Technical and Business Writing Syllabus for 2017-2018
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Course

ENGL-2311-050 Technical and Business Writing

Prerequisites

<p>Prerequisite: ENGL 1301</p>

Course Description

Intensive study of and practice in professional settings. 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. Practice individual and collaborative processes involved in the creation of ethical and efficient documents.

Student ResourcesStudent Resources Website

Department Expectations

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

1. Recognize, analyze, and accommodate diverse audiences.
2. Produce documents appropriate to audience, purpose, and genre.
3. Analyze the ethical responsibilities involved in technical communication.
4. Locate, evaluate, and incorporate pertinent information.
5. Develop verbal, visual, and multimedia materials as necessary, in individual and/or collaborative projects, as appropriate.
6. Edit for appropriate style, including attention to word choice, sentence structure, punctuation, and spelling.
7. Design and test documents for easy reading and navigation.

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.

Occupational License Disclaimer

Notice to Students enrolled in an educational program for preparation of issuance of certain occupational licenses:

Students enrolled in an educational program in preparation for obtaining certain occupational licenses are potentially ineligible for such license if the student has been convicted of an offense. For further information, please contact your advisor, the Legal Clinic, or the faculty member in charge of the educational program that you seek to enroll in. The further information you will receive will include notification to you of your right to request a criminal history evaluation letter from the licensing authority in order to clarify your particular situation.

Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec)

Class Type

Hybrid

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

 

Required Textbook

Gurak, Laura J. and John Lannon. Strategies for Technical Communication in the Workplace. 3rd ed. 2016.   IMPORTANT: You MUST have the textbook to be successful in this class. The concepts you need to know to successfully complete the assignments are in the textbook.

 

Supplies

Student Performance

Course Objectives

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

1. Recognize, analyze, and accommodate diverse audiences.
2. Produce documents appropriate to audience, purpose, and genre.
3. Analyze the ethical responsibilities involved in technical communication.
4. Locate, evaluate, and incorporate pertinent information.
5. Develop verbal, visual, and multimedia materials as necessary, in individual and/or collaborative projects, as appropriate.
6. Edit for appropriate style, including attention to word choice, sentence structure, punctuation, and spelling.
7. Design and test documents for easy reading and navigation.

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student 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

Grading Criteria

Grade Determination

Students can earn a total of 1000 points, including draft workshops, quizzes, and all assignments.

Grades will be based on the following system:               

                A             90-100=high achievement (895 – 1000 points)
                B             80-89= above average achievement (795 – 894 points)
                C             70-79= satisfactory achievement (695 – 794 points)
                D             60-69= unsatisfactory achievement (595 – 694 points)
                F              0-59= unacceptable (0 – 594 points)

Points for Activities

Category	Activity and Points	Total Points
Quizzes/Misc.	6 quizzes and 4 in class revisions	175
Rough Draft Workshops	Proposal, Report, and Resume drafts and peer reviews (50 points each)	150
Writing Assignments 5 major writing assignments	Introduction Memo=25 Claim Letter = 50 Proposal = 100 Analytical Report = 200 Resume = 50 Discussion Boards (4)= 100	525
Final Exam	Multiple Choice = 50 Writing Prompt = 100	150
Total Points		1000

Assignment Criteria and Feedback Policy

A rubric is provided for each writing assignment that will set forth the criteria for grading.

Timely instructor feedback is important for student success. However, writing assignments often take time to grade, and I strive to give helpful comments on each assignment. You can expect feedback on assignments as noted below:

• Quizzes, for the most part, are graded automatically in Blackboard.
• Major writing assignments will be graded within 5 days from the due date.

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 welcome to visit the Writer's Corner located in the library to get help with your assignments.

Assignment Submission and Late Work

Assignment Submission:

• Please submit final drafts of each assignment in its designated place in Blackboard. Please follow instructions for naming each file before submitting it in Blackboard.
• I will not accept assignments submitted through email unless I have specifically told you to email an assignment to me.
• Assignments must be submitted in .doc or .pdf format. I will not accept work submitted in a format other than .doc or .pdf.
• Save your work carefully and diligently. If you do not have a thumb drive, you may want to create your documents in Google Docs so you don’t have to worry about saving. If you work in Google Docs, you can save your work in .pdf or .doc before you submit it in Blackboard.

***Late work will not be accepted.***

Attendance

Withdrawal

If you consider withdrawing, you must talk to your instructor first. Remember that the deadline for drops this semester is February 27, 2018.

NOTE: Withdrawing early from a class could affect scholarship or financial aid monies. 

Calendar

Additional Information

Office Hours:

Tuesday/Thursday:  9:00 am-10:00 am, Monday/Wednesday 3:15-4:00 PM

Writer's Corner: 

Tuesday/Thursday: 1:00 pm-4:00 pm