English 1016 WAO
Introduction to Professional Writing
Class Times: Wednesday and Friday 10-11:30am
Class location: OA2017 (Simcoe Hall)
Table of Contents
Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... 1
Instructor Information................................................................................................................1
Library Staff: ...............................................................................................................................1
Course Description ....................................................................................................................1
Course Objectives and Learner Outcomes .............................................................................2
Required Texts ...........................................................................................................................2
Course Schedule ........................................................................................................................3
Assignments and Evaluation ....................................................................................................4
Marking Standards .....................................................................................................................6
Course Policies ..........................................................................................................................6
Academic Accommodations .....................................................................................................6
Academic Dishonesty ................................................................................................................6
University Policies .....................................................................................................................7
Instructor Information
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Instructor: Dr. Linda Rodenburg
Telephone: 705-330-4008 ext 2632
Email: linda.rodenburg@lakeheadu.ca (please contact me by email when possible)
Office Hours: Thursdays 1-2:30 pm or by appointment
Please check D2L (Desire to Learn accessed through mycourselink) regularly for messages
and postings.
Library Staff:
 Kim Vallee
 Email: kavallee@lakeheadu.ca
Course Description
An introduction to professional-level standards of composition, revision, editing,
research and documentation. A review of English grammar (word and sentence level),
rhetorical forms (paragraph level and beyond), and a study of writing in a variety of
professional contexts with an emphasis on assessing rhetorical situations and crafting
messages to inform and persuade diverse audiences in a variety of forms and formats.
AREAS OF COVERAGE
1. Fundamentals of grammar, usage, and punctuation as they pertain to professional
writing tasks
2. Rhetoric
3. Genres of professional writing (such as: articles, correspondence, memos,
newsletters, pitches, proposals, evaluations, briefs, ads, press releases,
flyers/brochures, manuals, reports, web and mobile content, social media, and public
relations)
4. Writing for Digital Media
5. Style
REQUIREMENTS
Minimum 25% of instructional hours devoted to grammar, usage, and punctuation
Minimum 25% of instructional hours devoted to genres of professional writing and the
fundamentals of writing to task
Minimum of 5 genres of professional writing covered
Minimum of 15 pages of graded writing
Course Objectives and Learner Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students will be expected to demonstrate:
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Familiarity with the standards of professional writing, including correct grammar,
spelling, punctuation, and sentence and paragraph structure.
Enhanced information literacy in relation to research and proper citation, and
familiarity with library resources.
Familiarity with various genres of professional writing, with an emphasis on the
different rhetorical strategies required.
Improved communication and critical thinking skills demonstrated through both
group and individual oral and written presentation.
Required Text
Van Rys, John, Randall VanderMey, Verne Meyer, and Patrick Sebranek. Comp.
Canadian ed. Toronto: Nelson, 2014.
Students will also be required to download and print resources made available through
the Desire2Learn website for this course.
Course Schedule
WEEK of…
January 6
TOPICS
What is ‘Professional Writing’?
Begin by Reading Well: SQ3R
January 13
Grammar: Begin by Writing Well
Unpacking the Writing Process
January 20
Grammar: Punctuation
Analytical Writing: Definition
January 27
Grammar: Addressing common errors
Persuasive Writing: Taking a position
February 3
READINGS and
ASSIGNMENTS
Grammar: Addressing common errors
through editing
“Understanding the
Reading-Writing
Connection” (p. 3-13)
Today you will also choose
your group of four for the
course.
Grammar diagnostic test
(5%)
“Grammar” (p.322-35)
“Sentences” (p. 336-42)
“Planning” “Revising” (p.
42-79)
“Punctuation” (p. 350-63)
“Definition” (p. 110-19)
Group writing
assignment #1: Defining
grammatical terms (5%)
“Sentence errors” (p. 34249)
“Strategies for
Argumentation and
Persuasion” (174-185),
“Taking a Position” (186201)
Group writing
assignment #2: Is proper
grammar important
today? (5%)
“Editing” (p. 80-91)
Group writing
assignment #3: Editing
well (5%)
Grammar Review
Final Grammar test (15%)
February 10
Begin by Researching Well: Evaluating
Resources
Research Workshop #1
(5%)
“Planning Your Research
Project” (232-239)
WEEK of…
TOPICS
READING WEEK
February 17
February 24 Researching Well: Using various types
of sources
March 2
March 9
Researching Well: Supporting your
Research Focus Using Databases and
Critical Texts
Documenting Well: MLA and APA
formats
Research Writing
March 23
March 30
“Doing Your Research”
(240-263)
Research Workshop #2
(5%)
Research Workshop #3
(5%)
“MLA and APA Styles” (p.
294-321)
“Writing a Research
Paper” (p.274-93)
“Comparison-Contrast” (p.
144-157)
Research Writing II
Writing for the Web: blogs and social
media
March 16
READINGS and
ASSIGNMENTS
Editing Well: Peer editing and selfchecks
Writing for the Workplace: memos,
email, and less formal communication
Writing for the Workplace: business
letters and more formal communication
Good Friday (no class)
Bringing it all together: Applying your
knowledge to an oral presentation for
the workplace
Group writing
assignment #4: Words
on the Web (5%)
Peer Edit (5%)
Research Paper due
(25%)
Cumulative Assignment
[2 classes] (15%)
April 4th
Review and discussion
NOTE: Any important announcements, including changes in due dates and additional
readings, will be announced in-class and posted on Desire2Learn.
Assignments and Evaluation
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Grammar diagnostic – 5%
Final grammar test – 15%
Research workshops (3@5% each) – 15%
Group Writing assignments (4@5% each) – 20%
Research Report
o Peer edit – 5%
o Final report – 25%
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Cumulative Assignment – 15%
Students are advised to refer to the University Calendar to ensure that they have
adequate grades and/or average to proceed in their program.
(http://navigator.lakeheadu.ca/Catalog/ViewCatalog.aspx?pageid=viewcatalog&catalogid=19&chapteri
d=2788&loaduseredits=False)
Research Workshops (February 12th, 24th, and 26th)
These workshops will be worth 5% each and they will be completed in class in groups of
four. They will be facilitated by Kim Vallee. Students not present in class will be
assigned a mark of zero.
Group Writing Assignments (January 22nd, January 29th, February 3rd, and March
11th)
These assignments will be worth 5% each and they will be completed in class in groups
of four. They will be outlined by the instructor on the day of the assignment. Students
not present in class will be assigned a mark of zero. Each assignment will result in a 12 page document written and edited collaboratively by group members.
Research Paper: Peer Edit (March 16th)
Students will come to class with a full draft of their research papers, and will participate
in a peer editing process facilitated by the instructor. This will constitute 5% of their final
mark for the course.
Research Paper (March 18th)
This paper, which will follow the “Comparison-Contrast” model, will be 6-7 pages in
length, double-spaced. Please use 1-inch margins and a standard 12-point font and
note that secondary sources are required and a Works Cited in MLA or APA format is
essential. This essay is worth 25% of your final mark.
Topics for this paper will be discussed extensively in class.
See notes below concerning Lakehead University’s code of conduct concerning
plagiarism.
Cumulative Assignment (March 30th and April 1st)
This assignment will bring together all aspects of the course related to professional
writing and communication, ensuring you can apply these to a specific workplacerelated situation. This in-class writing activity will take place over two days, and you
must be present to participate. It will be worth a total of 15% of your final mark and will
involve producing 3-4 pages of written work.
Marking Standards
All assignments will be marked in accordance with the English Department Marking
Standards: https://www.lakeheadu.ca/academics/departments/english/markingstandards.
Course Policies
There are no specific marks allotted for attendance and participation. However, in-class
work on specific writing assignments requires both of these. Library workshops also
require attendance.
Late assignments will be penalized at a rate of 5% per day. Except under extreme
circumstances, assignments will not be accepted after marked material has been
returned to the class.
Academic Accommodations
Student Accessibility Services (SAS) (Thunder Bay) and Student Affairs (Orillia)
coordinate services and facilitates reasonable academic accommodations for students
with disabilities. Academic accommodations are provided on the basis of
documentation of a disability. Additional information is available at the following
campus websites:
Thunder Bay: Student Accessibility Services
https://www.lakeheadu.ca/current-students/student-services/accessibility/students-withdisabilities
Orillia: Orillia Campus Student Accessibility Services
https://www.lakeheadu.ca/current-students/student-services/accessibility/students-withdisabilities
Academic Dishonesty
The University takes a most serious view of offences against academic honesty such as
plagiarism, cheating and impersonation. Penalties for dealing with such offences will be
strictly enforced.
A copy of the "Code of Student Behaviour and Disciplinary Procedures" including
sections on plagiarism and other forms of misconduct may be obtained from the Office
of the Registrar.
The following rules shall govern the treatment of candidates who have been
found guilty of attempting to obtain academic credit dishonestly.
(a) The minimum penalty for a candidate found guilty of plagiarism, or of cheating
on any part of a course will be a zero for the work concerned.
(b) A candidate found guilty of cheating on a formal examination or a test, or of
serious or repeated plagiarism, or of unofficially obtaining a copy of an
examination paper before the examination is scheduled to be written, will receive
zero for the course and may be expelled from the University.
Students disciplined under the Code of Student Behaviour and Disciplinary
Procedures may appeal their case through the Judicial Panel.
Note: "Plagiarism" shall be deemed to include:
1. Plagiarism of ideas as where an idea of an author or speaker is incorporated
into the body of an assignment as though it were the writer's idea, i.e. no credit is
given the person through referencing or footnoting or endnoting.
2. Plagiarism of words occurs when phrases, sentences, tables or illustrations of
an author or speaker are incorporated into the body of a writer's own, i.e. no
quotations or indentations (depending on the format followed) are present but
referencing or footnoting or endnoting is given.
3. Plagiarism of ideas and words as where words and an idea(s) of an author or
speaker are incorporated into the body of a written assignment as though they
were the writer's own words and ideas, i.e. no quotations or indentations
(depending on format followed) are present and no referencing or footnoting or
endnoting is given.
University Policies
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Students in this course are expected to conform to the Code of Student Behaviour:
https://www.lakeheadu.ca/faculty-and-staff/policies/student-related/code-of-studentbehaviour-and-disciplinary-procedures
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Lakehead University provides academic accommodations for students with
disabilities in accordance with the terms of the Ontario Human Rights Code. This
occurs through a collaborative process that acknowledges a collective obligation to
develop an accessible learning environment that both meets the needs of students
and preserves the essential academic requirements of the course.
This course outline is available online through the English Department homepage and
the Desire2Learn site for the course.