WAYLAND BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
Phoenix Campus, Fall 2012
Wayland Baptist University Mission Statement: Wayland Baptist University exists to educate students in an academically
challenging, learning-focused and distinctively Christian environment for professional success, lifelong learning, and service to God
and humankind.
Course Name:
Term and Year:
Name of Instructor:
Phone:
E-mail:
Class Time & Location:
ENGL 4314 Contemporary Usage
Fall 2012
Kim Jobe, M.A.
623-258-5207 (Call 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. or text any time)
kim.jobe@wayland.wbu.edu
Wednesdays, 5:30 – 9:40 p.m., Luke AFB
Catalog Description: A practical study of present-day styles, stressing correctness, appropriateness, and clarity in writing; and
attention to editing and proofreading. For teachers, professionals, secretaries, and students in all degree programs.
Prerequisite: Consent of Instructor
Required Textbook and Resources:
Gregg Reference Manual, 10th Ed.
McGraw-Hill Irwin
Sabin, William
ISBN 0-07-293653-3
How to Write It, 3rd Ed. (2011)
Ten Speed Press
Lamb, Sandra
ISBN 978-1-60774-032-2
Course Outcome Competencies: Upon the conclusion of this course, students actively engaged in learning will be able to:
1. Understand and apply the latest rules and guidelines related to contemporary usage.
2. Select an appropriate writing style for the occasion.
3. Demonstrate the ability to communicate in various formats (e-mail, memos, letters, reports, etc.)
4. Demonstrate fundamental editing and proofreading skills.
Attendance Requirements: As stated in the Wayland Catalog, students enrolled at one of the University’s external campuses should
make every effort to attend all class meetings. All absences must be explained to the instructor, who will then determine whether the
omitted work may be made up. When a student reaches that number of absences considered by the instructor to be excessive, the
instructor will so advise the student and file an unsatisfactory progress report with the campus dean. Any student who misses 25
percent or more of the regularly scheduled class meetings will receive a grade of F in the course. Additional attendance policies for
each course, as defined by the instructor in the course syllabus, will be discussed at our first meeting.
Academic Honesty: University students are expected to conduct themselves according to the highest standards of academic honesty.
Academic misconduct for which a student is subject to penalty includes all forms of cheating, such as illicit possession of examinations or
examination materials, forgery, or plagiarism. (Plagiarism is the presentation of the work of another as one’s own work.) See the current
catalog for sanctions. (NOTE: All writing assignments are assessed using SafeAssignment.)
Disability Statement: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), it is the policy of Wayland Baptist
University that no otherwise qualified person with a disability be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be
subject to discrimination under any educational program or activity in the university. The Coordinator of Counseling Services serves
as the coordinator of students with a disability and should be contacted concerning accommodation requests at (806) 291- 3765.
Documentation of a disability must accompany any request for accommodations.
Course Requirements and Grading Criteria:
Because this is a writing course, students will be evaluated on a wide variety of writing assignments. Emphasis will be on understanding
appropriate writing styles, basic structures involved in writing, and the correct use of grammar/techniques.
Writing Assignments
1. Introducing yourself (3 audiences)
2. Business letter/memo/e-mail
3. Résumé and cover letter
4. Research report (worth double)
5. Complaint and apology
Grading Percentage
Writing assignments
Worksheets
Journals
Presentation
Quizzes
60%
10%
10%
5%
15%
Grading for Course
90 - 100 %
A=
80 - 89 %
B=
70 - 79 %
C=
60 - 69 %
D=
below 60 %
F=
In addition to class writing assignments and other homework, students will be required to keep a writing journal and will be expected to
write in their journal for a minimum of 15 minutes/day, at least five days a week for a total of at least 50 dated entries. Students will upload
all writing assignments, including the each week’s journal entries, via Blackboard.
ENGL 4314 Jobe
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Reading Assignments
You will read chapters in the textbooks (almost) every week.
Quizzes
You need to complete short quizzes on the assigned reading in How to Write It before class. The quizzes will be in
Blackboard, in the Course Content folder for the week the reading was due.
Worksheets
You need to complete worksheets on the Gregg manual before class. We will be checking them in class. Do your best but
don’t stress over it. The point is for you to learn as much as you can. Like the journals, this is an “I did it” grade; you get
full points just for completing it. Worksheets and writing assignments will be due on alternate weeks.
Journal
You will be required to keep a journal and will be expected to write in your journal for 15 minutes per day, at least five
days a week for ten weeks. (Note: This is meant to increase your writing fluency, not to be a burden. Set your timer for
15 minutes if you want; if you only get one or two sentences written during that time on some days, so be it!)
Since this is a journal, you don’t have to worry about transitions or opening and closing paragraphs. Do practice using
topic sentences for your paragraphs, though, and try to spell and punctuate correctly. You may write about anything you
want. This isn’t supposed to be a diary, but you can write about something in particular from your life, if you wish. Some
people in the past have complained about bosses. Some have talked about what they want to do in the future. Some have
given their opinions on issues in the news. One even gave his own narration of sports he was watching on TV. I will be
checking to make sure that you are doing the writing. This is another “I did it” grade. You will get full points if you
complete journals for all five days or partial points if you don’t write all five days.
Each week’s journal should be a separate word processing document, and you will upload the files via SafeAssignment in
Blackboard. The link to SafeAssignment will be in the Course Content folder for the week the journal is due.
Format of Writing Assignments
The journals you submit via Blackboard should follow this layout:
1. Select one-inch margins.
2. Select a font size of 12 with a standard font (like Times New Roman).
3. Double spaced with the first line of each paragraph indented ½ inch.
4. On the first page:
a. Put your name and the date at the top right corner in the top header.
b. Center the title. (For example: “Journal #1” or “Description”)
5. On subsequent pages, put your name at the left margin and page number at the right margin in the top header.
The business correspondence you submit via Blackboard should follow the layout of the type of correspondence.
Include your name (in some form) as the author of the correspondence.
ENGL 4314 Jobe
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Tentative Schedule:
Week 1
22 Aug Do before the first class:
Read: How to Write It “Principles” (pp. 1-16)
Gregg “Editing and Proofreading” (pp. 348-359)
Quiz: Quiz #1 in Blackboard (on syllabus & reading assignment)
Write: Write draft of Journal #1 in class.
Diagnostic test on grammar/style skills in class
Week 2
29 Aug Read:
Week 3
5 Sept
Week 4
12 Sept
Week 5
19 Sept
Week 6
26 Sept
Week 7
3 Oct
Week 8
10 Oct
Week 9
17 Oct
Week 10
24 Oct
Week 11
31 Oct
How to Write It “Employment & Employee Communication” (pp. 161-195)
Gregg “Punctuation: Major Marks” (pp. 2-53);
“Letters, Memos, and E-Mail” (pp. 360-420); “Forms of Address” (pp. 577-585)
Quiz: Quiz #2 in Blackboard
Write: Writing assignment #1 (introductions) and journal #1.
Read: How to Write It “Electronic Communications” (pp. 408-415)
Gregg “Letters, Memos, and E-Mail” (pp. 421-441); “Punctuation: Other Marks” (pp. 54-91)
Quiz: Quiz #3 in Blackboard
Write: Worksheets #2-5 and journal #2.
Read: How to Write It “Job Search” (pp. 107-159)
Gregg “Capitalization” (pp. 92-119); “Numbers” (pp. 120-144);
“Other Business Documents” (pp. 554-576)
Quiz: Quiz #4 in Blackboard
Write: Writing assignment #2 (business letter/memo/e-mail) and journal #3.
Read: How to Write It “Proposals and Reports” (pp. 197-244)
Gregg
“Abbreviations” (pp. 145-171); “Plurals and Possessives” (pp. 172-192)
Quiz: Quiz #5 in Blackboard
Write: Worksheets 6-7, 9-11 and journal #4.
Read: How to Write It “Inquiries, Requests, and Response Communications” (pp. 246-280)
Gregg “Reports and Manuscripts” (pp. 442-473); “Notes and Bibliographies” (pp. 474-507)
“Tables” (pp. 508-538)
Quiz: Quiz #6 in Blackboard
Write: Writing assignment #3 (résumé and cover letter) and journal #5.
Read: How to Write It “Problems, Sensitive Matters, and Resolutions” (pp. 282-324)
Gregg
“Spelling” (pp. 193-213); “Compound Words” (pp. 214-247);
“Other Business Documents” (pp. 539-553)
Quiz: Quiz #7 in Blackboard
Write: Worksheets 12-14 and journal #6.
Read: How to Write It “Orders, Credit, and Collections” (pp. 326-359)
Gregg
“Word Division” (pp. 248-253)
Quiz: Quiz #8 in Blackboard
Write: Writing assignment #4 (research report) and journal #7.
Read: How to Write It “Marketing, Public Relations & Sales Communication” (pp. 361-371)
Gregg
“Grammar” (pp. 254-307); “Usage” (pp. 308-345)
Quiz: Quiz #9 in Blackboard
Write: Worksheets 15, 17-21 and journal #8.
Read: How to Write It “Media Relations, Publications, and Publicity” (pp. 373-406)
Quiz: Quiz #10 in Blackboard
Write: Writing assignment #5 (complaint and apology) and journal #9.
Presentations in class
Write: Journal #10.
Diagnostic post-test in class
Presentations in class