Curriculum Proposal
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Department: English and Philosophy
School Document Number: LSS 11-52
Author (Contact): Mark Mabrito
School Approval Date: 9/29/11
Date: 9/12/2011
CEP Review Date:
Effective Term: Spring 2012
Senate Approval Date:
Type of Proposal
(place an X in the proper box)
Course: ENG
22000
Program:
Experiential
Learning
General
Education xxx
addition
deletion
revision
Proposal Subject: (One sentence overview of the proposal. Examples: change in title, prerequisite and description of NUR XYZ.
Create new plan of study in XYZ department, etc.)
To designate English 22000 as a general education course
Proposal approved by the department on Sept. 20, 2011.
Justification: (Explain the rationale for the proposed change.)
English 22000 meets general education objective #1 for general education courses.
Current: (If proposal is for a course change, enter current
Proposed: (If proposal is a for a course change or new
course information here. Include title, credits, pattern, etc. If
proposal is for a change in plan of study, enter name here,
and include current bingo sheet as an attached document,
labelled CURRENT.)
course, enter new course information here. Include title,
credits, pattern, etc. If proposal is for a change in plan of
study, or new plan, enter name here and include proposed
bingo sheet as an attached document, labelled
PROPOSED.)
Engl 22000: Technical Report Writing
A study of application of the principles of good
writing in industrial reporting with emphasis on the
techniques of presenting information graphically as
well as in a clear, concise written form.
Same
Impact on Students: (Explain how students will be affected by the proposal. Benefits to students should be listed.)
Provides students with another alternative for satisfying objective #1 of the general education core.
Impact On Other Departments: (Explain how other academic departments may be affected by the proposal, and summarize
any discussions with other departments about the proposal. If adding or deleting a course, explain how other departments may be
affected.)
Impact on University Resources: (Curriculum changes affect university resources. Explain here how instructional, lab,
computer or library resources may be affected by the proposal. It is especially important to address the possible need for additional
faculty.)
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Impact on General Education Requirements: (If the proposal fulfills or changes general education requirements in your
department, explain this here.)
CEP Curriculum Document Form for General Education Courses
Please complete the following form to define the General Education objectives addressed by
your course. Please complete one General Education Objective form for each General Education
Objective where you will identify the educational activities and the assessment tools that will be
used to determine if the learning objective was met..
For CEP
General Education Objective: These are Indicate the Course Learning
Use Only
the objectives approved by the Faculty Objective(s) that satisfies the General
(Circle One)
Senate. A course must satisfy at least
Education Objective. *
one of these objectives to be considered
a General Education course.
Yes
1. Demonstrate effective
Note: 100% of course objectives meet
communication skills in English.
Gen Ed. Objective #1.
No
Students will:
Write routine informative and
persuasive memos to a variety of
technical and non-technical audiences.
Develop a set of instructions/job
procedures
Write technical descriptions.
Learn effective report-writing strategies
in the context of writing brief incident,
recommendation, and other types of
reports, such as technical proposals.
Create and integrate effective
supporting graphics in text.
Deliver effective oral presentations.
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2. Demonstrate effective problem-
solving skills.
3. Demonstrate effective computer
utilization skills.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of basic
scientific principles.
5. Demonstrate knowledge of how
people function in society.
6. Develop a critical appreciation
for the arts and works of human
expression.
7. Demonstrate knowledge of the
relationships between technology
and society.
8. Demonstrate knowledge of
wellness issues.
9. Demonstrate knowledge of
university and personal
resources.
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
* One of the following criteria must be met:
 At least 75% of the learning objectives of the course must satisfy the criteria and
outcomes for the General Education Objective in the case where the course satisfies a 3credit basic general education requirement.
 There must be at least one learning objective of the course that satisfies 100% of the
criteria and outcomes for the General Education Objective in the case where the course
satisfies a general education requirement without a 3-credit basic general education
requirement.
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GENERAL EDUCATION OBJECTIVE ONE PROPOSAL
Communication Skills
Course Number and Name: ______English 22000 Technical Report Writing ____
All courses with a General Education designation will include, to the extent possible, critical
thinking, written composition, oral discussion, and graphic components.
To obtain the General Education Objective One designation, the proposed course must meet all
of the criteria listed below.
Criteria: Courses designated General Education Objective One will:
 Enable students to express ideas in a variety of formats
 Enable students to comprehend, interpret, and analyze oral, written, and visual
communication
 Enable students to effectively communicate ideas related to a broad range of subjects and
to a specific area of study
To obtain the General Education Objective One Communication designation, the proposed
course must meet all of the outcomes listed.
Outcome
Students will be able to read
print and visualize material
analytically and critically and to
use written English to
communicate ideas.
What educational activities
will be used?
Students will:
--Analyze a variety of realworld rhetorical situations
and produce appropriate
technical documents in
response to those situations.
What assessment tools will
be used?
A variety of graded writing
assignments for different
audiences and purposes, in a
variety of formats,
integrating principles of
document design and use of
visuals where necessary.
--Analyze technical
documents and be able to
interpret/understand text,
graphs, and charts.
--Apply effective strategies
for planning, drafting, and
revising text, with attention
to content, format, style,
grammar and mechanics.
Students will be able to conceive Students will:
ideas about a topic, synthesize
--Produce a variety of
and arrange them logically, and
documents, including
orally express them clearly and
memos/letters, brief reports,
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A variety of graded writing
assignments for different
audiences and purposes, in a
variety of formats,
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proficiently in standard English.
research-based reports,
integrating principles of
proposals, instructions,
document design and use of
technical descriptions, among visuals where necessary.
others.
--Deliver a professional and
effective oral presentation of
their work to a classroom
audience.
All General Education courses will be reviewed by the CEP sub-committee for General
Education. Provide data to the committee to demonstrate the extent to which students in this
course will meet the outcomes. (Sample syllabus, assignments, tests)
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ENGL 220: Technical Report Writing
Syllabus Template
Course Description
A study of application of the principles of good writing in industrial reporting with
emphasis on the techniques of presenting information graphically as well as in a clear,
concise written form.
Our focus will be a study of the application of professional communication principles to the
preparation of typical on-the-job communication tasks. Course will focus heavily on writing as
it occurs in real-world settings and will emphasize writing for specific purposes and readers,
planning, drafting, and revising letters, memos, brief reports, and proposals. Additionally, we
will consider the role of oral communication in the workplace; as such, participants will learn
and apply effective strategies for conducting oral presentations.
Course Goals/Activities
During the semester we will write a series of shorter documents and eventually progress to
writing longer reports and other documents. Some of these tasks will include:

Write routine informative and persuasive memos

Develop a set of instructions/job procedures

Learn effective report-writing strategies in the context of writing brief incident,
investigative, and other types of reports.

Understand and apply effective principles of document design

Create and integrate effective supporting graphics in text

Create a technical description

Write an original proposal

Deliver an oral presentation with supporting visuals
Course Format
This course will consist of lectures, class discussions, and numerous "workshop" activities.
Assignments
All final assignments must be written in Word and submitted either electronically or in hardcopy form. Additionally, we will use Excel, Publisher, and PowerPoint for this class. Late
assignments will be accepted up to one week late for a 25% grade reduction.
Textbook
Gerson and Gerson. Technical Writing: Process and Product. 7th.ed. Prentice Hall, 2011. 978-0-13615475-4
Available at Purdue Calumet Bookstore or you may purchase it online at www.pucal.bkstr.com.
Attendance
Attendance is required for all class sessions; missing more than three class sessions may result in
your final grade being lowered one letter. Also, please make it a point to arrive to class
BEFORE class begins.
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Grades
The grades for the semester are:
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
Unit 4
Unit 5
Unit 6
Unit 7
Presentation
15 points
20 points
20 points
20 points
30 points
30 points
50 points
15 points
Team Activities
40 points total
Total Points
240 points.
Plagiarism
Any act of plagiarism, intentional or unintentional, will result in severe penalties. All work you
do for this course must be your own. Attempting to submit any assignment not written by you is
an act of academic dishonesty and will result in failure in the course and possible suspension
from the university.
Americans with Disabilities Act
All qualified students enrolled in this course are entitled to reasonable academic/classroom
accommodations. It is the student’s responsibility to inform the instructor of any special needs
within the first two weeks of the semester and to register with the Office of Disability Resources,
located in the Student Union and Library Building (SUL), Room 341. Telephone numbers: 219989-2455, 219-989-2454(voice/TTY).
Academic Integrity
The following is an Honor Code and an Honor Pledge to which all Purdue University Calumet
Students must adhere: “I understand that academic dishonesty will not be tolerated at Purdue
University Calumet. I am here to learn. Through learning, I will strive to become a better person
and a more valuable contributor to society. I understand that dishonesty in the classroom,
through cheating, plagiarism or other dishonest acts, defeats this purpose and disgraces the
mission and quality of a Purdue University Calumet education. Therefore, I make the following
pledge:
‘In accordance with the honor code, I will not engage in dishonesty in my academic activities,
and I will not tolerate such dishonesty by other students.’
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Civility Code
Students are expected to comply with University regulations regarding civility, attendance, and
appropriate classroom behavior. Purdue University Calumet supports the principles of freedom
of expression for both faculty and students. The University respects the rights of faculty to teach
and students to learn. Maintenance of these rights requires class conditions that do not impede
the learning process. Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. An individual engaging in such
behavior may be subject to disciplinary action.
Emergency Preparedness
PUC has an aggressive program to prepare the campus for emergencies. It is important that all
students understand how to help themselves during an emergency. Please refer to the
Emergency Preparedness Guide posted in all offices, classrooms, labs, lounges and meeting
rooms. You can also find the emergency preparedness guide online at
www.calumet.purdue.edu/emergency for detailed instructions for responding to specific
emergency situations and for additional emergency information. Please be prepared.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Course Schedule
(Unit 1: Week 1): Reading: Chapters 1 and 2 and pp. 85-94;130-144 in Technical Writing.
Also read "Agricultural Institute Mystery".
Introduction to Technical Writing
Discuss Case
Assignment= Write memo in response to above case (attached).
(Unit 2: Weeks 2-3): Reading: Chapters 3 and 9 in Technical Writing
Go over readings
Bring in examples of technical documents and assess if they are functional
Discuss importance of visuals and creating clear and truthful visuals
Bring in examples of visuals and assess effectiveness
Assignment = Complete visuals and revise welding memo and lead abatement memo (attached)
(Unit 3: Week 4): Reading: Chapter 16 | Also read: "AAA Computing" and
"Telecommunications R Us" on pp. 530-531.
Go over readings and talk about reports
Consider visual elements of reports (headings, visuals, etc.)
Analyze above cases in groups and decide on the best choice for each and go over rough drafts of
recommendation reports
Assignment = Write recommendation reports for both cases
(Unit 4: Weeks 5-6): Read Chap 8. and Chap. 10.
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Go over principles of document design.
Bring in examples and assess
Review templates in Microsoft Publisher.
Read case study on p. 329.
Assignment = Select either a brochure or newsletter and develop one.
Peer review in light of checklists in chapters.
(Unit 5: Weeks 7-8): Reading: Chapter 11.
Go over technical descriptions
Bring in examples and assess or look for examples on the Web
Find examples of technical descriptions on the Web and critique in light of principles in chapter.
Share results with other groups.
Assignment = Write a technical description based on case distributed in class.
(Unit 6: Weeks 9-10): Reading: Chapter 12.
Go over instructions and user manuals
Go over example of real-world job instructions (attached)
Look for examples on Web
Prepare a rough draft of an original set of instructions (preferably work-related).
Peer review a classmate’s set of instructions using guidelines in the chapter.
.
Assignment.= Write a 3-4 page set of instructions
(Unit 7: Weeks 11-15- The Final Project and Presentation): Reading: Chapters 14, 17, and
18.
Note: A more detailed weekly schedule will be provided for the final project.
Purpose and Overview of Tasks:
Your final proposal should be based on a real situation and preferably one in the workplace;
proposals for community organizations and nonprofits also can work well here.
You need approval for your topic by submitting a 200-300 word description of what you want to
propose and your intended audience--should be a real reader(s).
Submit a draft and complete at least one peer review of a rough draft (in-class or in-lab).
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Deliver an oral presentation to class with supporting visual support. In this case, the class will
function as your intended real-world audience.
Assignment =A 7-9 page proposal (excluding front matter and end matter) with 5-8
supporting research sources in APA format. Also, an oral presentation to class.
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