English 393: Technical Writing Spring 2017 Syllabus

Kelly Cresap, Ph.D. Tawes 1234 [email protected]

Overview and Objectives of the Course: English 393 is a hands-on workshop in preparing, reviewing, revising, and finalizing documents typical of the workplace, including letters and resumes, memos, proposals, and both written and oral reports. Students learn to improve the readability and usefulness of their writing in a variety of professional styles and formats. Students are graded not only on their ability to produce individual work, but also on their ability to collaborate in research and writing, as well as in evaluating and improving one another’s work.

Required Text: Mike Markel, Technical Communication, 11th ed. (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s Press, 2010); hyperlink http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/techcomm. This book is available in print or online format.

Recommended Text: I strongly recommend a grammar and style guide such as Diana Hacker The Bedford Handbook or Hodges’ Harbrace Handbook. Most students arrive in their junior and senior years of college with an inadequate grasp of standard English usage in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Although English 393 is not designed to focus on these skills, it is impossible to excel in the course without them. Refer also to the Writing Center listing below.

Course Webpage: log in at https://myelms.umd.edu/

Grade Percentages/Sequence of Assignments: Assignments will be graded according to the following percentages: 1A. Résumé, and 1B. Cover letter (15%); 2. Proposal memo and annotated bibliography (10%); 3. Claim letter and adjustment letter (10%); 4. Progress report (10%); 5. Major project (30%); 6. Oral presentation (10%). This is also the sequence of assignments, except that the cover letter (1B) will be due after assignment 2. Together, these assignments total 85%; the remaining 15% of the grade is based on the weekly journal, the informal in-class presentation, and general class participation. Note: There is no final exam in this course.

Assignment Submission Requirements: Assignments are due at the start of class on the date indicated on the course schedule and assignment sheet. Papers should meet, not exceed, required length. In general, use 12-point font size, one inch margins, and left-side justification only. On rare occasions I may accept papers submitted via email or disk. Keep all of your drafts, as well as in-class work.

Late Papers: Late papers will be lowered one letter grade for the first class period, and two letter grades for each subsequent class period. No computer or illness excuses (without off- campus doctors’ notes) for late papers will be accepted. You must write all of the required papers and receive a C or better on them to pass the course. If you receive a D or an F on a paper, you may rewrite it one time, after consulting with me, to attempt to raise it to a C or better.

Attendance and Class Environment: Students are allowed a maximum of one absence (or two half-sessions). Each additional absence will reduce the class participation portion of the grade (each 75-minute absence counts as a 4% penalty, up to a maximum of 15% total). Absences due to illness or a death in the family do not count in this tally, but still need to be accounted for, either via email or by talking to me prior to class. Notify me in the first three weeks of class regarding absences due to religious observance. Two tardinesses of ten minutes or more counts as one absence. If you are absent, stay current with the class by contacting another student about what was covered that day; do not write requesting me to do so. During class, I expect attentiveness and willing participation. In general, turn off iPhones and other electronic equipment when class is in session; resort to using such devices only on rare occasions, never while the instructor or another student is presenting to the class. If you take class notes via computer, sit in one of the class’s first two rows. Students are responsible for all material covered in class. As this is not a lecture course, your contribution is critical. Listen actively, share from your experiences, and ask informed questions.

Grading Criteria: The letter grades you receive in this course are equivalent to evaluations received in the workplace:

An A document is excellent work: it succeeds and receives praise. The audience analysis is insightful, the topic precise, the organization of the argument is clear and logical. The document contains sufficient detail, the information is accurate, timely, clear, and comprehensive. Your supervisor would be impressed and would pass the document along to supervisors, without revision.

A B document is good work. It might have almost all the virtues of an A document, but one or more of the elements is flawed. For instance, persistent spelling errors could reduce an A document to a B. Your supervisor would appreciate your work but would want you to revise it before passing it along.

A C document indicates work that is merely adequate. It may technically satisfy the requirements of the assignment, but is significantly flawed. Your supervisor would be disappointed with the document, and would want someone else to revise it before passing it along. In addition, the supervisor would begin to doubt your ability to complete similar assignments successfully.

A D document is unsatisfactory. Although some aspects of the document might be well done, on the whole there are significant problems with conception or execution. Your employer would question your basic competence and suitability for your position.

An F document is failing work. It is submitted after the deadline, it does not respond to the assignment, it is extremely difficult to read, or it is unprofessional in appearance or writing quality. Your supervisor may advise you to update your resume and visit Human Resources.

Weekly Journal: I will assign periodic informal journal-writing exercises for which you will need either paper or a portable computer. Most such writings will be done during class hours. These are designed as a gauge of your response to issues arising in class as well as in the everyday professional world. I will call for journals twice during the semester and evaluate them ( +, , or -) according to the degree of engagement.

Informal Presentation: At some point during the semester, each student will give a brief (maximum: about two minutes) informal oral presentation on a topic of his or her choice. Use your imagination and creativity. Tell us about something that interests you, and make it interesting for us. This is a chance for you to inform or inspire the class for a few moments; it also lets you hone your public delivery style in preparation for Assignment 6. No elaborate preparation is needed; use no more than a single sheet or 3x5 card as you present. There is no deliverable beyond the presentation itself.

Professional Writing Program Office: The PWP Office is located in Tawes 1220. Any documents submitted through the PWP should go in the drop box outside the main PWP entrance. Be sure to put my name on any document you submit. The PWP website is http://www.engl-pw.umd.edu/index.htm.

Academic Integrity: The University has approved a Code of Academic Integrity (http://www.shc.umd.edu/code.html) which prohibits students from cheating on exams, plagiarizing papers, submitting the same paper for credit in two courses without authorization, buying papers, facilitating academic dishonesty, submitting fraudulent documents, and forging signatures. Plagiarism policy: all quotations taken from other authors, including from the Internet, must be indicated by quotation marks and referenced. Paraphrasing must be referenced as well.

In this class, as in all other endeavors at the University of Maryland, scholarly integrity is indispensable. Plagiarism will result in automatic failure in the course. A plagiarist may also be called before the Student Honor Council, the Office of Judicial Programs, and expelled from the university. You are expected to do all your own work, and are responsible for reading and understanding the definition of plagiarism. If you have questions, ask me, or see the Office of Judicial Programs and Student Ethical Development website (www.jpo.umd.edu/).

The Writing Center: Individual tutoring is available at the Writing Center at no cost for all students. Open beginning the second week of classes, the center’s hours are Monday-Wednesday 9:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m., Thursday 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., and Friday 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. The location is Tawes 1205; the phone is (301) 405-3785. For appointments and information, log on to www.english.umd.edu/academics/writingcenter. Remember, this is a tutoring center, not an editing service. It will help both the tutor and yourself if you clarify your goals on a given writing project at the start of your session. The center also sponsors The Grammar Hotline, available at (301) 405-3785.

Disabilities: Inform me at the beginning of the semester if you have a verified disability. If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a documented disability or if you have emergency information to share, please contact the Disability Support Service at (301) 314-7682. This will ensure that you are properly registered for services. Career Center: Students may wish to make use of the resources of the Career Center on the 3rd floor of Hornbake Library. The center is designed to help you prepare job, internship, graduate school, or professional school application materials.

Course Evaluation: Confidential on-line course evaluation will be open during the final two weeks of classes via the website www.courseevalum.umd.edu. We will also conduct written course evaluations in class.