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ENGL-2311-007 Technical and Business Writing
Prerequisite: ENGL 1301
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
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.
(3 sem hrs; 3 lec)
Online Course
Required Textbook
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This class will use two required texts: an OER free, online textbook and a small textbook that is sold at the AC bookstore. The books are: This class is using a free OER text: Technical Writing. It can be downloaded at https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/technicalwriting/ Click on the URL address to go to the website and download the book. AND A Rhetoric Handbook for English 1301, 1302, and 2311 4th ed. MacMilliam, 2019. |
Students must have access to a computer and the internet. If you don't have a computer, then you have access to a computer in the AC library or AC computer labs, or you can see the book store to see about renting a computer.
This course requires students to use a word processing program and Blackboard for course content and for submitting work, and Blackboard email for communication purposes. Students must submit work and communicate through these programs in order to pass this course. Work must be saved and submitted to Blackboard as Microsoft Word or PDF documents.
Late work is not accepted for this course. To pass, all work for this class must be turned in.
Other Supplies
Students need frequent access to:
If you have computer software difficulties, call 371-5000 immediately for help. As a back-up, computers are available in the Underground in Ware Commons on the Washington Street Campus. Bring a USB drive to save your work, or work in Google Drive so your work is not lost. Other computers are available in the library and other computer labs at Amarillo College.
This is an online class. Check in the Blackboard course, and/or your college email every or every other day to make sure you do not miss work.
Course Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will:
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.
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".
This is an online class. Instead of meeting in the classroom, students will sign into the course, watch course-related videos, and complete online readings, quizzes, tests, and assignments.
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).
Disrespect will not be tolerated. While students are expected to express their own ideas and opinions in the discussion section of 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 student being barred from using the discussion portion of the course, which 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 and inappropriate tone will not receive credit.
Other Responsibilities
Grade Determination
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
Grade Percentages of Assignments
* Discussions: For full credit in the discussion forums, your initial thread must be a minimum word count of 150 words, and you must respond to at least two classmates with a thorough response of 50 words for each response. Grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling count.
*Note that some assignments will be worth more points than others. For instance, your formal report, a lengthy assignment, will be worth 16% while other smaller assignments will be worth less.
Assignment Criteria
Most writing assignments will have a grading rubric that will set forth the criteria for grading.
Tutoring
Amarillo College English Department Tutoring Policy
If a student scores below 70% on an exam or writing assignment, he or she will be required to attend tutoring per the instructor’s directions before being allowed to complete the next assigned work.
If you are required to do mandatory tutoring, I will contact you with the exact details of what that tutoring will be.
TUTORING: You can use SMARTHINKING, online tutoring available through the AC website. Be advised that the Smarthinking tutoring service could be a 1-3 day turnaround, so you need to submit work well before the due date to be sure to receive timely feedback from a tutor.
While on the AC campus, visit the Writers' Corner located in Ordway Hall to get help with your assignments. You may also submit work online to the Writers' Corner.
Assignment Submission and Late Work
Assignment Submission:
Late work will not be accepted. Because this is a fast-paced 8-week course, you must complete assignments by the due date. Any assignment turned in after the due date at midnight 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. 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.
Assignment Due Dates: Exact due dates for assignments are not specified on this syllabus. Please check your lessons and Blackboard course calendar for exact assignment due dates.
This is an online class which runs from 3/21/21-5/12/22.
Administrative Drop Policy: Students who do not attend class on or prior to the census date will be administratively dropped. Effective Fall, 2016
Last day to drop any Fall II course is 5/3/21.
Keeping up with changes in an online course
Log in every day or at least every other day. Class schedules may change or important class information may be shared. Participation is extremely important. Most assignments, quizzes, and discussions are due by midnight of their due dates (See Blackboard Calendar for exact dates). Lack of participation and submission of assignments in a timely manner will be taken into account when the final grade is determined. Your grade can drop if you fall behind schedule.
Students are expected to participate actively in this course. Participation means:
Withdrawal
An 8-week, online course can be demanding for students. Since you are not in class all the time, you must discipline yourself to read some text, participate in discussions, and complete other assignments on time. I hope you are committed to this process. If you are, you should succeed in this class. That said, I also hope you know that a real person is here to grade your assignments, monitor your progress, adjust due dates and assignments accordingly, and answer any questions you may have.
If during the semester you consider dropping, please check with me first for an alternate plan that protects your investment in this course and gives you an opportunity to complete it. Remember that the deadline for drops this semester is 5/3/21. All paperwork concerning the withdrawal must be signed and turned in by the close of business on the the last date of withdrawal.
Withdrawing early from a class could affect scholarship or financial aid monies. Check with a counselor or advisor and/or financial aid before you withdraw from any class.
Students who wish to withdraw from a class must:
ENGL 2311 - 8 WEEK ONLINE COURSE SCHEDULE
One required text for this course is free and is an Open Educational Resource (OER) text titled Technical Writing. The link for the free book is https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/technicalwriting/. The other text is A Rhetoric Handbook for English 1301, 1302, and 2311, 4th edition. In this schedule the text Technical Writing will use the acronym TW in the reading assignments; and A Rhetoric Handbook for English 1301, 1302, and 2311 will use the acronym RH.
Exact due dates for assignments are in the Blackboard course calendar. All due dates are subject to change.
Assignment Criteria: Late work will not be accepted. Because this is a fast-paced 8-week course, you must complete assignments by the due date. Any assignment turned in after the due date & time is late. When you can, work ahead of their due dates. If a situation arises that interferes with your turning in work in a timely manner, please email as soon as possible. Quizzes and discussions are open day one until their due dates and can be completed early.
Week 1. Introduction to Technical Communication.
Read Introduction and Chapters 1 and 11 in TW and pages 113 & 119-120 & 127-128 in RH.
Week 2. Research and Information Literacy.
Read Chapters 2 and 4 in TW and in pages 114-119 & 122-123 in RH.
Week 3. Proposals, Interviews, and Other Documents.
Read Chapters 3 and 7 in TW and pages 121 in RH.
Week 4. Outlines and Graphics.
Read Chapters 6 and 8 in TW.
Week 5. Technical Reports, Instructions, and Documentation.
Read Chapters 5 and 10 in TW, and pages 12-20 in RH. Instruction Information introduced.
Week 6. Presentations and Ethics.
Read Chapter 9 and review Chapter 11 in TW, and pages 123-124 in RH.
Week 7. Employment Materials
Read Chapters 12 and 13 in TW, and pages 124-126 and 129-133 in RH.
Week 8. Course Wrap-up.
Read Chapter 14 in TW and the handout material in the Week 8 folder. Review for Final Exams.
Assignment Due Dates: Exact due dates for assignments are specified in the Blackboard ENGL 2311 course calendar. All dates in the calendar are subject to change.
Final Exams:
Information about final exams will be posted in Blackboard.
Course Content and Work
This course uses the Blackboard Send Email function, a word processing program Microsoft Word,Google Docs, etc.), and Blackboard for course content and for submitting work. You may also use Remind (a program like texting that can be used on a smart phone, tablet, or computer) to communicate with the instructor. Students must submit work and communicate through these programs in order to pass this course. You might need to use additional programs such as Google, Excel, or another program to create certain documents for this class.
Work must be saved and submitted to Blackboard as Microsoft Word or PDF documents.
Late work is not accepted for this course. To pass, all work for this class must be turned in.
Most minor work is graded and returned in 3-7 days. Major work, such as the formal report paper, can take up to 7-14 days to be graded and returned.
College Content:
In the college experience, students will encounter diverse views and new subject matter, which expand their knowledge and perspective. In this college English class, we might read and discuss some literary works with subject matter that could include (but not be limited to) death, violence, sexuality, potentially offensive language, and political or religious viewpoints different from your own. If this is a concern for you, please meet with me.
03/18/22 4:53 AM
03/18/22 5:06 AM