English 304 Summer 2010

Business Writing
Instructor: Genevieve Critel

Course Description:
The objective of this course is to give you experience with business writing—the
documents produced as well as the context in which they’re produced and presented.
Of course, those of you who already have best by giving you numerous opportunities to
experience in the work world know, the kinds collaborate and communicate, and a rhetorical
of work you do will vary greatly depending on framework for thinking about how you go
the type of corporation or non-profit that hires about the various tasks you are already facing
you or if you choose to start your own or will face in the business world.
business. I believe this course can serve you

Office Hours: Class Meetings: Contact Information:

Monday 12:30p-2:00p Monday & Wednesday Email: gcritel@gmail.com or
Wednesday 11:30a-1:00p 9:30a-11:18a critel.1@osu.edu

Denney 416 Denney 308 Phone: (580) 399-5796

English 304
Required
Materials:
Kolin, Philip C. Successful
Writing at Work. 9th ed.
Boston: Wadsworth, 2010.
Recommended:
A flash drive, dropbox.com
account, or other method
for managing files across
locations
Alred, Gerald J., Charles
T. Brusaw and Walter E.
Oliu. The Business Writer’s
Companion. 5th ed. Boston:
Bedford/St. Martin’s,
2008. (This is a handbook
which you might find more
enduringly useful than our
textbook, not to mention
lighter to tote to your next
apartment or first job.)
Summer 2010
Objectives:
1. Knowledge of professional communication genres and how
to produce them. The genres you will produce are:
a. Employment search genres (résumés, cover letters, etc.):
1. Résumés: You will produce a resume to for a position of
your choosing. Due: July 7; 5% of final grade
2. Application Letter: You will write a cover letter for a
position of your choosing. Due July 7; 5% of final grade
b. Information Genres (reports, documentation, brochures, etc.):
1. Website: For your midterm project, you will create a
professional website for yourself. Due: July 28; 25% of
final grade
2. Long Report: For your final project, you will produce a
long report. Due: August 18; 25% of final grade
c. Correspondence Genres (letters, memos, etc.):
1. Inquiry Letter: You will write an inquiry letter to the
audience of your choosing. Due: July 26; 2.5% of final
grade
2. Bad News Letter: You will write a letter communicating
bad news to your audience. Due: August 9; 5% of final
grade
3. Email: You will write an email to a professor requesting a
letter of recommendation. Due: July 14; 2.5% of final
grade
4. Peer Review Memos: You will write a brief memo to your
peer review partner on peer review days. Due: June 30,
July 12, July 19, July 21, August 4, August 11; 5% of
final grade
d. Presentation Genres
1. Oral Presentation: You will do a formal presentation and
discussion leadership about one section in our textbook.
Due: varies; 10% of final grade
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English 304 Summer 2010

2. Knowledge of rhetorical situations of professional settings and how to respond to

those situations. Students should practice the following skills:

a. Analyzing audiences: Résumé, Email, Inquiry Letter, Website, Bad News Letter, Long Report
b. Developing purpose-driven messages that reflect the needs of audiences and the purposes of
communication: Résumé, Email, Inquiry Letter, Website, Bad News Letter, Long Report
c. Working within the physical, stylistic, and social constraints of various media, genres, and
situations: Résumé, Email, Inquiry Letter, Website, Bad News Letter, Long Report

3. Knowledge of and facility with the processes of developing effective professional

documents. Students should practice the following skills:

a. Writing and presenting collaboratively: Peer Review Memos

b. Writing and presenting individually: Résumé, Email, Inquiry Letter, Website, Bad News Letter,
Long Report, Presentation
c. Conducting research to support arguments: Long Report
d. Developing reasonable arguments: Long Report
e. Summarizing information effectively: Bad News Letter
f. Designing documents that meet professional expectations: Résumé, Email, Inquiry Letter,
Website, Bad News Letter, Long Report
g. Responding to documents produced by others: Peer Review Memos
h. Editing for clarity, cohesion, and concision: Two drafts required of every assignment.

4. Knowledge of and facility with the processes of developing effective professional

documents. Students should practice the following skills:

a. Attendance and punctuality

b. Following spoken and written instructions
c. Commitment to and preparation for group
work
d. Tone, style, and correctness in written work
e. Aspects of personal presence (clothing,
posture, attitude, etc.)

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English 304 Summer 2010

Course Assignments:
Short Documents 20%
Resume & Application Letter 5
Inquiry Letter 2.5
Bad News Letter 5
Email 2.5
Peer Review Memos 5

Oral Presentation/Discussion Leadership 10%

Quizzes 10%
Midterm Project 25%
Final Project 25%
Comprehensive Final Exam 10%

Short Documents: The objective of the short documents is to introduce you to the conventions
and constraints of common business writing genres. The requirements for each short document
are outlined separately.

Oral Presentation and Discussion Leadership: Each student will sign up to do a presentation over
a chapter or section of a chapter. You will be expected to do a 6 minute presentation and lead
a 15 minute discussion or activity to help your peers learn the required material. Please review
the separate assignment sheet for specifics.

Quizzes: There will be 12 quizzes over the chapter readings in Kolin throughout the quarter.
They are noted on the daily schedule below. I do not give pop quizzes. You can expect fill-in-
the-blank style and short answer questions to predominate each quiz. The quizzes will be given
at the beginning of each noted class session and students who are more than five minutes late
will not be allowed to take that day's quiz. Your two lowest quiz grades will be dropped.

Midterm and Final Projects: The midterm project is the creation of a professional website for
yourself. In the 21st century, it is necessary that not only do you avoid negative representations
online, but that when employers search for you there are position representations of you. The
final project is a long report, tailored to your major and area of interest.

Comprehensive Final Exam: There will be a comprehensive written exam during our scheduled
final exam time (noted on the daily schedule). The exam will ask you to apply the knowledge
you've gained about business situations over the course of the quarter. A study guide for the
exam will be provided by week 9. You will only be able to schedule an alternate exam time if
you provide documentation that another final exam you must take conflicts with our exam time.

Sed et tellus at quam sagittis pharetra. Donec faucibus sagittis justo.

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English 304 Summer 2010

Course Policies
Student Work:
Please follow the daily schedule closely and turn in all drafts to the proper location. All work is due
by the beginning of class, unless otherwise noted. I do not accept late work unless you have an
excused absence and we've discussed it in writing prior to the deadline. Technology issues are not an
excuse for late work. Plan ahead and anticipate that you will have technology issues arise during the
course of the quarter. Give yourself enough time to solve them.

Collaborative Work:
On collaborative writing assignments, all students will receive the same grade as their group
members. Your grade for collaborative assignments is based on the product that you and your
classmates produce. All work will be done individually in the class, expect for the final project,
which has a collaborative option.

Plagiarism:
is the unauthorized use of the words or ideas of another person. It is a serious academic offense that
can result in referral to the Committee on Academic Misconduct and failure for the course. Please
remember that at no point during the writing process should the work of others be presented as your
own. "It is the responsibility of the Committee on Academic Misconduct to investigate or establish
procedures for the investigation of all reported cases of student academic misconduct. The term
"academic misconduct" includes all forms of student academic misconduct wherever committed;
illustrated by, but not limited to, cases of plagiarism and dishonest practices in connection with
examinations. Instructors shall report all instances of alleged academic misconduct to the committee
(Faculty Rule 3335-5-487). For additional information, see the Code of Student Conduct."

Class Cancellation Policy:

In the unlikely event of class cancellation, I will contact you via email and request that a note on
department letterhead be placed on the door. Please check your email as soon as possible, as I will
provide further instructions there.

Attendance

You are allowed TWO unexcused inter-collegiate athletics, will not

absences. Each additional unexcused
absence will result in your final course
grade being dropped one letter grade
(from a B to a C, for example); after
five unexcused absences you will
automatically earn an E for the course.
Excused absences, such as those for
documented illness, family tragedy,
religious observance, or travel for
affect your grade; please notify the
instructor and provide documentation
before the absence or the first time you
return to class after being absent. It is
your responsibility to contact group
members and let them know of your
absence and to find out what you've
missed from your classmates.
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 English 304 Summer 2010

Resources:
The Writing Center offers the following free services:

Help with any assignment (ranging from lab reports to dissertations) at any stage of the
•
writing process (brainstorming, thesis development, revising, etc.)
• Face-to-face tutorials by appointment at our main location in 475 Mendenhall Lab
• Online tutorials via the chat function on Carmen
• Walk-in tutorials at our satellite location at the Science and Engineering Library
• Online appointment scheduling, available 24/7
Please visit http://cstw.osu.edu or call 688-4291 to make an appointment.

The Office of Disability Services: "Students with disabilities that have been certified by the Office
for Disability Services will be appropriately accommodated, and should inform the instructor as
soon as possible of their needs. The Office for Disability Services is located in 150 Pomerene Hall,
1760 Neil Avenue; telephone 292-3307, TDD 292-0901; OSU Office for disability Services Web Site.”

Please don’t hesitate to contact me at any time with

questions or concerns you may have.

Daily Schedule
Week 1
Monday, June 21, 2010 Wednesday, June 23, 2010
In Class: Due:
• Syllabus • Read presentation assignment on Carmen
• Introductions • Sign up for a presentation:
• Go over presentation sign up process http://www1.mysignup.com/eng304su10
• Read Chapter 1 (3-37)

In Class:
• Presentation on Chapter 1
• Do exercises 1 & 2, p. 38, in class
o Small group & large group discussion
• Ethics scenarios 16 & 17, p. 39-40
• MS Word & PowerPoint Tutorials
English 304 Summer 2010

Week 2
Monday, June 28, 2010 Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Due: Due:
• Read resume and application letter assignment on • Draft of resume and application letter to Carmen
Carmen discussion board before class
• Read Ch 2 p. 44-69 • Read Ch 3 p. 76-106
• Read Ch 7 p. 251-280 • Read Ch 4 p. 122-130

In Class:
• Presentation on Résumés and Application Letters
• Presentation on The Writing Process
• Q & A on Resume assignment
• Work time on assignment
In Class:
• Quiz 1(June 28’s presentations)
• Presentation on Memos
• Presentation on Collaborative Writing
• Peer review of Resume and Application Letter
o Turn in Peer Review Memos by the end
of class

Week 3
Monday, July 5, 2010 In Class:
No Class • Quiz 2 (June 30’s presentations)
• Presentation on Email
• Presentation on Summaries/Abstracts
Wednesday, July 7, 2010 • Q & A on assignment sheets
Due: • Discussion of website options
• Final draft of resume and application letter due in
hard copy following assignment sheet guidelines
• Review Email Assignment on Carmen
• Review Midterm Project Assignment on Carmen
• Read Ch 4 p. 131-140
• Read Ch 9 p. 398-420

Week 4
Monday, July 12, 2010 Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Due: Due:
• Draft of Email due to Carmen discussion board before • Final draft of email due in hard copy following
class assignment sheet guidelines
• Read Ch 9 p. 420-26 • Review Inquiry Letter assignment sheet
• Read Ch 11 p. 508-520 • Read Ch 4 p. 153-170
• Read Ch 6 p. 195-233
In Class:
• Quiz 3 In Class:
• Presentation on Website Design • Quiz 4
• Presentation on News Releases • Presentation on Letter Basics
• Peer review of Email • Presentation on Types of Letters
o Turn in Peer Review Memos by the end of • Q & A on Inquiry Letter
class • Work time on assignments

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English 304 Summer 2010

Week 5
Monday, July 19, 2010 Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Due: Due:
• Draft of Inquiry Letter due to Carmen discussion • Draft of Midterm Project due to Carmen
board before class discussion board before class (you may simply
• Read Ch 13 p. 561-572 provide a link in a discussion board post)
• Read Ch 13 p. 573-592
In Class:
In Class: • Peer Review on Midterm Project
• Quiz 5 o Turn in Peer Review Memos by the end
• Presentation on Writing Proposals of class
• Presentation on Types of Proposals
• Peer Review of Inquiry Letter
o Turn in Peer Review Memos by the end of
class

Week 6
Monday, July 26, 2010 Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Due:
Due: • Midterm Project final draft—please submit link
• Final Draft of Inquiry Letter Due in hard copy and reflection to Carmen dropbox following
following assignment sheet guidelines assignment sheet guidelines
• Read Ch 8 p. 303-348 • Review Final Project Assignment Sheet
• Read Ch 8 p. 348-355 • Read Ch 14 p. 599-610
• Read Ch 14 p. 610-632
In Class: In Class:
• Quiz 6 • Quiz 7
• Presentation on Types of Research • Presentation on Short Reports
• Presentation on Notetaking/Documentation • Presentation on Types of Short Reports
• Work on Midterm projects • Q & A on Final Project

Week 7
Monday, August 2, 2010 Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Due: Due:
• Read Ch 11 p. 491-508 • Draft of Bad News Letter due to Carmen
• Read Ch 15 p. 638-668 discussion board before class
• Review Bad News Letter assignment • Read Ch 12 p. 526-554
In Class: • Read Ch 16 p. 670-691
• Quiz 8 In Class:
• Presentation on Print Document Design • Quiz 9
• Presentation on Writing Long Reports • Presentation on Writing Instructions
• Q & A on Bad News Letter assignment • Presentation on Presentations
• Work time on assignments • Peer Review of Bad News Letter
o Turn in Peer Review Memos by the end
of class

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English 304 Summer 2010

Week 8
Monday, August 9, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Due:
• Final draft of Bad News Letter due in hard copy Due:
following assignment sheet guidelines • Draft of Final Project
• Read Ch 10 p. 437-447
• Read Ch 10 p. 448-478 In Class:
• Peer Review on Final Project
In Class: o Turn in Peer Review Memos by the end
• Quiz 10 of class
• Presentation on Designing Visuals
• Presentation on Tables and Figures
• Work time on final projects

Week 9
Monday, August 16, 2010 Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Due: Due:
• Read Ch 7 p. 281-289 • Final Draft of Final Project
• Read Ch 3 p. 107-114
In Class:
In Class: • Quiz 12
• Quiz 11 • Final Exam Review
• Presentation on Meetings • Course Evaluations
• Presentation on Interviews
• Work time on revising final projects

Week 10 (Final Exam Week)

Wednesday, August 25, 2010, 7:30-9:18a
In Class:
• Final Exam