Communications Studies (COMS) 363 - Lecture 24
Professional and Technical Communication
Winter 2007
Tuesday (SA 129) and Thursday (SS 20) 12:30- 13:45  

Instructor:	Ms. Patricia Babinec
Office Location:	TBA
Office Phone:	TBA
E-Mail:	pmbabine@ucalgary.ca
Web Page:
Office Hours:	By appointment

Additional Information

I can be contacted by e-mail at any time. Please allow up to 24 hours for a response. Assignments submitted as e-mail attachments will not be accepted.

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 broader socio-cultural contexts. Students will gain knowledge and skills in writing across genres through inquiry-based learning strategies which include both field and documentary research methods. This theory-driven class will teach students open-ended communication strategies that can be applied to a variety of workplace situations.

Objectives of the Course

By the end of this course students will have learned how to:

* Think and read critically

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

* Communicate effectively through oral presentations and written documents

* Research 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, Ontario: Broadview Press.

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

Burnett, Rebecca E. (2005). Technical Communication, 6th Edition. Boston: Thomson Wadsworth. (Optional)

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.

* Participation (includes oral/written exercises on assigned readings and lectures) (10%) Ongoing

* 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 8

* Proposal and Work Plan (10%) Due Mar 1

* Final Project Group Presentations (15%) Due Apr 10/12

* Final Group Project Report (25%) Due April 12

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.

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

Research Ethics This course has obtained course based ethics approval from the faculty research ethics committee. Whenever you perform research with human participants (i.e. surveys, interviews, observation) as part of your university studies, you are responsible for following university research ethics guidelines. Your instructor must review and approve of your research plans and approve of your research. For more information about your research ethics responsibilities, see the U of C Research Ethics "Information for Applicants" , sections 3.0 top 9.0 inclusive: http://www.ucalgary.ca/UofC/research/html/ethics/info_undergrad.html

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.