Women and Law

WRITING FOR BUSINESS

15 ENGL 491303

Summer 2010 – Third/Mini-Quarter (August)

Class Meetings: MONDAY-FRIDAY, 1:30-3:20PM, MCMICKEN 254

Instructor:Holly McEntyre (phone: 513-293-8423; e-mail: )

Office Hours:Monday-Thursday, 10-11AM; Friday, by appointment, MCMICKEN 009

Course Description

Whether you work for a large multi-national corporation or at a small nonprofit agency or formyour own business, you need effective communication skills. This coursewill focus on business writing as a set of problem-solving/solution-oriented techniques that are useful in any business environment.After you complete this course, you will have improved your skills in writing and professionalism and will better understand how to write persuasively and effectively.

Attendance PolicyPerformance Requirements

You are asked to treat this course like a job and to conduct yourself accordingly.Come to class every day, on time and prepared to work. Bring your textbook, pen/pencil, and paper each day. Treat your instructor and your peers with respect and consideration – as you would like to be treated – and endeavor to meet all deadlines and expectations; this is excellent practice for the “real world” of full-time employment.Always read directions and instructions thoroughly (whether in syllabi, emails, announcements, or other formats), and always have and use a calendar (whether paper or electronic) to keep track of classes, appointments, assignments, due dates, and so forth. Your instructors should not have to do this for you, and your employers will not do it for you; conversely, by doing it yourself, you practice important professionalism skills, such as staying organized and self-motivated, that will serve you well throughout your career.

Regular attendance and respectful participation are essential to your successful performance in this course. We will be working and writing in class from the first day to the last. Much of our course work will be collaborative, and you will benefit most when you are fully engaged in the class, both with the instructor and with your peers. We will complete a number of written mini-assignments in class and worksheets outside of class and you are expected to keep all these in an Individual Portfolio to turn in at the end of the quarter. (This is also good practice for the real world, where keeping a work portfolio at your fingertips will be handy when preparing annual reviews, requests for promotions, or even new job searches. The more self-accountable and organized you become now, the less you will have to learn on-the-job and the more readily you will impress your employers and employees.) We will work together in peer reviews to critique these assignments and work them into the two major individual assignments and one major team assignment that you are responsible for producing during the quarter. You will be assigned to teams on the first day of class and will work with these teams throughout the quarter.

Grades will be based upon:

*Attendance & Participation (in-class discussion, peer reviews, etc.)10%

Individual Portfolio (in-class writing, quizzes, worksheets, etc.)20%

Assignment #1—Individual Persuasive Message20%

Assignment #2—Individual Bad-News Message20%

Assignment #3—Team/Marketing Portfolio30%

*Due to the compressed nature of the mini-quarter, attendance is especially important. Tardiness and/or absences will have a negative effect on your grade in this intensive course. For any two class absences, a student will lose the equivalent of one full letter from their final grade. Any student who anticipates missing four or more days of class (the equivalent of one week of the three-week term) should consider dropping the course and taking it during a different quarter.

Required Readings

There is one required textbook for this course,Business Communication, by Marie Flatley and Kathryn Rentz (McGraw-Hill, ISBN 978-0077314064). We will read and discuss several key chapters of the textbook and make use of the additional resources provided in the book’s Online Learning Center at (including online quizzes, sample documents, and supplementary chapters). You should purchase a new or used copy of the textbook well prior to our first day of class, Monday, August 9, because we will discuss the first 1-2 chapters on the first day of class and work through several more chapters during the quarter.

It is also recommended that you purchase, if you do not already own, a writer’s reference/guide, such asThe Everyday Writer, by Andrea Lunsford, or A Writer’s Reference, by Diana Hacker.

Computer Use, Blackboard & E-mail Communications

We are meeting in a computer lab. Be aware that any unauthorized use of technology during class is not permitted. Except in case of emergency, or while working on an assignment relevant to this course, at no time is it ever appropriate for you to use a mobile/cell phone, texting, instant messaging, or any other electronic communications in class. If you are found abusing this policy, you will be asked to leave.

Please ensure that your e-mail address is correct on Blackboard.You are responsible for checkingour Course Announcements on Blackboard and your e-mail regularly.Theinstructor is not responsible for any course-related communications that you miss due to lack of attendance, technical problems, inattention to Blackboard ore-mail, and so forth.

Assignments

You will receive full credit for the course only if you complete all mini- and major assignments by the due dates, in addition to regular attendance and participation. There will be no extensions or make-up assignments.The instructor will timely comment on drafts and grade assignments throughout the quarter, but you are responsible for keepingall other class work (including mini-assignments, quizzes, peer reviews, and worksheets) in an IndividualPortfolioto turn in at the end of the quarter, in addition to the Assignment #3 – Marketing Portfolio (one from each team). Your folders will be the only record of your work; there will be no mid-term or final exam.

Drafts and final projects for major and team assignments should be:

Typed in Times New Roman 12 pt or comparable font, double-spaced for drafts,
On standard 8½” X 11” size paper, with proper margins andparagraphing,
Including letterhead or any other necessary document formatting, and
Responsive to the guidelines outlined in the textbook and provided by the instructor.

Anticipated Course Schedule

(Subject to Change)

Detailed assignments & guidelines will be provided in class.

On Draft days bring enough copies for team/peer review & a clean copy for the instructor.

On Final Project days email your completed assignment to the instructor by 11 a.m.

We will meet as a class Mondays-Thursdays.

You will meet with your teams on Fridays.

Week One (Aug. 9-12):Chapters 1, 2 & 4

Introduction Course Overview

Using Blackboard & the Online Learning Center

Basic Writing Correctness (“Mechanics”)

Style, Tone & Effect (“You-Attitude”)

Writing Process Revising Process

Assignment 1 – First Draft Due (Wed.)

Team Day (Aug. 13):Starting the Team Assignment

Planning & Gathering Data

Week Two (Aug. 16-19):Chapters 5, 6 & 7

Writing Good News, Neutral & Bad News Messages

Writing Persuasively

Stressing the “You-Viewpoint”

Revising, Editing & Proofreading

Assignment 1– Second Draft Due (Wed.)

Assignment 1– Final Project Due (Fri.)

Team Day (Aug. 20):Continuing the Team Assignment

Problem-Solving & Drafting

Week Three (Aug. 23-26):Chapters 3 & 8 (selections) & 11

Incorporating Visuals & Making Document Design Decisions

Writing & Revising Collaboratively

Communicating in the Job Search

Anticipating Interview Questions & Preparing Answers

Assignment 2– Draft Due (Wed.)

Individual Portfolios Due (Thu.)

Assignment 2 – Final Project Due (Fri.)

Team Day (Aug. 27):Revising the Team Assignment

Revising, Editing Proofreading

Course Evaluations

Finals Week (Aug. 30-31):Finalizing the Team Assignment

Assignment 3– Team Portfolios Due (Mon.)

Version 1. July 26, 2010 – Subject to Change