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English 295: Business and Technical Writing

A course in which lectures will be experienced online, out of class, thus reserving classroom time for a workshop environment including application, practice, one-on-one consultations, and group activities.

Fall 2012 Section 50662 HSS 209 T/TH 5:05-6:20Linda Blake Walsh lblake@utk.edu

Appointment Hours: Tuesday/Thursday 4:30-5:00 and after class If you wish to meet with me, please contact me to make arrangements.

I encourage you to contact me when necessary by email.

Present to inform, not to impress; if you inform, you will impress. (Frederick P Brooks)

VALUE PROPOSITION English 295 is one of the most practical writing courses available to you.

Be prepared to work diligently and to gain helpful skills for writing in the working world, regardless of your career path.

Course DescriptionEnglish 295 is designed to prepare students to effectively communicate in the business world. Focus includes purposes, forms, and components of business communication; audience analysis; formats; and the writing process. Syntax, organization of ideas, tone, coherence, word economy, diction, research, and documentation are among the many technical issues addressed. The University designates this course as writing intensive with approximately 5,000 words in written assignments required. Coming into this class, you are expected to be proficient in grammar; this course, however, will help in continuing to refine your grammar skills.Prerequisite: Successful completion of English 101 and 102 or English 118.

Regular attendance, as well as being on time and staying for the entire class, is essential to success in this course. Four absences are allowed without penalty. For the fifth absence and for each one thereafter, five points will be deducted from your final grade. No distinction is made between excused and unexcused absences.

Disability PolicyIf you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a documented disability or if you have emergency information to share, contact the Office of Disability Services in 191 Hoskins Library at 974.6087 to ensure that you are properly registered for services. Please inform me of any special needs.

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Student Learning OutcomesBy the end of the course, students are expected to be capable of the following:

Correctly format business documents Demonstrate the ability to attend to details specified in a writing task Select and/or design appropriate visuals and correctly incorporate into documents Assess, assimilate and document sources gathered in research Analyze audience to determine appropriate content and style for documents Arrange information in a logical sequence with appropriately placed transitions Draft, revise, and edit business documents characterized by clarity, conciseness,

and accuracy (both in content and mechanics) Adhere to deadlines established for writing assignments Reflect on writing skills and progress Work productively with team members

Learning Environment The learning environment of this course is flipped, meaning that most of the lectures will be experienced online, outside of the scheduled class time, leaving that time for application, and reflective and collaborative learning (including working in teams). My role is to facilitate learning; your role is take responsibility for learning.

Required Resources (Have texts available for each session, including online lectures.)

Locker, Kitty O. Business and Administrative Communication, 8th ed. Hodges, John C. Hodges Harbrace Handbook, 15th, 16th or 17th ed. Access to Online@UT (Blackboard) and UT email account

Technology in the Classroom See the Technology-Enhanced Classroom Policies filed under Course Materials

on BlackBoard. To better ensure that the computers are used for their intended purpose,

they will be locked from access during appropriate times during class. They will be unlocked before and after class and during class when needed.

Keep funds in your VolCard account to periodically print material in class. Cell phones and laptops are not to be used during class time.

Academic Dishonesty

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According to Hilltops, UT’s student handbook, “Academic honesty requires that all work presented be the student’s own work, not only on tests, but in themes, papers, homework, and class presentations. There is a clear distinction between learning new ideas and presenting them as facts or as answers, and presenting them as one’s own ideas. . . . Exclusion from the University or any lesser penalty may result from . . . academic cheating or plagiarism.” Thus, students must avoid two forms of academic dishonesty:

Plagiarism—presenting someone else’s words or ideas as your own.Collusion—allowing other people to write, to revise, or to alter significantly the text of a paper that is supposed to be your work alone.

How To Be Successful in English 295Taking responsibility for the learning process and coursework Complete all online lectures and all reading and writing assignments (including

online journal); bring hard copies of drafts to class for consultations; and participate in team activities.

Bring your textbooks and designated handouts to each class. Take responsibility for information missed in class by consulting with a classmate. Check Blackboard and your UT email account daily for announcements and updates. Produce preliminary drafts on the dates due to maximize benefits of feedback. This course is work intensive; thus, pace your work to avoid last-minute crises.

Because problems arise with computers and printers, allow time for any electronic difficulties to avoid late-work penalties.

Submitting assignments Submit final draft of assignments in a folder. Preliminary and final drafts of out-of-class assignments must be typed. Keep a backup copy of all work submitted. Also, keep all graded work. Submit assignments on time. Late assignments will be penalized five points for

each day late, beginning the day after an assignment is due. Writing assignments must be handed to me, not left in the English office or submitted electronically. Include the preliminary draft that I mark with the final draft.

Follow proper formatting guidelines to avoid a grade penalty. For assignments involving research, submit photocopies of documented sources

with sources identified, information (whether paraphrased or quoted) marked, and the page number indicated where that information is used in the assignment.

A 93-100 B+ 87-89.9 C+ 77-79.9 D+ 67-69.9 A- 90-92.9 B 83-86.9 C 73-76.9 D 63-66.9

B- 80-82.9 C- 70-72.9 D- 60-62.9 F below 60 IMPORTANT: Rather than telling me the grade you need in this course,

work to earn the grade you deserve!

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% of final grade * Letter of Introduction 5%* Application letter (for a job, internship, or scholarship) 5%* Résumé 5% * Positive and Negative Communication (one letter, one memo) 10%

A series of assignments building upon one another unfolds in three phases:

* I: Proposal for Recommendation Report, seeking approval to write 10% a recommendation report. This assignment is designed to ensure that you have a basis for your recommendations.

* II: Analytical Report, analyzing a company and its respective industry 15% III: Recommendation Report, making recommendations for the company 20% addressed in both the proposal and the analytical report

*To improve your grade, you have the option to revise two of the assignments indicated by an asterisk. The graded draft and grade sheet must be attached; if not, the revision will not be graded. An optional rewrite opportunity cannot be used in place of the original assignment. Revision deadlines are highlighted in the course schedule.

Before-class Assignments 10%-Viewing lectures and completing questions posted on Blackboard

(Lectures will be archived; however, credit is based on completion of online questions with results reported to me electronically. These questions must be answered by noon on the day of class to receive credit. They will be helpful, along with the reading assignments and class discussions, in preparing for in-class quizzes.)

Quizzes 10%

Quizzes cannot be made up; however, the three lowest quiz grades will be dropped.

Rationale: Instead of one or two comprehensive tests, quizzes are given to reinforce information provided primarily in online lectures but also in class, thus promoting understanding and retention as well as accountability for learning this information.

In-class Assignments 10%-Submissions throughout Blackboard’s journal tool-Participation in team activities

As with quizzes, in-class assignments cannot be made up; unlike quizzes, The grades for these assignments will not be dropped.

Thus, class attendance is essential.

See page 5 for Figure 1, a visualization of these assignments and their percentage value, and Figure 2, a diagram of the assignment categories.

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Figure 1:

Figure 2: Out-of-class and In-class Assignments Supporting theSequence of Writing Assignments (with the last three building on one another)

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This schedule is subject to change. You are responsible for remaining informed through Blackboard announcements and related email.

For each class session, three categories of information are identified:Before Class: online lectures and any online activities specified at end

of lectureResources: Read pages in Business and Administrative Communication (8th edition) assigned for each class meeting before coming to class. If a chapter number appears with no page numbers designated, read the entire chapter. Harbrace will be used for interpreting graded assignments and for assignments on an as-needed basis. (For some sessions, the resources are listed under Course Materials on Blackboard.In Class: quizzes and specified activities

Items marked with ▲ are graded. Conference dates and deadlines for optional revisions are highlighted.

Thursday Before Class: ▲ Online Lecture: Introduction to Flipped ClassroomAugust 23

Resources: Bring the specified editions of the two required textbooks to class.

In Class: Introduction to Class, Syllabus, Computer Lab GuidelinesIntroduction to Letter of Introduction

▲ Online journal assignment

________________________________________________________________________

Tuesday, Before Class: ▲ Online Lecture I: Communication Basics August 28 ▲ Online Lecture II: Formatting Business Letters

Resources: Chapter 1: Business Communication Basics for Lecture I 3-top of 14, (Rule No. 1), sidebar 21, Figure 1.6 on 22, 24-33

Chapter 2: Adapting Your Message to Your Audience for Lecture II Letter Format (Appendix A) 611 through next to last paragraph on 612

In Class: ▲ Quiz (covering lecture)Class and Team Activities (formative assessment):

Analyzing Audience, Building Goodwill▲ Journal Entry: Prewriting for Introductory Letter

______________________________________________________________________

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Thursday Before Class: ▲ Online Lecture: Informative and Positive MessagesAugust 30 ▲ Online Lecture II: Building Goodwill

Resources: Informative and Positive Messages Appendix A, Memos 621 Chapter 10: 302 down to Varieties on 310

Checklist and Summary of Key Points 318-319Chapter 3: Building Goodwill

In Class: ▲ Quiz (covering lecture) ▲ Letter of Introduction due ▲ Bring the prompt for your informative/positive message assignment to class to begin developing ideas. See assignment sheet for prompts, or develop your own, subject to my approval.

Workshop Activities: Proofreading Activity with Letter due▲Journal Entry: Prewriting for Informative/Positive Message

________________________________________________________________________

Tuesday Before Class: ▲ Online Lecture: Negative MessagesSeptember 4

Resources: Negative Messages Chapter 11: 336 down to Varieties on 348

Key Points 354-356 and Checklist on 355

In Class: ▲ Quiz (covering lecture)▲ Homework: Choose the prompt for your negative message assignment

before coming to class, just as you did for the previous class.

Workshop Activities: Revising informative/positive message

▲ Journal Entry: Prewriting for Negative Message

________________________________________________________________________

Thursday, Before Class: ▲ Online Lecture on Orientation September 6 to Business Research Resources

▲ Online Lecture on Paramedic Method for EditingResources: Print and bring to class the “Orientation to Business Research and

Databases” handout that is under Course Materials on Blackboard.

In Class: ▲ Quiz (covering lecture)Bring a list of companies you are interested in exploring. (Note: Public companies are easier to research than private companies.) You will use this list in the ongoing Orientation to Business Research and Databases during this class session. ▲ Journal Entry: assignment based on electronic business resourcesWorkshop: Opportunity to ask questions related to the

Positive and Negative Messages assignment due on 9/11________________________________________________________________________

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Tuesday, Before Class: ▲ Online Lecture on Application LetterSeptember 11 ▲ Online Lecture on Reminders for Final Draft of

Positive and Negative MessagesResources: Application Letters

Chapter 8 Skim chapter, but carefully read Summary of Key Points.In Class: ▲ Quiz (covering lecture)

▲ Positive and Negative Messages assignment dueIn finalizing this assignment, review Summary of Key Points for Chapter 2 (64-65) and for Chapter 3 (95-96)

Team Consultation▲Journal Entry: Application Letter

______________________________________________________

Thursday, Before Class: ▲Online Lecture on ResumeSeptember 13

Resources: Résumés Chapter 7: Skim chapter, but carefully read Summary of Key Points. Take special note of Figures 7.2 and 7.4.

In Class: ▲ Bring to class a copy of your résumé; if you do not have

one, prepare a preliminary draft of one. (See the résumé assignment posted.) Be prepared to justify whether you should create a

chronological or skills résumé based on the job, scholarship, or internship for which you are applying.

▲ Bring to class a brief description of the situation for which you writing your application letter that is to accompany your application letter. (See the assignment sheet posted.)

Team Consultation▲ Journal Entry: Resume

________________________________________________________________________Tuesday, Before Class: ▲ Online Lecture on Making Writing Easier to ReadSeptember 18

Resources: Chapter 4: Making Your Writing Easy to Read Skim this chapter; read Summary of Key Points.

Examine the following figures: 4.1, 4.5. 4.6, 4.7, 4.8, 4.9. 4.10.

In Class: ▲ Quiz (covering lecture)Workshop: Conference reviewing draft of Application Letter and Résumé

________________________________________________________________________Thursday, Before Class: ▲ Online Lecture on Writing ProposalsSeptember 20

Resources: Writing Proposals 494-501 down to Sales ProposalsBusiness Research (continued)

In Class: ▲ Quiz (covering lecture) ▲ In-class assignment: Journal entry on recommendation proposal

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▲ Application Letter and Résumé due________________________________________________________________________

Tuesday, Before Class: ▲ Online Lecture on Designing Documents and VisualsSeptember 25

Resources: Chapter 6: Designing Documents 151 – top of 153/ Guidelines 155-163Visuals 161-177

In Class: ▲ Quiz (covering lecture)Team Consultation Workshop on Recommendation Proposal

_______________________________________________________________________

Thursday, Before Class: ▲ Online Lecture Report Writing September 27 Resources: Report Writing

Chapter 15: 489-middle of 494, 507-526 Chapter 16: 535-558 (Stop at Writing Formal Report. Read summary of

Key Points down to third bulleted item on 578.)

In Class: ▲ Quiz (covering lecture)Answering follow-up questions on Recommendation Proposal

________________________________________________________________________Tuesday, Before Class: ▲ Online Lecture on Quoting, Paraphrasing, Documenting October 2

Resources: Handouts posted under Course Materials

In Class: ▲ Quiz (covering lecture)▲ Recommendation Proposal due (plus draft reviewed on 9/25)▲ In-class Assignment: To Be Announced

________________________________________________________________________Thursday, Before Class: ▲ Online Lecture on CPO IntroductionsOctober 4 and Organization of Analysis Report

Resources:

In Class: Establish conference schedule for week of October 16.▲ Quiz (covering lecture)▲ Assignment on Revising and Editing

___________________________________________Tuesday, Before Class: ▲ Online Lecture on Parallel StructureOctober 9

Resources: Chapter 26 in Harbrace

In Class: ▲ Quiz (covering lecture)▲ In-class Assignment: Parallel Structure

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▲ Last day to submit first optional revision________________________________________________________________________Thursday, October 11 Fall Break______________________________________________________________________Before Class: ▲ Online Lecture on Pitfalls to Avoid in Preparing Draft for Conference

Tuesday, OR Thursday, October 16 October 18

In Class: ▲ Conference reviewing complete draft of Industry/CompanyAnalysis Report

To ensure adequate conference time for each student, you will draw for one of the two dates above. The final draft of the report (plus draft reviewed during conference and copies of sources) will be due one week from date of conference.

▲ Quiz (covering lecture)

________________________________________________________________________

Tuesday, Before Class: ▲ Online Lecture Overview of Recommendation ReportOctober 23 (in preparation for preparing the separate components)

Resources: 572-577 (discussion), 558-578 (example)

In Class: ▲ Analytical Report due for students whose conference was on 10/16▲ In-class Assignment: To Be Announced

▲ Quiz (covering lecture)Bring an electronic version of your Industry/Company Analytical Report for the in-class assignment.

____________________________________________________________________Thursday, Before Class: ▲ Online Lecture on Elements of Formal ReportsOctober 25 Body of Report

Resources: 575-577 (discussion), 563-570 (example)

In Class: ▲ Quiz (covering lecture)▲ Analytical Report due for students whose conference was on 10/18

____________________________________________________________________

Tuesday, Before Class: ▲ Online Lecture on Elements of Formal Reports, Part IIOctober 30 Cover Page and Transmittal Letter

Resources: 572-573 (discussion), 559-560 (example)

In Class: ▲ Quiz (covering lecture)Team Consultation▲ Journal entry: Transmittal Letter prewriting

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________________________________________________________________________

Thursday, Before Class: ▲ Online Lecture on Elements of Formal Reports, Part IIINovember 1 Executive Summary

Resources: 574-575 (discussion), 562 (example)

In Class: ▲ Quiz (covering lecture)

Team Consultation▲ Journal entry: Executive Summary prewriting

_______________________________________________________________________

Tuesday, Before Class: ▲ Online Lecture on Elements of Formal Reports, Part IVNovember 6 Table of Contents and List of Illustrations

References, Appendix

Resources: 574 (discussion), 561 (example) for Table of Contents and List of Ilustrations

In Class: ▲ Quiz (covering lecture)Team Consultation▲ Journal entry: Table of Contents and Appendix

________________________________________________________________________

Thursday, Before Class: ▲ Online Lecture Recommendation Report Headaches November 8 and Remedies

Resources: Reminders and Revising/Editing Checklist posted under Course Materials

In Class: ▲ Quiz (covering lecture)Workshop: Recommendation Report Headaches and Cures▲ In-class Assignment: To Be Announced

________________________________________________________________________

Before Class: ▲ Online Lecture on Tips for Preparing Draft for ConferenceTuesday, OR Thursday,November 13 November 15

Resources: Reminders and Revising/Editing Checklist posted under Course Materials

In Class: ▲ In-class assignment: To Be AnnouncedWorkshop: ▲ Conference reviewing draft of Recommendation Report

▲ Quiz (covering lecture)To ensure adequate conference time for each student, students will draw for one of the two above dates. The final draft of the report (plus draft reviewed during conference and copies of sources) will be due two weeks from date of conference as noted below.

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If your conference is on 11/13, your final report is due on 11/27. If your conference is on 11/15, your report is due on 11/29

________________________________________________________________________

Tuesday, Before Class: ▲ Online Lecture on EmailsNovember 20

Resources: Emails: side panel 12, Writing Negative E-Mail Messages 195, Formats for E-Mail 585-588, Subject Lines for E-Mails 157, Writing Persuasive E-Mail Messages 231

In Class: Workshop: Recommendation Report Concerns▲ Last day to submit second optional revision (Graded draft and its grade sheet must be attached; otherwise, the revision will not be graded.) ▲ Quiz (covering lecture)

▲ Team assignment on email case study________________________________________________________________________Thursday,November 22 Thanksgiving_______________________________________________________________________

Tuesday, Before Class: ▲ Online Lecture on Reminders for Preparing November 27 Final Draft of Recommendation Report

and Preview of Topics for the Workplace

Resources: TBA

In Class: ▲ Recommendation Report due for students whose conference was on November 13 (plus draft reviewed in conference and copies of sources marked per guidelines)

▲ In-class Assignment (Tone and Conciseness)▲ Quiz (covering lecture)Topics for the Workplace

_____________________________________________________________________

Thursday, Before Class: ▲ Online Lecture on Time ManagementNovember 29

Resources: Randy Pauch’s Video on Time Management posted under Course Materials

In Class: ▲ Recommendation Report due for students whose conference was on November 15 (plus draft reviewed in conference and copies of sources marked per guidelines)

▲ Quiz (covering online lecture)▲ Team Assignment on Time Management

________________________________________________________________________

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Tuesday, Before Class: ▲ Online Lecture on Reminders December 4 for Team Presentations

Resources: Materials about workplace topics gathered by individual teams

In Class: ▲ Team Presentations on Workplace Topics________________________________________________________________________Tuesday, Before Class: Complete course evaluation December 11 to bring to exit conference

In Class: ▲ REQUIRED End-of-course Conference (in lieu of final exam)(Drop by between 4 and 5.)

Purposes of conference: * Pick up graded Recommendation Report and course grade

* Discuss graded Recommendation Report if necessary. * Submit course evaluation that I have designed.

Any questions regarding your grade for the final report and/or for the course MUST be discussed at this time.

Important Note:

In fairness to all students, the final grade for the class is nonnegotiable. A specified GPA for eligibility purposes (such as for the Business College,

a scholarship, or academic good standing) is your responsibility.