellow delegates for some assignments. This Web site was designed to help facilitate your understanding of the content. It contains a link to discussion forums that you can use to ask questions or discuss content issues with your professor and fellow delegates.
What Will be Expected of You, the Delegate?
MANGT 525 utilizes a module workbook containing the core course content that is supplemented by a textbook. The 12 sections of the module workbook provide the course's structure and its focus. Each of you will write 4 case briefs and collaborate with a small team in a contract analysis project. Collaboration and teamwork with your fellow delegates are encouraged in all of the course's assignments, outside of the midterm and final examinations.
After each lesson , you should have:
- Read and understood the assigned material in the workbook;
- Read and understood the assigned material in the textbook;
- Contributed to Web discussions
- Completed and posted your case brief assignment during the week your case is covered.
During the course, you will also:
- Write the midterm examination;
- Complete a contract analysis project as part of a small team; and
- Write the final examination.
Objectives
This course will introduce you to the legal environment in which business takes place. By the end of this course, you should be able to:
- Provide an overview of the importance of commercial law and procurement management in business.
- Apply an improved understanding of the key elements of commercial law to the decisions made in project management.
- Identify the best procurement practices and their implications for managing the product supply chain.
Materials
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.
Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
- access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
- borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
- get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
- much more.
You can view the Online Students' Library Guide for more information.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and services. Once you have a Penn State account, you will automatically be registered with the library within 24–48 hours. If you would like to determine whether your registration has been completed, visit the Libraries home page and select My Account.
Technical Specifications
For this course we recommend the minimum World Campus technical requirements listed below:
| Operating System | Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8*; Mac OS X 10.5 or higher *Windows 8 support excludes the tablet only RT version |
|---|---|
| Processor | 2 GHz or higher |
| Memory | 1 GB of RAM |
| Hard Drive Space | 20 GB free disk space |
| Browser | We recommend the latest ANGEL-supported version of Firefox or
Internet Explorer. To determine if your browser fits this criterion,
and for advice on downloading a supported version,
please refer to the following ITS knowledge base article: Supported Browsers and Recommended Computers.
Note: Cookies, Java, and JavaScript must be enabled. Pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. Due to nonstandard handling of CSS, JavaScript and caching, older versions of Internet Explorer (such as IE 6 or earlier) do not work with our courses. |
| Plug-ins | Adobe Reader [Download from Adobe]
Flash Player (v7.0 or later) [Download from Adobe] |
| Additional Software | Microsoft Office (2007 or later) |
| Internet Connection | Broadband (cable or DSL) connection required |
| Printer | Access to graphics-capable printer |
| DVD-ROM | Required |
| Sound Card, Microphone, and Speakers | Required |
| Monitor | Capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.
For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!
Course Assignments and Grading
This course contains the following major assignments:
| Contributions to Class Discussions (message board) | 15% |
15 points |
Case Briefs |
20% |
20 points |
Contract Analysis Project |
15% |
15 points |
Midterm Examination |
25% |
25 points |
Final Examination |
25% |
25 points |
| Total | 100% |
100 points |
Participation
Class particiaption will be graded. Points are awarded for volunteering meaningful and substantial comments and questions that enhance the learning experience of the class. Points will be available during each week shown in the schedule, below. Of course, merely logging in or saying "I agree" or comparable cryptic comments will not be graded as a meaningful contribution.
Case Brief Assignments
During the course, each student will be assigned four cases in the textbook to brief. Each case brief is worth five points. Your brief should follow the format of the sample brief that corresponds to the material in Chapter 1 on pages 18-21 in your West's Business Law textbook.
In writing the case briefs, you
should review the entire judicial opinion (as opposed to the edited version in your textbook) of the four cases you are assigned during the semester. Virtually all of these opinions can be found on www.findlaw.com or other legal research Web sites listed in the "Resources" section. Assignments will be made available following the first day of class, then posted to the course schedule.
Please post your case brief assignments with the chapter and the case name as the "Subject" of your posting. In the "Message" portion of your posting, I would like you to share the "Comments" portion of your case brief. As an attachment to the posting, please attach the case brief in its entirety. As the bulk of any case brief is essentially our summary of the language of the court's opinion (the Facts, the Parties' Contentions, the Issue, the rulings of the lower court(s), the Rule of Law, the Holdings, etc.), moving this language to an attachment will keep it available to those who would like a comprehensive outline of the decision without filling the message board with this level of detail.
Contract Analysis Project
Working in collaboration with a small team,
the contract analysis project requires the student to examine closely one of his or her employer's contracts used in the procurement process. A more detailed description of this project will be provided separately.
Examinations not taken and assignments not submitted will be scored as a zero for purposes of determining the student's final grade. Late submissions will receive a penalty.
Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Graduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies. If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.
For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.
Course Schedule
The following schedule of assignments indicates the pairing of the sections in the workbook (w) and the complementary chapters in the textbook (t). The schedule also includes your case brief assignments, your contract analysis project and the course's two examinations.
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Introduction to the course and its participants either at the Plenary in Erie or online during the virtual introduction. |
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By the end of this period, you should be able to:
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By the end of this period, you should be able to:
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By the end of this period, you should be able to:
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By the end of this period, you should be able to:
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All of the readings from Periods 1 through 5 will be tested. |
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By the end of this period, you should be able to:
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None |
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| Activities: |
Discuss the Contract Analysis Project and review the Midterm Examination results. |
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By the end of this period, you should be able to:
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By the end of this period, you should be able to:
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| Objectives: |
By the end of this period, you should be able to:
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All of the readings from Periods 6 to 9 will be tested. |
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| Activities: |
Final Examination |
Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.
Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please go to the Graduation Information on the My Penn State Online Student Portal.Academic Integrity
According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and
personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and
property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all
can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment
of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and
others, as well as a civil community.
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .
Policies
Accommodating Disabilities
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has resources for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources (SDR) website provides contacts for disability services at every Penn State campus. For further information, please visit the SDR website.
In order to apply for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability resources office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation based on the documentation guidelines. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability resources office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
Addtional Policies
For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.
Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.