John Piirto
Sr. Instructor
Office Hours M 12-2; W 12-1 or by appointment
email:
Office ph 303-735-4793
Cell (text messages): 303-359-6807
Writing for Business and Society - WRTG 3040
Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE)
This course meets the criteria established by the CCHE for all “Communication General Education Guaranteed Transfer Courses” as offered at four-year colleges and universities throughout the state. These courses are designed to “teach writing in a specific discipline” by requiring students to:
- extend rhetorical knowledge
- extend experience in writing processes
- extend mastery of writing conventions
- demonstrate comprehension of content knowledge at the advanced level
Course Description
Welcome to WRTG 3040, the upper division core requirement in the Leeds School of Business. From my many years of teaching I’ve found that students have interesting ideas, provocative opinions and beliefs, and sometimes surprising prejudices. However, when it comes to articulating this information in a persuasive and logical manner through writing, students run into difficulty. Therefore, the heart of this course is to develop the art of rhetorical knowledge.
We will learn the definition of “rhetoric” by experimenting with rhetorical situations. Conventions, mechanics, styles, and audiences will help determine how you write in a particular situation. Further, as you are placed in these situations, you will gain familiarity with business writing formats (memos, letters, proposals, reports, etc.).
Critical Thinking
Businesses today must communicate internally and externally, stay in tune with market conditions, policy issues, and its own employees. As a prospective graduate of the Leeds School of Business, you will find yourself in the midst of this environment very soon, confronted with data, facts, problems, predictions, and in general, greater and greater responsibilities. Are you prepared to evaluate this continuous flow of information? This course will help you face these challenges. By the end of the term, you will not only be better writers, you will be better thinkers.
What to Expect from Me
My goal, actually this is a guarantee, is to make you better thinkers, thus better writers. I approach the teaching of writing from the perspective of discovery. We will create knowledge and you will put that knowledge to paper. This process involves a good deal of workshopping and revision. As facilitator, I will guide the discussions by asking perhaps fifty questions per class period and you will supply the “answers.” Everyone will participate every class period.
What I Expect from You
1. This class will start on time. Be here.
2. Attendance and participation go together. How can you participate if you’re not here? Each of you will begin the term with 15 points of attendance and participation. After two unexcused absences, every class you miss will cost you one point. Participation also includes depth of comments, preparedness, and whether or not I have to call on you.
3. No late papers. Late assignments are accepted, but in-class discussion is unlikely.
4. Class will take a seminar format, which means that you will be expected to critique your classmates’ writing (see #2 - participation).
5. Do I grade on improvement? Not strictly. The standard is set and it his high.
6. You will write three long papers, numerous short ones, and do two formal presentations.
7. Plagiarism: case turned over to the Dean.
Points total:
If you were to get an A on every assignment of the term, you would end up with 102 points. Here’s the breakdown.
Cover letter = 1
Presentations = 1 per
Paper 1 = 25
Paper 2 = 25
Paper 3 = 30
Participation / Attendance = 15
Other assignments = 4
Texts, Writings, and Technology
We will use the Wall Street Journal and other business publications such as Forbes, Fortune, Kiplingers, Money. The basic tenets of Aristotle will guide us through the writing process. And we will consult the work of Toomlin and Gage as we make our way toward the semester’s end.
Technology is not only a valuable tool in today’s writing, it is changing the way we write. Consider the “words” you use when texting, sending emails, IM’s, or using Facebook. Please feel free to use all these methods to contact me. We also use technology to help us with our research, whether it’s to locate data, find out about a person, place, a concept, or the definition of a word. In this regard, we will consider the credibility of various sites.
Major Assignments
1.Advertisement assignment. Choose an ad from a national business periodical and analyze its worth. The purpose of this assignment is to develop your critical thinking skills verbally and on paper by placing you in a challenging rhetorical situation where you must defend a provocative proposition. Use a minimum of two sources to support the writing.
2. Article assignment. Choose an article from a nationally known business periodical such as the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune, etc. This assignment goes deeper than the one above, as you will investigate an author’s use of writing strategies, language, ideas, and conclusions. Again, your critical thinking is paramount.
3. Write your own article assignment. As the culmination of all we’ve learned, look at your own interests in the business world, your avocation, or an organization of which you are a member. These areas of interest could include a vast array of choices from the ski industry, an internship, a team, to a job you’ve had at a sub shop. This assignment asks you to combine your personal experience with standard (best) practices of business or organizational behavior.
Note: all three of the above assignments will include memos, cover letters, and final reports.
Tentative Week-by-week Schedule
1.Introductions; company slogan; cover letter
2. Cover letter; prep for paper #1
3. Vegas memo; workshop
4. Workshop
5. Workshop; voice
6. Voice; final report (paper #1)
7. Prep for presentation; presentaions
8. Presentations
9. Workshops
10.Workshops
11. In-class short arguments; final report (paper #2) due
12.Prep for paper #3; discussion; memos; writing
13.Work on paper #3 via workshop, peer review; revisit slogan assignment
14.Thanksgiving
15.Top ten errors; final workshop prep; workshops
16.Workshops; final revisions on final paper
Disabilities
If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit to me a letter from Disability Services in a timely manner so that your needs may be addressed. Disability Services determines accommodations based on documented disabilities. Contact: 303-492-8671.
Religious Observances
Campus policy regarding religious observances requires that faculty make every effort to reasonably and fairly deal with all students who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled exams, assignments or required attendance.
Classroom Behavior
Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment. Students who fail to adhere to such behavioral standards may be subject to discipline. Faculty have the professional responsibility to treat all students with understanding, dignity and respect, to guide classroom discussion and to set reasonable limits on the manner in which they and their students express opinions. Professional courtesy and sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and topics dealing with differences of race, culture, religion, politics, sexual orientation, gender, gender variance, and nationalities. Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the student's legal name. I will gladly honor your request to address you by an alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this preference early in the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records.
Discrimination and Harassment
The University of Colorado at Boulder policy on Discrimination and Harassment, the University of Colorado policy on Sexual Harassment and the University of Colorado policy on Amorous Relationships apply to all students, staff and faculty. Any student, staff or faculty member who believes s/he has been the subject of discrimination or harassment based upon race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status should contact the Office of Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) at 303-492-2127 or the Office of Judicial Affairs at 303-492-5550.
Honor Code
All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering to the academic integrity policy of this institution. Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior. All incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code Council. Students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will be subject to both academic sanctions from the faculty member and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to university probation, suspension, or expulsion).