English 205: Business Writing
Section 009– 2:00-3:15 p.m.Monday/Wednesday, Curtin Hall #109
Section 011– 3:30-4:45 p.m. Monday/Wednesday, Curtin Hall #109
Kimberly Baker, instructor
kbaker @ uwm.edu
Office Hours: Mondays & Wednesdays 11:30-1:30 p.m. at Northwest Quad Bldg B #2480 and by appointment
Course Description
Appropriate for students pursuing careers in business and related professions, Business Writing offers instruction and practice in writing business reports, memos, and letters.
Prerequisites. Students must have sophomore standing and have either earned a C or above in English 102, or scored a 4 or above on the English Placement Test (EPT).
Course Objectives
• Evaluate purposes, audiences, processes, and formats of workplace communication
• Develop effective visual, oral, and written communication for intended audiences
• Use mechanically and grammatically correct language
• Model effective professional communication in class and online
Required Materials
• Writing That Works, 11th ed. Walter E. Oliu, Charles T. Brusaw, and Gerald J. Alred. ISBN9781457611131
•The Business Writer’s Handbook, 10th ed.Gerald J. Alred, Charles T. Brusaw, and Walter E. Oliu. ISBN9780312679439 print ISBN 9781457604478 electronic
• Reliable access to a computer, internet connection, and printer
Procedures & Policies
Academic honesty. The university has a responsibility to promote academic honesty and integrity and to develop procedures to deal effectively with instances of academic dishonesty. Students are responsible for the honest completion and representation of their work, for the appropriate citation of sources, and for respect of others' academic endeavors. (uwm.edu/acad_aff/policy/academicmisconduct.cfm)
Assignment guidelines. Students must complete all assignments to be eligible to pass the course. All assignments must meet the following criteria:
• Type your work in a standard 12-point font, single-spaced.
• Save your document as a DOCX or PDF.
• Name the file so itincludes your name and the document contents as follows:
(YOUR NAME HERE_ASSIGNMENT NAME HERE.doc)
• Proofread for grammar and clarity, and spell-check your work.
• Upload your assignment (not the assignment instructions) to the D2L dropbox folder.
Acceptable Formats. Acceptable document formats are DOCX or PDF. Other formats will not be accepted and you will not receive credit for the work.
Grading. Writing assignments are evaluated holistically, based on content, format, organization, and fulfillment of the assignment instructions as appropriate to the given context. Spelling and grammar errors indicate carelessness and a lack of professionalism and will lower your grade.Please proofread your work carefully.
Late Work. Assignments are due in the D2L dropbox before class. If you need to request an extension, contact me before the assignment is due. Absence from class does not excuse late work. Students must complete all assignments to be eligible to pass the course. Assignments submitted after the deadline (without prior permission) will not be graded and will receive zero points.
Attendance and participation.Attendance is mandatory, so please plan to be present at all classes. Attendance is taken starting with the first class. The English Department reserves the right to administratively drop students who have not attended the first week of classes.
Absences. Please plan accordingly if you must miss class for any reason during the semester. Students are permitted two absences without penalty in the event of illness, a family emergency, religious observance ( other serious matter.Four absences will lower your grade by one letter. Missing the equivalent of three weeks of class -- more than six absences will result in failure of this course.Please contact me as soon as possible if an emergency arises.
Students are responsible for catching up on missed course content and in-class work. It is not the instructor’s responsibility to follow up with absent students. If you miss class, contact a classmate to get the assignment and notes. Please do not expect me to do extra work to compensate for student absences. I expect students to come prepared to every class meeting.
Late arrivals and early departuresare disruptive to your classmates and disrespectful to your instructors. Please arrive on time and plan to attend class for the full class period. Students arriving after class is scheduled to begin will receive reduced participation and professionalism grades. Do not schedule other commitments such as job interviews, doctor appointments and review sessions for other courses during class meeting times.
Participation. Students are expected to actively participate in all class activities including class discussions, peer review, group activities, and in-class exercises. In addition, students are expected to offer thoughtful, constructive critique of their own work and classmates’ work.
Time commitment. Students can generally expect that for every hour spent in weekly class meetings, they will spend an additional two to three hours outside of class completing readings and assignments, and working with classmates on group projects.In a 16-week semester, estimates are at minimum, 40 hours spent in the classroom, 80 for preparation, and 24 for papers and exams.
Professionalism. To model appropriate and effective workplace communication and practices, please plan to arrive on time, complete assignments on time, and to be ready to actively participate in class activities.
Respect for others.To ensure that the classroom remains an environment where student learning receives the highest priority, please refrain from behavior that distracts or disturbs others and from actions whichcreate a hostile environment counterproductive to learning and teaching. Students who interfere with the learning of others through disruptive behavior will be asked to leave the classroom and will receive an absence for the day.
Resources. On-campus resources are available to help students succeed.
Norris Health Center: A wide range of services are available to support all aspects of student health and wellness, including mental health concerns, stress management, counseling, pharmacy and laboratory facilities, sports medicine, and services concerning alcohol and other drugs. (uwm.edu/norris/)
Student Accessibility Center (SAC). If you have a chronic physical or mental health condition or disability that may affect your ability to meet course requirements, you may wish to meet with a SAC counselor (Mitchell Hall 116, ph. 229-3800). If you have a completed VISA agreement from the SAC, please meet with me (during regular office hours or by appointment) during the first week of class to discuss the details of your situation. (uwm.edu/sac/SACltr)
The Writing Center. One-on-one tutoring is available for all students at two locations: Curtin Hall 127 and the Library East Wing. (writingcenter.uwm.edu, ph. 229-4339).
Schedule adjustments. The assignment calendar is subject to change. Notice will be given by email and announced in class if adjustments to the schedule are made.
Technology. Students are expected to comply with the following technology policies:
D2L. This course will use the Desire 2 Learn (D2L) course management system. Students will use D2L to submit written assignments, feedback will be returned through the site, and some class materials, or links to them, will be posted on the site.
Technology in class. Out of courtesy to your instructor and classmates, please silence all phones, instant messaging, social media, and other communication devices during class, as these technologies are a distraction. If you must have a phone on for emergencies, please do not accept calls or respond to text messages unless they are true emergencies. These are normally expected courtesies in the professional community and abuse of this policy will result in loss of professionalism points.
Email. Information regarding this course will be sent using UWM email. All students are responsible for checking their UWM email or forwarding the account to stay up to date.
University policy.Please see the link for additional details concerning enrollment policies or download the “Policy Addendum” document from the course D2L site. (
Grading
Evaluation rubrics are provided in the instructions for each of the assignments. These descriptions for A-, B-, and C-level work help explain the attributes of effective, useful, and well-produced documents that clearly meet the assignment goals and learning objectives.
1
English 205, section 009 & 011 • Fall 2016 • Kimberly Baker
Assignments and points:
Report Memo100
Group Presentation50
Project Proposal Request Memo50
Progress Report Memo50
Recommend Report Project200
Methodology Analysis Memo100
Professionalism & Participation200
Possible points750
Grading scale:
93 +90-93 / A
A-
87-89
83-86
80-82 / B+
B
B-
77-79
73-76
70-72 / C+
C
C-
67-69
63-66
60-62 / D+
D
D-
50 and below / F
1
English 205, section 009 & 011 • Fall 2016 • Kimberly Baker
Grading Standards (courtesy of Gerald Alred)The following criteria will apply to grades since the work in this class is intended to simulate the workplace; I will serve as your manager:
A = Manager would be very impressed and remember the work when promotions are discussed. I would write an unqualified, enthusiastic recommendation letter.
B = Manager would be satisfied with the work but not impressed. I would write a generally positive but somewhat qualified recommendation.
C = Manager would be disappointed and ask you to revise or rewrite sections before allowing clients to see the work. I might urge you to have someone else write a recommendation.
D = Manager would be troubled by the poor quality of work. You would not want to mention my name as a possible reference.
F = Manager would start looking for someone to replace you. Please do not tell anyone you were my student!
Policies in this syllabus are subject to change. Students will be notified of amendments to the syllabus in writing.
1
English 205, section 009 & 011 • Fall 2016 • Kimberly Baker