Business Communication – English 302
Text: The Business Writer’s Handbook, 8th edition, by Gerald J. Alred, Charles T. Brusaw, and Walter E.
Oliu,
All readings must be completed prior to class time (on the date indicated) and you are strongly encouraged
to bring the text to class. You will put together a portfolio at the end of the semester, so I encourage you to
store your documents-flash drives are good. Lab days are Mondays in Durham 91.
Week One: Introductions
Monday, January 14 (Lab)-- Introduction to course, “Networking” Activity, and Jeff’s email
Wednesday, January 16 – Read: “Preface”; “Five Steps to Successful Writing”; The
Five-Way Access System (back cover); and entries under “memos”,
“proofreading,” and “writing a draft”
Activity: Grammar quiz (#1)
Friday, January 18 – Activity: Write in class memo to introduce yourself to instructor
Homework: Go to www.uvsc.edu/ethics/curriculum/business Read the ethics case about employee
absence. Respond to the questions in memo format. Be sure to expand on Yes/No answers. (Ethic #1)
Week Two: Listening/Business Writing Style
Monday, January 21 – No class. Martin Luther King, Jr. day
Wednesday, January 23 – Guest Speaker:
Due: Ethics #1
Friday, January 25 – Read: “business writing style”; “correspondence”; “’you’ viewpoint”; “clarity”;
“conciseness”; “sentence variety”
Activity: style/tone work in class (Grammar #2)
Week Three: Job Package
Monday, January 28 (Lab) – Computer search for job/career of choice –you will use this job/job criteria
when you design resume and letter of application; check out <www1.umn.edu/ohr/ecep/resume/index.htm>
Wednesday, January 30 – Chris Miller PPT, Director of Marketing, Dice, Inc. presentation
“What Your Parents Haven’t Told You and Your New Boss Expects You to Know”
Read: “job search”; “application letters”; “resumes”; “interviewing for a job”; “job description”
Homework: Ethics #2 Go to www.uvsc.edu/ethics/curriculum/business and read the case on
substance abuse – answers in memo format
Friday, February 1 – Read: “emphasis”; “tone”; “style”; “persuasion”; “paragraphs”
Due: Bring your resume to class; Ethics #2
Activity: resume work
Week Four: Job Package/Company Profile
Monday, February 4 (Lab) – Skills work
Activity: in class handouts
Homework: Ethics #3 – Working Environment
Wednesday, February 6 – Due: Ethics #3
Activity: Grammar #4 – in class
Friday, February 8 – Due: Job Package (career/job profile; resume; letter of application
Activity: brainstorm a company/business
Homework: Ethics #4 – Affirmative Action
Week Five: Company Profile
Monday, February 11 (Lab) –Activity: Design work for own business letterhead and business card;
Wednesday, February 13 – Activity: handout company profile memo and work on business profile
Due: Ethics case #4
Friday, February 15 -- Activity: group work on profiles
Week Six – Informational Brochure
Monday, February 18 (Lab)– Due: Company Profile, business card, letterhead
Activity: analyze brochures
Wednesday, February 20 – Read: “promotional writing”; “brochures” “purpose”; “audience”;
“organization”; “layout”; “purpose”
Activity: More brochure analysis/Grammar #5
Due: Ethics #5
Friday, February 22 – Activity: Grammar exercise
Homework: Ethics #5 – Case Cement for Sale
Week Seven – Brochure/Unsolicited Letter
Monday, February 25 (Lab) – Activity: prepare draft of an unsolicited letter; You attitude
Due: Ethics #5
Wednesday, February 27 – Activity: creating introductions for memos that catch reader’s attention
Friday, February 29 – Activity: mini-presentations to share brochures (2 minutes each)
Due: Letter and brochure
Week Eight: Trip Planning Report
Monday, March 3 (Lab) – Memo: Progress report on Quick Reference Guide
Activity: inquiry work, prepare draft of trip planning report; handout
Wednesday, March 5 – Activity: “you” practice – Grammar #6
Friday, March 7 – Activity: Ethics #6: Case The Question of Corporate Responsibility (no class)
Week Nine: Friendly Co-Worker Program
Monday, March 10 (Lab) – Due: Trip Planning Report
Activity (Lab): Friendly Co-Worker Program Assignment (SWA)
Due: Ethics #6
Wednesday, March 12 – Read: “presentations” -- only first 4 sub-topics
Activity: small group discussion of PPT ideas
Friday, March 14 – Activity: sketch out PPT designs on storyboard, select design, and hand in storyboard
Week Ten--Spring Break – Have a good time!!
Week Eleven: Trade Show PPT Presentations
Monday, March 24 (Lab) – Read: “promotional writing”
Activity: computer work on PPT presentations
Due: Friendly Co-Worker Program Letter and Memo
Wednesday, March 26 – Read: “presentations” – last 4 sub-topics
Activity: Grammar #7
Friday, March 28 – Activity: Continue work on Trade Show PPT
Week Twelve: Trade Show PPT Presentations
Monday, March 31 (Lab) – Read: “documenting sources”; “documentation”; “paraphrasing”;
“bibliographies”
Activity: visual evaluation/documentation
NOTE: E-MAIL PPTS TO ME BY TUESDAY 5 PM.
Wednesday, April 2 – Trade Show PPT presentations 1-9
Friday, April 4 – Trade Show PPT presentations 10-18
Week Thirteen: Formal Proposal
Monday, April 7 (Lab) – Trade Show PPT presentations 19-26
Wednesday, April 9 – Due: Reflective memo re: audience response to trade show PPT.
Read: “collaborative writing”
Activity: mini group project
Friday, April 11 – Read: “proposals” -- first two sub-topics; “executive summary”; “glossary”;
“appendix”; “introduction”; “conclusion”; “table of contents”;
Activity: to go www.bedfordstmartins.com/alredbus and go to Model documents gallery. Find
proposals.
Week Fourteen: Research/Proposals/Reports
Monday, April 14 (Lab) – Computer work on proposal/research
Wednesday, April 16 – Read: “proposals” – rest of section; “layout and design”; “tone”
Activity: Proposal Activity (Grammar #9)
Friday, April 18 – Read: “organization”; “research”; “outlining”
Activity: Outline of proposal
Week Fifteen: Formal Proposal/Progress Reports
Monday, April 21 (Lab) – Computer work on proposal/research
Wednesday, April 23 – Read: “progress and activity reports”; “conclusions”
Activity: group work on Progress report
Friday, April 25 – No class – conferences with me
Activity: Bring progress report
Week Sixteen
Monday, April 28 (Lab) – Proposal workday
Be sure to email presentations (PPT component) to me by 6pm on Tuesday, April 25.
Wednesday, April 30 – Proposal Presentations
Friday, May 2 – Proposal Presentations
Week Seventeen
May 5-9 Final Exam Week – TBA -- Final self-evaluation report due