English 249: Technical and Professional Writing I
Instructor contact information
Erin A. Frost
Class time: 2 p.m.-3:15 p.m. TR
Classroom: STV 408
Office hours: 5-8 p.m. M and by appointment
Office: Stevenson 422K
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
Online materials: technicalcommunication.weebly.com
Texts and required materials
Internet access including digital storage capability
Ability to print 200 black-and-white pages for readings provided electronically
Technical Communication, John Lannon & Laura Gurak, ISBN: 9780205013050
Introduction and goals of the course
Welcome to Technical & Professional Writing I. This course, as described by the Undergraduate Catalog, is an introduction to technical and professional writing. It can include the study of manuals, reports, proposals, audience analysis, formatting, and style. You should also know that this course actually covers technical and professional communication, not just writing, and that we will study communication in critical ways. People often think of technical writing as using language that is “clear” or “objective.” We will critique this idea, examining how these terms can be problematic and how they shape our understandings of other terms that are perceived to be somehow more subjective.
In order to accomplish this work, you will be expected to do a substantial amount of reading, produce examples of technical communication, analyze the products you create, and participate in class discussions. The workload in this course is heavy. You are expected to come to class having thoroughly prepared the reading. Notice this does not say you must have read every word on every page. Rather, I hope you will read for content and themes, taking main ideas and significant occurrences from the texts we cover and critically examining them. You should always come to class with notes, questions, and ideas about the readings.
In this course, you will learn to navigate a variety of genres used in the professional world. You will also become expert at analyzing audience and at utilizing various styles of writing. Most of all, you will come out of this course with an understanding of how to function as a technical/professional communicator in a variety of situations.
You should be an English major who has passed English 101 in order to be enrolled in this course.
Class communication
I communicate class updates and announcements through email, and I will always send correspondence to your official Illinois State account. (Please also note that I use my gmail account, [email protected], as my primary email address because it allows me to archive conversations with students. However, you are welcome to email me at my ISU address as well.) You should check your email at least once per day on weekdays while you are enrolled in this course. I recommend email as your first line of contact with me as I tend to respond quickly and it also provides us with a record of our conversation. However, do be aware of the rhetorical space email occupies; you should email me for quick questions, but visit me in my office for anything requiring a more extensive response. Do not email me to ask what you missed in class or to discuss a grade. I’m happy to talk to you about such things, but not via email.
Participation and attendance
This class often uses discussion as a basis for collaborative learning, and engaged participation makes for a more enriching and productive learning environment for the entire class. Participation may mean speaking in class—and you should plan to do so at least once each class period if you want a high participation grade—but it is also evidenced by non-verbal engagement such as paying attention, nodding, making eye contact, and so on. In order to fully participate, it is essential that you complete readings and other homework assignments. Thus, your participation grade will come from your engagement in class, but it may also include your grades on pop quizzes.
It is impossible to participate in a class that you do not attend. Because this course functions as a community in which we will constantly collaborate, showing up for class is crucial to your success. I understand that absences sometimes cannot be avoided, but it is up to you as a responsible adult to decide what course of action will benefit you most and to communicate with me regarding your decision(s). To be clear, it is not my job to judge the validity of your excuse for missing class; regardless of the reason you missed class, you cannot receive credit for attending if you were not present. In the event that you must miss class, it is your responsibility to keep up. This may mean contacting a classmate to get notes, making an appointment with me, and/or checking the course schedule. Excessive absences will affect your grade; my general rule is that missing four classes (which is equivalent to two weeks) is acceptable without grade penalty. Additional absences will result in the loss of a letter grade. If you face a challenging situation in regard to your attendance, please contact me right away so that we can work out a plan together.
Academic integrity and professionalism
Doing and submitting your own original work is an expected practice in this course. Further, the use of all sources should be properly documented in all work for this course. If you have any questions about how or when to cite sources, please contact me or consult with a tutor in Visor Center. Ignorance is not an excuse for plagiarism or improperly cited work. Instances of plagiarism will be handled according to the Code of Conduct.
Preparing your work on time is also a sign of your professionalism and integrity as an academic. You should turn work in on time whenever possible, just as you would in the workplace. Because this level of professionalism is expected, I do not accept late work. I do, however, understand that life does not begin or end with class. With this in mind, please keep in contact with me should life conspire to prevent you from completing work on time. I am willing to grant extensions or otherwise work with students who make an effort to communicate with me. Extensions should be requested by email so that we each have a record of both your request and my affirmation of your new due date. Although I almost always agree to extensions, please do realize that I have the right to refuse such a request and schedule your request for an extension accordingly. Extensions requested at the time an assignment is due will not be granted. Therefore, I strongly recommend that you back up your work for this class. Backing up files is a necessary professional practice in the age of digital information.
ADA accommodations
The Americans with Disabilities Act is a federal antidiscrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. One element of this legislation requires that all qualified students with documented disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. I am happy to provide accommodation for any student with a documented disability. However, I cannot provide accommodations without approval from the Office of Disability Concerns, and I may not be able to provide retroactive accommodations depending on the situation. As such, any student needing to arrange a reasonable accommodation for a documented disability should touch base with me during the first week of the semester. For more information, talk to me or contact Disability Concerns at 350 Fell Hall, 309-438-5853 (voice) or 309-438-8620 (TTY).
Mental health resources
Life at college can get very complicated. Students sometimes feel overwhelmed, lost, experience anxiety or depression, struggle with relationship difficulties or diminished self-esteem. However, many of these issues can be effectively addressed with a little help. Student Counseling Services (SCS) helps students cope with difficult emotions and life stressors. Student Counseling Services is staffed by experienced, professional psychologists and counselors, who are attuned to the needs of college students. The services are FREE and completely confidential. Find out more at Counseling.IllinoisState.edu or by calling (309) 438-3655.
Academic resources
To enhance your learning, consider visiting the Julia N. Visor Academic Center. The Visor Center offers tutoring in many subjects, and writing tutors are available for help with papers and assignments like the ones you might receive in this course. The Visor Center is at 12 Vrooman Center in the basement of Vrooman Hall. Make an appointment by calling 309-438-7100 or emailing [email protected]. Hours are 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Grading
Grades in this course are rendered on a straight scale. (Thus, 100-90=A, 80-89=B, 70-79=C, 60-69=D.) You are always welcome to discuss your grade with me. Please be aware that high grades in this course are reserved for exceptional work; a C is the “default” grade. Also know that I do not “bump up” final grades for students who are close to a higher grade. If you earn a 79.4%, you will receive a C. I give ample opportunity for you to earn a high grade; it is your responsibility to earn the grade you desire.
This class incorporates genres that may be new to students. As such, it may be difficult to take risks and be successful. To encourage experimentation, I sometimes give opportunities to revise projects to recover up to 10% of the grade on that project. (For example, a student who earns a 75% on a project could revise that project and earn up to an 85%.) To turn in a revision, you must first request permission to do a revision from me. If granted an opportunity to revise, you must schedule an appointment with me at which time you should be prepared to verbally discuss the changes you made to the project during revision. In addition, original drafts with instructor comments should accompany revised projects when turned in. Revisions can only increase, not decrease, project grades.
Assignments
The following components of the class will contribute to student grades:
Erin A. Frost
Class time: 2 p.m.-3:15 p.m. TR
Classroom: STV 408
Office hours: 5-8 p.m. M and by appointment
Office: Stevenson 422K
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
Online materials: technicalcommunication.weebly.com
Texts and required materials
Internet access including digital storage capability
Ability to print 200 black-and-white pages for readings provided electronically
Technical Communication, John Lannon & Laura Gurak, ISBN: 9780205013050
Introduction and goals of the course
Welcome to Technical & Professional Writing I. This course, as described by the Undergraduate Catalog, is an introduction to technical and professional writing. It can include the study of manuals, reports, proposals, audience analysis, formatting, and style. You should also know that this course actually covers technical and professional communication, not just writing, and that we will study communication in critical ways. People often think of technical writing as using language that is “clear” or “objective.” We will critique this idea, examining how these terms can be problematic and how they shape our understandings of other terms that are perceived to be somehow more subjective.
In order to accomplish this work, you will be expected to do a substantial amount of reading, produce examples of technical communication, analyze the products you create, and participate in class discussions. The workload in this course is heavy. You are expected to come to class having thoroughly prepared the reading. Notice this does not say you must have read every word on every page. Rather, I hope you will read for content and themes, taking main ideas and significant occurrences from the texts we cover and critically examining them. You should always come to class with notes, questions, and ideas about the readings.
In this course, you will learn to navigate a variety of genres used in the professional world. You will also become expert at analyzing audience and at utilizing various styles of writing. Most of all, you will come out of this course with an understanding of how to function as a technical/professional communicator in a variety of situations.
You should be an English major who has passed English 101 in order to be enrolled in this course.
Class communication
I communicate class updates and announcements through email, and I will always send correspondence to your official Illinois State account. (Please also note that I use my gmail account, [email protected], as my primary email address because it allows me to archive conversations with students. However, you are welcome to email me at my ISU address as well.) You should check your email at least once per day on weekdays while you are enrolled in this course. I recommend email as your first line of contact with me as I tend to respond quickly and it also provides us with a record of our conversation. However, do be aware of the rhetorical space email occupies; you should email me for quick questions, but visit me in my office for anything requiring a more extensive response. Do not email me to ask what you missed in class or to discuss a grade. I’m happy to talk to you about such things, but not via email.
Participation and attendance
This class often uses discussion as a basis for collaborative learning, and engaged participation makes for a more enriching and productive learning environment for the entire class. Participation may mean speaking in class—and you should plan to do so at least once each class period if you want a high participation grade—but it is also evidenced by non-verbal engagement such as paying attention, nodding, making eye contact, and so on. In order to fully participate, it is essential that you complete readings and other homework assignments. Thus, your participation grade will come from your engagement in class, but it may also include your grades on pop quizzes.
It is impossible to participate in a class that you do not attend. Because this course functions as a community in which we will constantly collaborate, showing up for class is crucial to your success. I understand that absences sometimes cannot be avoided, but it is up to you as a responsible adult to decide what course of action will benefit you most and to communicate with me regarding your decision(s). To be clear, it is not my job to judge the validity of your excuse for missing class; regardless of the reason you missed class, you cannot receive credit for attending if you were not present. In the event that you must miss class, it is your responsibility to keep up. This may mean contacting a classmate to get notes, making an appointment with me, and/or checking the course schedule. Excessive absences will affect your grade; my general rule is that missing four classes (which is equivalent to two weeks) is acceptable without grade penalty. Additional absences will result in the loss of a letter grade. If you face a challenging situation in regard to your attendance, please contact me right away so that we can work out a plan together.
Academic integrity and professionalism
Doing and submitting your own original work is an expected practice in this course. Further, the use of all sources should be properly documented in all work for this course. If you have any questions about how or when to cite sources, please contact me or consult with a tutor in Visor Center. Ignorance is not an excuse for plagiarism or improperly cited work. Instances of plagiarism will be handled according to the Code of Conduct.
Preparing your work on time is also a sign of your professionalism and integrity as an academic. You should turn work in on time whenever possible, just as you would in the workplace. Because this level of professionalism is expected, I do not accept late work. I do, however, understand that life does not begin or end with class. With this in mind, please keep in contact with me should life conspire to prevent you from completing work on time. I am willing to grant extensions or otherwise work with students who make an effort to communicate with me. Extensions should be requested by email so that we each have a record of both your request and my affirmation of your new due date. Although I almost always agree to extensions, please do realize that I have the right to refuse such a request and schedule your request for an extension accordingly. Extensions requested at the time an assignment is due will not be granted. Therefore, I strongly recommend that you back up your work for this class. Backing up files is a necessary professional practice in the age of digital information.
ADA accommodations
The Americans with Disabilities Act is a federal antidiscrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. One element of this legislation requires that all qualified students with documented disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. I am happy to provide accommodation for any student with a documented disability. However, I cannot provide accommodations without approval from the Office of Disability Concerns, and I may not be able to provide retroactive accommodations depending on the situation. As such, any student needing to arrange a reasonable accommodation for a documented disability should touch base with me during the first week of the semester. For more information, talk to me or contact Disability Concerns at 350 Fell Hall, 309-438-5853 (voice) or 309-438-8620 (TTY).
Mental health resources
Life at college can get very complicated. Students sometimes feel overwhelmed, lost, experience anxiety or depression, struggle with relationship difficulties or diminished self-esteem. However, many of these issues can be effectively addressed with a little help. Student Counseling Services (SCS) helps students cope with difficult emotions and life stressors. Student Counseling Services is staffed by experienced, professional psychologists and counselors, who are attuned to the needs of college students. The services are FREE and completely confidential. Find out more at Counseling.IllinoisState.edu or by calling (309) 438-3655.
Academic resources
To enhance your learning, consider visiting the Julia N. Visor Academic Center. The Visor Center offers tutoring in many subjects, and writing tutors are available for help with papers and assignments like the ones you might receive in this course. The Visor Center is at 12 Vrooman Center in the basement of Vrooman Hall. Make an appointment by calling 309-438-7100 or emailing [email protected]. Hours are 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Grading
Grades in this course are rendered on a straight scale. (Thus, 100-90=A, 80-89=B, 70-79=C, 60-69=D.) You are always welcome to discuss your grade with me. Please be aware that high grades in this course are reserved for exceptional work; a C is the “default” grade. Also know that I do not “bump up” final grades for students who are close to a higher grade. If you earn a 79.4%, you will receive a C. I give ample opportunity for you to earn a high grade; it is your responsibility to earn the grade you desire.
This class incorporates genres that may be new to students. As such, it may be difficult to take risks and be successful. To encourage experimentation, I sometimes give opportunities to revise projects to recover up to 10% of the grade on that project. (For example, a student who earns a 75% on a project could revise that project and earn up to an 85%.) To turn in a revision, you must first request permission to do a revision from me. If granted an opportunity to revise, you must schedule an appointment with me at which time you should be prepared to verbally discuss the changes you made to the project during revision. In addition, original drafts with instructor comments should accompany revised projects when turned in. Revisions can only increase, not decrease, project grades.
Assignments
The following components of the class will contribute to student grades:
- Participation – 10%
- Reading responses – 20%
- Project 1: What is Tech Comm? – 10%
- Project 2: Audiences and Ethics in Instructions – 10%
- Project 3: Investigating Genre – 10%
- Project 4: The Wired Workspace – 15%
- Project 5: Objectivity and Ethics – 25%