English 304.2
Business Communication
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English 304.2
Business Communication
Professor: Dr. Lisa A. Kirby Fall 2006
Office: Pearsall 177 MWF, 10:20-11:20
Office Hours: WF, 11:30-1:00 Classroom: GTC 127
Tuesday, 9:00-10:00, 1:00-3:00
and by appointment
Phone: 252-985-5337
E-mail: LAKirby@ncwc.edu
Website: http://faculty.ncwc.edu/lakirby
English 304 is a course that focuses on the development of critical writing used in business, science, technology, and government. The course will emphasize library research in professionally related fields, assigned essays and reports, letters and memoranda, oral communications, case analyses, and job search strategies. The prerequisite for this course is junior standing and successful completion of English 112 with at least a grade of “C.”
The following texts are required for this course and must be purchased:
Students are responsible for completing all reading, writing, and library assignments. In addition, any student given extra tutoring assignments will be expected to fulfill this task as part of the course requirements. Final grades will be determined as follows:
This is a course that will require a good bit of reading. I have tried to keep the reading assignments manageable. However, it is students’ responsibility to complete all readings prior to coming to class, and some will be quite lengthy. Because this is a class that relies heavily on class discussion and participation, this is not a course where students can “get by” if they do not complete the reading. Furthermore, I will often assign specific exercises, questions, or informal writing assignments to be completed out of class or sometimes at the beginning of class to test the class’s understanding of the reading. At times, we will go over these in class; other times, I will collect them for a grade. Either way, students should put forth their best efforts. All of these activities and reading assignments, whether graded or not, will serve as valuable review for the exams. I do understand that, from time to time, other responsibilities may keep students from completing a reading assignment; however, if it becomes clear that a student is repeatedly not reading and participating in class discussion, I will drop him/her from this class.
This is a Writing Intensive course (WI). The general characteristics of a writing intensive course, according to the North Carolina Wesleyan College Catalog, are:
· Expression of ideas and information is at least as valued as the ideas and information.
· Writing occurs on a regular basis both in and out of class.
· Writing is evaluated carefully, in detail, for style and grammar.
· At least 3,000 words of written work is expected.
· Writing should be shaped by class discussion with the possibility for revision.
As content is equally as important as form, I will examine students’ papers for poor English usage and I will make notations on those papers about areas of weakness that I perceive. Students should ensure that they study my comments/remarks and review any areas of weakness I indicate.
There are two different forms of writing assignments in this WI course: informal assignments and formal projects. There are four major projects for this course, and these assignments will consist of several components that will completed over the course of several weeks each. Informal writing assignments are comprised of homework assignments, quizzes, exercises, and in-class activities. Whether they take the form of in-class or out-of-class writings, I expect students to put forth effort and take each writing assignment seriously. We will be using the writing process in this class, which means that each assignment will be taken through the prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing stages. Students must turn in all stages of their writing in order to receive credit for an assignment. To stay organized, students should purchase a paper folder for this class. All writing projects, along with all stages of writing, will be turned in with this folder.
Paper Format
All writing assignments should be typed, double spaced, in 12 pt. font, with a properly formatted heading. I will let students know if there are any assignments that can be handwritten. Students should turn in all of their papers in folders to keep their work organized. For all assignments, I will require that students turn in prewriting, rough drafts, peer review, final draft, bibliographic information, and any required sources. Without these materials, I will not grade the assignment. The heading for all of assignments should look like the following:
Smith 1
John Smith
English 304.2
Dr. Kirby
August 23, 2006
Title of Assignment
Students should arrive to class prepared to discuss that day’s reading and writing assignments and participate in any assigned group work. While from time to time I may volunteer them for certain questions, I rely on students to voice their opinions and participate in class discussion.
Additionally, students will be asked to share their writing with their classmates at various points during the writing process. All of the writing students complete for this class will be considered public and, as such, students must be willing to share their writing. At some point this semester, we will project each student’s writing in front of the class for discussion.
Because this is a course that requires a great deal of reading and critical thinking, there will be both comprehensive midterm and final exams to test students’ knowledge and understanding of the material covered in class. These exam dates are listed on the syllabus, and exam format will include short answer, multiple choice, true/false, and essays.
Conferences
As part of our course requirements, I will at times request students to meet with me at various points during the semester for individual conferences. Unless otherwise indicated, students’ attendance at these conferences is a required component of this course, and they will receive a class absence for each missed conference.
Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact the Office of Disability Support Services (DSS) at 985-5369 as soon as possible to coordinate and implement accommodations in a timely fashion. The Office of DSS is located in the Student Support Center, Pearsall 188.
The Writing Lab is an academic support service available to Wesleyan students. Writing specialists and peer tutors are available for one-on-one tutorials in Pearsall 186. The Lab also offers an Online Writing Lab (OWL) that allows students to e-mail questions about their writing, submit drafts online for review, or access handouts on various writing-related topics. Please call (252) 985-5325 or visit the Lab’s Web site at http://annex.ncwc.edu/writing_lab/ for more information. The Lab is a wonderful resource for all Wesleyan students, and I strongly encourage (and sometimes require) students to visit the Lab for additional help with their writing.
Each student is expected to attend class regularly and participate in class activities. Because we will be doing so much in-class discussion of assigned reading and writing, attendance is crucial. If a student is going to be absent, it is his/her responsibility to contact and discuss with me any missed work, even if the absence is excused. Students must let me know if they have a legitimate reason for missing class such as participation in college-related activities or athletics. If he/she is an athlete, it is the student’s responsibility to get in touch with me prior to being absent from class regardless of whether I receive e-mails from coaches or the athletic department. I will not accept notes from parents, doctors, or the like as excuses; the only excused absences are those sanctioned by the College.
All students are allowed three unexcused absences. For each absence beyond the third, one’s semester grade will be penalized by 5%. Generally there will be no exceptions to this policy, and any requests for exceptions must be made before a fourth absence is incurred. Students are responsible for all work missed due to absences. With a student’s fifth absence, he/she will be dropped from the class with a grade of “F.” Please be aware that coming late or leaving early two times counts as one absence.
Late work
All assignments must be turned in at the beginning of class time on the day it is due. I will not accept any late work for any reason. This means that students should not put off printing their papers until five minutes before class time, nor should they show up late to class because they were working on your paper. If a student is going to be absent on the day an assignment is due, the assignment must be turned in to me prior to class time on the day of the absence or it will not be accepted. If a student finds that he/she is in need of an extended deadline, a written request must be made at least 24 hours before the due date; I will then consider the situation and determine whether an extension is warranted.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism, or academic dishonesty, is the appropriation, theft, purchase, or obtaining by any means another’s work, and the unacknowledged submission or incorporation of that work as one’s own offered for credit. Appropriation includes the quoting or paraphrasing of another's work without giving proper credit. Please refer to pages 68-69 of your North Carolina Wesleyan College Catalog for the official university policy on plagiarism. There is a zero tolerance policy for plagiarism in this course. If a student is found guilty of committing plagiarism and it is a first-time offense, the best one can hope for is a failing grade for the paper. For all cases of plagiarism, students will be reported to the Vice President of Academic Affairs, Registrar, Chair of the Humanities Division, the student’s adviser, and coaches. Repeat offenders will be penalized by a failure in the class or academic suspension.
Professionalism
Because this is a course meant to prepare students for “real-world” situations and the work environment, I place a very high value on the way students conduct themselves in the classroom. A student’s maturity, respect, and professionalism are expected at all times. If I find that a student is not meeting these requirements, he/she will be asked to leave class for the day and counted absent. Remember that this classroom is meant to mimic a real business or work environment. That means I expect students to act with a proper amount of responsibility and collegiality. Our class will be most successful if we work in an environment of cooperation and good citizenship. In addition to completing one’s assignments in a timely manner, we can foster a successful classroom environment if we all observe the following policies:
· Students should arrive on time to class and remain for the entire class period unless prior arrangements have been made with me;
· Students should arrive prepared with their syllabus, books, paper, and writing instrument daily;
· Cell phones, pagers, iPods, and the like should be turned off and out of sight at all times;
· Students must complete all of the reading assignments for this class. Reading comprehension and critical thinking are essential parts of making sure the class has mastered the skills necessary to pass. If students come to class without having completed that day’s reading assignment, I have no way of evaluating their progress;
· Please do not spend class time studying for other classes, reading other materials, or sleeping;
· We will have many class discussions in English 304, so I expect and encourage students to speak during class time. However, when side conversations take place among individual students, this can prove very disruptive. I expect all students to give their peers and me the proper respect by refraining from individual conversations;
· Remember that this is an academic environment and proper language and behavior are expected. Offensive or discriminatory language will not be tolerated; and
· Our class meets in a computer lab so that we can use this technology for the purposes of English 304. I expect students to use the computers for classroom purposes only. This means that they should not be e-mailing, surfing the Web, or instant messaging. If students choose to use the computers for these purposes, they will be asked to leave.
Observing these policies will ensure that we have the best semester possible. I retain the right to count you absent should you engage in any of the above behaviors. Remember there is more to attending class than merely being physically present.
Course Schedule
Week 1: Effective Business Communication
Wednesday, August 23 Introduction to course
Go over syllabus
Homework: Read Chapter 1, pages 2-28
Syllabus activity
Friday, August 25 Discuss Chapter 1
In-class writing
Homework: Read Chapter 2, pages 36-54
Week 2: Communicating in Teams and Mastering Listening
Monday, August 28 Discuss Chapter 2
Homework: Finish Chapter 2, pages 55-62
Wednesday, August 30 Finish discussion of Chapter 2
Hand out guidelines for Project 1
Homework: “On the Job” assignment, pages 63-4
Friday, September 1 Group activity
Disscuss “On the Job” assignment
Week 3: Communicating Interculturally
Monday, September 4 Labor Day Holiday—no class
Homework: Read Chapter 3, pages 70-90
Wednesday, September 6 Discuss Chapter 3
Hand out guidelines for Project 1
Homework: Complete exercise, pages 94-5
Friday, September 8 Discuss exercises, pages 94-5
Homework: Work on Project 1
Week 4: Planning and Writing Business Messages
Monday, September 11 In-class activity
Homework: Read Chapter 4, pages 98-124
Wednesday, September 13 Discuss Chapter 4
Homework: Read Chapter 5, pages 132-62
Friday, September 15 Discuss Chapter 5
Homework: Read Chapter 6, pages 170-85
Finish Project 1
Week 5: Completing Business Messages
Monday, September 18 Discuss Chapter 6
Homework: Finish Chapter 6, pages 185-94
Wednesday, September 20 Finish discussion of Chapter 6
Homework: Finish Project 1
Friday, September 22 Project 1 due
In-class activity
Homework: Read Chapter 7, pages 202-14
Week 6: Writing Routine and Positive Messages
Monday, September 25 Discuss Chapter 7
Hand out guidelines for Project 2
Homework: Finish Chapter 7, pages 214-29
Wednesday, September 27 Finish discussion of Chapter 7
Homework: Finish draft of Project 2
Friday, September 29 Group activity: Project 2
Homework: Read Chapter 8, pages 242-55
Week 7: Writing Negative Messages
Monday, October 2 Discuss Chapter 8
Homework: Finish Chapter 8, pages 255-71
Wednesday, October 4 Finish discussion of Chapter 8
Homework: Read Chapter 9, 284-98
Friday, October 6 Discuss Chapter 9
Homework: Finish Chapter 9, pages 298-310
Finish Project 2
Week 8: Writing Persuasive Messages
Monday, October 9 Project 2 due
Discuss Chapter 9
Homework: Read Chapter 14, pages 500-17
Wednesday, October 11 Discuss Chapter 14
Hand out guidelines for Project 3
Homework: Finish Chapter 14, pages 517-29
Friday, October 13 Finish discussion of Chapter 14
Homework: Study for midterm exam
Week 9: Building Careers and Writing Résumés
Monday, October 16 Midterm exam
Homework: Read Chapter 15, pages 538-65
Wednesday, October 18 Discuss Chapter 15
Friday, October 20 Fall Break—no class
Homework: Work on Project 3
Week 10: Applying and Interviewing for Employment
Monday, October 23 Group activity: Project 3
Homework: Work on Project 3
Wednesday, October 25 Founder’s Day (no classes until 1:00)
Homework: Work on Project 3
Friday, October 27 TBA
Homework: Read Chapter 10, pages 326-49
Finish Project 3
Week 11: Planning Reports and Proposals
Monday, October 30 Project 3 due
Discuss Chapter 10
Homework: Finish Chapter 10, pages 349-62
Wednesday, November 1 Finish discussion of Chapter 10
Hand out guidelines for Project 4
Homework: Read Chapter 11, pages 370-86
Friday, November 3 Discuss Chapter 11
Homework: Finish Chapter 11, pages 386-402
Week 12: Writing and Completing Reports and Proposals
Monday, November 6 Discuss Chapter 11
Homework: Read Chapter 12, pages 414-45
Wednesday, November 8 Discuss Chapter 12
Homework: Work on Project 4 description
Friday, November 10 Project 4 description due
Homework: Read Chapter 13, pages 460-75
Week 13: Planning, Writing, and Completing Oral Presentations
Monday, November 13 Discuss Chapter 13
Homework: Finish Chapter 13, pages 475-89
Wednesday, November 15 Finish discussion of Chapter 13
Homework: Work on Project 4
Friday, November 17 Group activity: Project 4
Homework: Finish Project 4 and presentation
Week 14: Presentations
Monday, November 20 Presentations/Work Day
Homework: Finish Project 3 and presentation
Wednesday, November 22 Thanksgiving Holiday—no class
Friday, November 24 Thanksgiving Holiday—no class
Homework:
Finish Project 3 and presentation
Week 15: Presentations
Monday, November 27 Presentations
Homework: Finish Project 3 and presentation
Wednesday, November 29 Project 4 due
Presentations
Last day of class
Homework: Study for final exam
Week 16: Final Exam
Monday, December 4 Final Exam, 9:00-11:00