English 3413: Specialized Professional Writing

English 3413: Specialized Professional Writing Professor Diane Abdo

Fall 2009HSS 4.03.06

Office hours: MWF 9:30-10:30 a.m., 1-2 p.m.Office Tel: 210-458-5390

and by appointmente-mail:

Textbooks

Strategic Writing. Marsh, Guth and Short

Associated Press Stylebook

Best Newspaper Writing. Poynter Institute for Media Studies

Course Description

This course is writing intensive. It is designed to provide students the opportunity to master strategic writing for public relations, advertising, sales and marketing, as well as writing for other specialized professions. It also examines the legal and ethical considerations of writing for the public.

You may find this type of writing to be difficult at first because it is unlike academic writing; however, as English majors with an emphasis in professional writing, you must develop the skill to write for any profession, purpose and audience. This course will provide the opportunity and challenge to develop that skill.

Learning Objectives

This course is designed to familiarize you with a variety of writing approaches you may need to communicate in your profession. You will have the opportunity to hone your writing and editing skills through a series of “real world” based assignments. In summary, the objectives of this course are to assist you in:

• applying course material to assignments/tasks in other courses and in your profession;
• polishing your oral and written communication skills;
• developing skill in analyzing and evaluating what you read, hear, and write; and
• learning to use primary and secondary research to produce specialized professional writing.

Course Requirements

You are expected to attend class, complete assignments, work within groups and participate in class discussions. Writing assignments will be done in class and out of class. Out-of-class assignments are due at the beginning of the class for which they are assigned. Each student is allowed one late paper assignment without penalty, except forthe final paper assignment of the semester and any group paper.

Any late paper assignment shall be submitted the following class day, after which time it will be penalized one letter grade for each day it is late. (Note: Rough drafts are subject to the above requirements.) Late assignments are accepted up to one week of the assigned due date.

All final out-of-class assignments must be typed (double-spaced) and submitted with research materials, prewriting, and revisions attached.

Attendance

Please arrive on time and attend class regularly. Late arrival disrupts the flow of lectures, class discussions, and oral presentations. Sharing individual ideas with the class and working in groups are vital aspects of the educational process, but this process cannot take place without you.

Therefore, the attendance policy for this class is as follows:

• Attendance is required. After three absences, two points will be subtracted from your overall average for each absence.
• Students are responsible for all material covered in and assigned for class.
• Only those students in class when quizzes begin or assignments are collected will be eligible for credit.
• Make-ups are not allowed for in-class work unless the absence was the result of an emergency, which must be documented.
• Group projects: Students will forfeit two points from the project grade for each absence from a group meeting (in-class or out-of-class).

Professionalism

Classroom decorum requires extending professional courtesy to every member of our educational community.

• Turn off your telephone and any other electronic device before you enter the classroom.
• Never leave the classroom during class unless you are responding to an emergency.
• Do not use your laptop in class.
• Listen carefully and quietly as each person is speaking.
• Never enter the room during an oral presentation.
• If you arrive late for class, quietly take a seat in the back or near the door.
• Never walk in front of a speaker or someone conducting the class, meeting, or discussion.

Evaluation

Your grades will be determined using the following percentages:

• Quizzes/ In-class and out-of-class exercises20%
• Major writing assignments80%

Disability Services

UTSA provides special services for students with disabilities. The following information defines disabilities and the process you must follow to access services. You will find additional information at

Eligibility for Services

Federal law defines a disability as "any mental or physical condition that substantially limits an individual's ability to perform one or more major life activities." Major life activities include learning, working, walking, seeing, hearing, breathing, and attending to matters of personal care. The physical or mental impairment must be serious enough to substantially limit functioning in at least one major life activity. Disabilities may include:

* Physical disabilities

* Learning disabilities

* Visual or hearing impairments

* Chronic diseases or medical conditions

* Neurological impairments

* Communication disorders

* Psychological disabilities

* Attention Deficit Disorder

Students with disabilities requesting services and accommodations at UTSA must complete the following steps:

* Apply and be accepted for admission to UTSA through the regular admission process. Information on the admission process can be obtained from the UTSA Office of Admissions. UTSA does not discriminate on the basis of disability in the recruitment and admission of students. Students with disabilities must satisfy the same requirements and follow the same process for admission as every other student.

* Provide current and comprehensive documentation that includes a diagnosis of the disability and describes the functional limitations the student experiences in an academic environment. Individualized Educational Plans (IEP's) and Section 504 plans, while often valuable sources of information, do not constitute acceptable documentation of disability for higher education. For more information about documentation guidelines at UTSA, see below.

* Schedule an appointment with DS after being admitted to UTSA to discuss needs and to register for services.

Printable versions of the UTSA documentation guidelines are available for download in both html and Adobe Portable Document format (PDF). In order to read and print the PDF versions, you may need to download and install the free Acrobat Reader.

Academic Dishonesty

Professional honesty begins in the classroom. Using another person’s work as if it were your own can ruin your educational career in the same way that it can ruin your professional career. The following paragraphs are taken from the university’s policy on academic dishonesty.

• “Scholastic dishonesty” includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, falsifying academic records, and any act designed to give unfair advantage to the student (such as, but not limited to, submission of essentially the same written assignment for two courses without the prior permission of the instructor, providing false or misleading information in an effort to receive a postponement or an extension on a test, quiz, or other assignment), or the attempt to commit such an act.
• “Plagiarism” includes, but is not limited to, the appropriation, buying, receiving as a gift, or obtaining by any means another’s work and the submission of it as one’s own academic work offered for credit.

Finally. . .

You are invited and encouraged to consult with me to discuss assignments, review drafts, practice editing, brainstorm for approaches to writing. No appointment is needed for conferences during my office hours.

I prefer meeting with you in person; however, if you need to contact me by email, please use the email address provided in this syllabus.

Have a great semester!

Schedule of Assignments

August 25-28

Course introduction

Diagnostic writing

August 31-September 4

“What do professional writers do?” assignment due (see pp 28-30 for research ideas)

Profile interviews (provide interview resources)

Section I—Strategic Writing ( pp 1-10)

Section II—Strategic Writing in Public Relations (pp 31-68)

Profile draft due

September 7-11 (Labor Day holiday)

Profile due

Strategic Writing in Public Relations (cont.)

Discussion of public relations assignment

Media Kit Guidelines (pp 69-80)

September 14-18

AP Stylebook

Draft of public relations assignment due

Pitches (pp 53-57)

Pitch writing (in class)

September 21-25

Pitch writing (in class cont.)

PR writing assignment due

Speeches (pp 92-97)

Discussion of speech writing assignment

Best Newspaper Writing

September 28-October 2

Speech teamwork

Speech presentations

Interviewing

October 5-9

Newsletter and Magazine Writing (pp 80-87)

Best Newspaper Writing

Discussion of feature writing

October 12-16

Feature Writing (cont.)

Best Newspaper Writing

Conferences

October 19-23

Feature writing draft due

Editing

AP Stylebook

Best Newspaper Writing

October 26-30

Feature writing due

Strategic Writing in Advertising pp 115-138

Discussion of advertising assignment

November 2-6

Section I pp 17-30

Ethics, law, diversity and persuasion

Guest speaker

Quiz

November 9-13

Strategic Writing in Sales and Marketing (pp 165-186)

Discussion of sales and marketing assignment

November 16-20

Sales and Marketing (cont.)

Sales and Fundraising Letters (pp 186-201)

November 23-25 (Thanksgiving holiday)

Discussion of sales writing assignment

Sales writing assignment (cont.)

November 30-December 4

Discussion of specialized field writing and assignment

Note: December 7 and 8 are student study days. Classes do not meet.

Final Exam: Tuesday, December 15, 1:30-4:00 p.m.