Course Syllabus

ENC 3250 Professional Writing

Spring 2020

Instructor: Jonina Anderson-Lopez	Section: 037S20
Course Time: M/W 12:30pm-1:45pm	Classroom: CPR 471
Office Location: CPR 292	Office Phone: N/A
Email: andersonlope@usf.edu	Mondays- 8:00am-9:30am Wednesdays- 8:00am-9:30am (You can also schedule a video conference on T/Th from 10am-noon)

Telephone:  727-251-6698 (only use in conjunction with WhatsApp.)

Download the free app, WhatsApp and then add my phone number. Or, add my phone number to your phone’s contact list, and then when you download WhatsApp, you’ll be able to automatically access me via the app. You may call or text me anytime on the app, as long as it’s a reasonable hour. Whether I answer right away depends on the time and day. If you text, please indicate your name and class (example: Hi Ms. Anderson-Lopez! This is Janis from your USF 11:00am class), even if you’ve already texted me before. I have students use this app because it’s easier to keep track of student communication.

E-mail: andersonlope@usf.edu 

Please try to email me directly and not through Canvas. If you email me through Canvas, I will be unable to respond right away, as I’ll have to login to Canvas, access the email section, and then draft an email. Like me, forward your USF account to an email account linked with your phone. Makes life easier.

Emails must be sent from a mail.usf.edu account and composed professionally. I will make every effort to respond to emails that conform to these guidelines within 72 hours except over designated university holidays, semester breaks, or after my contracted employment ends. Remember that emails between students and instructors are public and professional communication. You will want to include a relevant subject header, the instructor’s preferred name/title, a closing, and a clear, polite message.

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Course Information & Description

3250: This is a 3-credit hour course. Prerequisites are ENC 1101 and ENC 1102 or ENC 1121 and ENC 1122. It’s offered through the Department of English in the School of Humanities, College of Arts and Sciences. The course meeting time(s) and location are listed above.

This is a 6ACT Communications course (formerly, Gordon Rule). Students in this course will engage in writing as a “process,” which means employing strategies such as pre-writing, co-authoring, document design, peer feedback, revising, and editing. Students will learn how to develop ideas and texts that follow academic/disciplinary conventions for different contexts, audiences, and purposes. An integral part of writing instruction is the opportunity to revise documents in response to feedback, so students will be required to revise at least some course writing assignments (including one major assignment) after receiving feedback from the instructor. At a minimum, students will write 4500 words for this course. Students must achieve a proficiency level of at least C- in the course in order to receive Gordon Rule Communication credit.

Course Requirements
This is primarily a writing class, but students are also expected to read carefully, engage in meaningful in-class discussions, and conduct research for major projects. There will be both individual and collaborative work throughout this class. Students will complete four major writing projects (that include several deliverables each), complete reading and homework assigned, participate in class, and conduct regular document review.

Course Goals

Students completing this course will develop the following skills and abilities:

• Rhetorical strategies for writing in the workplace
• Genres and conventions of professional communication 
• Collaborative writing and project management
• Document design and writing technologies
• Ethics, accessibility, and inclusion in the workplace

 Student Learning Outcomes

• Analyze and write in a specific context defined by purpose and audience
• Analyze professional cultures, social contexts, and audiences to determine how they shape the various purposes and forms of writing, such as persuasion, organizational communication, and public discourse.
• Learn effective document design
• Learn to argue with visual data, understanding and implementing various principles of format, layout, and design of documents that meet multiple user/reader needs.
• Write within a genre
• Learn and practice writing in various genres of professional and technical discourse like the memo, letter, technical reports, proposals, and descriptions, etc.
• Develop your writing process, style, and editing techniques
• Develop and understand various strategies for planning, researching, drafting, and revising documents. Develop a clear, concise, and functional writing style. Develop techniques to become an effective critic and editor.
• Practice Collaboration
• Learn and apply strategies for successful collaboration, such as working and communicating on-line with colleagues, setting and achieving project goals, and responding constructively to peers' work.

Required Course Texts

• A Rhetorical Approach to Workplace Writing, 6th ed (RAWWr). Available for $47.00 via USF Writes

Critical Assignments
The critical assignments relate to and measure the Student Learning Outcomes.

Project 1: Document Series

Students are provided with a common workplace scenario and asked to prepare multiple documents necessary for addressing and navigating a significant conflict or communication failure. Preparing these documents asks students to consider and compose for audiences, both internal and external, with varying levels of technical knowledge, institutional power, and investment.

Project 2: Information Design

Students select a specific concept, issue, or topic that interests them and is related to their major. They locate and collect numerical data about the subject (in the form of studies, reports, spreadsheets, or articles), and select data to visualize and provide an overall sense of the subject.

Project 3: Research Summary 

This project asks you to do workplace research into a local problem impacting USF or the surrounding community. Your goal for this project is to describe the problem in detail using as much information as you can gather from as many different sources as are useful. That means you are looking at research gathered by others (e.g., government agencies, non-profit organizations, professional and academic experts), but also you will gather your own data by contacting experts and asking impacted population for their perspective. You will produce a memo that reports your findings, giving readers a robust understanding of the problem you have researched.

Project 4: Collaborative Report Project

This unit asks students to write a recommendation report focused on one, local, real problem. Students will research a problem and write a report that describes the problem, identifies a possible solution, and satisfies the needs of their intended audience by fulfilling the genre expectations of their chosen document. Then, students will present their reports to the class. Students work collaboratively on the report. The project requires significant research and the creation of a formal report. 

Peer Reviews will be practiced via discussion board and in-class activities. 

Many rough drafts and works-in-progress of Projects 1-4 will be due on discussion board posts.

Final drafts of Project 1-4 will be due on USF Writes.

In-class exercises and group participation will be evaluated via the Unit Grades (which tie in to each major project). 

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Attendance Policy

First day attendance is mandatory (USF System Policy 10-006). The first day class roll is used by instructors to drop students from the course who do not attend the first class meeting.

Attendance will be taken every day.  

Attendance is instrumental as readings, exercises, and discussions occur daily. Every student is expected to attend every class promptly, ready to participate, with all required texts and materials.

1. For students who show up without proper materials or are a distraction for the class (i.e. texting, talking loudly, talking over others), you will be asked to leave, and marked as absent.
2. For students who are disengaged (sleeping, not completing in-class assignments, watching videos on your phone, not taking part in group discussion/peer review), you may be asked to leave, and marked as absent.
3. For students who have out headphones (even discreetly flipped over your ear but not exactly plugged into your ear), you will be asked to leave, and marked as absent.

If you do any of the things listed below, your grade will be negatively impacted:

1. Fail to do the reading. Much of the in-class work is built around discussion, and you cannot participate fruitfully in a discussion if you aren't prepared. Read carefully, and write responses that actually refer to the readings.
2. Fail to participate in class discussions. You don't need to speak every day. And you absolutely must not monopolize the discussion. But both never speaking and appearing to overly enjoy the sound of your own voice constitutes a failure of collegiate-level behavior. Our discussions are a group endeavor, meant to help each member of the class reach the greatest possible understanding of the material.

More on Absences:

Students are allowed four consecutive absences before any penalties accrue. A fifth absence will result in a 50% reduction of the student's participation grade. A six consecutive absence (six weeks of the course missed) will result in failure of the course. Likewise, eight non-consecutive absences will result in failure of the course. If you anticipate an issue with regular attendance, please take the course in a semester when your schedule is more flexible.

If students will miss class for any reason, please alert the instructor prior to the absence if possible. Remember: it's always best to maintain close contact with your professor and peers to ensure you are up to date on coursework. 

Common Attendance Situations

• If you face an emergency situation (e.g., a car accident, unexpected medical emergency, or serious injury/death of an immediate family member) that necessitates an excused class absence, your instructor may ask for documentation.
• Leaving class before the instructor dismisses you will result in an absence, regardless of how much of the class session you have attended.
• Becoming bored on a designated work-day, and asking the instructor to leave, or simply walking out (you will be counted as absent).
• Showing up to a work-day unprepared to work, and chatting with friends instead, or watching videos on your phone (you will be counted as absent, and most likely asked to leave).

Tardiness

Please respect your classmates and me by getting to class on time. You’re late once you walk in six minutes after the class start time. I may choose not to accept any work missed due to tardiness. Tardiness counts as 50% of a presence. Because conferences and small group activities meet for shorter periods of time, tardiness is not acceptable and will result in an absence. Note: three tardies in a row count towards one absence. If you walk in late, and are not sure if you were marked absent or not, check with the instructor after class. Remember: leaving class just because you want to will result in an absence.

Grading Policy

Instructors determine the percentage weights for major projects based on following range of values:

Projects 1-3: Each project worth 15%

Project 4 (Collaborative Report): Worth up to 35% total

Exercises, participation and/or attendance are worth up to 20%

Weights of Assignments

Assignment	Final Grade %	Description
Project 1 (Document Series)	15%	Students are provided with a common workplace scenario and asked to prepare multiple documents
Project 2 (Information Design)	15%	Students locate and collect numerical data about the subject (in the form of studies, reports, spreadsheets, or articles), and select data to visualize.
Project 3 (Research Summary)	15%	Complete workplace research into a local problem impacting the surrounding community, then write a memo to report findings.
Project 4 (Collaborative Report)	35%	Team project in which students write a recommendation report focused on one, local, real problem.
Exercises and attendance	20%	In-class work and showin' up

Grading Scale

A+ (97–100) 4.00	A (94–96.9) 4.00	A– (90–93.9) 3.67
B+ (87–89.9) 3.33	B (84–86.9) 3.00	B– (80–83.9) 2.67
C+ (77–79.9) 2.33	C (74–76.9) 2.00	C– (70–73.9) 1.67
D+ (67–69.9) 1.33	D (64–66.9) 1.00	D– (60–63.9) 0.67

 Note: Students may not take this course S/U (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory).

Extra Credit

Extra credit may be assigned in a variety of ways by me in this course. I will announce any extra credit assignments in advance of their completion date. Any extra credit opportunities are offered to all students for the same advantage. Extra credit cannot be granted to individual students.

Weekly Breakdown of the Course (subject to change)

 

Weeks 1-2	Intro to the course Ch. 1: Rhetoric in the Workplace Ch. 6: What is PTC What is good writing? (in class exercise first week of class) Syllabus overview Email structure Email the Instructor assignment Ch. 2: Purpose Ch. 3: Audience "Match Audience to Memos" Exercise Discuss P1 scenarios Purchase USF Writes Practice Upload (due week 2) o    Paste outline on discussion board
Weeks 3-5	Ch. 14 and 15 on letters and memos Ch. 13: Email Discuss Tone in a professional setting "Style and Tone: Letters" exercise Memos o    Post the draft of at least one of your scenario responses in the discussion board Discuss peer review expectations/etiquette Peer review scenarios Review P1 guidelines Overview Collective Feedback In-class time to complete P1 o    Project 1: Document series due, to be uploaded to USF Writes Supplemental readings on style and wordiness Review results of Collective Feedback document Writing Bootcamp activities "Edit a Professional Email" exercise Intro to P2 Visual Exemplar Analysis Activity posted to the discussion board
Week 6-8	Ch. 4: Document Design Ch. 5: Visual Design Discuss visual design Voyant-Tool "Introduction to Data Visualizations" Post “Picking a Data Set” to the discussion board Ch. 8 and 9 on usability and accessibility Discuss accessibility of technology Complete “Tutorial for Visualization Creation Applications” Review P2 Guidelines In-class time to work on rough draft report and memo o    Discussion Post, Week 7-Rough Draft Informational Design ·         Discuss rhetoric in a professional setting o    "Ethos" slideshow o    Complete “Using Visuals in Document Design: What About Ethos?” Exercise o    Peer Review of P2 rough draft discussion posts o    Project 2: Information Design due on USF Writes
Weeks 9-11	Project 3: Research Summary (15% of final grade) Ch. 10: Writing Process Ch. 11: Organizing Information Ch. 12: Writing Style Ch. 7: Ethics Ch. 22: Workplace Research
Weeks 9-14	Project 4: Collaborative Report 35% of final grade Working on project Ch. 19 and 20 on reports and proposals Ch. 17 presentations  Draft of final report should be due in week 14 for either peer editing, critiques, collective feedback or individual feedback
Week 15	Project 4 (including Presentations) Due

 

Late Work / Missed In-Class Work
Late and missed work will not earn assignment credit. You’ll receive credit for all of the work you do for class, inside or outside, as long as you follow proper protocol for submission and submit your work on time. You will submit most of your work to Canvas drop boxes, but the major projects will be submitted to USF Writes.

Incomplete

The current university policy concerning incomplete grades will be followed in this course. For USF Tampa undergraduate courses and USFSM undergraduate and graduate courses: An “I” grade may be awarded to a student only when a small portion of the student’s work is incomplete and only when the student is otherwise earning a passing grade. The time limit for removing the “I” is to be set by the instructor of the course. For undergraduate students, this time limit may not exceed two academic semesters, whether or not the student is in residence, and/or graduation, whichever comes first. “I” grades not removed by the end of the time limit will be changed to “IF” or “IU,” whichever is appropriate.

Technology Requirement
Students are required to have regular access to a computer, the internet, a word processor, Canvas, USF email, and a printer. There are many technology labs on campus that students can use at no extra cost, so students should have regular access to all required technology via the USF campus resources. The USF Digital Media Commons is also available for student use. The DMC is an excellent and recently expanded “multimedia production area which provides equipment, instruction, space, and assistance” for students to use design equipment and software.

In the event of a USF service disruption that affects all students, instructors will notify students how to submit assignments.  

Not having access to a computer is not an excuse for incomplete assignments or lack of preparation for class. You should check your USF email account and this course’s Canvas page for any course updates every 24 hours. If you need help with technology, please can contact the IT Help Desk, available by clicking on the help button on the Canvas course menu. Please note, I am not responsible for student technical difficulties and will not excuse assignments that are late, incorrect, or incomplete as a result of these technical difficulties. If you contact me for IT issues, it will only delay a suitable answer that you would receive from experts.

Canvas

ENC 3250 uses USF’s learning management system, Canvas. If you need help learning how to use Canvas, you may access the Canvas Guide and/or contact USF’s IT department at (813) 974-1222 or USF IT or help@usf.edu.

Cell Phones and Computers in Class or Conferences

Electronics are used in class only in ways that aid learning and never in ways that interfere. I will let you know when/if laptops/tablets will be used in class to aid learning. Never answer a call during class. Instead, if it's an emergency, please step out and take the call. Place the phone on silent so that no noises distract the class. Present me with a memorandum from Student Disability Services (SDS) if a computer is a recommended class accommodation. If laptops/tablets are used in class as part of a scheduled class assignment, respect your classmates and me by not distracting them with videos, posts, emails on your screen or even just by being completely absorbed in your laptop/tablet. If you need to have your cell phone on due to a special situation, let me know before class starts, sit by the door, and step out if you have to take a call or text. If you use tech inappropriately (even as an SDS student), or are off-task, I will either dismiss you, or give you a zero for that day's attendance.

Class Recordings

Students are not permitted to record class lectures or discussions without the permission from the instructor. Students are also not allowed to record one another. Additionally, students are not permitted to sell notes or tapes of class lectures. Should any of this occur, I reserve the right to ban all tech from the classroom for the remainder of the semester.

Class Disruptions

Please arrive on time and prepared to work. Students are expected to behave in a pleasant manner that does not interfere with the work of others. Those students who are persistently disruptive will be removed from the class and may not return without a letter of permission from the Dean.

• Be kind and respectful during class discussions or online discussions. If you can’t present your case nicely, don’t present it at all.
• When you need to use the bathroom, you don’t have to ask me for permission. Just go and come back as quietly as possible.

The above policies apply to all aspects of the course.

PROFESSIONALISM is expected.  This means not only being punctual, engaged, and mannerly, but demonstrating pride in your work; in addition to proofing and typing, all out-of-class assignments must be properly headed, paginated, and stapled in advance of the submission deadline (i.e., your work must be ready for submission as soon as class begins).

End of Semester Evaluations

At the end of the semester, your instructor will ask you to complete an evaluation of the course. Evaluations are anonymous and are not shared with your instructor until after grades have been submitted.

Writing Studio
USF's Writing Studio offers assistance to any student who wants to improve his or her writing skills. Rather than offering editing assistance, during a session in the Writing Studio, consultants and students work together to enhance the organization, development, grammar, and style of any type of writing across the disciplines. Students are encouraged to visit the Writing Studio at any stage during the writing process, from brainstorming and pre-writing to final polishing. The USF Writing Studio is conveniently located on the second floor of the library. Walk-ins are welcome dependent on availability, but students are encouraged to make an appointment by visiting the Writing Studio during office hours or calling 813-974-8293. Additional feedback is available via SmartThinking, an online tutoring center, which is accessible via Canvas. 

Inclusion Statement

I believe in the value of diverse learning spaces. As such, this class will value and respect those of diverse backgrounds including but not limited to: gender, sexuality, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, culture, and religion. Please be sure to inform me of what name and pronoun you want to go by. I will make every effort to ensure that an inclusive environment exists for all students. If you have concerns or suggestions for improving the classroom climate, please do not hesitate to speak with me or to contact Diversity, Inclusion, and Equal Opportunity at 813-974-4373.

[Below are USF policies. A full explanation of USF Core Policies can be found by clicking here]

Policies about disability access, religious observances, academic grievances, academic misconduct, and several other topics are governed by a central set of policies, which apply to all classes at USF: https://www.usf.edu/provost/faculty-info/core-syllabus-policy-statements.aspx

 

Important Contacts and Resources

Students with Disabilities

Contact SDS at 974-4309 or www.sds.usf.edu. For more information about student responsibilities related to disability accommodations, see http://www.sds.usf.edu/students.asp

Sexual Misconduct/Sexual Harassment Reporting
 Contact the USF Center for Victim Advocacy and Violence Prevention: (813) 974-5757.

Students of Concern Assistance Team (SOCAT)

SOCAT offers supportive intervention and guidance to any USF student who is struggling. If you or someone you know needs assistance, see http://studentsofconcern.usf.edu/.

 Counseling Center

The Counseling Center provides a variety of psychological services FREE for all currently registered students on the Tampa campus of the University of South Florida. The Center may be contacted at 974-2831 or http://www.usf.edu/student-affairs/counseling-center/ .