English 398B: Writing for Social Entrepreneurs
Fall 2017 Syllabus
Instructor: Eric Thiel (please just call me Eric)
Office hours: Tawes 1236, Mondays and Wednesdays, 12:30 to 2:00pm or by appointment. Let me know at least a day in advance when you plan to attend office hours.
Contact information: I prefer email (always use ) but text me for brief or time sensitive messages. Cell phone: 202-487-9695
Class Location: Section 0601 MW 2:00pm - 3:15pm TWS 0207
Section 0701 MW 3:30pm - 4:45pm TWS 0234
Section 0801 MW 5:00pm - 6:15pm TWS 1106
Course Description
This course will inspire you to harness the power of words to thrive in the professional world. You will put your command of words into action by assuming the role of social entrepreneur – innovators who address nagging social and environmental problems with financially sustainable ideas.
As a social entrepreneur, words will become your agents of power in your efforts to persuade investors, politicians, the media and other audiences that you have a potentially world-changing innovation. Writing assignments for the course include:
§ A Social Venture Plan for a new entrepreneurial venture with sustainable benefit to society that you will conceive and develop. The SVP is a business plan adapted to showcase social impact rather than financial returns. It a visually appealing, professionally written document intended to persuasive investors to fund your venture. It is the centerpiece of the course and accounts for 30 percent of the final grade.
§ A proposal that summarizes your preliminary Social Venture Plan concept for approval and guidance from the instructor. It describes how the concept relates to your personal/career goals and your ability to turn the proposal into the full SVP by the end of the course. The proposal is also a first draft of several SVP sections.
§ A press release that creatively captures the unique and newsworthy value of your social venture to generate media attention.
§ A Video presentation to “pitch” your idea to investors who can provide the financial support to turn your Social Venture Plan into real-world startup.
§ A resume and a cover letter that concisely and persuasively highlight your unique skills, experience and knowledge.
§ A Writing Guide for Social Entrepreneurs that will you will create in peer-group workshops and use to write and edit assignments for this class.
§ Reflective narratives – Three short writing assignments at the beginning, middle and end of the course in which you will describe your professional writing learning expectations and what course activities succeed in meeting them.
(see the assignment overview below for more information on assignments)
Other coursework will include:
§ Research and class discussion on various aspects of social entrepreneurship.
§ In-class workshops to give practical knowledge and techniques for real-world writing.
§ Editing the work of your classmates.
§ Workshops on visually appealing and easy-to-navigate documents, including layout and design, typography, and graphical elements.
§ Workshops on creating a visual presentation that engages and persuades an audience.
Texts/Materials
The course has no assigned textbook. Students will use on-line sources – articles, blog posts, videos, research studies and other content – for homework assignments, discussions and other coursework. Students will regularly search the web and present findings during class discussions. A laptop, tablet or other device with wireless capability will be an important tool in classroom activities.
Professional Writing Learning Outcomes
English 398B is a bridge from academic writing to real world writing. You will have to unlearn some academic writing practices and learn new writing concepts for real world audiences. There will be a strong emphasis on clear, concise, direct and persuasive writing.
On completion of a Professional Writing course, you will be able to:
§ Analyze a variety of professional rhetorical situations and produce appropriate texts in response.
§ Understand the stages required to produce competent, professional writing through planning, drafting, revising, and editing.
§ Identify and implement the appropriate research methods for each writing task.
§ Practice the ethical use of sources and the conventions of citation appropriate to each genre.
§ Write for the intended readers of a text, and design or adapt texts to audiences who may differ in their familiarity with the subject matter.
§ Demonstrate competence in Standard Written English, including grammar, sentence and paragraph structure, coherence, and document design (including the use of the visual) and be able to use this knowledge to revise texts.
§ Produce cogent arguments that identify arguable issues, reflect the degree of available evidence, and take account of counter arguments.
Course Culture
§ Enjoyment and Relevance. This class involves hard work in a fun, collaborative environment. Assignments are design to be relevant to your personal and career interests. I encourage you to use the class to explore projects that you find enjoyable and engaging. Part of being an entrepreneur is following your passion, and this class is designed to give you space to explore topics that excite and energize you.
§ Participation and teamwork. This course is interactive, participatory, and collaborative. Lectures are kept to a minimum. The collaborative nature of this class means participation is required. You’ll learn from and with each other. Please come prepared to contribute to class discussions and participate in group activities.
§ Professionalism. This course mimics a professional work environment. Plan to arrive on time, act respectfully in your interactions with others, act with honesty and integrity, and show enthusiasm for your work.
§ Real world audiences. Unlike English 101, your writing will be directed to real world readers, not the instructor. The coursework and writing assignments are designed to teach and practice writing skills that are critical to success in any professional environment.
Grading
§ Social Venture plan 30%
§ Discussion assignments 15%
§ Social Venture plan Draft 10%
§ Writing Guide 10%
§ Resume/cover letter 5%
§ SVP Proposal 5%
§ Pitch video 5%
§ Press Release 5%
§ Reflection assignments 5%
§ Attendance 5%
§ Peer Reviews 5%
All Professional Writing Program classes require six graded assignments comprising a minimum of 25 pages of original writing. Papers for this class may not be used in other classes. Previously written material may not be used for credit in this class.
Each assignment will clearly specify how to get full credit.
Your grade will include credit for the writing process as well as for the final product. The process includes revisions, editing, and guided peer reviews.
Grading Scale
Letter Grade Numerical Grade
A+ 99-100
A 93-98.9
A- 90-92.9
B+ 87-89.9
B 83-86.9
B- 80-82.9
C+ 77-79.9
C 73-76.9
C- 70-72.9
D+ 67-69.9
D 63-66.9
D- 60-62.9
F 59.9 or below
Academic integrity: The UMD Honor Code prohibits students from cheating on exams, plagiarizing papers, submitting the same paper for credit in two courses without authorization, buying papers, submitting fraudulent documents and forging signatures. On every examination, paper or other academic exercise not exempted by the instructor, students must write by hand and sign the following pledge: I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this examination (or assignment). Allegations of academic dishonesty will be reported directly to the Student Honor Council: http://www.shc.umd.edu.
UMD’s honor code is here: http://www.studenthonorcouncil.umd.edu/code.html. Please review it. Other resources:
http://www.lib.umd.edu/shadygrove/plagiarism.html
http://www.studentconduct.umd.edu/Info/Students/Default.aspx
Resources
Below are organizations that will give you information on entrepreneurship, writing and other services
§ The Academy for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. http://innovation.umd.edu/ Lists the various resources on campus for students and coordinates various efforts in the field of entrepreneurship on campus.
§ The Writing Center www.english.umd.edu/programs/WritCenter/ The Writing Center can help you to improve your papers before handing them in, determine strategies for re-writes, and highlight grammatical errors. Grammar and sentence structure will count as I grade your assignments, so going to the Writing Center will improve your grade. The Writing Center is not just a remedial program for poor writers; it is helpful no matter what your starting point. I encourage you to visit the Writing Center (on the first floor of Tawes) for all assignments. For some assignments, you’ll get extra credit for visits to the Writing Center.
§ The UMD Library Professional Writing Website is a wonderful resource designed for PWP students to help you with your final projects. http://lib.guides.umd.edu/pwp. The site also provides contact information for several librarians who are experts in helping students access resources for Professional Writing classes.
§ Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship in the Robert H. Smith School of Business offers numerous programs promoting entrepreneurship. See the Dingman website for its various resources.
§ The Center for Social Value Creation (CSVC) has extensive resources and many programs relating to social enterprises. I encourage you to sign up for the CSVC biweekly listserv to learn about events/programs/careers/networking opportunities. The link is on the home page of www.rhsmith.umd.edu/svc. Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CreatingValue
§ AshokaU Terp Changemakers “exist to promote the development of a culture of innovation and social change, along with a generation of students who feel empowered to test out novel ideas, approaches, products, and services to tackle today’s local, national, and international problems.” http://umdchangemakers.com. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/39233947647
§ The Career Centers. The Career Center www.careercenter.umd.edu (or Engineering Career Center www.coop.engr.umd.edu or Business School Career Center www.rhsmith.umd.edu/career) can help you with job search advice, career counseling, and other career-related questions. They can also offer specific assistance with the resume and cover letter assignments. The resume assignment requires a meeting with an advisor at one of the career centers. See also http://www.careers.umd.edu/events.cfm.
§ The Counseling Center can provide assistance if you want help reaching your academic goals, think you might have a learning issue that requires accommodation, want help getting more organized in your academics, or need support in managing end-of-semester or other stress. www.counseling.umd.edu.
§ http://umdentrepreneurialresources.weebly.com. Resources for UMD student entrepreneurs, created by a former Professional Writing Program student.
Other Policies
Attendance and Absences: I follow university policy on attendance http://www.provost.umd.edu/announcements/StudentMedicalAbsences.cfm.
Excused absences include:
§ Illness
§ Death in family or family emergency
§ Official university events such as participation in intercollegiate competitions
§ Religious holiday
Consistent attendance is vital to your success in this class. I allow one unexcused absence but additional unexcused absences will reduce your attendance grade.
If you miss class, refer to the class agendas and activities on ELMS or contact a classmate rather than contacting me for a summary of what you missed. It is your responsibility to catch up on missed work. . I post class agendas, guides, and in-class activity documents on the ELMS Front Page (click “pages” in the ELMS navigation bar).
However, in the event of documented serious illness or family emergency, contact me to make individual arrangements to help you catch up. I will take into account your specific situation.
Conferences: You are required to attend one student-instructor conference during the semester. During this meeting, I will discuss your work in progress and you can raise any questions or concerns you might have about the class. Sign-up sheets will be distributed several weeks prior to our meetings.
Group Work: Class assignments will involve collaboration of the kind that is typical for a work environment. The opportunity to learn from your peers is an essential part of this class, as is learning how to share appropriate, sensitive, critical, constructive feedback.
Students with Disabilities: Students with a documented disability should inform the instructors within the add-drop period if academic accommodations will be needed. NB: You are expected to meet with your instructor in person to provide them with a copy of the Accommodations Letter and to obtain your instructor’s signature on the Acknowledgement of Student Request form. You and your instructor will plan together how accommodations will be implemented throughout the semester. To obtain the required Accommodation Letter, please contact Disability Support Service (DSS) at 301-314-7682 or .
Evaluation and Feedback: I appreciate feedback with your ideas for how I can improve the class. Some of the best teaching techniques come from student suggestions. You are welcome to submit ideas via email or in person, or anonymously through the Professional Writing Program. In addition to the university’s online end of the semester evaluation, there will be a PWP paper evaluation at the end of the class, and periodic short surveys specifically for class materials and actvities.
Copyright notice: Class lectures and other materials are copyrighted. They may not be reproduced for anything other than personal use without written permission from the instructor. Copyright infringements may be referred to the Office of Student Conduct.
Emergency protocol: If the university is closed for an extended period of time the course will continue with assignments and group work through ELMS
§ This syllabus is subject to change: Students will be notified in advance of important changes that could affect grading, assignments, etc. refer to the ELMS Front Page (click “pages” in the ELMS navigation bar) for class schedule and links all class agendas, guides, and in-class activity documents.
§ Academic Accommodations for Students Who May Experience Sexual Misconduct: The University of Maryland is committed to providing support and resources, including academic accommodations, for students who experience sexual or relationship violence as defined by the University’s Sexual Misconduct Policy. To report an incident and/or obtain an academic accommodation, contact the Office of Civil Rights and Sexual Misconduct at 301-405-1142. If you wish to speak confidentially, contact Campus Advocates Respond and Educate (CARE) to Stop Violence at 301-741-3555. As ‘responsible university employees’ faculty are required to report any disclosure of sexual misconduct, i.e., they may not hold such disclosures in confidence. For more information: http://www.umd.edu/ocrsm/
§ Diversity: The University of Maryland values the diversity of its student body. Along with the University, I am committed to providing a classroom atmosphere that encourages the equitable participation of all students regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, national origin, race, religion, or sexual orientation. Potential devaluation of students in the classroom that can occur by reference to demeaning stereotypes of any group and/or overlooking the contributions of a particular group to the topic under discussion is inappropriate.