Communications Studies (COMS) 363 - Lecture 01
Professional and Technical Communication
Winter 2008
Lecture: Tuesday 08:00-09:15 SA 129

Lab: Thursday 08:00-09:15 SS 20

 

Instructor:	Mr. Shane Halasz
Office Location:	SS 209
Office Phone:	N/A
E-Mail:	sdhalasz@ucalgary.ca
Web Page:	N/A
Office Hours:	Tuesday 09:30-10:30 or by appointment

 

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 organizational or corporate cultures as well as broader socio-cultural contexts. Students will gain knowledge and skills in writing across genres and disciplines through inquiry-based learning strategies and collaborative research projects. 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:

Graves, H. & Graves, R. (2007). A strategic guide to technical communication. Peterborough: Broadview Press.

 

Additional readings TBA.

Assignments and Evaluation

1. Summaries of Peer Reviewed Journal Article for Technical Reader (Memo 10%) and General Reader (Newsletter Article 10%) Due January 31, 2008
2. Oral Presentation on Writing/Grammar (5%) Scheduled throughout semester - sign-up to occur in first class
3. Group Proposal/Workplan (10%) Due February 26, 2008
4. Individual Research Paper (25%) Due March 27, 2008
5. Oral Presentations on Group Project Findings (10%) April 15 and 17, 2008
6. Group Recommendations Report (30%) Due April 17, 2008

It is the student's responsibility to keep a copy of each submitted assignment.
Note: Please hand in your essays directly to your tutor or 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.

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 need help with your writing, you may use the Writing Centre.  Visit the website for more details: www.efwr.ucalgary.ca

Grading System

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

A+ (96-100); A (92-95); A- (86-91); B+ (81-85); B (77-80); B- (71-76);
C+ (65-70); C (62-64); C- (59-61); D+ (55-58); D (50-54); F (0-49)

 

Plagiarism

Using any source whatsoever without clearly documenting it is a serious academic offense. 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 (SS 106, efwr.ucalgary.ca) if you have any questions regarding how to document sources.

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/su

"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.

Ethics

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 supervise your research.  For more information about your research ethics responsibilities, see the U of C Research Ethics "Information for Applicants," sections 3.0 to 9.0, inclusive: http://www.ucalgary.ca/UofC/research/html/ethics/info_undergrad.html

Schedule of Lectures and Readings

 

To be handed out in class.