Business Writing Spring 2016 Instructor: Office: Phone: E-mail: Office Hours: Course: Section: Time: Classroom: Robert Marini Curtain Hall, Room 567 (414) 229-6047 marini@uwm.edu M & W 11:20-12:20pm 205 005 M & W 12:30-1:45pm Curtin Hall 319 Required Text Business Communication: Process and Product, sixth edition, Mary Ellen Guffey. Prerequisites Completion of the English Proficiency Requirement: A grade of ‘C’ or better in English 102 (or equivalent second-semester university college composition course) An appropriate score on English Placement Test (637 or higher on EPT-2 or score of 525 or higher on EPT-3). Or This class may not be taken for credit/no credit. Note: you are required to promptly show evidence of having met the prerequisites in the course (grade report, transcript, test score form) if you enroll in the course after the initial registration period, or if the records provided to the instructor by the Registrar’s Office are incomplete. Course Goals This class is intended to familiarize students with the writing skills most often used in the modern workplace environment. The main topics to be covered include the following: Mastering the characteristics of business writing prose style Using graphic highlighting to enhance your document’s readability Suiting your rhetorical strategies to differing business writing tasks and purposes Giving presentations in the workplace We will also be reading and writing memos, letters and reports as well as familiarizing ourselves with their rhetorical strategies. Course activities will include class discussions of readings, individual and small group work on writing exercises, and an oral presentation based on an informal report. You should be aware in advance that this class will be demanding, and basic writing skills will be essential if you are to succeed. Robert Page 2 Spring 2016 Attendance Students are subject to failure in English 205 if they miss the equivalent of three weeks of classes. For a two day a week class, this constitutes more than six absences. For obvious reasons, attendance plays a part in class participations. Students are expected to be on time and be prepared to add to the class discussion. Your failure to a regularly attend class therefore could lead to a reduction in your participation/attendance grade. If you are forced to miss a class, it is your responsibility to make up any work assigned for that day. Assignments/Due Dates All assignments are expected to be submitted on their due dates (there is little tolerance in the world of business for late work). All assignments are expected to look professional. They must be typed using New Times Roman in the12-point font size (with the expectation of headings and other stylistic devices in which a larger font might be used for visual emphasis). Careful editing of all assignments is expected. An abundance of typos and punctuation and grammatical mistakes will result in a significant lowering of your grade. Types of Assignments Several letters and memos will be assigned. In addition, there will be one informal report, one oral presentation, two exams, and some in-class and out-of-class writing assignments and activities. Grading Your final grade for the course will be broken-down as follows: Memos/Letters: Report proposal: Informal Report: 2 exams: Oral Presentation: Quizzes Minor Assignments: Attendance 20 points 10 points 15 points 10 points each 10 points 12 points 10 points 3 points Final Grades: A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D D- 100- 95- 90- 85- 80- 75- 70- 65- 60- 55- 50- F Academic Dishonesty Plagiarism is the use of someone else’s work as if it is one’s own. It may occur when students use sources without adequate documentation or if students put their name on another’s work as if it were their own. Plagiarism is not tolerated at this university. English Department policies Robert Page 3 Spring 2016 on Academic Dishonesty are on its website (www.uwm.edu/dept/English). Registration Policies Administrative Drop for Lack of Prerequisites If you lack a course prerequisite, you may be dropped from-or be required to drop-the class. Drop the class as soon as you know you can't remain in the class. It is your responsibility to drop classes for which you don't meet published prerequisites or which you do not plan to attend. Don't wait for the department to drop you, as fees for dropped classes are based on the date you drop the class online via PAWS or the date your drop form is submitted to Enrollment Services, Mellencamp 274. Administrative Drop for Non-Attendance Departments have the right to enforce class attendance policies, and may administratively drop students that do not meet these requirements. In particular, students that fail to attend a class during the first week (or in some cases the first two weeks) may be dropped so that another student may be accommodated. Specific policies vary from department to department. It is your responsibility to inform yourself about and comply with any such attendance requirements or to drop the class yourself. Tuition responsibility for dropped credits resides with the student. Contact the instructor or department for more specific information, especially if you anticipate missing any classes during the first week of the term.