Technical and Business Writing Syllabus for 2018-2019
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Instructor Information

Course Information

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Course

ENGL-2311-001 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

Online Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

Required Textbook

Gurak, Laura J. and John Lannon. Strategies for Technical Communication in the Workplace. 4th ed. 2018 with REVEL. This is an online textbook. You may purchase the access code for the text through the AC Bookstore. IMPORTANT: You MUST have the access code to access the text and REVEL in order to be successful in this class. The concepts you need to know to successfully complete the assignments are in the textbook, and all quizzes are in REVEL.

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).

Arrive to class on time. Leave class only when dismissed.

While in class, please refrain from using your phone unless otherwise asked. Stay alert and attentive to what is going on in class.

Be respectful and courteous.  While students are expected to express their own ideas and opinions in this course, students are also expected to use words that are appropriate for a classroom situation. No cursing, personal insults, or disrespectful language will be tolerated. Violation of this rule will result in the loss of points for discussion contributions

The discussion forums in this class provide a great opportunity for you to practice your technical writing style.  Proofread and spell-check your discussion posts, and check your posts and replies for clarity and accuracy. As with emails, avoid using text-message style abbreviations. In addition, proofread your posts for tone. A successful writer is ever-mindful of his/her audience, and your posts should be courteous and professional—even if you are disagreeing with a classmate. Discussion posts with numerous spelling and grammar errors an inappropriate tone will not receive credit.

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

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.
• Read the plagiarism policy on the top of this syllabus. Plagiarism will result in a zero on the assignment. If you are concerned about plagiarism or are not sure if you've cited sources correctly, please schedule a visit with me or with the Writers' Corner.

Grading Criteria

Grade Determination

Students can earn a total of 1000 points, including discussions, 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

Assignments	Total Points
REVEL total points	300
Participation Activities Discussions in Blackboard In-class assignments, including collaborative exercises like email, memo, and instructions revisions Rough drafts Peer reviews	200
Letter: Application letter to a potential employer that describes your interest in the position and your primary qualifications OR claim letter to an organization requesting recompense for a purchase or service.	50
Resume: Document detailing your education, work history, and other qualifications for a potential employer.	50
Proposal: Research proposal to your instructor that pinpoints your careers for the employment outlook report and details your scope, audience, work schedule, and qualifications to research the topic.	100
Employment Outlook Report Final Draft: Multi-page formal researched report that includes front and end matter. Report details the findings of your research about a career in a way that is clear, organized, and purposeful.	200
Final Exam: In-class writing response to prompt.	100
TOTAL	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. To that end, I will make every effort to grade your written work quickly.  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.

If you are near the AC campus, you are welcome to visit the Writer's Corner (click) located in Ordway Hall to get help with your assignments.

Assignment Submission and Late Work

Assignment Submission:

• Please submit each assignment in its designated place in Blackboard.
• Please do not send assignments through email unless I have specifically told you to email an assignment to me.
• Assignments must be submitted in .doc or PDF format.
• 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 as a PDF or .doc file before you submit it in Blackboard.

Major writing assignments will receive a 10% penalty per day. After three days, late work will not be accepted. Minor, in-class assignments cannot be made up. Because this is a fast-paced 8-week course, you must complete assignments by the due date.  Please check the course calendar for specific due dates.  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.

Revisions

You may revise one piece of writing (except the analytical report) for a better grade. Please talk to me about completing a revision.

 

Attendance

Calendar

Additional Information

Final Exam

Information about final exam will be posted in Blackboard and discussed in class.