ENG 3050
Technical Communication I: Reports
Section Number
Fall/Winter/SS, 2XXX
Meeting Days/Times
Classroom
Instructor Name
WSU email address
Office address and phone
Office Hours (days/times)
*BC Prerequisite for ENG 3050 (*required as written)
To enroll in ENG 3050, students must have completed their WSU Basic Composition (BC)
requirement (ENG 1020 or equiv.) with a grade of C or better.
*ENG 3050 Prerequisite for ENG 3060 (*required as written)
A grade of C or better is a prerequisite to enrollment in ENG 3060.
*ENG 3050 General Education Designation and Prerequisite for WI (*required as written)
With a grade of C or better, ENG 3050 fulfills the General Education IC [Intermediate
Composition] graduation requirement. Successful completion of Intermediate Composition [IC]
with a grade of C or better is a prerequisite to enrolling in courses in the major that fulfill the
General Education WI [Writing Intensive] requirement for graduation.
*ENG 3050 Department of English Description (*required as written)
ENG 3050 prepares students for reading, researching, writing, and designing technical
documents. While some technical writing addresses a general audience (e.g., instructions),
technical documents are often written for multiple audiences with different specializations (e.g.,
technical reports for executives and implementers). Technical documents incorporate both
textual (writing) and visual (graphics, illustrations, etc.) elements of design. The main goals of
the course are (1) to teach students to consider the audience(s) and purpose(s) in reading and
writing technical documents; (2) to integrate research, writing, and design in the standard genres
of technical writing; (3) to design effective technical documents with attention to text, visuals,
format, usability, citation, documentation, and mechanics, using a flexible writing process
incorporating drafts and revision; and (4) to work with current technologies for technical
document design.
Section Description (optional)
*Learning Outcomes (*required as written)
A passing grade in ENG 3050 indicates that students are able to:

read, analyze and evaluate the design of technical documents, including text, visuals
(graphics, illustrations, etc.), format, usability, citation, documentation, and mechanics

analyze the audience(s) and purpose(s) for technical communication assignments

conduct primary and secondary research in support of designing technical documents,
designing primary research and finding and evaluating print and electronic sources

write effectively in standard genres of technical writing, including summaries, letters,
resumés, memos, instructions, user test reports, and technical reports

write using a flexible writing process that includes generating and organizing ideas,
writing, revising, providing and responding to feedback in multiple drafts, formatting,
editing, documenting, and proofreading

use appropriate grammar, mechanics, and style for formal and informal technical
documents, including standard conventions of citation and documentation to avoid
plagiarism

make productive use of current technologies for reading, researching, writing, and
designing technical documents
Methods of instruction (optional)
*Required Textbook in ENG 3050 (*required as written)
Gurak, Laura J. and John M. Lannon. Strategies for Technical Communication in the Workplace
with MyTechCommLab Student Access Code Card, 2nd ed. Boston: Longman/Pearson, 2010.
ISBN: 1256658782 (Use this ISBN for spring/summer 2012)
With NEW MyTechCommLab Student Access Code Card in fall 2012:
ISBN-10: 0321846281 OR ISBN-13: 9780321846280
or
Graves, Heather and Roger Graves. A Strategic Guide to Technical Communication. 2nd ed.
Buffalo, NY: Broadview, 2012. $54.95 ISBN: 978-1-55481-107-6
or
Anderson, Paul V. Technical Communication. 7th ed. Boston: Wadsworth/Cengage, 2011.
Ebook. Available at http://www.cengagebrain.com/shop/isbn/9781428263932.
ISBN10: 1-4282-6393-4, ISBN13: 978-1-4282-6393-2
Please advise students to use the following coupon code for a discount on fall 2012 purchases:
FALL2012 (valid through 9/30/2012)
Recommended text for ENG 3050
Reynolds, Garr. Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery. 2nd ed.
Berkeley: New Riders/Pearson, 2012. Print.
ISBN 0-321-91198-4
Wolfe, Joanna. Team Writing: A Guide to Working in Groups. 1st ed. Boston: Bedford/St.
Martin’s. Print.
ISBN-13: 9780312565824
*Course Requirements: (*required assignments)
Students are required to write 16 or more single-spaced pages in ENG 3050.
Example
Course grades are awarded on a 100-point scale:
 attendance
 *Assignment #1
informative summary
1-2 pages
 *Assignment #2
resumé and cover letter
2-3 pages
 *Assignment #3
technical instructions
5-7 pages
 *Assignment #4
user test report/memo
3-4 pages
 *Assignment #5a
research plan
1-2 pages
 *Assignment #5b
technical report
8-10 pages
 Total
5 points max.
5 points
10 points
20 points
15 points
10 points
35 points
100 points
Class attendance will affect the final grade as follows:
 0 classes missed
0 points penalized
 1 class missed
1 point penalty
 2 classes missed
2 point penalty
 3 classes missed
3 point penalty
 4 classes missed
4 point penalty
 each subsequent absence
5 point penalty
Final grades are based on the following scale:
 94-100
A
 90-93
A 87-89
B+
 84-86
B
 80-83
B 77-79
C+
 74-76
C
A grade of C or better fulfills the Gen Ed IC graduation
requirement and the prerequisite for ENG 3060
 70-73
C 67-79
D+
 64-66
D
 60-63
D 00-59
F
Grading Policies for Assignments (as set by individual instructors)
Examples
 Expectations for assignments – all assignments will be distributed with an assignment
sheet and grading rubric.
 Format for assignments – assignments must follow the format specified on the
assignment sheet. All assignments must be correctly documented using APA style.



Drafts and revisions – some assignments have a schedule for optional or required
revisions; see the course calendar. Assignments cannot be rewritten after the final
grade has been assigned.
Late papers – papers will be penalized one letter grade for each late day; papers will not
be accepted after 4 late days.
Making up work – in cases of emergency absences, and with the permission of the
instructor, students are responsible for turning in assigned work the next class period; late
penalties may apply.
*Cheating and Plagiarism Policy (*required as written)
Cheating is the act of submitting papers written by another person as your own.
Cheating includes submitting papers that were written by another student in whole or
in part as well as papers that were purchased or downloaded from the internet.
Plagiarism is the act of copying work -- in whole or in part -- from books, articles,
and websites without citing and documenting the source. Plagiarism includes
copying language, texts, graphics, and visuals without citation (e.g., cutting and
pasting from websites). Cheating and plagiarism are serious academic offenses: the
minimum penalty for cheating or plagiarism is an F for the assignment; the full
penalty for cheating or plagiarism may result in an F for the course. All cases of
cheating or plagiarism in ENG 3050 will be reported to the English Department;
information about plagiarism procedures is available in the Department of English.
To detect plagiarism, all major assignments in ENG 3050 will be reviewed in
SafeAssign on Blackboard. SafeAssign includes in its data base papers previously
written by WSU students as well as papers copied or plagiarized from print or internet
sources. All papers submitted to SafeAssign become part of the WSU data base.
If you want extra instruction in avoiding plagiarism, the Undergraduate Library’s
reSearch program includes a module on avoiding plagiarism:
http://www.lib.wayne.edu/services/instruction/searchpath/mod6/04-plagiarism.html
You may also visit the WSU Writing Center for a tutorial on avoiding plagiarism.
If you need assistance with your assignments, please go to the WSU Writing
Center:
http://www.clas.wayne.edu/writing/
WSU tutors have been trained to assist students without crossing the line into
providing excessive help.
Class Policies (as set by individual instructors)
Examples
English Department Attendance Policy – students who do not attend one of the first two class
sessions of an English course may be required to drop the course.
Class Attendance – class attendance is required, and attendance will be taken at each class
session. More than 20 minutes late will count as an absence. Attendance will figure in the final
grade as follows:
 0 classes missed
0 points penalized
 1 class missed
1 point penalty
 2 classes missed
2 point penalty
 3 classes missed
3 point penalty
 4 classes missed
4 point penalty
 each subsequent absence
5 point penalty
Adding and Dropping
 Students may add ENG 3050 during the first two class sessions if a spot is available.
 Students may drop ENG 3050 up until (date established by instructor); after this date, no
W grades will be given and students will be given a failing grade for the course.
Withdrawals [W]
 Per WSU policy, the grade of WN is given to a student who did not attend any classes
and/or did not complete any assignments by the withdrawal date. If a student withdraws
after having received a grade for any component of a course, then W grades must be
either WP (withdrawal with a passing grade earned to date) or WF (withdrawal with a
failing grade earned to date).
Incompletes [I]
 No I grades will be given in English 3050.
*Writing Center (*required as written)
The Writing Center (2nd floor, UGL) provides individual tutoring consultations free of charge
for students at Wayne State University. Undergraduate students in General Education
courses, including composition courses, receive priority for tutoring appointments. The
Writing Center serves as a resource for writers, providing tutoring sessions on the range of
activities in the writing process – considering the audience, analyzing the assignment or
genre, brainstorming, researching, writing drafts, revising, editing, and preparing
documentation. The Writing Center is not an editing or proofreading service; rather,
students are guided as they engage collaboratively in the process of academic writing, from
developing an idea to editing for grammar and mechanics. To make an appointment, consult
the Writing Center website:
http://www.clas.wayne.edu/writing/
To submit material for online tutoring, consult the Writing Center HOOT website (Hypertext
One-on-One Tutoring):
http://www.clas.wayne.edu/unit-inner.asp?WebPageID=1330
Student Disabilities Services (recommended as written)
If you feel that you may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability, please feel
free to contact me privately to discuss your specific needs. Additionally, the Student Disabilities
Services Office coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with documented
disabilities. The Office is located in 1600 David Adamany Undergraduate Library, phone: 313577-1851/577-3365 (TTY). http://studentdisability.wayne.edu
WSU Resources for Students (*recommended as written)
 Adamany Undergraduate Library http://www.lib.wayne.edu/info/maps/ugl.php
 Academic Success Center http://www.success.wayne.edu/
 Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) http://www.caps.wayne.edu
Calendar of Class Sessions/Schedule of Assignments, including due dates (as established by
instructor)
Date and time of final exam, other exams, or quizzes, etc. (as established by instructor)