RWS 305W, Fall 2012 Writing for Engineers Dr. Steve Merriam smerriam@mail.sdsu.edu Office: AH 3119 / 619-594-6331 Office Hours: Th 6:40-7:40 Course Description The purpose of this intermediate writing course is to improve the engineering student’s ability to write the various documents that engineers produce in the workplace. The goal is to aid your success both as a student and as a working engineer once you graduate. The course includes principles of rhetorical strategy while focusing on the student as engineer, which means that the instruction for RWS 305 is geared toward improving the student’s engineering writing skills by developing general strategies for particular document types. RWS 305 builds on the rhetorical models that students are introduced to in earlier 100- and 200-level courses: Attention to audience, purpose, presentation (genre and organization), evidence, and language. The course provides you with the opportunity to write in and evaluate the variety of forms you are likely to encounter in your professional lives (i.e., memos, manuals, proposals, reports). In other words, RWS 305 students learn to respond not just to academic tasks, but to a wider variety of genres and settings that require diverse research methods and writing styles. You will also be asked to reflect on and evaluate the effectiveness of your own writing style(s) within rhetorical contexts. Rhetorical Feature of Engineering Communication Because engineers communicate information to non-engineering executives as well as other engineers, they must understand the different communication demands that both groups present. We will examine this difference as each document type is covered in class, for example: What does an engineer understand in a technical report that an executive might not? How do managers and engineers look at proposals differently? What is the importance of limiting technical content in presentations? Your audience has its own expertise level, goals, and interests when reading or listening to your information. The better you understand this, the better your chances of communicating your ideas successfully. Oral Communication The other key facet of this course is its emphasis on oral communication. Engineering managers, professors, and researchers continually state the importance of an engineer’s ability to speak well, with clarity, and for a specific purpose. From interviewing for a job to presenting your latest findings to management, your speaking ability can be your career’s catalyst—or its hindrance. Throughout this course we will incorporate oral communication into classroom exercises, short presentations, and group work. By the end of the course you should be more comfortable speaking to individuals and groups. Required Texts Beer, David and McMurrey, David. A Guide to Writing as an Engineer. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2005. Assignments and Grading Assignment Resume & Cover Letter (individual) Instructional Text Project (group) Proposal Memo Presentation (group) Engineering Failure Report Project (group) Case Studies/Reading Quizzes Attendance/Participation Total Points 15 10 10 15 25 20 5 100 Due Date 9/20/12 10/25/12 11/1/12 12/6/12 12/13/12 Varies n/a Course Policies Participation. This is a class in communication, so your participation is essential. I assume that you are strong students, of course, but budding professionals as well, and I run the class in a collaborative mode as a professional. In class, you should share relevant ideas and observations. It is imperative that you attend class; the equivalent of three or more absences (missing one week) will damage your grade, and of course, persistent tardiness shows a lack of commitment. It is also important that you turn in informal exercises and come to class prepared to discuss the day’s assignments. This is a case of mutual preparedness and respect, not only for me, but more importantly, for your colleagues. In general no in-class work can be made up. It is your responsibility to contact a classmate to find out what went on in class. You can do this easily via SDSU’s electronic Blackboard, which I will discuss during the second week in class. Grades. Each document or presentation you prepare reflects your knowledge and establishes your image. Grades are determined by total points acquired, class ranking, and my judgment. Every effort will be made to evaluate formal written assignments quickly. There is no other curve other than the standards generated locally and the standards made explicit and implied through the instructor’s presentations and assignments. Note: If you are taking RWS 305W for C/NC, you must complete all projects for credit in the course. Writing Assignment Requirements. Specific requirements for assignments will be discussed in class. All reading assignments are to be completed before class, even though we may not discuss the readings directly. Written assignments are due on the date indicated on the syllabus. All assignments must be prepared with appropriate software and should conform to the conventions of the genre. Keep a copy of all assignments you hand in. Maintain a cumulative file that includes all your assignments. The documents in this file could help constitute professional samples for your portfolio. Please place a copy of all group assignments in your file share folder on Blackboard. Late Work. All assignments for this course are to be submitted on time, typed, and stapled (larger projects may be professionally bound). Try to avoid late papers. However, you can receive an extension for good cause if you (1) contact me before the assignment is due by means of a formal memo in which you explain the reason for the delay and (2) propose in the memo a reasonable deadline (less than 1 week), which you then keep. The memo is a contract. Failure to keep the new deadline breaks the contract, and I won’t accept your paper. You can use this option no more than once in a semester. Group Work. Group work constitutes a significant portion of your final grade. If you are not prepared to devote significant time outside of class to group work, you should not attempt this class. If you have any problems within your group that, after patient travail, you cannot resolve, please see me. Alternatively, coming to see me with a problem that I feel you might have worked through on your own will hurt your participation grade. Coping with the challenges of collaboration is an essential part of this course. Plagiarism. While plagiarism is unlikely due to the individualized nature of the assignments, any writing suspected of plagiarism may result in a failing grade, withdrawal, or in extensive revisions. Plagiarism is a violation of Title 5, California Administrative Code, Part 5, Section 4130(a) and is to be taken seriously. See Academic Honesty on Blackboard. Come See Me for Help. I have dedicated office hours for this course. I encourage you to make an appointment to see me (to ensure that you receive enough individual attention), or you can email me with any question or comment. Note: As the instructor, I reserve the right to examine and reconsider individual grades in terms of attendance, collaborative effort, and punctuality.