Welcome to English 402.13!
English 402 will prepare you for the kinds of professional and technical writing that you will perform throughout your chosen professional, administrative, or research-oriented careers. Such writing includes crafting effective letters, memos, reports, proposals, and employment-related materials suitable for multiple audiences and a variety of situations.
By the end of this course, you should be able to
- Understand the rhetorical contexts for writing, such as matters of ethics, subject, audience, and purpose.
- Recognize the various forms of writing used in professional, administrative, and research-oriented situations, and apply the appropriate form to a given task.
- Demonstrate your ability to write and revise in the various forms of writing used in professional, administrative, and research-oriented situations.
- Present ideas in a proficient and persuasive manner, both verbal and written.
- Plan, revise, and edit your documents for clarity, correctness, and concision.
Required Text
- Technical and Professional Writing: Solving Problems at Work, by George E. Kennedy and Tracy T. Montgomery (Pearson, 2008, custom edition)
Project Assignment Sheets
These assignment sheets will also be handed out in class, but if you need another copy just download one from the links below.
- Project #1, Letter of Praise or Complaint: assignment sheet
- Project #2, Rhetorical Analysis: assignment sheet
- Project #3, Employment Portfolio: assignment sheet
- Project #4, How-To Guide: assignment sheet
- Project #5, Pitch Proposal: assignment sheet
- Project #6, Responses to Communication Situations: assignment sheet
- Project #7, Research-Based Group Project: assignment sheet
Course Calendar
This calendar is also found in the syllabus.
| WEEK ONE | ||
| T (08/26) | Coll 235 | The mechanics of the class; syllabus overview |
| Th (08/28) | Avery 105 | AML Orientation |
| WEEK TWO | ||
| T (09/02) | Coll 235 | Read for Today: Ch. 1, "Professionalism and Problem Solving" |
| Th (09/04) | Coll 235 | Read for Today: Ch. 2, "Technical Problem Solving" |
| WEEK THREE | ||
| T (09/09) | Coll 235 | Read for Today: Ch. 10, "Solving Problems through Letters and Memoranda" |
| Th (09/11) | Coll 235 | discussion/group work on previous chapters Due Today (upload by 11:59pm): Project #1 |
| WEEK FOUR | ||
| T (09/16) | Coll 235 | Read for Today: Ch. 3, "Rhetorical Problem Solving" |
| Th (09/18) | Coll 235 | discussion/group work about problem solving through written communication Due Today (upload by 11:59pm): Project #2 |
| WEEK FIVE | ||
| T (09/23) | Coll 235 | Read for Today: Ch. 11, "Solving Problems in the Professional Job Search" |
| Th (09/25) | Coll 235 | Read for Today: Ch. 12, "Solving Problems Through Document Design" |
| WEEK SIX | ||
| T (09/30) | Avery 105 | lab work on elements of the Employment Portfolio |
| Th (10/02) | Avery 105 | lab work on elements of the Employment Portfolio |
| WEEK SEVEN | ||
| T (10/07) | Coll 235 | Read for Today: Ch. 9, "Solving Problems Through Policy Statements, Manuals, and Procedures" |
| Th (10/09) | -- | *** NO CLASS *** |
| F (10/10) | BUNDY | Presentation by Avon Murphy: "The Written Word in a Visual World." If you cannot attend, please let me know via e-mail. Due Today (upload by 11:59pm): Project #3 |
| WEEK EIGHT | ||
| T (10/14) | Coll 235 | Workshop for Project #4—bring your drafts to class! |
| Th (10/16) | Coll 235 | Read for Today: Ch. 6, "Solving Problems Through Proposals" Due Today (upload by 11:59pm): Project #4 |
| WEEK NINE | ||
| T (10/21) | Coll 235 | Read for Today: Ch. 13, "Solving Problems Through Oral Presentations" |
| Th (10/23) | Coll 235 | Due Today (in class): 2 minute oral presentation version of your pitch proposal Due Today (upload by 11:59pm): Project #5 (written doc) |
| WEEK TEN | ||
| T (10/28) | Coll 235 | Group organization for Project #7—bring your résumé! |
| Th (10/30) | Coll 235 | Read for Today: Ch. 7, "Solving Problems Through Periodic (Progress) Reports and Completion Reports" |
| WEEK ELEVEN | ||
| T (11/04) | Coll 235 | Read for Today: Ch. 5, "Solving Problems Through Collaborative Writing and the Uses of Technology" |
| Th (11/06) | Coll 235 | Group meeting/work session in class. |
| WEEK TWELVE | ||
| T (11/11) | -- | *** HOLIDAY: NO CLASS *** |
| Th (11/13) | Coll 235 | In-Class: Watching the first half of Wall Street (this is part of Project #6) Due Today (upload by 11:59pm): individual Progress Report #1 on Project #7 Due Today (via e-mail to Julie): Team Leaders send Group Progress Report #1 on Project #7 |
| WEEK THIRTEEN | ||
| T (11/18) | Coll 235 | In-Class: Watching the second half of Wall Street (this is part of Project #6) |
| Th (11/20) | --- | *** NO CLASS MEETING *** Due Today (upload by 11:59pm): Project #6 Due Today (upload by 11:59pm): individual Progress Report #2 on Project #7 Due Today (via e-mail to Julie): Team Leaders send Group Progress Report #2 on Project #7 |
WEEK FOURTEEN |
| T (11/25) | -- | *** HOLIDAY: NO CLASS *** |
| Th (11/27) | -- | *** HOLIDAY: NO CLASS *** | WEEK FIFTEEN |
| T (12/02) | Coll 235 | Due Today (in class): Group Presentations (groups 1 & 2) |
| Th (12/04) | Coll 235 | Due Today (in class): Group Presentations (groups 3 & 4) | WEEK SIXTEEN |
| T (12/09) | Coll 235 | Due Today (in class): Group Presentations (groups 5 & 6) |
| Th (12/11) | Coll 235 | Due Today (in class): Group Presentations (groups 7 & 8) |
| Fri (12/12) | --- | Due Today (via e-mail to Julie): Team Leaders Send Final Document for Project #7 |
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