ENGL 2021: BUSINESS TECHNICAL WRITING

University of Denver, Fall 2000



COURSE DESCRIPTION

Welcome! This course provides an introduction to professional business writing. We will discuss and practice strategies for creating a variety of business documents such as memos, letters, résumés, and reports. By the end of the quarter, students will be able to produce documents that take into account the expected experiences, information bases, and biases of intended readers. 

  • Prerequisite: completion of First-Year English sequence. 
  • Text: Business Communication Today, 6th ed. Courtland L. Bovée and John V. Thill. 


SCHEDULE

Please complete the readings before the class date on which they are assigned; you should be familiar enough with the material that you feel confident about taking a quiz. Whenever you read a chapter, be sure to read through the "Summary of Learning Objectives" sections (on the last page listed for a chapter).
All page numbers below refer to Business Communication Today (6th edition). If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in class or to send me an email anytime. 

     
    Date Reading/Assignments Due
    M 9/11 Course Overview 
    W 9/13 "Understanding Business Communication" (2-31)
    "Listening, Working in Teams, and Understanding Nonverbal Communication" (34-58)
    M 9/18 "Planning Audience-Centered Business Messages" (90-118)
    W 9/20 "Organizing and Composing Audience-Centered Business Messages" (122-158)

    due: Request Memo

    M 9/25 "Revising Business Messages" (162-190)

    due: Problem Memo

    W 9/27 "Writing Routine, Good-News, and Goodwill Messages" (198-232)

    due: Recommendation Memo

    M 10/2 "Writing Bad News Messages" (244-272)

    due: Good-News Letter

    W 10/4 "Writing Persuasive Messages" (286-321)

    due: Bad-News Letter

    M 10/9 "Writing Résumés and Application Letters" (588-622) 

    due: Persuasive Letter

    W 10/11 "Interviewing for Employment and Follow Up" (626-653)

    due: draft of Résumé and Application Letter

    M 10/16 "Communicating through Reports" (438-466) 

    due: Résumé and Application letter

    W 10/18 "Planning, Organizing, and Writing Reports and Proposals" (468-502)
    M 10/23 "Completing Reports and Proposals " (510-545)

    due: Work Plan (letter format)

    W 10/25 "Communicating Information through Graphics and Other Visuals" (398-430)
    M 10/30 "Giving Speeches and Oral Presentations" (560-583)

    due: Progress Report (letter format)

    W 11/1 Workshop: bring two copies of your proposal draft
    M 11/6 Formal Proposals due
    W 11/8 Presentations 
    M 11/13 Presentations
    W 11/15 Presentations
SUGGESTED READING
    • "Communicating Interculturally" (60-84)
    • "Format and Layout of Business Documents" (660-685)
    • "Documentation of Reports" (note: use MLA style…686, 691-692)
    • "Fundamentals of Grammar and Usage" (starts on 693: A1-A21)
    • "Communicating via the Internet and Other Technologies" (338-365)
    • "Finding, Evaluating, and Processing Information" (366-397)
IMPORTANT LINKS
Resources for Technical Writers 
Index to resources on the web
DU's Career Center
Variety of services including DU JOBS ONLINE
Career Assistance
List of online databases for job searches
Denver Post
Searchable classified section
E-Resources
Research databases at Penrose Library

OTHER COURSE INFORMATION

Attendance: Attendance is essential. You are allowed two "free" absences. Each absence after the second will lower your final course grade by 2% (20 points). Chronic lateness will also affect your final grade adversely. Please do not schedule appointments during class time—we only have three hours of class time together per week! Any student eligible for accommodation of special learning needs should speak with me during the first week of class. 

Conferences: If you would like to talk about your work, please set up an appointment. Email is the best way to reach me outside of class—I try to check it daily.

Assignments: If you have a question about any assignment, ask me—I'm happy to help. Please bring your text each day. Late work will be accepted one class period after an assignment is due, but it will be reduced by five points (e.g., if something is due on Monday, I will accept it on Monday for full points and on Wednesday for reduced points, but NOT AFTER THAT). If you are not going to be here, you could have someone turn in your assignment for you. Anything in my box (495 Sturm Hall) before the end of class will be considered on time. However, after 12:30, it will be considered late (this is out of fairness to people who turn in their work on time). Note: please do not email assignments (there are too many problems with viruses and other unhappy things that go along with that). 

All work must be your own, generated this quarter. Turning in work that you have completed for another class is academic dishonesty. Plagiarism involves using all or part of a source (words or ideas) without correctly citing the source (this would include representing another person's work as your own or using a source without correct documentation). Academically dishonest or plagiarized work will receive an "F."

Finally, presentation counts! Assignments should be edited carefully. See the textbook appendix for a guide to grammar and mechanics. See also the helpful checklists at the end of each chapter.

Final Grades: Your final grade will be based on the following framework (adjusted for absences/lates if necessary).
 
Quizzes/Participation
Letters
Memos 
Résumé 
Application Letter 
Work Plan
Progress Report 
Formal Proposal
Formal Presentation
50 pts.
100 pts.
100 pts.
100 pts.
100 pts.
  50 pts.
  50 pts.
250 pts.
200 pts.
930-1000 = A
830-879 = B
730-779 = C
630-679 = D
900-929 = A-
800-829 = B-
700-729 = C-
600-629 = D-
880-899 = B+
780-799 = C+
680-699 = D+
0-599 = F

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