BUS381 TRANSPORTATION WAREHOUSING AND DISTRIBUTION

This course provides a fundamental understanding of transportation, warehousing, and distribution operations within the logistics industry. The curriculum is built to enable students to competently utilize transportation and distribution models, including identification of end-to-end consumer requirements.  Throughout its duration, this course will offer numerous examples of how to incorporate transportation, warehousing, and distribution strategies.  Inventory control decisions; supply chain requirements; intermodal operations; and, distribution efficiencies are stressed with both the curriculum and case studies. 

This is a 3-credit course, requiring a minimum of 18 hours of course engagement each week in an 8-week term or 9 hours per week in a 15-week term (refer to the Credit Hours Calculation Policy in the Student Handbook). Course engagement includes such activities as discussions, reading, study time, and assignments.

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:  

CO1: Analyze transportation planning and execution strategies with the supply chain

CO2: Determine best practices for inventory control decisions in warehouse operations

CO3: Discriminate intermodal freight network models in transportation and distribution planning operations

CO4: Analyze transportation, warehousing, and distribution requirements from manufactured good sources to customer needs (end-to-end)

CO5: Examine challenges within the transport and distribution chain focusing on product packaging and handling

CO6: Develop distribution efficiency strategies within the confines of government regulations in the transportation industry

Course Outcome Matrix

PROGRAM Outcome Matrix

Click here to view the 8 week Term Schedules.

Click here to view the 15 week Term Schedules.

Weeks start on Monday,12:01 AM ET and end on Sunday, 11:59 PM ET, US.

Unless otherwise noted, all assigned items are due at the end of the module (by 11:59PM, Sunday).

Grade Ranges

A = 90-100%

B = 80-89%

C = 70-79%

D = 60-69%

F = below 60%

Discussions (30%)

Discussions are an opportunity to interact with your fellow students and to show your knowledge and understanding of the topic. Make an initial post in week 1, in which you directly answer the question set by your instructor, and then respond to your fellow students with substantive responses in week 2.  Remember to provide posts that show mastery of the topic and demonstrate your analysis of the module materials.

Get the Gist Quizzes (5%)

The quizzes are an opportunity to show your understanding of the reading for the specific knowledge.  There is a Get the Gist quiz every week and you will need to have read the relevant module materials and watched the accompanying videos, all of which will be tested within the module quiz.

Student Wrap Up (5%)

The purpose of the reflection is for you to engage in metacognition. Metacognition is a high-level learning skill that we want to help you develop.

Assignments (30%)

Assignments show a more in-depth level of analysis and enable you to explore more fully a specific topic.  Remember that you need to provide the appropriate citation and reference of the sources that you have been using in the appropriate APA style.  If you need further advice and guidance around the appropriate structure for an assignment, please consult the Excelsior OWL: www.OWL.excelsior.edu

Final Project (30%)

You will build toward the final project with activities during the course.  The project should enable you to pull together all the themes that you have discussed during the preceding 8 weeks.  With 30% of the grade riding upon this project, it is important that you work toward this on a consistent and organized basis.  If you require any assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to your instructor.

STUDENT PARTICIPATION

Weekly course participation is required. Please see the Student Participation Policy for more details. 

INSTRUCTOR PARTICIPATION

Your instructor will:

• Post a welcome message during the first 24 hours of the course.
• Schedule real time office hours through Canvas tools and/or by individual appointment.
• Communicate with you through the Canvas communication tools, including internal course messaging.
• Respond to student communications within two business days.
• Log into the course to review and participate at least three different days a week in 15-week courses, or four different days a week in 8-week courses.
• Provide you with formative feedback midway through the course based on work submitted to that point.
• Grade all formative assignments within 7 business days in 15-week courses and 4 business days in 8-week courses, and will grade final summative work within 5 business days after the end of the term.

LATE COURSE WORK POLICY

This policy governs the acceptance and grading of late work (including assignments, quizzes and exams, and discussion posts) in Excelsior University courses.  The intention of the policy is to promote consistency and academic rigor in Excelsior University courses, while also providing faculty with the flexibility to respond to students experiencing extenuating circumstances.  

a) Students are expected to submit work for Excelsior University courses by the due date stipulated in the course.    

 b) Students who are unable to submit course work by the due date because of an extenuating circumstance should contact their instructor prior to the due date to request an extension for the work.  If it is not possible to contact the instructor prior to the due date, they should do as soon after the due date as possible.   

Extenuating circumstances include, but are not limited to, the following:  

• an illness or injury 
• a death of a family member or significant other 
• a significant change in employment or military status 
• a trauma in the student’s life 
• technical issues 
• a natural disaster (see Policy 153) 
• other significant unplanned events 

c) Instructors have the discretion to offer an extension or to accept late course work without penalty based on their assessment of a student’s circumstances.  Documentation of extenuating circumstances may be required. 

 d) Unless otherwise stipulated in the instructions or grading rubric, the following penalties will apply to late course work that has not been granted an extension by the instructor:  

• Course work submitted less than a week (seven calendar days) after the due date will be subject to a 10% penalty (10 points out of 100); 
• Course work submitted more than a week after the due date will receive a zero. 

e) Discussion posts will receive a zero after the due date for the discussion without prior permission from the instructor.  

f) Course work submitted after the final day of the term will receive a zero unless an official course extension has been granted. (See Policy 133: Courses and Examinations Extension Policy).  

g) At the discretion of the provost, the university may waive the requirements in this policy for students experiencing a disaster or emergency.  See Policy 153: Assistance to Students in Disaster and Emergency Areas. 

h) Students may appeal the decision of their instructor by contacting the school offering the course.  Contact information for each of the schools is located below. 

• School of Undergraduate Studies: [email protected] 
• School of Graduate Studies: [email protected]  
• School of Nursing: [email protected]

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Cheating and Plagiarism

Academic Integrity is a valued part of your education, and the university expects you to submit work that is your own. Intentional plagiarism, and online cheating, including the purchasing of papers or sharing course materials, examinations or quizzes with outside vendors/websites in an unauthorized manner is a serious offense.  To ensure the high standards of the university are upheld, all work will be processed through anti-plagiarism software available in the course.  Please see the policy on Academic Integrity for more details. We want you to be successful! If you need assistance in writing a paper or studying, please contact your course instructor or advisor.

Copyright Protections

In addition, you should be aware that content in Excelsior University courses is owned by the University or third parties and is typically subject to some form of copyright protection. Therefore, these materials may only be used by you for educational purposes as part of your participation in Excelsior University courses.  It is your responsibility to properly use the information and materials in each course.

GENERAL POLICIES

You are responsible for being familiar with all the policies that are related to your activity in this course. Complete information on Excelsior University policies can be found in your course or by visiting Excelsior University Policies.

Technology Requirements

Please be sure to review System Requirements and Required Software. This is especially important if you are taking a course that contains any interactive components, such as games and simulations. 

Accessibility

Accessibility statements for each technology utilized within a course can be found on this Technology Accessibility page.  If you have questions on the accessibility of technologies, contact Accessibility Services.

Privacy on External Websites

In some courses, the use of applications or certain websites may require providing personal information. Click each link to view the application’s privacy statement.