Technical and Business Writing Syllabus for 2018-2019
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Course Information

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Course

ENGL-2311-020 Technical and Business Writing

Prerequisites

Prerequisite: ENGL 1301

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 Resources Student Resources Website

Department Expectations

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:

Melodie Graves
Justice Involved Advocate
Student Service Center 117
mgraves24@actx.edu
806-371-5995
Make appointment at https://melodiegraves.youcanbook.me

You can also contact 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

On Campus Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

 

Required Textbook

Gurak, Laura J. and John Lannon.Revel for Strategies for Technical Communication in the Workplace. 4th edition. 2019. This is an access code and book that must be purchased through the AC bookstore.

 

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

Behavior

CODE OF STUDENT CONDUCT: All rules and regulations set forth in the “Student Code of Conduct” section in the current edition of the Students’ Rights and Responsibilities publication will be followed in this course (see link above).

Grading Criteria

Grade Determination

Quizzes: 20%

Minor Assignments: 20%

Writing Assignments (Letter, Proposal, Resume): 25%

Formal Analytical Report: 20%

Final Exam: 15%

Grades will be based on the following system:               

                A             90-100=high achievement 
                B             80-89= above average achievement
                C             70-79= satisfactory achievement 
                D             60-69= unsatisfactory achievement 
                F              0-59= unacceptable

Discussions: For full credit in the discussion forums, your initial thread must be the minimum word count specified on the discussion, and you must respond to at least two classmates.

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. To that end, I will make every effort to grade your written work quickly:

• 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:  Writer's Corner is available in the library (tutoring center) at the Moore County Campus. You can also 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.

Assignment Submission and Late Work

Assignment Submission:

• Please submit 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. Because this is a fast-paced 8-week course, you must complete assignments by the due date.  Most assignments are due on Sundays by 11:59 PM.; however, there are exceptions, so please check the course calendar for specific due dates.  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. When you can, work on assignments ahead of their due dates. If a situation arises that interferes with your turning in work in a timely manner, please email or call me.

Attendance

Calendar

Additional Information

Office Hours:  Monday-Thursday 3:15-4:00 PM

Writer's Corner Hours:  9:00-Noon