University of North Texas
ENGL 2700 - Technical Writing
Fall 2006; Tech Writing Lab; M-W 1:30 -2:50 PM / 3:00 – 4:20 PM.
Professor: Debopriyo Roy; Office: Auditorium 303
Office Hours: M, W: 12:00-1:15 p.m. or by appointment
Office Phone: (940) 565-2131
Mobile # 214-886-0661 (use only in emergency)
E- Mail: writingt@yahoo.com (Best way to keep in touch)
Website: http://www.engl.unt.edu/~droy
Course Description
This course is designed for students at UNT who expect to write in their future employment. Successful
employees know how to communicate clearly and effectively, changing writing style and content for
varying audiences and purposes. This class will focus on the difficult task of meeting readers' needs while
simultaneously representing your best interests and those of your employer. To meet that end, the
assignments will cover a variety of tasks produced under different circumstances, some done quickly
during class and some polished and perfected over time. Students completing the semester's work should
see a visible improvement in their writing, especially in terms of clarity and precision.
Course Plan
This course is designed to help you write more effectively in work situations. Much of workplace writing is
done quickly and without time for revision. Most of the assignments would leave room for multiple
iterations (revisions). Even when you turn in a final document and you have an idea for further
improvement of the existing document, I will give you an opportunity to improve on it. Most of our
assignments would be scenario based, working with actual corporate situations. I will expect you to have a
reasonably good understanding of the context and audience with a plan outline for execution before starting
with any writing process. This is because you write in an organization for possible further action and not
for grades.
Course Policies
Business Writing is a workshop oriented class that includes in-class writing, peer group work, and case
study based projects. In-class work missed as a result of attitude or unexcused absence related problems
may not be made up. If you must miss class, use the professional work model: e-mail your instructor with
the date and reason for your absence before the class you miss and be sure that any homework is handed in
electronically and on time. Late work will not be accepted without penalty unless students make
arrangements for an extension before the due date.
Course Objectives
1. The student should be able to write in any context.
2. Develop and understand various strategies for planning, researching, drafting, revising, and editing
documents that respond effectively and ethically to professional situations.
3. Learn and apply strategies for effective group collaboration.
4. Understand and use various research methods to produce professional documents.
5. Develop strategies for using and adapting various communication technologies for projects.
6. Learn to argue with visual data, understanding and implementing principles of document design.
Americans and Disabilities Act
In accordance with the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, I will work with the Office of
Disability Accommodation to help reasonably qualified students with disabilities. If you have such a
disability, please advise me in writing of the help you need no later than the second week of class.
Plagiarism and Cheating
Infractions are very serious and subject to University policy on punishing academic dishonesty. I have
very little tolerance for materials which are not your own or for which no sources have been cited. If
you are using material or ideas from another source and have questions about how to properly use and
document that material, or if you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism, please ask me.
I may revise this syllabus at any time during the semester. All revisions will be reasonable and based
on class needs.
Assignment Expectations
Work must be appropriate to audience, purpose, and context. I will be looking for insightful, in-depth
analysis of complex ideas; main points supported with evidence; focus and organization with appropriate
subheadings; sentence variety in length and form; precise vocabulary used accurately; elimination of
wordiness; facility with sentence structure and language usage; appropriate visual cues (italics, bold,
spacing, and arrangement); and few or no mechanical errors that detract from meaning.
Technological Expectations
I will post the syllabus and lecture notes on my website. If possible, we can shift the class in a computer
classroom. Everything would be posted in the class website. You might maintain all the class assignments
in the scratch drive or in a zip disk / flash drive.
Syllabus: This syllabus will be discussed during the first day of class. Students should talk with the
instructor if they anticipate a need for alternative assignments or readings.
Text
Sims, Brenda R. Technical Communication for Readers and Writers. Special Second Edition for the
University of North Texas. Houghton Mifflin.
Course Policy
A complete list of course policy would be posted on the class web page as a separate file. Sign and
return that sheet to the instructor.
Class Schedule (Tentative schedule, deviations may be necessary)
Readings and Assignments
Aug 28th
What we’ll do in class:
Syllabus Distribution / Instructor absent
What to read:
Nothing!
What’s due:
Nothing!
______________________________________________________________________________________
Aug 30th
What we’ll do in class:
No Class / Instructor absent
What to read:
Nothing!
What’s due:
Nothing!
______________________________________________________________________________________
Sep 4th
Sep 6th
Sep 11th
Sep 13th
Sep 18th
Sep 20th
What we’ll do in class:
Labor Day holiday
What to read:
Nothing!
What’s due:
Nothing!
What we’ll do in class:
Introduction / Intro to Tech Writing
What to read:
Lecture Notes
What’s due:
Nothing!
What we’ll do in class:
Analyzing Workplace Writing
Situations – Practice Workshop
What to read:
Lecture Notes
What’s due:
Nothing!
What we’ll do in class:
Styles in Technical Writing
What to read:
Lecture Notes and Chapter 7 (Sims)
What’s due:
Exercises 1-6 on pages 191-193
What we’ll do in class:
Using Reader-Oriented Language
What to read:
Chapter 8 (Sims)
What’s due:
Exercises 1-11 on pages 216-218
What we’ll do in class:
Practice Style Exam
What to read:
Lecture Notes & chapters 7 & 8 (Sims)
What’s due:
Nothing!
______________________________________________________________________________________
Sep 25th
What we’ll do in class:
Style Exam (Graded)
Sep 27th
What to read:
Review Lecture and additional Notes,
chap 7 & 8 and your Practice Exam
What’s due:
Nothing!
What we’ll do in class:
Organizing Information (Chap 6)
Introduce Formal Project Assignment
What to read:
Chapter 6 (Sims)
What’s due:
Case Study on page 173 (Sims)
Oct 2nd
What we’ll do in class:
Designing Documents and Visual
Aids (Chapter 9)
What to read:
Chapter 9 (Sims) or Lecture Notes
What’s due:
Assignment on page 237 in “Taking It
into the Workplace.” Be prepared to
discuss your document with the class.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Oct 4th
What we’ll do in class:
Arranging Information / Example of
Chunking
Oct 9th
Oct 11th
Oct 16th
Oct 18th
Oct 23rd
What to read:
Nothing!
What’s due:
Email a brief proposal of the topic for
your formal report project. I must
receive the proposal before class
begins. I will accept proposals by way
of email only.
What we’ll do in class:
Graded Workshop: Design Case
Study (Emergency document design –
Individual)
What to read:
Nothing!
What’s due:
Case Study due at the end of class
What we’ll do in class:
Letters, Memos, and E-Mail
What to read:
Chapter 18 (Sims)
What’s due:
Exercise 1 on page 586 (Sims)
What we’ll do in class:
Resumes and Letters of Application
What to read:
Chapter 19 (Sims)
What’s due:
Assignment on page 606 (Sims)
What we’ll do in class:
Graded Workshop: Resume and
Letter of Application
What to read:
Nothing!
What’s due:
Resume and letter of application at the
end of class
What we’ll do in class:
Proposals
What to read:
Chapter 12 (Sims)
What’s due:
Nothing!
Oct 25th
Oct 30th
Nov 1st
What we’ll do in class:
Graded Workshop: Proposals
What to read:
Nothing!
What’s due:
Draft of proposal due at the end of class
What we’ll do in class:
Workshop Continued: Proposals
What to read:
Nothing!
What’s due:
Final Proposal Due at the end of the
class
What we’ll do in class:
Creating Effective Visual Aids (Chap
10)
What to read:
Nothing!
What’s due:
Nothing!
______________________________________________________________________________________
Nov 6th
Nov 8th
Nov 13th
Nov 15th
Nov 22nd
What we’ll do in class:
Instructions Design (Chapter 15)
What to read:
Chapter 15 (Sims)
What’s due:
Nothing!
What we’ll do in class:
Workshop: Team Instructions
What to read:
Nothing!
What’s due:
Nothing!
What we’ll do in class:
Workshop: Team Instructions
What to read:
Nothing!
What’s due:
Show me a reasonably solid draft
What we’ll do in class:
Preparing Front and End Matter
What to read:
Chapter 11 (Sims)
What’s due:
Final Copy of the Team Instructions
due
What we’ll do in class:
Informal (Progress) Reports (Chap
13)
What to read:
Chapter 13 (Sims)
What’s due:
Nothing!
Nov 27th
Nov 29th
Dec 4th
Dec 6th
What we’ll do in class:
Formal Reports
What to read:
Chapter 14 (Sims)
What’s due:
Final Progress Report due
What we’ll do in class:
Workshop: Team Feasibility Study
What to read:
Nothing!
What’s due:
Show Rough Draft of Formal Project
What we’ll do in class:
Workshop: Team Feasibility Study
What to read:
Nothing!
What’s due:
Nothing!
What we’ll do in class:
Workshop: Team Feasibility Study
What to read:
Nothing!
What’s due:
Formal Project Due at the beginning
of class
Evaluation
Formal Report
Style Exam
Case Study
Resume / Letter
Proposal
Instructions
Progress Report
Feasibility Report
25%
10%
10%
10%
15%
15%
5%
10%