Communications Studies (COMS) 363 - Lecture 15
Professional and Technical Communication
Winter 2007
MWF 13:00-13:50 SH 0157  

Instructor:	Mr. Paul Kennett
Office Location:	SS 339
Office Phone:	220-7775
E-Mail:	pkennett@ucalgary.ca
Web Page:
Office Hours:	M 14:00-15:00

Additional Information

I can be contacted via email at any time. Please allow up to 24 hours for a response. Further, I will not answer any emails sent after 4:30 the day prior to a weekend until the next regular school day. It is inadvisable to leave assignment questions to the last minute.

Students can visit me during office hours without an appointment. Students may also schedule appointments outside of office hours via email.

Cell phones must be turned off at the beginning of class.

Laptop computers may be used to take notes during class. However, inappropriate use of laptops (i.e. to view non-class related content) will not be tolerated and may result in confiscation of the laptop until the end of class time.

Questions with respect to assignments are welcome, and I will gladly look at drafts for students. Note, however, that I will not correct drafts; rather, I will identify the most problematic elements of the document and help provide the student(s) with tools to effect their own corrections. It is helpful if you come to such a meeting with a question about your draft already prepared.

Course Description

An introduction to professional and technical communication, including both writing and oral presentation. Students will learn the rhetorical dimensions of communication in workplace settings as well as the processes involved in planning, composing and delivering professional and technical communication documents and presentations for a variety of audiences. Guided practice and peer review will help students develop expertise in visual, electronic, print, and face-to-face communication.

Students are responsible for lecture attendance and course readings. If lectures or readings are missed students must make their own arrangements to catch up. Also note the majority of this course will be conducted as hands-on writing practice and graded assignment preparation. The use of lecturing with Power Point will be minimal.

Objectives of the Course

This course aims to equip students with fundamental knowledge and skills to write and speak more effectively and ethically in a variety of professional contexts. Students will learn:

Rhetorical principles regarding how to construct and adapt information for different audiences, purposes, and genres.

Basic knowledge of some current social, organizational, and technological contexts in which professional & technical communication is used.

Critical thinking, critical reading and textual-rhetorical analysis skills.

Individual and collaborative research, drafting, document review, and revision skills.

Professional and technical conventions regarding professionalism, common genres, document design, organization, style, grammar, and diction.

Textbooks and Readings:

Markel, M. Technical Communication: Eighth Edition. Boston & New York: Bedford/St. Martin's

Assignments and Evaluation

It is the student's responsibility to keep a copy of each submitted assignment.

Assignment Expectations:

All students will be provided with a full set of assignment descriptions on the first day of class; these descriptions will also be available 24/7 on the course Blackboard. NOTE: attendance of lectures and tutorials is essential for assignment preparation, as explicit and detailed instructions/guidance for each assignment will be given and discussed in the classroom. If you miss classes and do not contact a classmate to catch up you may lose credit on your assignments.

Assignment Criteria Questions & Confusion:

Questions with respect to assignments or any other aspect of the course are warmly welcomed and may be asked in class, using blackboard, over email or at an office meeting. Please ensure that all questions and confusions are resolved prior to the assignment due date.

Deadlines:

All assignments are due in class on the due date. If an assignment is not submitted in class it must be handed in to the Communications and Culture office, SS 0110, at the front desk: a date stamp and submission log is provided for your use. A night drop box is also available, about 10 feet to the left of the office door, for after-hours submission. Assignments will be removed the following morning, stamped with the previous day's date, and placed in my mailbox.

Grade Concerns and/or Disputes:

All questions, concerns or disputes over graded assignments must be brought to my attention by way of an office appointment. All such discussions are welcomed, and further they can constitute an important aspect of learning course material.

Note: Students must wait for 24 hours after a graded assignment is handed back before contacting me with a concern or dispute. This interval is an important “cool down” time in the event of strong feelings over an evaluation.

Assignments:

Text Re-Write (Audience Analysis), due January 19 -- 10%

Presentation: Topics in Grammar, MWF, January 22-February 5 -- 10%

Proposal for Final Presentation & Report, due February 2 -- 10%

Instructions, due March 2 -- 10%

Professional Correspondence, due March 16 -- 10%

Final Project: Presentation, MWF, March 26-April 13-- 15%

Final Project: Report, due April 13 -- 35%

Registrar-scheduled Final Examination: No

Please note: If your class is held in the evening, the Registrar's Office will make every attempt to schedule the final exam during the evening; however, there is NO guarantee that the exam will NOT be scheduled during the day.

Policy for Late Assignments

If an assignment will be late students must contact me by email before the due date to explain their circumstances. Any late assignments unaccompanied by an email communiqué will be penalized by 1/3 of a letter grade per business day. For example an “A-“ grade would drop to “B+” for one day’s unexcused tardiness. Assignments more than five business days late may be given a grade of F and no feedback can be expected.

To appeal for extensions or excuses, students must promptly submit an acceptable form of documentation for the illness (or other extenuating circumstance) to the instructor.

For late assignments use the daytime drop box available in SS110 or the night drop box near the doors of SS110.

Writing Skills Statement

Faculty policy directs that all written assignments (including, although to a lesser extent, written exam responses) will be assessed at least partly on writing skills. For details see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info. Writing skills include not only surface correctness (grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc) but also general clarity,organization and effectiveness of argumentation.

Research papers must be properly documented.

The Effective Writing Centre:

The Writing Centre provides one-on-one tutoring by appointment; it is an excellent resource and I encourage all of you to make use of it if you find that you need additional assistance beyond the course resources.

Web Page: http://www.efwr.ucalgary.ca/

Office: Social Sciences 110 Faculty of Communication and Culture Monday to Thursday: 08:30 - 16:30 Friday: 08:30 - 12:00 and 13:00 - 16:30 Phone: 220-7255 Email: andre@ucalgary.ca

Grading System

The following grading system is used in the Faculty of Communication and Culture:

A+/A (4.0); A- (3.7); B+ (3.3); B (3.0); B- (2.7); C+ (2.3);
C (2.0); C- (1.7); D+ (1.3); D (1.0); F (0)

 

Plagiarism

Using any source whatsoever without clearly documenting it is a serious academic offense. For details see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info. Consequences include failure on the assignment, failure in the course and possibly suspension or expulsion from the university.

You must document not only direct quotations but also paraphrases and ideas where they appear in your text. A reference list at the end is insufficient by itself. Readers must be able to tell exactly where your words and ideas end and other people’s words and ideas begin. This includes assignments submitted in non-traditional formats such as Web pages or visual media, and material taken from such sources.

Please consult your instructor or the Writing Centre (SS110) if you have any questions regarding how to document sources.

Additional Information

Blackboard:

Discussion forums on blackboard are provided for students to post questions, discussions, and comments with respect to course material. The instructor will monitor the forums and respond when appropriate, especially in response to concerns, confusion and clarification regarding assignments or any other aspect of the course.

Note: Anonymous posts are not permitted.

Students with Disabilities

If you are a student with a disability who may require academic accommodation, it is your responsibility to register with the Disability Resource Centre (220-8237) and discuss your needs with your instructor no later than fourteen (14) days after the start of the course.

Students' Union

For details about the current Students' Union contacts for the Faculty of Communication and Culture see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info

"SAFEWALK" Program -- 220-5333

Campus Security will escort individuals day or night -- call 220-5333 for assistance. Use any campus phone, emergency phone or the yellow phone located at most parking lot booths.

Schedule of Lectures and Readings

TBA in class.