Business Communication/English 302
Spring 2004, Section 18
Instructor: Jennifer Lowery
Office: Ross 455
Office hours: by appointment
Phone: 294-3233
Mailbox: Ross 206
Email: jenthor@iastate.edu
Class Meeting Information
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 4:10–5:00, Ross 120
Required Text
Business and Administrative Communication, 6th Ed. By Kitty O. Locker
Objectives
By the end of the course, you will understand and apply
• rhetorical principles to business communication
• principles of effective document design in preparing business documents
• generic requirements of selected business documents
• collaborative principles in planning and executing a collaborative project
• principles of effective international business communication
• principles of ethical practices
Requirements
1. Come to every class prepared and participate.
2. Do the assigned readings.
3. Do the assigned exercises.
4. Complete all major assignments.
In order for you to receive a passing grade in the course, you must complete and turn in all the
assignments.
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Major Units and Grading
“Getting the Job”—300 points
1. Why I Chose My Major and What I Plan to Do With It
2. Cover Letter
3. Resume
“Communicating on the Job”—300 points
1. Routine Good-News/Good-Will Memo
2. Bad-News Memo
3. Persuasive Letter
“Collaborating With Others on the Job”—300
1. Business Reports
2. Proposal
3. Oral Presentation
Participation—100 points
A total of 1000 points is possible for the semester. At the end of the semester, your total
number of points will be converted to a percentage and compared to a corresponding
letter grade.
Disability Accommodation
If you have a documented disability for which you require accommodation, you will need to
contact the Disability Resource Office (1076 Student Services; 515.294.6624; TDD
515.294.6335; Bea Awoniyi, Director, Awoniyib@iastate.edu). This office coordinates
academic accommodations and will provide a SAAR form verifying your disability and
specifying the accommodation you will need. Contact the office for more information.
Academic Honesty
The University’s academic honesty policy is spelled out in 2003–2005 Iowa State University
Catalog (http://www.iastate.edu/~catalog/2003-05/1-54.pdf page 38–40). If you have any
questions about plagiarism and how to avoid it, I am happy to review the guidelines with you.
See me if you have any questions.
Document Requirements
Each paper must be laser printed on a single-sided page with 1" margins all around. Please
staple all of the pages of each draft. Please do not use a title page. Each paper will be identified
if you include a footer with the filename and path, word count, and the date printed and a header
that contains your name and X page of Y pages. Please use italics instead of underlined text.
Save and “save as” often. Keep backup copies—including paper printouts of drafts, files on your
hard drive, and backup files on a disk—of all of your work. Plan plenty of time for printing.
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Attendance Policy
Attendance is required. You will record your attendance daily during the class by initialing an
attendance sheet. We will meet together 46 times (including the final exam period established by
the registrar). Accordingly, you may be absent up to 3 times (roughly 10% of our class
meetings) without affecting your participation points. You cannot pass this class if you are
absent 6 or more sessions.
Participation is expected. While I will present some materials in a lecture-type format, this is not
a lecture course. I expect you to come to class having read the assigned readings, prepared to
talk about both the content and rhetorical features of the readings.
On writing workshop days, you must come to class with five laser-quality printed copies of your
draft. Writing workshops cannot be made up, so you will want to make every effort to attend on
these days. You will use the grading matrix for the specific paper as the basis for your feedback.
Tentative Schedule
Week 1
Jan 12 M
Introduction to the course
Jan 14 W
Introduction to first assignment
Jan 16 F
Discuss case studies of miscommunication to introduce characteristics of effective
business communication
Week 2
Jan 19 M
Martin Luther King Day holiday
Jan 21 W
Introduce group critique
Writing workshop of first assignment, bring 5 copies
Jan 23 F
Read Chapter 1 and be prepared to discuss
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Sept 8 M
Sept 10 W
Sept 12 F
Introduction to clear concise business writing
Editing Exercise
Introduction to second assignment (memo/inquiry and response)
Critique of sample memos
Be prepared to discuss in detail Chapters 2 and 3
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