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English 300, section 7 -- Writing in the Professions: Overview and objectives

Overview and Objectives :: Homework & Schedule :: Assignments & Grading

Overview:
This course will --

• require reading texts which will provide a basis of strategies for producing similar texts and documents.
• encourage consideration of an audience's system of aesthetics, values, and ethics.
• require responses to supplemental texts and provide strategies for producing responses through oral, written, and electronic responses.
• provide students with strategies for developing and supporting various professional communication modes.

The course objectives not only include equiping students with a wealth of strategies for lifetime writing situations in their chosen field of study, but also enables students to:

• develop their processes for critical reading and writing
• develop strategies for "reading" audiences and analyzing texts
• develop their professional communication strategies in oral, written, and electronic formats
• develop strategies for using visual communication
• initiate or supplement a resume
• develop and fine tune interaction with small groups and project teams

If you need to contact me by e-mail at "fidallas@svsu.edu," the subject line should contain your last name, course and section number to prevent your e-mail from being misplaced as possible spam.

NOTE: All responses and work for the course (course portfolio) will be burned to CD and turned in at the final exam period. (This CD will be your *ticket* to entrance to the final).

Required Texts:

• Porter, Sullivan, and Johnson-Eilola. Professional Writing, ver. 2. Pearson, 2007. ISBN 0536322937
• Reynolds & Valentine. Guide to Cross-Cultural Communication. Pearson, 2004. ISBN 0130497843

Other resources:
Student Technology Center, 2nd Floor, Zahnow Library http://www.svsu.edu/library/stc/
The Writing Center, Science East 123 http://www.svsu.edu/writingcenter/

Course weekly schedule:
Activities are DUE on the date indicated by the course schedule. Please review to plan your time wisely.

Syllabus response -- 5 points:
Read over the syllabus. Comment on things you like and things you don't like. Address any questions that you have. We will address these in class if you choose. Please see the format below under Genres - Letters and memos for written responses.

Discussions - in class & @VSpace -- 10 points:
Some of the class discussions on Guide to Cross-Cultural Communication will occur in VSpace. In an effort to think about how communication in professional contexts may be complicated by differences in understanding, you are invited to discuss the situation with your classmates. A situational prompt will be provided in a message thread at VSapce, where you can discuss the implications of the event, and consider how communication styles--as presented by the reading assignment--may be interpreted. These discussions in VSpace are indicated by "@ VSpace" on the assignment schedule. On these days we will not meet in the classroom. The written response will either be by memorandum or letter, depending on your audience and purpose. Your formal response (memorandum or letter) should be placed in the Drop Box before the next class period.

Annotated bibliography -- 15 points:
This is a ten-citation bibliography for a research paper or analytical report, with 100- to 150-word summaries of each article read. Included in the summary is a comment on the usefulness of the articles read. The summaries are single-spaced, and follow the reference cited. There should be a minimum of ten sources, and at least seven must be print sources. The three electronic sources should not come from wikipedia.com.

Genres - Progress reports -- 10 points:
This report will provide information on your status on the reseach paper.

Genres - Letters and memos -- 20 points:
This writing will provide guidance for the preparation and structure of many typical business, educational, governmental, and public documents. Guidance will consider audience composition, audience feedback, and organizational constraints. The structure of these documents will be in the form of responses to chapters in Guide to Cross Cultural Communication.

Each response will be typed for this class. The cover page of the document should be formatted as such:

[your name]
English 300-07
Dr. Dallas
[date]

Then start your response on the next page. The documents will be one- or two-pages, single-spaced, with one-inch margins.

Quizzes -- ??? points:
There will be no quizzes unless the lack of appropriate discussion dictates otherwise.

Genres - Analytical report -- 25 points:
This is an in-depth research project that reflects research in your field. Research will be conducted in the Zahnow Library and online to locate resources within your respective disciplines. A research paper that reflects academic style for your discipline may be written for this course. The final paper will be a five-page document that may use some visual graphics and figures, but is primarily a research venue for a topic of interest. (Your visual images should not constitute the majority of your paper) This paper will be an individual effort, but collaborative discussions and feedback on the first draft will show how writing is always social in nature.

The first draft is due 3/26/07 and will be peer-reviewed by your classmates. It should be at least one and one-half pages, single-spaced, and include the annotated bibliography of at least ten sources (seven print and three electronic). Bring three copies for this review. This is worth 10 points.

The final draft of of three pages (five maximum!), single-spaced, will be due on 4/23/07, and should include your annotated bibliography of at least ten sources (seven print and three electronic). These sources are in addition to any assigned text or article for the class that you might cite. This is worth 15 points.

NOTE: Include your annotated bibliography with your analytical report drafts. Please make sure you use the same font type for the report and the annotated bibliography. The annotated bibliography is not counted with the requisite page totals for the analytical report.

Genres - Letter of transmittal -- 5 points:
This letter will provide a synopsis of your analytical report and will be presented (read) in class.

Final exam -- 10 points:
The final exam details will be provided during the examination period.