SCHOOL OF ADULT AND CONTINUING EDUCATION

BARRY UNIVERSITY

COURSE SYLLABUS 

Course Information
Course # and Title: ADM 315 Diversity in the Workplace (3 credits)
Semester/Year: Fall A, 2013
Class Days, Times: Online
First Day of Class: August 12, 2013
Last Day of Class: October 7, 2013
Site: Online

Instructor Information
Instructor: Sandra L. Roberts, Ph. D.
Phone: 305-899-3303
E-mail: sroberts@mail.barry.edu
Office Hours: By appointment
Office location: Main Campus ACE Building 11415 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami Shores

Academic Information

Course Description 
This course examines the effect diversity has in the modern workplace both domestically and
internationally. The focus is on issues related to cultural, racial, ethnic, religious, linguistic,
physical, gender, and age differences, among others.

Required Textbooks 
Carr-Ruffino, N. (2009). Managing Diversity: People Skills for a Multicultural Workplace. 9th ed.;
Pearson Learning Solutions: Boston, MA; ISBN-10: 1-256-66029-8; ISBN-13: 978-1-256-86029-7
Link to bookstore: http://www.barry.edu/bookstore/

ACE Philosophy
The School of Adult and Continuing Education supports the Barry Mission by addressing the
unique needs of adult learners. ACE recognizes the rich experience adult learners bring to the
classroom by incorporating that experience into the curriculum. ACE provides adult learners
with research tools and analytical strategies with which to connect their experience to a broader

Syllabus Page 1 of 18
 body of knowledge and truth. Finally, ACE encourages adult learners to apply what they learn in
the classroom to real-world solutions in their careers, their families, and their communities.

Relationship of Course to Barry University Mission Statement

This course promotes analytical reasoning and critical thinking about the world, social justice
and the negative and positive issues associated with a diverse workplace. This course also
promotes knowledge and truth in diversity issues.Read the Barry University mission statement at:
http://www.barry.edu/about/history/

Learning Goals 
Students will analyze and gain an appreciation for diverse demographics and the meaning and
dimensions of diversity in the workplace and examine the implications and impact of ethics and
social responsibility of managing a diverse workforce, including working with men and women,
African Americans, American Indians, Asian Americans, Arab Americans, Latino Americans,
Gay Persons, Persons with Disabilities, Older and Younger People, Persons of all Sizes and
Shapes, and Persons from Diverse Religions.

Learning Outcomes 
Upon successful completion of the course the student will be able to:

Learning Outcome Assignment Weight Assessment

Investigate the diverse Active Engagement
demographics and the and Participation: Personal Application 7@ 2pts Rubric
meaning of diversity Forum posts and each = 14 pts, graded
in today’s workplace. responses are due each
week: Chapter Topics 7 @ 3pts each
There will be personal = 21 pts, graded
application, chapter
topics and video/movie Video/Movie Reflection
reflection papers and Papers Posts 2 @ 10pts each
current events diversity = 20 pts, graded
articles.
*Personal application Current events diversity
*Chapter topics article critiques 5 @ 3 pts
*Video/movie each = 15 pts, graded
reflection papers
*Current events article
critiques
Analyze the Active Engagement
implications and and Participation: As noted above. Rubric
impact of social Forum posts and Details of the assignments
responsibility when responses are due each follow.
managing a diverse week as detailed above
workforce.

Lesson Title Page 2 of 18

 Evaluate, and critique
the implications of Active Engagement As noted above. Rubric
stereotyping, and Participation: Details of the assignments
prejudice and Forum posts and follow
workplace responses are due each
discrimination. week as detailed above

Assess workplace Active Engagement

challenges and and Participation: As noted above. Rubric
opportunities when Forum posts and Details of the assignments
creating inclusive responses are due each follow
corporate cultures. week as detailed above
Apply course learning Diversity in the
to student’s Workplace Audit 25 pts Rubric
organization and Applied Research 5 pts
personal work Paper
environment Presentation

Instructional Approaches
Students will draw upon experiential components and analyze theoretical concepts that together
will lead to applied projects. A variety of instructional strategies may be utilized as they apply
to the context of each session including: online discussions, experiential exercises, PowerPoint
audio-visual presentations, out of class readings, project development and applications,
exploration of organizational websites, case illustrations, etc. Additionally, four synchronous
sessions will be conducted during the duration of the course using Adobe Connect as noted on
the course schedule.

Pedagogical Philosophy 
My pedagogical philosophy is based on the significance of dialogue in the classroom, whether
online or face-to-face. In other words, through the conversations and discussions that we have
throughout the semester, knowledge is created. Within this pedagogical framework, the creation
of a safe space is critical; students should feel comfortable articulating their opinions. If your
opinion differs from mine or from those of your classmates, please feel free to express it—
without such freedom it is impossible to create a learning community. In addition, I want to
make you aware that some of the topics that we discuss during the semester may make you feel
uncomfortable; it is often at these moments, when learning occurs.

Grading Criteria
Forum Posts:
Personal Applications 14 pts
Current Events Articles 15 pts
Chapter Topics 21 pts
Video/Movie Reflection Papers 20 pts
Diversity in the Workplace Audit 25 pts

Lesson Title Page 3 of 18

 Oral Presentation of Diversity Audit 5 pts_
Total 100 pts

Course Requirements

Forum Posts and responses are due each week. There will be a personal application,
current events article critique, chapter topic, and video/movie reflection paper post.

Personal application 
To demonstrate the practical use of diversity in the workplace, you will use your “daily life” to
illustrate a point from the chapter and post the application to the forum. Each student will
respond to one colleague. 7 posts @ 2 pts each = 14 points.

Current events article 
Weeks two, three, four, five and six students will select a current events diversity article and
summarize and critique the article. Each student will respond to one colleague. 5 posts @ 3 pts
each = 15 points.

Chapter topics 
A topic of interest will be identified from the chapter we are currently studying and be posted on
the forum. Each student will respond to one colleague. 7 posts @ 3 pts each = 21 points.

Video/Movie Reflection Papers and Post  
Week one and week seven a selected video/movie* is to be viewed. A written reflection paper
(two pages, single spaced) for each video/movie will be posted on the forum. Each student will
respond to one colleague. 2 reflection papers and 2 posts @ 10pts each = 20 points.

*Students must make arrangements to view both the movie, Freedom Writers and the video A Class Divided. Video
is available from PBS: (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/divided/) This is viewable from the site and
is free. The movie Freedom Writers can be rented through a variety of sources including NetFlix for a few dollars.
For those that have Amazon Prime, they can stream the movie for free from Amazon. (This information is also listed
on page 7 of this syllabus)

Diversity in the Workplace Audit (Applied Paper) 25 pts 
Students are to select a target organization and investigate. Select an organization with at least
100 employees; you may visit a branch or outlet of the organization but you must also gather
information about diversity policies and practices of the entire organization. The target
organization may be one where you currently work or one where you might like to work or
simply an organization that you are curious about.

Step 1: Visit the organization and observe or ask questions as noted on page 715 of your
textbook

Lesson Title Page 4 of 18

 Step 2: Review and analysis. Go over the results of your survey to determine how strong
or weak, how conformist or flexible, you think the company is. Use it to help identify companies
that are in danger of failing. Look for some or all of the components listed in page 716 of your
textbook.
Step 3: Written Report. Write a report giving the results of your diversity audit. Include:
 Your analysis of how well the organization is managing diversity
 The degree to which they have an inclusive multicultural corporate culture
 How corporate culture, policies, practices and programs seem to boost or
undermine morale for employees from diverse backgrounds
 Any other opinions about the organization’s management of diversity

Paper will be 10 pages, not including cover sheet and reference pages, using 12 point
Times New Roman font with one inch margins. APA style is required. At least four academically
credible references are required. The student’s paper must be accompanied by their signed
Certificate of Authorship.

Diversity in the Workplace Audit Presentation 5 pts 

Students will present their proposals in one of several ways. First, students may post their
proposal to the Research Proposal Forum in the form of a Power Point with voice over.
Secondly, students may create a video, upload it to You Tube and provide a link on the Research
Proposal Forum. Students will also be prepared to discuss their diversity audit during the fourth
synchronous session, week 8.

Writing guidelines for all written material

Writing for all papers is expected to represent perfect college-level writing. Written assignments
will be judged on thoughtful analysis of the issues, appropriateness of recommendations (60%)
and quality of writing (40%). Quality of writing is judged on grammar and syntax, punctuation
and spelling, word choices, expression of attitudes and feelings, and flow of ideas.

In general, follow these guidelines in preparation of written materials:

A. Clearly separate the sections.
B. Make good use of headings and sub-heads.
C. Do not use jargons, strive for reader understanding.
D. Whatever recommendations are included as a section of the paper, be constructive, but
think “outside of the box”.
E. Write in third person.
F. Use APA style for research paper format, in-work citations and the reference page(s).
G. NOTE: Web addresses alone are not acceptable references. If information is obtained
online, be absolutely certain that the reference list clearly identifies the site and that this
site represents an appropriate source.

Lesson Title Page 5 of 18

Grading Scale
A 95-100
A- 90-94
B+ 87-89
B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 75-79
C 70-74
D 60-69
F 0-59

General Information

Attendance Policy 
Students are expected to actively participate in course assignments.

Attendance in synchronous sessions and active participation in asynchronous sessions, through group
work and through responses to the discussion board, are a necessary requirement for successful
performance in this course. Students are invited to join the “Cyber Café” discussion forum where they can
share ideas and discuss course issues. If you have to miss a synchronous session, you will need to review
the recorded session for content, assignments, and timeline adjustments

Withdrawals 
To withdraw from a course after the first week of classes, students must complete a withdrawal
form or notify, in writing, their academic advisor before the date published in the ACE Bulletin.
Not doing so will result in a final grade of "F". There is no refund after withdrawing from a
course.

Incompletes 
An incomplete grade may be given only to a student who has been attending classes on a regular
basis and submitting assignments and tests promptly. The request to complete required
coursework must be made by the student and agreed to by the faculty member. An incomplete
grade must be made up within the session following its receipt. It is the student's responsibility to
arrange with the instructor for satisfactory completion of course requirements.

Make‐ups and Late Work 
All assignments are due on the designated date and in the stated format. Make-ups are at the
discretion of the professor and are determined by documented extenuating circumstances. The
professor may accept late work; in such cases a penalty of five percent per day may be assessed,

Lesson Title Page 6 of 18

Class Cancellation Policy 
The instructor will, when feasible, notify students in advance of a class cancellation, e.g.,
cancellation of a synchronous problem solving session. In the event of a disruption due to
weather

Academic Dishonesty Policy 
Cheating is defined as the attempt, successful or not, to give or obtain aid and /or information by
illicit means in meeting any academic requirements, including examinations. Plagiarism is
defined as the use, without proper acknowledgement, of the ideas, phrases, sentences, or larger
units of discourse from another writer or speaker, including information found through the
Internet. Typical penalties include: resubmitting the assignment or taking a new examination; a
failing grade on the assignment or examination; or a failing grade for the course.

Inclusive Community 
Embracing a global world view, the University nurtures and values cultural, social and
intellectual diversity, and welcomes faculty, staff, and students of all faith traditions.

Disability Statement 
The Office of Disability Services provides information, advocacy, and academic
accommodations to students with documented disabilities. To register, call 305-899-3488.

Barry University is committed to ensuring that students with physical and learning disabilities receive
protections and equal access to programs and services as outlined by the 1990 Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This policy includes the design
and delivery of online courses so that the access to a curriculum of learning for the disabled student is
reasonably equivalent to that which is provided for the non-disabled student.

To be eligible for disability-related services, students must have a documented disability as defined by the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Students must
request assistance first from Barry University’s Office of Disability
Services. http://www.barry.edu/disabilityservices/default.htm

The Office of Disability Services at Barry University will arrange for any accommodations that are
reasonable and do not compromise academic standards or places a prohibitive financial burden on the
University. Accommodations might include:

 Adaptive technology
 Enlargers
 Textbook scanning
 E-book adaptation

Moodle, as a course management system, is designed to meet a variety of world accessibility

requirements, including Section 508, Section 504 and W3C. Moodle supports the use of assistive
technologies such as screen readers, text magnifiers and speech-to-text solutions

Lesson Title Page 7 of 18

Course content created for this course by Learning House contains “built-in” accommodations (i.e.,
closed or open captioning, descriptive narration) and/or interface design/content layout, which is
accessible to “industry standard” assistive computer technology in common use by persons with
disabilities. Learning House builds courses and consults with instructors to meet the Americans with
Disabilities Act.

Communication Policy 
Students are required to communicate through Barry e-mail (MyMail). Any new email from the instructor
will be sent to your Barry email address. You should check your email at least once a day. All emails
will be acknowledged within 48 hours except on weekends and holidays.

As a best practice, you should plan on logging into your course at least once a day to check for
announcements, read and post discussion forums, and to contribute to any assignments that may need
your attention.

Videos/Movie 
Students must make arrangements to view both the movie, Freedom Writers and the video A Class Divided.
Video is available from Frontline (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/divided/) This is viewable from
the site and is free. The movie Freedom Writers can be rented through a variety of sources including NetFlix for a
few dollars. For those that have Amazon Prime, they can stream the movie for free from Amazon.

Participation Policy 
Students are expected to complete all sections of the course. Active participation is an important element
of undergraduate study.

Discussion Forum Participation

Online discussions pose an opportunity for rich and meaningful student learning and interaction. Online
discussions extend classroom learning by providing an asynchronous method of communication for the
exchange of meaningful ideas that promote critical thinking and develop thoughtful reflective learning.
All students are expected to participate in each weekly discussion. These forums will be grounded in
durable or critical thinking utilizing case studies, problem/solution scenarios or other appropriate
assignments.

When enrollments warrant, you may be placed in groups of 5 for each Discussion Forum. If groups are
utilized, then you will be participating in your group for each discussion.

The Discussion Forum will open the first day of each module. You are required to post one major
response to the topic – at least one page before the 5th day after the module’s opening (dates TBD).
Consider the following when you post:

 Is the contribution mechanically clear enough for readers to understand the points being made?
 Is the contribution on time?
 Does the contribution meet the minimum length requirements?
 Does the contribution reference assigned readings or other resources?
 Does the post contain "critical thinking" that is indicative of the paradigms in the field?
 Are the ideas communicated with respect for those who may dissent?

Lesson Title Page 8 of 18

You are also required to respond to at least one colleague – at least one half-page each. Consider the
following when you reply:

 Is the reply mechanically clear enough for readers to understand the points?
 Does the tone of the reply demonstrate respect towards the author of the original post?
 Does the reply inspire further discussion among the class?

All postings will be completed by Sunday midnight and will use a grading rubric.

Other things to consider:

 Please be professional and courteous.

 Online communication lacks the non-verbal cues that provide much of the meaning in face-to-
face conversations. Choose your words carefully, phrase your sentences clearly, and keep your
sentences and paragraphs brief.
 Review appropriate “Netiquette” at http://www.albion.com/netiquette/
 State the main topic of your posting in the Subject line.
 State your purpose for writing at or near the beginning of your message whenever possible.
 Proofread what you post. You may want to use a word processor to draft what you intend to say,
check your spelling and grammar, and then paste your text into the Message section of your
posting.
 Please do not use all capital letters. It makes it hard to read, and it comes across as though you
were shouting.

Synchronous (Adobe Connect) Participation

This online course includes 4 sessions in which the instructor communicates directly with the class
in "real time". We have found that having some synchronous sessions in an online course add a variety
of benefits to the online learning experience. It helps learners feel more connected to each other and more
supported—and that results in better learning. In collaborative and learning endeavors, people may spark
each other synergistically through real-time interactions—for a wider range of innovations. Synchronous
learning will result in more real-time feedback from others. Live events will enable learners to achieve
learning that is not possible otherwise—such as through role plays and simulations.

Synchronous sessions are also important in that it provides that "just in time" information that we can get
in our face to face classes but cannot in our online courses. Students have found that a live meeting
session is the perfect solution in order to get answers to those questions that only the professor can
provide.

The important thing to remember here is that your online course experience will be a blend of the two
approaches-synchronous (real-time) and asynchronous (your time).

These sessions are conducted using Adobe Connect. Please see the Student Resource section in the
course regarding Adobe Connect to help you get up and running with the connections. Contact the
Learning House Help Desk for assistance (24/7 – 1-800-985-9781. Do not call the Barry University
Help Desk (DOIT).

Should you be unable to attend these sessions due to work schedules or other obligations, you are
responsible for contacting the faculty member in order to arrange mutually satisfactory
substitutions.

Lesson Title Page 9 of 18

Software Requirements
You should have a PC, Pentium or greater processor (2000, XP, Vista, Windows 7) or, Macintosh Power
PC G3 Processor or greater. You should also have a reliable high speed connection to the Internet (DSL,
Cable Modem), reliable printer, speakers or headphones. A webcam and a microphone is needed for the
synchronous sessions.

Operating Systems:

• Microsoft Windows XP
• Microsoft Windows Vista
• Microsoft Windows 7
• Mac OS 10.2 (minimum)

In general your computer should have one of the following internet browsers:

• Internet Explorer 6.0 (minimum)

• Firefox (Mozilla) 1.5 (minimum)
• Google Chrome 8.0 (minimum)
• Note: For Macintosh users, please use Firefox, as many Moodle features are incompatible with Safari.

We strongly recommend using a high-speed (broadband) connection to access Moodle. (While dial-up
access may work, users may experience problems if their network connection drops or becomes
unavailable during assessments or other types of learning experiences).

Although not all courses use the same software, we recommend that you have the following applications:

• Microsoft Office Suite Software (Available through Barry University)

• Adobe Acrobat Reader for reading PDF files (http://get.adobe.com/reader) Free
• Adobe Flash Player for viewing flash videos (http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/) Free
• Apple QuickTime for viewing QuickTime videos (http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/) Free
• Windows Media Player for viewing videos (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-
US/windows/downloads/windows-media-player) Free

Mobile Devices:

 Apple devices running iOS 4 or 5; compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and 4 S, iPad, iPad 2,
and iPod touch (3rd or 4th generation recommended)
 Android™ devices running Android 2.2 or later with Adobe AIR® 2.7 or later for Android;
compatible with HTC EVO 4G, HTC Flyer, Motorola Atrix, Motorola Droid X, Motorola Xoom,
and Samsung Galaxy Tab (7-inch) and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
 BlackBerry devices running BlackBerry® Tablet OS (QNX) 1.0.6 or later with AIR 2.7 or later
for BlackBerry; compatible with BlackBerry PlayBook

Turnitin
Barry University’s School of Adult and Continuing Education has a license agreement with Turnitin.com,
a service that helps prevent plagiarism in student assignments. I may use Turnitin to help review some or
all assignments in this course. By taking this course you are agreeing that your assignment submissions

Lesson Title Page 10 of 18

 can be submitted to and screened by Turnitin for originality rating and notation of possible text or
contextual matches with other source documents. Turnitin does not make any determination of
plagiarism. Rather, it identifies parts of an assignment that may have significant matches with other
source documents found on the Internet, in the Turnitin database, or from other sources. If matches are
identified and indicate the possibility of inclusion of material that is not properly cited, I will discuss this
information with you before reaching any judgment or decision.

Documents submitted to Turnitin.com will become part of a database used for comparison with other
papers submitted for analysis. Thus, having your paper in the database will protect you from having
others inappropriately use your scholarly work. To protect your privacy you should delete your name, e-
mail, identification number, or any other personally identifying information from the assignment before
submitting it to Turnitin.com. Likewise, any papers that I submit for analysis will not contain any of your
personal identification.

Class Schedule*

Week 1 Introductions, Succeeding in a Diverse Workforce, Understanding

Cultures: Your Own and Others, Understanding the Dominant Culture: Euro-
Americans

Readings:
Chapter 1, pp. 1-28, Chapter 2, pp. 29-80, Chapter 3, pp. 81-102.

Activities:
Video/Movie – view program on line
A Class Divided

Forum Posts:
Video and reflection paper: A Class Divided
Chapter Topics 1
Personal Application 1

Synchronous Session 1 – Welcome to the Class! Let’s take this time to get to
know each other through some short introductions. Also, this will be a great time to talk
about the course, questions you have and troubleshoot any Moodle issue you have. We
will spend the first 45 minutes doing this and then let’s spend the rest of the remaining
time discussing your interest area regarding your papers and how to conduct the search
for information.

Week 2 Stereotyping & Prejudice: How and Why They Occur, Workplace
Discrimination: Its Effects and Remedies, Men and Women: Parallel Cultures

Readings:

Lesson Title Page 11 of 18

 Chapter 4, pp. 103-132, Chapter 5, pp. 133-157, Chapter 6, pp. 173-228

Activities:

Begin Prep for Diversity in the Workplace Audit (Applied Paper)

Forum Posts:
Chapter Topics 2
Personal Application 2
Current Events Article 1

Week 3 Working with African Americans, Working with American Indians

Readings:
Chapter 7, pp. 229-278, Chapter 8, pp. 279-324.

Activities:

Forum Posts:
Chapter Topics 3
Personal Application 3
Current Events Article 2

Synchronous Session 2 - What can you do to build your own cross-

cultural relationships within your own learning experiences, workplace,
family, community? How important is building these relationships to
you? Why?

Week 4 Working with Asian Americans, Working with Arab American

Readings: Chapter 9, pp. 325-384, Chapter 10, pp. 385-410.

Activities:

Forum Posts:
Chapter Topics 4
Personal Application 4
Current Events Article 3

Lesson Title Page 12 of 18

Week 5 Working with Latino Americans, Working with Gay Americans

Readings: Chapters 11, pp. 411-462, Chapter 12, pp. 463-506.

Activities:

Forum Posts:
Chapter Topics 5
Personal Application 5
Current Events Article 4

Synchronous Session 3 - If you were to be a conscious change agent for

diversity in your own organization (current or past), what would you do?

Week 6 Working with Persons with Disabilities, Working with Older & Younger
Persons

Readings: Chapter 13, pp. 507-548, Chapter 14, pp. 549-590.

Activities:

Forum Posts:
Chapter Topics 6
Personal Application 6
Current Events Article 5

Week 7 Working with People of all Sizes and Shapes, Working with People from
Diverse Religions, Managing Diversity: Inclusive Corporate Cultures

Readings: Chapter 15, pp. 591-616, Chapter 16, pp. 617-676, Chapter 17, pp. 677-
721.

Activities:
Videos/Movie – view program on line
Freedom Writers (movie)

Forum Posts: comment on the program and on at least one of your

colleagues comments.

Lesson Title Page 13 of 18

 Chapter Topics 7
Personal Application 7

Week 8 Papers and Presentations

Activities:
Applied Diversity Audit Paper and Presentation Due

Synchronous Session 4 – Discussion of papers: Be prepared to discuss your

written paper. Let’s reflect on the course and think about what we will take away
from the time we spent together. Here are two study questions to get us started:
What impact does diversity have in the workplace? And can diversity in the
workplace be used to promote better relations and social justice?

*Schedule subject to change

Writing guidelines for all written material

Writing for all papers is expected to represent perfect college-level writing. Written assignments
will be judged on thoughtful analysis of the issues, appropriateness of recommendations (60%)
and quality of writing (40%). Quality of writing is judged on grammar and syntax, punctuation
and spelling, word choices, expression of attitudes and feelings, and flow of ideas.

Writing Guidelines: In general, follow these guidelines in preparation of written materials:

A. Clearly separate the sections.

B. Make good use of headings and sub-heads.
C. Do not use jargons, strive for reader understanding.
D. Whatever recommendations are included as a section of the paper, be constructive, but
think “outside of the box”.
E. Write in third person.
F. Use APA style for paper format, in-work citations and the reference page(s).
G. NOTE: Web addresses alone are not acceptable references. If information is obtained
online, be absolutely certain that the reference list clearly identifies the site and that this
site represents an appropriate source.

Lesson Title Page 14 of 18

External Links

US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Uniform Employee Selection Guidelines

Immigration Reform & Control Act of 1986

Society of Human Resource Management

Civil Rights Act and Pregnancy

Federal Laws Prohibiting Job Discrimination

Lesson Title Page 15 of 18

 Course Rubrics

Rubric for Diversity Audit Project 

Criterion
Excellent Very Good Good Competent Inadequate
Overall quality of the paper as Exceptionally clear and Very clear and Generally clear and Displays unclear or Not clear or coherent;
the culmination of the paper coherent; highly original; coherent; very coherent; original; incoherent little or no originality;
very compelling, well original; compelling, interesting, supported development at times; argument lacks
supported argument well supported argument unsupported sufficient support
argument arguments at times
2. Expression of the Exceptionally clear, Very clear and Clear, readable Expression of Nonexistent
organizational problems/issues elegant expression of succinct expression of expression of organizational issues expression of
organizational issues organizational issues organizational issues is barely adequate organizational issues
3. Review of relevant literature Exceptionally thorough, Very thorough, Generally thorough, Review barely meets Scanty or unclear
and/or other sources appropriate, clear, and appropriate, clear appropriate, and clear standard for a research review. Literature is
systematic. Literature is review. Literature is review. Literature paper and/or is not relevant.
highly relevant. very relevant. bears relevance. marginally relevant.
4. Description of, and Exceptionally thorough Very thorough and Generally thorough Description of Scanty and/or unclear
appropriateness of, methods and clear description of clear description of and clear description methods is brief description of
used to conduct the methods, which are methods, which are of methods, which are and/or somewhat methods, which are
organizational assessment entirely appropriate to appropriate to conduct adequate to conduct unclear. Methods are not adequate for the
conduct the assessment the assessment the assessment barely adequate to assessment
conduct assessment
5. Description of the findings of Exceptionally thorough, Very thorough, clear, Generally thorough Barely acceptable Scanty and/or unclear
the assessment clear, and interesting interesting description and clear description description of findings description of the
description of the findings of the findings of findings findings
6. Description of conclusions and Exceptionally thorough, Very thorough, clear, Generally thorough Barely acceptable Scanty or unclear
recommendations, degree to clear, and convincing and convincing and clear conclusions discussion of conclusions and
which they derive appropriately conclusions and conclusions and and recommendations, conclusions and recommendations,
from the findings, and degree to recommendations, which recommendations, which stem from the recommendations, bear little or no
which they address the derive directly from the which derive well findings and provide which seem unrelated relationship to the
organizational problems/issues findings and directly from the findings and insight into the to the findings and findings and provide
address the address the problems/issues provide little insight minimal insight into
problems/issues problems/issues into problems/issues the problems/issues
7. Description of the limitations Exceptionally clear, Very clear and Generally clear but Barely adequate Unclear, minimal,
of the assessment honest, and insightful interesting description somewhat perfunctory description of the and/or inadequate
description of the of the limitations of description of the limitations of the description of the
limitations of the the assessment limitations of the assessment. Some limitations of the
assessment assessment possible limitations assessment
are not included
8. Format of entire paper, and Exceptionally well Very well formatted Generally well Formatting is barely Inadequate formatting
especially of references formatted paper. paper, with minimal formatted, though acceptable. and/or fraught with
References entirely in mistakes. References several mistakes. References veer from mistakes. References
APA format. almost entirely in References generally APA format in several not in APA format
APA format in APA format instances
9. Writing style, including Exceptionally well written Very well written Readable paper Barely acceptable Poorly written paper
English grammar and usage, and paper exhibiting flawless paper exhibiting exhibiting good style. Paper exhibits exhibiting weak
application of APA style English grammar and facility with English English grammar and many mistakes with English grammar and
usage and excellent APA grammar and usage usage and good use of English grammar and usage and poor use of
style and APA style APA style usage. APA style

Lesson Title Page 16 of 18

 Rubric for Oral Presentation of Diversity Audit 

Criterion Excellent Very Good Good Competent Inadequate

1. Overall quality of the Truly exceptional: Strong: prepared, Satisfactory: Barely adequate: Very weak:
presentation: preparation, well prepared, very clear, structured, prepared, relatively somewhat clear, demonstrating lack
speaking tone, clarity, structure, clear, very well interesting or useful clear, fair structure, somewhat of preparation, lack
content structured, content somewhat structured, adequate of clarity, lack of
compelling content interesting content content structure, and
minimal content
2. Overall quality of responses to Truly exceptional: Strong: responsive, Satisfactory: Barely adequate: Very weak: not
questions from class/instructor very responsive, direct, generally somewhat weak or short responsive,
incisive, informative responsive, responses, rambling, not
informative generally direct, somewhat rambling, informative
somewhat little information
informative

Rubric for Forum Evaluation  

Excellent Very Good Good Competent Inadequate

Criterion
1. Overall quality of the Truly exceptional: Strong: prepared, Satisfactory: Barely adequate: Very weak:
presentation: preparation, well prepared, very clear, structured, prepared, relatively somewhat clear, demonstrating lack
clarity, structure, content. clear, very well interesting or useful clear, fair structure, somewhat of preparation, lack
structured, content somewhat structured, adequate of clarity, lack of
compelling content interesting content content structure, and
minimal content
2. Critique of video/chapter Truly exceptional: Strong: responsive, Satisfactory: Barely adequate: Very weak: not
topics. very responsive, direct, generally somewhat weak or short responsive,
incisive, informative responsive, responses, rambling, not
informative generally direct, somewhat rambling, informative
somewhat little information
informative

Lesson Title Page 17 of 18

APPENDIX 

Instructions: Save this form to Word file and submit with your Applied
Research Paper.

Assignment Cover Sheet

Barry University
School of Adult and Continuing Education

Course & term ADM-315

Title of Case Study or
Paper:
Submitted by:

Date of Submission:

CERTIFICATION OF AUTHORSHIP: By including this cover sheet I certify that I am the

author of this submittal and that any assistance I received in its preparation is fully
acknowledged and disclosed. I have also cited any sources from which I used data, ideas, or
words, either quoted directly or paraphrased. I also certify that this paper was prepared by me
specifically for this course. I have read the ACE Academic Dishonesty Policy regarding cheating
and plagiarism and understand its consequences and penalties.

Lesson Title Page 18 of 18