English 393: Technical Writing
Fall 2015 Syllabus
Kelly Cresap, Ph.D.
kcresap@umd.edu
Tawes 1234
Overview and Objectives of the Course:
English 393 is a hands-on workshop in preparing, reviewing, revising, and finalizing documents
typical of the workplace, including letters and resumes, memos, proposals, and both written and
oral reports. Students learn to improve the readability and usefulness of their writing in a variety
of professional styles and formats. Students are graded not only on their ability to produce
individual work, but also on their ability to collaborate in research and writing, as well as in
evaluating and improving one another’s work.
Required Text: Mike Markel, Technical Communication, 9th ed. (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s
Press, 2010); hyperlink http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/techcomm. This book is available in
print or online format. Note that we are not using the more recent 10th or 11th editions of this
book.
Recommended Text: I strongly recommend a grammar and style guide such as Diana Hacker
The Bedford Handbook or Hodges’ Harbrace Handbook. Most students arrive in their junior and
senior years of college with an inadequate grasp of standard English usage in grammar, spelling,
and punctuation. Although English 393 is not designed to focus on these skills, it is impossible
to excel in the course without them. Refer also to the Writing Center listing below.
Course Webpage: log in at https://myelms.umd.edu/
Grade Percentages/Sequence of Assignments: Assignments will be graded according to the
following percentages: 1A. Résumé, and 1B. Cover letter (15%); 2. Proposal memo and
annotated bibliography (10%); 3. Claim letter and adjustment letter (10%); 4. Progress report
(10%); 5. Major project (30%); 6. Oral presentation (10%). This is also the sequence of
assignments, except that the cover letter (1B) will be due after assignment 2. Together, these
assignments total 85%; the remaining 15% of the grade is based on the weekly journal, the
informal in-class presentation, and general class participation. Note: There is no final exam in
this course.
Assignment Submission Requirements: Assignments are due at the start of class on the date
indicated on the course schedule and assignment sheet. Papers should meet, not exceed, required
length. In general, use 12-point font size, one inch margins, and left-side justification only. On
rare occasions I may accept papers submitted via email or disk. Keep all of your drafts, as well
as in-class work.
Late Papers: Late papers will be lowered one letter grade for the first class period, and two
letter grades for each subsequent class period. No computer or illness excuses (without offcampus doctors’ notes) for late papers will be accepted. You must write all of the required
papers and receive a C or better on them to pass the course. If you receive a D or an F on a
paper, you may rewrite it one time, after consulting with me, to attempt to raise it to a C or better.
Attendance and Class Environment: Students are allowed a maximum of one absence (or two
half-sessions). Each additional absence will reduce the class participation portion of the grade
(each 75-minute absence counts as a 4% penalty, up to a maximum of 15% total). Absences due
to illness or a death in the family do not count in this tally, but still need to be accounted for,
either via email or by talking to me prior to class. Notify me in the first three weeks of class
regarding absences due to religious observance. Two tardinesses of ten minutes or more counts
as one absence. If you are absent, stay current with the class by contacting another student about
what was covered that day; do not write requesting me to do so. During class, I expect
attentiveness and willing participation. Turn off all cell-phones and other electronic equipment
before you enter class. Check with me if you take class notes via computer. Students are
responsible for all material covered in class. As this is not a lecture course, your contribution is
critical. Listen actively, share from your experiences, and ask informed questions.
Grading Criteria: The letter grades you receive in this course are equivalent to evaluations
received in the workplace:
An A document is excellent work: it succeeds and receives praise. The audience analysis is
insightful, the topic precise, the organization of the argument is clear and logical. The document
contains sufficient detail, the information is accurate, timely, clear, and comprehensive. Your
supervisor would be impressed and would pass the document along to supervisors, without
revision.
A B document is good work. It might have almost all the virtues of an A document, but one or
more of the elements is flawed. For instance, persistent spelling errors could reduce an A
document to a B. Your supervisor would appreciate your work but would want you to revise it
before passing it along.
A C document indicates work that is merely adequate. It may technically satisfy the
requirements of the assignment, but is significantly flawed. Your supervisor would be
disappointed with the document, and would want someone else to revise it before passing it
along. In addition, the supervisor would begin to doubt your ability to complete similar
assignments successfully.
A D document is unsatisfactory. Although some aspects of the document might be well done, on
the whole there are significant problems with conception or execution. Your employer would
question your basic competence and suitability for your position.
An F document is failing work. It is submitted after the deadline, it does not respond to the
assignment, it is extremely difficult to read, or it is unprofessional in appearance or writing
quality. Your supervisor may advise you to update your resume and visit Human Resources.
Weekly Journal: I will assign periodic informal journal-writing exercises for which you will
need either paper or a portable computer. Most such writings will be done during class hours.
These are designed as a gauge of your response to issues arising in class as well as in the
everyday professional world. I will call for journals twice during the semester and evaluate them
( +, , or -) according to the degree of engagement.
Informal Presentation: Interspersed throughout the semester, each student will give a brief
(maximum: about two minutes) informal oral presentation on a topic concerning audience
awareness. Use your imagination and creativity. Examples: an innovative approach to niche
marketing; a revealing moment in cross-cultural business practices; a case of product/audience
disconnect; a personal on-the-job anecdote. This is a chance for you to practice and hone your
public delivery style in preparation for Assignment 6, and for the class to hear a new take on
audience awareness. No elaborate preparation is needed; use no more than a single sheet or 3x5
card as you present. There is no deliverable beyond the presentation itself. You might choose to
end with a question for the class to discuss.
Professional Writing Program Office: The PWP Office is located in Tawes 1220. Any
documents submitted through the PWP should go in the drop box outside the main PWP
entrance. Be sure to put my name on any document you submit. The PWP website is
http://www.engl-pw.umd.edu/index.htm.
Academic Integrity: The University has approved a Code of Academic Integrity
(http://www.shc.umd.edu/code.html) which prohibits students from cheating on exams,
plagiarizing papers, submitting the same paper for credit in two courses without authorization,
buying papers, facilitating academic dishonesty, submitting fraudulent documents, and forging
signatures. Plagiarism policy: all quotations taken from other authors, including from the
Internet, must be indicated by quotation marks and referenced. Paraphrasing must be referenced
as well.
In this class, as in all other endeavors at the University of Maryland, scholarly integrity is
indispensable. Plagiarism will result in automatic failure in the course. A plagiarist may also be
called before the Student Honor Council, the Office of Judicial Programs, and expelled from the
university. You are expected to do all your own work, and are responsible for reading and
understanding the definition of plagiarism. If you have questions, ask me, or see the Office of
Judicial Programs and Student Ethical Development website (www.jpo.umd.edu/).
The Writing Center: Individual tutoring is available at the Writing Center at no cost for all
students. Open beginning the second week of classes, the center’s hours are Monday-Thursday
9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., Friday 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.; and Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday 5:008:00 p.m. The location is Tawes 1205; the phone is (301) 405-3785. For appointments and
information, log on to www.english.umd.edu/writingcenter. Remember, this is a tutoring center,
not an editing service. It will help both the tutor and yourself if you clarify your goals on a given
writing project at the start of your session. The center also sponsors The Grammar Hotline,
available at (301) 405-3785.
Disabilities: Inform me at the beginning of the semester if you have a verified disability. If you
need course adaptations or accommodations because of a documented disability or if you have
emergency information to share, please contact the Disability Support Service at (301) 314-7682.
This will ensure that you are properly registered for services.
Career Center: Students may wish to make use of the resources of the Career Center on the 3rd
floor of Hornbake Library. The center is designed to help you prepare job, internship, graduate
school, or professional school application materials.
Course Evaluation:
Confidential on-line course evaluation will be open during the final two weeks of classes via the
website www.courseevalum.umd.edu. We will also conduct written course evaluations in class.