Writing on Business & Society

Writing on Business & Society

WRTG 3040-024 & -033

Course Information

Classroom LocationsMUEN E114HLMS 191

TermSpring2011

Days & TimesTuesdaysThursdays 1100 – 1215 & 1530 – 1645

Instructor Information

InstructorMichel Hendry

Office Phone(303) 735-4788

Email Address

Office LocationENVD 1B50E

Office HoursTuesdays & Thursdays 1700 –1830 & By Appointment

Course Pre-requisites, Co-requisites, and/or Other Restrictions

Do not register for Section 033 if you are enrolled in a class with late-afternoon/evening exams.

Course- and Section-Specific Description

WRTG 3040 examines ethical and social issues in the context of business decision-making processes. WRTG 3040 foci are critical thinking, rhetorical awareness, information literacy, and linguistic convention. Designed as a writing workshop, WRTG 3040 encourages thoroughgoing drafting and thoughtful revision.

WRTG 3040 fulfills both the University of Colorado-Boulder (UCB) and the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE) curricular requirements. WRTG 3040 meets University-specific core upper-division writing requirement for students majoring in business, economics, and international studies (IAFS). WRTG 3040 meets CCHE-specific criteria for extended rhetorical knowledge, extended writing processes, extended writing conventions, and advanced content knowledge.

WRTG 3040 Sections 024033 pedagogically embrace both process theory and the stylistic and epistemological norms of writing in the disciplines. Sections024033 are theoretically oriented by process in writing pedagogy research, student writing process social science research, and discourse analysis and ethnographic research on the writing practices of other disciplines. With this triangulation approach, Sections 024033 reconcile structure with paradox and ambiguity in complex thinking and writing.

In WRTG 3040 Sections 024033, I (a) acquaint you with business writing style, elements, forms, and processes and (b) provide you practice researching, describing, analyzing, evaluating, organizing, documenting, designing, and packaging business information.

I provide you (a) a series of lectures, readings, and workshops that enhance your understanding of business writing style, elements, forms, and processes; (b) opportunities to demonstrate your business writing proficiencies; and (c) constructive criticism to advance your business writing competencies. I ask you to craft an analytical report draft and final that describe a challenge/opportunity/problem in your field, analyze those facts by postulating a thesis and providing evidence, then present reasoned conclusions founded on the analysis; a recommendation report draft and final that describe a challenge/opportunity/problem in your field, analyze those facts by postulating a thesis and providing evidence, present reasoned conclusions founded on the analysis, offer a course of action founded on the conclusions, and incorporate design, packaging, and visual elements; a promotional press release from recommendation report findings; and a cover letter and resume citing recommendation report work.

Section-Specific Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes

Extending Rhetorical Knowledge

To enable you (a) to master wide-ranging rhetorical situations, audiences, and purposes; (b) to perfect correlations between form and content for wide-ranging rhetorical situations, audiences, and purposes; and (c) to hone communication for wide-ranging rhetorical situations, audiences, and purposes; you read a variety of scholarly, professional, and peer texts for the analyticand recommendation report projects; youdiscuss the authors’ rhetorical choices; and youwrite to a variety of inter- and intra-field discourse communities for the analytic, recommendation, promotional, and job projects.

Extending Experience in Writing Processes

To facilitate your ability (a) to sharpen thoroughgoing drafts; (b) to refine strategies for global-, local-, and copy-editing; and (c) toimprove critique of scholarly, professional, peer, and personal documentation; you write a draft and final of the analytic,recommendation, promotional and job materialand youparticipate in workshop discussions about yours and peers’ analytic, recommendation, promotional, and job drafts.

Extending Understanding of Writing Conventions

To help you (a) whet appropriate form for different writing tasks; (b) groom within-sentence to across-document genre conventions; (c) polish specialized vocabulary; and (d) perfect correct and effective grammar, punctuation, and spelling; you participate in a comprehensive style competencies diagnostic and youuse genre-appropriate form, conventions, vocabulary, grammar, and punctuation for the analytic, recommendation, promotional, and job project draft and final.

Advancing Content Knowledge

To encourage you (a) to achieve content knowledge-gain; (b) to adapt content to different rhetorical situations, audiences, and purposes; and (c) to communicate your content knowledge about different rhetorical situations, audiences, and purposes; you research a variety of electronic and hard copy scholarly and professional sources for the analytic, recommendation, promotional, and job projects; youparticipate in workshop discussions about your content adaptations for different rhetorical situations, audiences, and purposes for the analytic, recommendation, promotional, and job projects; and youattribute your content sources for the analytic, recommendation, promotional, and job projects.

Required Textbooks

Rosenwasser, D. & Stephen, J. (2009). Writing analytically (5th ed.). Boston: Thomson Wadsworth.

Kolin, P.C. (2012). Successful writing at work (concise3rded.). New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Perrin, R. (2012). Pocket guide to APA style (4th ed.). New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Suggested Course Materials

A current (two years or less) dictionary and thesaurus and field-specific styles guides and manuals.

Resources

Writing Center

UCB Library

Assignments & Academic Calendar

WEEK 1Tuesday, January 11

examining the course

exploring writing genres’ and business writing genre’s characteristics – Kolin, pp. 13-16, 26-27

Thursday, January 13

discussing business writing grammar, mechanics, usage, and punctuation competencies – Kolin, pp. 313-330; Rosenwasser & Stephen, Chapters 17, 18, & 19; self-select style guides and manuals; instructor notes

WEEK 2Tuesday, January 18

Thursday, January 20

participating in a business writing grammar, mechanics, usage, and punctuation competencies diagnostic

WEEK 3Tuesday, January 25

understanding business writing as problem solving: embracing the analytical frame of mind – Rosenwasser & Stephen, Chapters 1-6, pp. 1-108

Thursday, January 27

understanding business writing as problem solving: embracing the analytical frame of mind – Rosenwasser & Stephen, Chapters 1-6, pp. 1-108

WEEK 4Tuesday, February 1

structuring problem solving: examining and categorizing business report forms – Rosenwasser & Stephen, Chapter 10; Kolin, Chapters 3, 4, 7, 8, & 9; instructor notes

examining the archetypical problem solving form: understanding analytical reports – Kolin, pp. 225-290; instructor notes

Thursday, February 3

formulating theses: understanding how theorizing advances problem solving – Rosenwasser & Stephen, Chapters 9 & 12, pp. 12, 109, 123-124, 138, 139, 140-142, 143, 144-145, 145-147, 152-153, 155, 156-157, 158, 165, 188, 199-201; instructor notes

identifying rhetorical contexts:understanding how audience analysis contextualizes problem solving – Rosenwasser & Stephen, pp. 93-96; Kolin, pp. 4-8, 33, 34, 81-85, 106-115, 198-200, 201-202, 233, 242; instructor notes

WEEK 5Tuesday,February 8

constructing introductions & results: understanding how descriptions portend thesis and evidence – Rosenwasser & Stephen, Chapters 7, 8, & 11, pp. 102-103, 105, 123, 124, 109-139, 150, 151, 153, 185-186; instructor notes

Thursday, February 10

constructing conclusions: understanding how evidence foretells induction, deduction, and counterclaim – Rosenwasser & Stephen, Chapters 7, 8, & 11 pp. 167-169, 170, 179-202; instructor notes

WEEK 6Tuesday, February 15

analytical report draft due – 75 pts

editing analytical report introductions/results drafts (random class roster)

Thursday, February 17

editing analytical report results/conclusions drafts (random class roster)

WEEK 7Tuesday, February 22

constructing recommendation reports – Kolin, pp. 157-169, 259-291; instructor notes

Thursday, February 24

analytical report final due – 75 pts

understandingdocument packaging & integrating visuals – Kolin, pp. 159-186; instructor notes

WEEK 8Tuesday, March 1

invoking secondary and primary research; understanding research triangulation – Rosenwasser & Stephen, Chapters 13, 14, & 16; Kolin, pp. 27-28, 226-227, 259; instructor notes

Thursday, March 3

integrating sources: using sources analytically – Perrin, 39-112; instructor notes

examining bodies of law related to business writing – instructor notes

WEEK 9Tuesday, March 8

recommendation report draft due – 150 pts

editing recommendation report drafts (random class roster)

Thursday,March 10

editing recommendation report drafts (random class roster)

WEEK 10Tuesday, March 15

editing recommendation report drafts (random class roster)

Thursday, March 17

recommendation report final due – 150 pts

WEEK 11Tuesday, March 22 – Thursday, March 24

Spring Break – no classes

WEEK 12Tuesday, March 29

understanding promotional literature: writing title-and-deck headings and press releases

Thursday, March 31

understanding promotional literature: writing title-and-deck headings and press releases

WEEK 13Tuesday, April 5

press release draft due – 100 pts

editing press releases (random class roster)

ThursdayApril 7

editing press releases(random class roster)

WEEK 14Tuesday, April 12

press release final due – 100 pts

understanding job announcement, cover letter, and resume

Thursday,April 14

understanding job announcement, cover letter, and resume

WEEK 15Tuesday, April 19

job announcement, cover letter, and resume draft due – 100 pts

editing job application materials (random class roster)

Thursday, April 21

editing job application materials (random class roster)

WEEK 16Tuesday, April 26

critiquing the course

Thursday, April 28

job announcement, cover letter, and resume final due – 100 pts

Grade Policies

The A work is excellent work. The A work is original, insightful, persuasive, and well organized. Nearly perfect, an A work rewards its reader with genuine insight, gracefully expressed. The A work is an ambitious project that engages interesting and complex ideas in a perceptive manner.

The B work is good work. The B work is a clearly written, well-developed, and interesting work that shows above average thought and writing craft. The B work reaches high and meets many, though not all, of its aims. The thinking and writing are solid, but the B work may have some unresolved problems, some thin patches in content, or some tangents that don’t fit in.

The C work is average work. The C work represents a mixture of strengths and weaknesses. The C work may be somewhat readable and organized at the surface level, but has real unresolved problems in one or more key areas: conception, line of reasoning, use of evidence, or style. The C work may fulfill the basic requirements of the assignment, but, finally, say little of genuine importance or significance.

The D work is below average work. The D work is seriously underdeveloped or seriously deficient in content, form, style, or mechanics. The D work may be disorganized, illogical, confusing, unfocused or contain pervasive errors that impair readability. The D work does not come close to meeting the basic expectations of the assignment.

The F work is unacceptable work. The F work is incoherent, disastrously flawed, plagiarized, or non-existent.

I assign grades on a 100-point scale and then multiply the score by the weight of the assignment. Plus/minus grades include 95 – 100 = A, 90 – 94 = A-, 87 – 89 = B+, 83 – 86 = B, 80 – 82 = B-, 77 – 79 = C+, 73 – 76 = C, 70 – 72 = C-, 60 – 69 = D, 59 and below = F. Your semester grade is the sum of all assignments, multiplied by assignment weight and divided by 1000 total points. I multiply each grade by its weight, sum the products, and divide the sum by the total weight (the mean of a set of means).

To dispute a grade, I ask you to produce your mean of a set of means calculation for other than the assigned grade. Since a productive discourse about grades is necessarily founded on numeric reality, your feeling-based estimations are immaterial.

Analytical report (1/2 draft & 1/2 final) 150

Recommendation report (1/2 draft & 1/2 final) 300

Press release (1/2 draft & 1/2 final) 200

Job application materials (1/2 draft & 1/2 final) 200

Attendance 150

Total 1000

Course Policies

Late Work

I do not except late assignments unless you and I reach an agreement, in writing and prior to the assignment deadline, for extenuating circumstances.

Class Attendance

I assign five points for each class session you attend. Accordingly, you may miss two classes without numerically lowering your grade. You earn an IW, IF, or F for the course for six absences or more.

Classroom Citizenship

UCB-wide, students and faculty are responsible for maintaining an appropriate

learning environment. Those who fail to adhere to such behavioral standards

subject themselves to discipline. Professional courtesy and sensitivity are

especially important with respect to individuals and topics dealing with

differences of race, culture, religion, politics, sexual orientation,

gender, gender variance, and nationalities. See policies at at

The UCB policy on Discrimination and Harassment, the UCB policy on Sexual Harassment, and the UCB policy on Amorous Relationships apply to all

students, staff, and faculty. Any student who believes s/he has been the subject of sexual harassment or discrimination or harassment based upon race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, creed, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status should contact the Office of Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) at 303-492-2127 or the Office

of Judicial Affairs at 303-492-5550. You can obtain Information about the ODH, the above referenced policies, and the campus resources available to assist individuals

regarding discrimination or harassment at

In addition, in this class, your citizenship responsibilities include (a) submitting assignments that are typed and double-spaced, (b) submitting hard copy rather than electronic copy, (c) resourcefully securing lecture notes from your peers when you are absent, (d) respecting my schedule by not requesting repeat/revisit lectures, (e) respecting my time by not e-mailing me over the weekend, and (f) respecting classroom etiquette by not taking advantage of classroom computer privileges.

My responsibility is to provide you the critical thinking processes to discern field-specific Truth. To convert, or to make converts, is alien to this duty. Where it becomes necessary for me to consider political, social, or sectarian movements, I examine – not advance – and draw conclusions with logic – not emotion-driven penchant – from the evidence. Essentially, your freedom in this section is founded on my commitment to fair-mindedness and even-handedness.

Academic Integrity

I expect from you a high level of responsibility and academic honesty. Because the value of an academic degree depends upon your integrity, it is imperative that you demonstrate a high-minded standard of individual honor in your work.

All UCB students are responsible for knowing and adhering to the academic integrity policy. Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior. I report all incidents of academic misconduct to the Honor Code Council (; 303-735-2273). Students violating the academic integrity policy are subject to both academic sanctions from the faculty member and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to university probation, suspension, or expulsion). You can find other information on the Honor Code at at

In this class, I employ turnitin2.com, which searches the web for possible plagiarism and is over 90% effective.

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the use of copyrighted materials, including music and software. Copying, displaying, reproducing, or distributing copyrighted works may infringe the copyright owner’s rights. Your use of such material is only appropriate when that use constitutes “fair use” under the Copyright Act. As a UCB student, you must follow the institution’s copyright policy. For more information about the fair use exemption, see

Email Use

UCB recognizes the value and efficiency of communication between faculty and students through electronic venues. At the same time, electronic correspondence raises security and identity issues of each individual in an electronic exchange. UCB encourages faculty to send official student email correspondence to a student’s UCB email address and to consider email from students official only if it originates from a UCB student account. This allows UCB to maintain a high degree of confidence in the identity of all individuals corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. UCB furnishes you with a free email account and I ask you to use in all communication withme.

Withdrawal from Class

UCB sets deadlines for withdrawal. UCB publishes these dates and times in that semester's course catalog. It is your responsibility to handle withdrawal requirements from this section. I do not drop or withdraw any student. You must do the proper paperwork to ensure that you do not receive a final grade of "F" in this course if you choose not to attend this section once you enroll.

Incomplete Grade Policy

Per UCB policy, I grant incomplete grades for work unavoidably missed at the semester’s end and only if you complete 70% of the coursework. You must resolve the incomplete grade within either one year or within the agreed upon deadline. If you do not complete the required work within one year or within the agreed upon deadline, UCB adjusts the incomplete grade to an F grade.

Disability Services

The goal of Disability Services is to provide you with equal educational opportunities. If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit to me a letter from Disability Services so that I can address your needs. Disability Services determines accommodations based on documented disabilities. Contact: 303-492-8671, C4C building, and

If you have a temporary medical condition or injury, see guidelines at

Disability Services' letters stipulate legally mandated reasonable accommodations. You can find syllabus statements and answers to Frequently Asked Questions at

Religious Holy Days

UCB-wide policy regarding religious observances requires that faculty make every effort to deal reasonably and fairly with all students who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled assignments or required attendance. See details at

In this class, I encourage you to notify me, in advance of an assignment, regarding the Holy Day. If I excuse you, I allow you to complete the assignment within a reasonable time after the absence: a period equal to the length of the absence, up to a maximum of one week. If you fail to complete the assignment within the prescribed period, you receive a failing grade for that assignment.

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