Course Information

Fall 2012

Number

ENGL 302

Title

Business Communication

Description

Students in this course will learn to effectively write and design documents, both printed and electronic, that are most often encountered in business and the professions. 

Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will

• Be more conscious of the processes for planning, drafting, revising and editing written work,
• Be able to analyze audience and purpose in rhetorical situations and make rhetorical choices based on this analysis,
• Generate the type and amount of information required by a given rhetorical situation,
• Arrange materials to elicit the intended audience’s response
• Achieve an effective tone and voice for a given rhetorical situation,
• Create electronic documents for effective communication, and
• Make stylistic choices appropriate for a given rhetorical situation.

Students will also be able to

• Write and design various business documents effectively with attention to purpose and audience,
• Generate electronic documents to fit technological developments in business settings, and
• Understand and incorporate techniques for delivering effective oral presentations.

Instructor

Office

Email

Jeni DiSalvo

350 Carver Hall and 126 Armory

disalvo@iastate.edu

Texts

Online and distributed materials.

www.public.iastate.edu/~disalvo

Submission

All assignments will be submitted as a printout from a computer program, when "hard copy" is designated, posted on the student's web site, or as an email attachment. No handwritten or typed papers will be accepted.  Computers are available in the library and Ross Hall for those who do not have access to computers at home.

Most assignments will be submitted online as posts on ISU web pages.  All group assignments will contain individual submissions of specified exercises, as well as a single group submission of final draft.  Final group projects will not be accepted as email submissions.

All email submissions must be acknowledged with a “Reply” from the instructor and verification of the receipt date.  Email problems and/or faulty disks are the responsibility of the student, and late, defective, or non-MSWord files are not considered submitted.  The student is responsible for ensuring that all files are received, acknowledged, and in working order prior to the due dates.

All papers must be turned in to the instructor—not to the office or in the instructor’s mailbox.

KEEP COPIES OF ALL YOUR WORK!  Do not delete or throw away anything until after semester grades are posted.  You are responsible for keeping records of your own papers and grades.

Grading

Your course grade will be based on four major writing projects (100 pts), two minor writing projects (50 pts.), a PowerPoint presentation (100 pts), attendance (100 points), in-class exercises (variable pts.), and a final exam (100 pts.). (Point values are subject to change.)   The exercises conducted during class will also count towards your grade. (These assignments are subject to change based on time constraints and instructor discretion.)

Due to the collaborative nature of some projects, no assignments or drafts will be accepted after the due dates on those group assignments.  Only ONE non-group assignment will be accepted late with a 10% penalty for each week late with a two week maximum—after two weeks, the assignment will not be accepted for a grade.  In-class exercises can only be completed during those class periods in which they were assigned—NO EXCEPTIONS!

Absence is not an acceptable excuse for late papers or homework.

No assignments will be accepted after midnight (via email) on the last scheduled day of regular classes (not the final exam date).

98-100%

93-97

90-92

87-89

83-86

80-82

77-79

73-76

70-72

67-69

63-66

60-62

<60

A+

A

A

B+

B

B-

C+

C

C-

D+

D

D-

F

Evaluation

Assignments and papers will be evaluate based on the following criteria:

50%     Content and following the directions on the assignment sheet),

20%     Mechanics (spelling grammar, punctuation, and     

            organization),

20%     Application of course material, and

10%     Creativity and preparation.

I will occasionally offer extra credit assignments.  Points from extra credit assignments will be added to your cumulative score.

Plagiarism

·         Sources for all papers must be available for the instructor to check at any time,

·         Sources in all papers need to be fully documented using current MLA format,

Failure to document sources or turning in someone else’s paper with your name on it could result in a failing grade on the paper. Opportunity to rewrite will be at the instructor’s discretion. Plagiarism on any assignment may result in a failing grade for the class and official action by the college.

Attendance

You are not required to come to class; however, your final grade includes 100 points for attending class plus the points that are derived from exercises that we do during class time.  Those exercises cannot be made up outside of class, so you will need to come to class to get those points.  Since much of this course involves collaborative work, your attendance will affect the quality for the entire group.

Weather cancellations

Listen to the radio and/or television for school delays and cancellations. If class is cancelled for any reason, I will post the information on the class web page on the message board at least 30 minutes before class start time.  You should check the message board before going to class if you are in doubt.

Writing Center

This center will help you with any part of the writing process. They will not, however, serve as a proofreading service.  You will need to make an appointment for a tutoring session.

Accommodation

If you have a documented disability that requires assistance, you will need to go to the Disability Resource (DR) Office for coordination in your academic accommodations.  The DR is located in the Student Services Building, Room 1076.  Please call 515-294-7220 in advance to schedule an appointment. SDR staff will also be available for general questions daily by calling 515-294-7220.  http://www.dso.iastate.edu/dr/