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
008
M & W 3:30-4:45pm
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 Marini
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 Marini
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.