Course Description

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• Intensive study of and practice in professional settings.
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• Focus on the types of documents necessary to make decisions and take action on the job, such as proposals, reports, instructions, policies and procedures, e-mail messages, letters, and descriptions of products and services.
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• Practice individual and collaborative processes involved in the creation of ethical and efficient documents.
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Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

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1. Recognize, analyze, and accommodate diverse audiences.
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2. Produce documents appropriate to audience, purpose, and genre.
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3. Analyze the ethical responsibilities involved in technical communication.
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4. Locate, evaluate, and incorporate pertinent information.
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5. Develop verbal, visual, and multimedia materials as necessary, in individual and/or collaborative projects, as appropriate.
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6. Edit for appropriate style, including attention to word choice, sentence structure, punctuation, and spelling.
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7. Design and test documents for easy reading and navigation.
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8. In addition to the learning outcomes, students will work in small teams to produce a researched analytical report that uses both text and illustrations.
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Plagiarism

Amarillo College English Department Plagiarism Policy, revised Spring 2013

The English Department takes plagiarism seriously.

Plagiarism is defined as the following:  the use of someone else’s exact words that are neither quoted nor cited; paraphrasing someone else’s words without citing them; or using someone else’s research without citing it.

Student plagiarism in the Amarillo College English Department is internally tracked.  To clarify, records will be kept in the Department of those students who have plagiarized.  At the beginning of each new semester, the names of students who plagiarized the previous semester will be sent to all English Department faculty.

Plagiarism may receive a penalty of a zero.  A subsequent infraction will be deemed a reason for expulsion from the class. At this point, the case will be referred to the Vice President of Student Affairs.

Note: Self-plagiarism will be discussed with the class by each instructor and infractions for such are left up to the individual instructor’s discretion.

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

Student Responsibilities

Behavior

• All rules and regulations set forth in the "Student Code of Conduct" section in the current edition of the Student Rights and Responsibilities publication will be followed in this course.
• Respect others: As the instructor, I am committed to treating students with respect and dignity.  I expect the same treatment in return, and I expect you as students to treat each other with respect and dignity.  Disrespect will not be tolerated.
• Be courteous to students and instructor: Please turn off all electronic devices (like cell phones) before class.
• Please do not text during class. If you are expecting an important call, please let me know ahead of time, set your phone to vibrate, and sit next to the door so you can take the call without disrupting class.
• Please do not talk to classmates when the instructor is speaking.

Other Responsibilities

• Check your grades regularly in Blackboard. If you have any questions or concerns about your grades, please talk to me as soon as possible.
• If you have questions or concerns about any assignment grade, you must meet with me about your concerns BEFORE the week of finals.
• Read the plagiarism policy on the top of this syllabus. Plagiarism is a serious offense and will result in a zero on the assignment. If you are concerned about plagiarism or are not sure whether you’ve cited sources correctly, please schedule a visit with me or with the Writers’ Corner.

Grading Criteria

Grading Criteria

Students are responsible to keep copies of all their work. When you turn in an assignment, be sure you have saved a copy and/or kept a hard copy. Save your work diligently and carefully.

You will be required to submit a rough draft and a final draft of all writing assignments for your final portfolio. Please keep copies of these saved so you have them when you create the portfolio.

Tutoring

TUTORING:  You can use SMARTHINKING (click), online tutoring available through the AC website.  Be advised that the Smartthinking tutoring service has a 2-3 day turnaround, so you need to submit work well before the due date to be sure to receive timely feedback from a tutor.

You are also welcome to visit the Writer's Corner (click) located in Ordway Hall to get help with your assignments. 

Also, feel free to call me or make an appointment to stop by my office.

Assignment Submission and Late Work Policy

• Please submit all writing assignments in Blackboard unless I have told you otherwise. All assignments must be submitted in .doc or .pdf format.
• I will not accept work submitted in a format other than .doc or .pdf.
• Late assignments will receive a 10% penalty per day they are late (including weekends).
• Assignments are due in Blackboard by the beginning of class on the due date.  I will not accept late work more than three days after the due date unless you have made arrangements with me. If you turn in an assignment after class on the day it's due, it is late. I understand that technical problems occur and life issues sometimes interfere with assignments, but I am counting on your commitment to this class despite life's setbacks. Work on assignments ahead of their due dates. Save work diligently and carefully. If a situation arises that interferes with your turning in work in a timely manner, please email or call me before the assignment due date.

Revision Policy

You are encouraged to revise any assignments before submitting them in your final portfolio. Your revisions will not change your original grades on the assignments, but they will improve your chances of earning a higher grade on your portfolio.

Attendance

Calendar

Additional Information

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