Textbook and other required materials:

Text(s): _____________________________ College ruled notebook; 1-subject, 10.5 x 8 in. At least

70 pages. Course Google page access (see top of syllabus) A Twitter.com account (subscribe to ‘ProfAnderson’) Regular internet access Strongly suggested: An internet-enabled laptop or

tablet

Business Writing (EN3130)Fall 2014TR 9:30-10:45, Classroom South 303Georgia State University

Prof. Joe Anderson

Course Google page: http://goo.gl/cXxotK Email: eanderson35@gsu.eduTwitter: @ProfAnderson (#GSU3130) YouTube channel: http://ow.ly/nU8icOffice: General Classroom Bldg. (GCB) 960 Instagram: profanderson1979Office hours: Before and after class, Saxby’s by appointment (GSU University Library), other times TBD

Prerequisite

Non-major prerequisite: ENGL 1102 or ENGL 1103 with grade of C or higher

Catalogue Description

Advanced composition applied to business writing techniques and problems.

Anderson’s Description

Despite what you may have heard, we’re not reading and writing less, but more. A lot more. Given all the ways wecommunicate with one another, whether via email, texting, social media, or the good old memo, business recognizes thatone of the most valuable tools it can acquire and cultivate is good writers. In this course, we’ll explore as many of themeans of business communication as can be fit into a semester, and we’ll also explore some of the ways that business maybe doing business in the next few years and how today’s communication-savvy workers will have to adapt to stay relevantand hirable.

Objectives

By the end of the term, you must be able to… assess the various modes of communication being

used in business, as well as foreseeing how theseand new technologies might affect businesscommunication in the future

effectively compose and transmit various types ofbusiness documents via the most appropriatetechnology option, given your audience andpurpose

assess and employ appropriate vocabulary use proper grammar and punctuation proofread and revise documents to make them suitable for sending or presenting create and present at least one multi-media report in a business-like situation.

Assignments

Following is a tentative list of the assignments you will complete throughout the term, listed in no particular order. Thislist, and the description of each item, is subject to change.

Google

coursepage

Twitter

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Anderson on Grading…

100-90 A

89-80 B

79-70 C

69-60 D

59 & below F

‘C’ is AVERAGE. If yourwork possesses thestandard level ofsophistication that isexpected from a collegestudent, this is the gradeyou will earn. If youbelieve that you should beearning better than anaverage grade, it iscontingent on you and youalone to do better thanaverage work. Bycomparison, a ‘B’ indicatesexcellent work, while an‘A’ paper is near-flawless.Accordingly, the higher thegrade is, the harder andmore rarely it is earned.

Emailing: Some common-sensetips to preserve yourreputation

Are you using aprofessional-sounding emailaddress?

Have you filled out thesubject line? Is it brief butclear?

Are you opening themessage with a salutation,such as “Dear Prof.Anderson,”?

Are you clearly identifyingyourself (first and lastname), either in the body orin the signature (preferablyboth)? Have you included asignature?

Are you paying attention toconventions? Have youproofread? Have youincluded complete sentencesand appropriate punctuation?Is all spelling correct?

Have you remembered toattach any necessaryinformation? This isparticularly relevant duringgrade review.

If the answer to any of these is‘no’, consider how your messagewill be received, perhaps beforeit’s even read!

E-mailsYou will be required to complete at least 1-2 professional email messages perweek. Prompts will be provided. Messages will conform to theconventions of professional letters and should be phrased in a toneappropriate to the audience and the nature of the information. As with everypiece of business writing, brevity is key; each email should be no longerthan two brief paragraphs, unless otherwise specified.

MemosAt least four memos will be completed during the term. One will be acollaborative project within small groups, the others will be completedindividually. Prompts for these memos will be provided.

Business LettersYou will compose some number of letters to outside agents, cooperatingcompanies, or customers. Each letter will serve as direct representation of ourcompany, so be sure to closely review your work so that you don’t embarrassyourself or your team. Company letterhead will be provided, but you will berequired to learn how to deal with such formatting electronically.

ClipsOnce per class period, on a rotating basis,some number of team members willindividually gather and informally present onany recent news items relevant to our chosenindustry. This will be informal and no specificsources will be required, but the news must beon-point, timely, and reliable; if someonemakes note of a story that’s several days oldbut was previously unreported to the group,whoever missed has messed up. Same goes forpropagating unverified rumors. Also, considerthe best resources and technologies forcollecting this information and be prepared toshare your tips with the group.

Business ReportYou will develop a report in which you analyze how well our business has doneand where it seems to be going. You can make up whatever figures necessary andcome to whatever conclusions you wish, but be careful not to make everythinglook too good. Administrators, investors, and most importantly, the employeesthemselves, want a realistic idea of the company’s health and security, whatendangers those concerns, and how such issues can be most effectively addressed.

Single/Group PresentationsInformal, single-student presentations will consist the results of an interview withan experienced, knowledgeable professional in the student’s anticipated field. Theinterview should include questions on what sorts of communications skills arebeing sought in qualified employees, what communications forms are common tothe industry (examples would be fantastic), and how that industry is using newand emerging media. Every presentation should provide us with a new insight,some takeaway that we will be able to practically apply in the workplace. Theinterview materials themselves can be worked into the presentation by whatevermeans would be most effective, including whatever technology is necessary andavailable. Meanwhile, group presentation topics will determined in class. Duringgroup presentations, each member must make a significant contribution to thepresentation, but this does not mean that every group-member must talk for thesame amount of time, and some may choose to contribute through other meansaltogether. Presentations should be thorough, convincing, and accessible to abroad audience; consult resources for guidance on rhetorical devices and audiencelearning styles. Presentation length will be determined by group size.

To avoid plagiarism, give proper credit toborrowed material whenever you:

Directly quote another person’s actualwords, whether oral or written;

Paraphrase the words, ideas, opinions, ortheories of others;

Use another person’s ideas, opinions, ortheories;

Borrow facts, statistics, or illustrativematerial;

Offer materials assembled or collected byothers in the form of projects or collections.

adapted from Indiana University Code of StudentRights, Responsibilities and Conduct

Formatting

Many well-written submissions havereceived lowered scores because of poorformatting. All pieces of writing will beformatted according to industrystandards. When no standard isavailable, format according to thefollowing:

Page size: 8 ½ x 11 inches Double-spaced 12-point font size Times New Roman font type 1-inch margins on every side Page numbers

Aside from in-class writings and otherappropriate assignments, all pieces ofwriting must be typed; handwrittensubmissions will not be accepted.

Though it might be counter to industryspec, your name, my last name, thecourse number and the page numbermust be posted at the top of each pageafter the first page (in one-pagedocuments, that material can be listedwhere appropriate, but should still beincluded). You may also be required tosubmit business letters and otherdocuments on company-specificletterhead, which will be provided.

Presentations will be graded on a slightly modified version of thedomain scoring guide.

Resume/Cover LetterA solid resume and cover letter are essentials to being hired for anyprofessional position, so this may be the most importantassignment of the course. You will develop a modular resume thatreflects your relevant professional and educational experience andwhich can be tailored to specific job opportunities. In the coverletter that accompanies, you will elaborate on the most importantpoints of your education and training, explain what has drawn youto the company to which you are applying, and how your skillswill benefit that company. Examples of each type of publicationwill be provided.

Attendance:

You are expected to attend all class meetings. A student who missesmore than a week’s-worth of class meetings throughout the semester,for whatever reason, may be dropped from the class with a grade of“W” or receive an “F”. This could affect veterans’ benefits andfinancial aid. However, you should not assume you will be droppedif you stop attending class. You are responsible for withdrawing bythe drop date to avoid receiving a failing grade for the course. SeeGSU’s website for this semester’s deadline.

Also, please remember that a high attendance rate does notguarantee a high grade. Those who communicate and participatemore often tend to earn higher grades overall. Part of thinking istalking; if that’s not for you, transfer to a different section.

Also, please get to class on time. A late arrival invariably causesdisruptions and can have a chilling effect on your grade.

Missed or Late Work/Test Make-Up Policy:

Late assignments will not be accepted unless the student makesextension arrangements with me before the assigned due date, andthese opportunities will be very limited. Only in the case of anextreme documented emergency will any other considerations bemade.

If technical problems prevent you from submitting a paper to thecourse website or via email, you may submit a hard copy. To dothat, you must either hand it to me personally by the deadline, or:

1. Hand the paper to an administrative aide in the Englishoffice before the deadline, and

2. Ask that aide to write the date and time on the paper, signit, and put it in my mailbox

I will not accept any paper submitted outside of class unless anEnglish department aide vouches for the time and date it wassubmitted.

Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism:

Georgia State University defines plagiarism as “any paraphrasing or summarizing of the works of another person withoutacknowledgement, including the submitting of another student's work as one's own. Plagiarism frequently involves afailure to acknowledge in the text, notes, or footnotes the quotation of the paragraphs, sentences, or even a few phraseswritten or spoken by someone else. The submission of research or completed papers or projects by someone else isplagiarism, as is the unacknowledged use of research sources gathered by someone else when that use is specificallyforbidden by the faculty member. Failure to indicate the extent and nature of one's reliance on other sources is also aform of plagiarism. Finally, there may be forms of plagiarism that are unique to an individual discipline or course,examples of which should be provided in advanced by the faculty member. The student is responsible for understandingthe legitimate use of sources, the appropriate ways of acknowledging academic, scholarly or creative indebtedness, andthe consequences of violating this responsibility.”

Academic dishonesty of any kind is grounds for failure on the assignment in question, failure for the entire course, orreferral to the appropriate dean for additional sanctions. I reserve the right to submit any assignment for analysis by anyplagiarism software or service at my disposal.

For more on GSU’s policies, refer to ‘Academic Honesty’ in the Student Catalog, available athttp://goo.gl/EGW1Uj

Classroom Etiquette:

Students who violate classroom decorum and do not respect the rights of their fellow students to enjoy an atmosphereconducive to learning will be asked to leave and will be counted as absent. This may be expanded to a permanent removalfrom the class at my discretion. Please consult the Student Code of Conduct (http://goo.gl/37YQVW) for moreinformation.

Incompletes:

The notation of "I" may be given to a student who, for nonacademic reasons beyond his or her control, is unable to meetthe full requirements of a course. In order to qualify for an "I", a student must:

Have completed most of the major assignments of the course (generally all but one); and Be earning a passing grade in the course (aside from the assignments not completed) in the judgment of the

instructor.

When a student has a nonacademic reason for not completing one or more of the assignments for a course, includingexaminations, and wishes to receive an incomplete for the course, it is the responsibility of the student to inform theinstructor in person or in writing of the reason. The grade of "I" is awarded at the discretion of the instructor and is notthe prerogative of the student. Conditions to be met for removing an "I" are established by the instructor.

Withdrawals:

An official last day to withdrawal from a course with a grade of “W” is established each semester and can be found bycontacting the registrar’s office. It is the student’s option and responsibility to withdraw from the course by this date.

Students with Disabilities:

Georgia State University complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.Students who wish to request accommodation for a disability may do so by registering with the Office of DisabilityServices. Students may only be accommodated upon issuance by the Office of Disability Services of a signedAccommodation Plan and are responsible for providing a copy of that plan to instructors of all classes in which anaccommodation is sought.

Class Cancellation Policy:

On occasion, GSU will announce a late opening or early closing of a specific campus or the entire college because ofweather conditions or other emergencies. Since classes begin at various times throughout the day, a late opening or earlyclosing may occur during a scheduled class period. Consult the GSU homepage (www.gsu.edu) for the most currentcancellation information.

Additionally, if I need to cancel our class on a last-minute basis, I will most likely notify students via Twitter, the Canvassite, or our Facebook page. Please make sure that you check these resources regularly.

EN1102 Syllabus Contract: Please copy the following into the box below, complete the remainder of the form,detach from the syllabus and return. No grades will be assigned until this contract is completed and returned.

I have read and understood the policies described in the syllabus, including the information regarding plagiarism and otherforms of academic dishonesty. I agree to work and produce material in a responsible and ethical manner, as defined bythe Georgia State University Student Code of Conduct, and to adhere to all other guidelines stated in this syllabus.

Name (printed):______________________________Signature:_____________________________________

Course title and times:________________ Today’s date:______________

Assignment: List three questions you have about the syllabus. These may be referred to in class.

1.

2.

3.