Professional Research & Reporting

ENG 114 • Professional Research & Reporting
Syllabus • Spring 2009 / 2

ENG 114

Professional Research & Reporting

EDGECOMBE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Course Syllabus • Spring 2009

Instructor Information
Instructor Information / Johanna Owens
Office Phone Number / 252-823-5166 ext 178
Internet E-Mail /
Office Location / 255 Fleming Building, Tarboro Campus
Office Hours / M–F, 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Course Information
Course Section / TD1
Days and Times of Course / TTh 9:30–11:00
Location of Class / 218 Fleming Building
Semester Information
Credit Hours: 3 / Contact Hours: 3
Class: 3 / Lab: 0 / Shop/Clinic: 0 / Work Experience: 0
Course Information
Course Description: This course, the second in a series of two, is designed to teach professional communication skills. Emphasis is placed on research, listening, critical reading and thinking, analysis, interpretation, and design used in oral and written presentations. Upon completion, students should be able to work individually and collaboratively to produce well-designed business and professional written and oral presentations. This course has been approved to satisfy the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement general education core requirement in English composition.
Textbook:
·  Technical Communication: Process and Product, 6th ed., Sharon J. Gerson and Steven M. Gerson authors, Pearson Prentice Hall © 2008, ISBN 978-0-13-615475-4
·  The Blair Handbook, 5th ed., Toby Fulwiler and Alan R. Hayakawa authors, Pearson Prentice Hall © 2007, ISBN 0-13-193536-4
Pre-requisite(s):
ENG 111 / Co-requisite(s):
none

GENERAL EDUCATION OUTCOMES

Upon degree completion at Edgecombe Community College, the student will

n  Communicate effectively with verbal and nonverbal messages appropriate to audience, purpose, subject, and format

n  Comprehend and apply mathematical concepts and interpret numerical data

n  Research, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information to draw conclusions and respond to problems, scenarios, and arguments.

n  Use technology to facilitate learning

n  Demonstrate an understanding of global and cultural diversity, events, and issues

n  Demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary for entry-level positions or continued education in a field of study

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the semester, the successful student will have

n  Written and formatted a variety of work-place and employment communication pieces using effective and appropriate language

n  Defined a problem or a research question, conducted and analyzed relevant research, and presented findings and conclusions both in writing and speech

n  Demonstrated in his or her written work the ability to incorporate source material using APA or MLA style

n  Used oral and listening skills to prepare effective individual and collaborative presentations which incorporate visuals appropriately.

COURSE COMPETENCIES

Upon successful completion of ENG 114, the student will demonstrate mastery of course competencies by:

n  Planning, writing, formatting, and producing a portfolio of short reports

n  Planning, writing, formatting, and producing a portfolio of employment communication

n  Defining a research problem or question, conducting and analyzing relevant research, and presenting findings and conclusions in a proposal or long report format

n  Participating in group activities and working as a team to produce a portfolio of promotional materials

n  Preparing and presenting PowerPoint presentation on an approved research problem

ASSIGNMENTS

1. Assignments should generally be typed in 11- or 12-point font with 1-inch margins. Text size may vary slightly based on use of headings.
2. All work is due on the assigned date. If you must miss class on the day an assignment is due, you should e-mail it to the instructor on the due date or turn it in early.
3. Only one late assignment will be accepted during the semester; however, it will be penalized a full letter grade. This policy does not apply to in-class activities or quizzes. If you must submit a late assignment, it must be submitted within one week of the due date. Also, you must include a signed and dated memo that requests the assignment be graded, the date it was due, and the date it is being submitted.
4. You must be present to have the opportunity to complete in-class activities and quizzes.

GRADING SCALE

Your grade will be written on returned assignments. Students are encouraged to keep all graded assignments in one folder until the end of the semester. ECC uses a 7-point grading scale. Your grade will be based on the following:

A = 93 – 100 B = 85 – 92 C = 77 – 84 D = 70 – 76 F = 69 or below

The following rubric will be used to grade written assignments, unless otherwise noted, in an effort to prepare students for writing on the job.

GRADE / DESCRIPTION
A / Your supervisor would gladly send this document with no edits. This document would make you stand out among other employees. You might even get a raise or promotion!
B / Your supervisor would send this message with minor edits; document has a few grammatical, mechanical, organizational, content, and/or format errors.
C / This document contains several grammatical, mechanical, organizational, content, and/or format errors. It needs major editing before it could be sent.
D or F / This document does not meet prescribed standards and/or has too many errors.

SPECIFIC COURSE REQUIREMENTS

The course will be divided into several units, in which students will read from the text, conduct research, complete exercises and activities, take quizzes, and produce written products. Students will also make oral presentations in several units. All final products should be word-processed, and students should keep electronic copies of all work.

The breakdown of the final grade is as follows:

Chapters / Projects & Assignments / Percent of Final Grade
Unit 1 / TC 1–6 / Series of routine e-mails, memos and letters / 20%
Unit 2 / TC 8– 9, 12, 18 / Oral presentation and instructions / 20%
Unit 3 / TC 7, 10 / Employment communications / 20%
Unit 4 / TC 14–18 / Reports and oral presentation / 25%
Unit 5 / TC 1, 10, 13, 18 / Collaborative project / 15%

ATTENDANCE

From the ECC Catalog:

“Students are expected to attend all classes, laboratories, and shop sessions and have full responsibility for accounting to their instructors for absences. Makeup work may be allowed at the discretion of instructors. Students who have missed more than 20 percent of a course will not receive credit for a course. Students are withdrawn from courses by instructors when they have been absent more than 20 percent of the class hours scheduled.”

Note: Attendance begins with the first scheduled day of class.

WITHDRAWAL FROM CLASSES

Students can be withdrawn from a course through one of two methods.

1. Students may complete an official withdrawal form from Student Services to withdraw themselves from a particular course. If a student officially withdraws between 10 percent and 75 percent points of class, he or she will receive a grade of W (Withdrawn), which is not calculated in the student’s GPA. Students receiving Financial Aid should contact that office prior to dropping a course.
2. Students may be administratively withdrawn from a course for not pursuing the learning activities of the class, failing to meet ECC’s Attendance Policy, improper conduct, and other reasons outlined in the Catalog (p. 70).

Any student who drops or is dropped after the 75 percent point in the semester will receive an F in the course unless it is a developmental course.

STATEMENT OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

The college recognizes its responsibility under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to provide equal access to education for students with disabilities. Support services are available to the hearing impaired, visually impaired, orthopedically handicapped, learning disabled, and other health impaired. A student who is in need of special circumstances should contact Student Services. Documentation of a disability must be on file at the College before accommodations can be provided.

Students who would like to request accommodations for this class under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) should contact ECC’s Student Support Specialist in Student Services. Contact should be made early in the semester.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY AND PLAGIARISM

Cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of inappropriate behavior are considered serious offenses and are prohibited in all course assessments, assignments, and standardized tests. Students who exhibit such behaviors will be subject to disciplinary action. Plagiarized or copied assignments as well as undocumented work will result in a grade of 0 for the assignment and possibly an F for the course.

See the 2008–2009 Student Handbook for further details of this policy or read the document online at http://www.edgecombe.edu/current_students/current_students.htm.

CLASS CONDUCT

All students are responsible for upholding the Student Code of Conduct, which can be read in the College Catalog. ECC students are expected to display the qualities of courtesy and integrity that characterize the behavior of adults.

CELL PHONE POLICY

Cell phones must be on silent mode or turned off during class. Your phone should not disturb other classmates or the instructor. If there is a compelling reason why you must have access to your cell phone during class, you must obtain permission from the instructor. Even with the instructor’s permission, cell phones must be set to vibrate, not ring, during class time. Text-messaging in class will not be tolerated. Students who disregard any part of this policy may be asked to leave the classroom for the remaining class time. Abuse of this policy constitutes disruptive behavior and may lead to being dropped from the class.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Edgecombe Community College is committed to providing an environment that supports the academic activities of the faculty, staff, and students. The college encourages the creation of original works of authorship and the free expression and exchange of ideas. It is the intent of the college to maintain a positive atmosphere for scholarly development. The college encourages innovation and discovery of new knowledge and its dissemination. To ensure proper safeguards for the generation of intellectual property by faculty, staff, or students, the college has adopted an intellectual property policy which applies to all full-time and part-time Edgecombe Community College employees, students working with or without compensation on any project under the direction and control of the college, anyone using college facilities, or anyone conducting activities under the supervision of college personnel. The complete intellectual property policy can be found on the college website at http://www.edgecombe.edu/intellectual_property.htm.

OTHER IMPORTANT REMINDERS

·  ECC’s Curriculum Learning Center is very helpful for students needing assistance with specific subject areas. If you feel you need extra help, contact the tutorial staff. ECC’s CLC has two locations to serve students. In Tarboro, it is located in Building C, Room 5. In Rocky Mount, it is located in 148 Barnes Building.

·  If you have an urgent situation, please call the instructor at 252-823-5166 ext 178 and leave a detailed message. Be sure to discuss missed coursework and the situation with your instructor upon returning to class.

·  In the event of inclement weather, students should check the website (www.edgecombe.edu), call the switchboard at 2528235166, or watch local television stations to determine if class will be held. The decision to delay classes or close the college during inclement weather is the responsibility of the college president or his/her designated representative. The decision is made by 6:30 a.m. if a situation arises. Further information can be found in the Student Handbook.

·  If you have any questions or concerns about your program of study, please contact the program chair or coordinator at 2528235166.

·  Only students are permitted in ECC classrooms. Your ID badge should be displayed at all times while you are on campus and in classrooms.

·  Food and drink are not allowed in ECC classrooms except for documented medical reasons.

·  Internet access, such as Web surfing, instant messaging, e-mailing, or any type of “chat room” activity, is not permitted during class unless related to class activities and only when the instructor has given permission. Anyone violating this policy will be dismissed from the class for the rest of the period and receive an absence for the day. No warnings will be given. This statement is due notice and will be enforced.

ENG 114 • Professional Research & Reporting
Syllabus • Spring 2009 / 2

READING & ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE

The following is a schedule of reading assignments and project/presentation due dates. The instructor reserves the right to amend the schedule with appropriate notice to students.

Tues / Thurs
Rev’d 1-9-09 / J 08 / Introductions
TC 1 Technical Communication
J 13 / TC 2 Communication Process / J 15 / TC 3 Goals
TC 4 Audience
J 20 / TC 6 Correspondence / J 22
J 27 / TC 5 Research & Documentation / J 29 / DUE • Unit 1 Packet
TC 8 Document Design
F 03 / TC 9 Graphics
TC 12 Instructions / F 05 / TC 18 Oral Communication
F 10 / F 12
F 17 / DUE • Unit 2
Presentations / F 19 / Presentations
TC 7 Employment Communications
F 24 / F 26 / TC 10 Persuasive Communications
M 03 / M 05
M 10 / DUE • Unit 3
TC 15 Short Reports / M 12 / Mock Interviews
M 17 / TC 16 Formal Reports
TC 17 Proposals / M 19 / TC 14 Summaries
M 24 / M 26
M 31 / A 02
A 07 / DUE • Unit 4
Presentations / A 09 / Presentations
A 14 / SPRING BREAK • NO CLASS / A 16 / SPRING BREAK • NO CLASS
A 21 / TC 10 Persuasive Communications
TC 13 Web Sites & Blogging / A 23 / Group Work
A 28 / Group Work / A 30 / Group Work
M 05 / DUE • Unit 5
Group Presentations / M 07 / Final Evaluation