Communications Studies (COMS) 363 - Lecture 18
Professional and Technical Communication
Winter 2007
Tuesday and Thursday 11:00-12:15  

Instructor:	Mr. Shane Halasz
Office Location:	SS 345
Office Phone:	(403) 220-7706
E-Mail:	sdhalasz@ucalgary.ca
Web Page:
Office Hours:	Tuesday and Thursday 9:30-10:30 or by appointment.

Additional Information

Please only call above phone number during scheduled office hours as this is a shared office with no voicemail.

Course Description

This class takes a rhetorical approach to understanding professional and technical communication. Emphasis is placed on how workplace communication is situated within distinct corporate cultures as well as a broader sociocultural context. Students will gain knowledge and skills in writing across genres and disciplines through inquiry-based learning strategies, which include both field and documentary research methods. This theory-driven class will teach students open-ended skills that can be applied to a variety of workplace situations.

Objectives of the Course

By the end of the course students will learn how to:

• Think critically and read critically

• Adapt to a given communication situation based on rhetorical analysis of audience, context, and purpose

• Communicate more effectively, both through oral presentations and written documents

• Research complex problems and situations individually and collaboratively

• Refine composition, revision, and editing skills, including organization, document design, peer review, style, grammar, and diction

Textbooks and Readings:

Babington, D., & LePan, D. (2005). The Broadview pocket guide to writing, 2nd Edition. Peterborough, ON: Broadview Press.

Custom course pack of readings, available at U of C Bookstore.

Assignments and Evaluation

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

Note: Please return assignments directly to the instructor if possible. If it is not possible to do so, a daytime drop box is available in SS110; a date stamp is provided for your use. A night drop box is also available for after-hours submission. Assignments will be removed the following morning, stamped with the previous day's date, and placed in the instructor's mailbox.

• Summary of Journal Article for Technical Audience—memo format (10%) Due January 25

• Summary of Journal Article for General Audience—newsletter format (10%) Due January 25

• Interview Report (20%) Due February 13

• Group Proposal and Work Plan (10%) Due March 8

• Group Presentations of Document Revisions (10%) April 10/12

• Final Group Project Report (20%) Due April 12

• Final Individual Paper Based on Group Project (20%), due April 19 (NB: This paper is to be done individually and is due one week after our final class during office hours to be announced -- graded Final Projects will also be available for pickup at this time. Final Papers will be available for pickup in the Winter semester during office hours to be announced)

Note: Although participation is not a graded component of this class, regular attendance and active participation in class exercises is expected.

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

Assignments submitted after the deadline may be penalized with the loss of a grade (e.g.: A- to B+) for each day late. Assignments submitted more than five business days after due date will receive a grade of "F".

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 and organization. Research papers must be properly documented.

If you wish help with your writing at any stage, including drafts, you are invited to contact the Writing Centre, SS110, 220-7255.

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

This class will use Blackboard (blackboard.ucalgary.ca) as the main hub for information regarding course assignments, in-class exercises, and other pertinent course info. Check here often for announcements, clarification of expectations, etc.

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

To be handed out in class.