Spring 2003
Website: http://mason.gmu.edu/~cthaiss/302b03.htm
Phone: 703-993-1273
E-mail: cthaiss@gmu.edu
Office: Robinson A423
Hours: TR 3-4 PM and by appt.
*memos
*letters
*proposals
*brief research reports
*white papers
*webpage construction (optional--see Technical Support)
As customary in business, the writing in this course will be highly collaborative. Its effectiveness depends on both individual energy and cooperation. In these sections, the collaborative writing will be carried out by such means as
*electronic mail and real-time discussion/response (via GMU Townhall)
*planning, preparation, and presentation of a small-group field research project and of a "white paper" based on that research
*small-group "feedback" on drafted writings
*dialogue with the instructor.
I trust that each person in the course will emerge from it with a better-developed sense of the principles and typical methods of business writing, plus improved ability to carry out typical business-writing tasks.
Grading standards are as follows (grades to be determined at the discretion of the instructor):
A = outstanding work: among the specific virtues, full, active, cooperative, and imaginative participation in all activities, exercises, and projects of the course; prose that consistently demonstrates the principles of effective business writing, as outlined in the core text;
B = very good work: full, active, and cooperative participation in all activities, exercises and projects; prose that almost always demonstrates the principles of effective business writing;
C = satisfactory work: full, cooperative participation in all activities, exercises, and projects; prose that, with revision, almost always demonstrates the principles of effective business writing;
D = almost satisfactory work: almost full, usually cooperative participation in all activities, exercises, and projects: prose that, with revision, usually demonstrates the principles of effective business writing;
F = unsatisfactory work: inconsistent participation in activities, exercises, and projects; or prose that, with revision, still fails to demonstrate consistent application of the principles of effective business writing.
I will give plusses and minuses according to GMU policy.
NOTE: A written project will receive an F if a student does not participate in every phase of the development of the project and meet all deadlines for preliminary materials.
MISSED DEADLINES
Excerpt from Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, by Barbara Ehrenreich (New York: Henry Holt, 2001)
Incidental expenses for xeroxed copying of project materials.
The University Library System contains extensive holdings of business-related books and periodicals, plus online access to many business-related services. See Subject Guides in Business and Economics
Although we will be working daily in the computer lab, it will be useful to you, though not essential, to have home access to Townhall, for any necessary communication with other members of your research group after class hours.
I also strongly recommend the additional advice on your writing that you can receive through the University Writing Center.
ASSIGNMENTS: COURSE PROJECTS and PROPORTIONS
OF CREDIT
2. Comparative Document Analysis (10%)--From Feb. 13 to March 6, we will work on comparative analysis of two articles on the same issue or event from business-related publications. My aim in this assignment is (1) to increase your attentiveness to both the blatant and the subtle differences between accounts of the "same" event by different publications. Whether as producer or consumer, you need to be aware of these differences in building your own informed perspectives on the issues. Practice in doing this sort of analysis will also make you more articulate in writing "white papers" (position statements or formal recommendations) on any issue.
Only one of these articles may be from a national general interest online news source (such as www.washingtonpost.com). The other must be from a print business publication, such as the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, etc. We will practice in class using databases (e.g., Lexis-Nexis, Dow Jones Interactive) that index print and electronic materials on business-relevant topics. I must approve your sources. We will develop in class questions to ask about the two articles by which to do a well-informed comparison. Among the areas of comparison will be purposes, intended audiences, kinds of evidence, organization, writing style, and graphic presentation. Drafts for peer review will be due Mar. 4; revised, edited drafts (and addenda) will be due March 6.
Drafts and revised drafts should be submitted using standard memo format (see WOJ, 21-25) and should be roughly 1000 words. Revised drafts submitted March 6 should be accompanied by first drafts (with annotations by peer reviewers), filled-in critique sheets from peer reviewers, a one-page memo that describes and justifies the changes in the revised draft ("change memo"), and an Appendix that includes photocopies of the compared documents.
3. Team Field Research Project (50%)--Throughout the course, we will be developing aspects of a two- to three-person project that will be based on your investigation of the documents and writing practices of a local business organization of your choice (I must approve proposed choices). In class, we will discuss methods, materials, and presentation of the projects. Chapters 3a and 6 of WOJ will be assigned and adapted. Aspects of the project include the project research proposal, a letter of introduction to the firm, a series of progress memos sent electronically, the full report of the research, and a 10-15 minute oral presentation by each group to the class (in the final week of the course).
The research report itself will consist of two main parts: an analysis of five or more typical, significant documents written by the firm (1-2 double-spaced pages per document analyzed), analyzed for those features learned and applied in the Comparative Document Analysis assignment, and a detailed interview (minimum of 5 double-spaced pages) with an employee or employees of the firm knowledgeable about the range and types of writing done by the firm as part of its work.
A third part of the report will be done online in class: an evaluation of a web page either produced by the firm or closely related to a primary kind of work done by the firm. The method of analysis will be based on a prototype website evaluation assignment by Professor Virginia Montecino.
Due dates are noted in the schedule below. Remember that credit for the entire project is contingent on full, active, and cooperative participation in all phases. My criteria for evaluating the written projects are based on the principles of effective business writing detailed in the pertinent chapters of WOJ and in our class discussions.
Because there will be comparatively little time to prepare and practice the oral presentations, evaluation will be less formal; nevertheless, I will be devoting class time to explaining principles of effective oral presentation, and these should be followed precisely. I have been generally pleased by the presentations that students have worked up in this course, even under severe time constraints. You CAN do it! The deadlines of this course are excellent practice for the time pressure you'll regularly be under in the workplace.
These projects will receive a group grade; thus, the grade earned by the team will be the grade earned by each individual on the team. Nevertheless, one element of the final report will be the team's self-assessment of each person's contribution, and I will take the liberty of adjusting individual credit, if necessary.
4. "White Paper" Based on Team Field Research (10%)
In the course of your team field research on the writing culture of a business organization, each team member will identify a communication issue or problem at the company/agency/business that will form the basis for a "white paper" (i.e., a position statement or formal recommendation). The white paper is an important form of business report that is used in both university courses and the workplace. Each member of the team will write a separate white paper on a separate issue. I must approve topics. Your white paper should be addressed to a relevant manager with the firm (though whether you indeed deliver the white paper is up to you!), rather than to me as an interested outsider. Your white paper will need to (1) succinctly describe the issue or problem, including any relevant background the reader needs; (2) state your position on the issue and/or make recommendations toward solving the problem; (3) support your position and/or recommendations with all relevant data and sources. Source material may include your own relevant experience and observation or that of others whom you can accurately and specifically cite; print or online articles or product specifications that you must accurately cite and document. Databases may come in handy in this project. A table (e.g., of data, options, or pros and cons) must be included somewhere in the document, as appropriate to your subject.
Your final draft should be between 1000 and 1500 words. A proposal paragraph is due to me by Mar. 18; the preliminary draft workshop will be held March 25, and your final draft (plus preliminary draft, change memo, and critique sheet) is due March 27. .
PLAGIARISM
T Jan. 21:: Introductions and Exercises; activate e-mail accounts (see Technical Support); **read WOJ, Introduction
R Jan. 23:: Townhall--Getting Started and the "Junk Mail" exercise
T Jan. 28:: The Process and Principles of Business Writing; **begin group formation and proposal-writing for team field research; **read WOJ, Chapters 1, 6b
R Jan. 30:: Composing Effective Business Prose I (memo and letter exercises); have read WOJ, Chapters 1, 6b; post proposal for team field research; **read WOJ, Chs. 10-11 (NOTE features of punctuation, usage, and grammar that have given you problems in your writing, and be prepared to ask about them in class.)
M Feb. 4:: Last day to ADD classes
T Feb. 4:: Composing Effective Business Prose II (review of WOJ grammar and usage sections, Chs. 10-11); post revised research proposal; **read WOJ, Chapter 3a, to begin prep for research interviews post; **contact company and arrange study (if your group has not already done so)
R Feb. 6:: Small-group workshop: compose letter of introduction/commitment to company. Groups begin to compose detailed interview questionnaire to conduct fieldwork.
T Feb. 11:: Groups complete composing interview questionnaires and POST them to Townhall group sites; **collect data
R Feb. 13:: Field Research Progress Memos (post); discussion of Document Analysis criteria (exercise); **begin Comparative Document Analysis assignment;**read assigned chapters of Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, by Ehrenreich
T Feb. 18:: Comparative Document Analysis (exercises and discussion); **draft comparative analyses
Note: Snow Alert!! Because classes were cancelled on Tuesday, Feb. 18, by the great snowfall, the agenda for Feb. 20-27 is changed. See as follows:
R Feb. 20:: More exercises on Comparative Document Analysis (CDA). Post CDA article titles, authors, where and when published, and word length to designated Townhall discussion by Friday, Feb. 21.
T Feb. 25:: More exercises on CDA; "**read handouts and websites on White Papers; read WOJ, Ch. 6a
R Feb. 27:: Principles of the "White Paper; research update
F Feb. 28:: Last day to DROP courses
T March 4:: Small-group workshop on drafts of comparative analyses; discussion of research progress; **revise and edit comparative analyses; **continue research and writing of white papers.
R March 6:: Revised drafts of Comparative Analyses (plus addenda) due in class; continue drafting of white papers; post Field Research progress memos (interview results); discussion
Workshop on progress of field research; discussion of Drafting, Organizing, and Formatting Research Reports
Week of March 9 - 16:: Spring Break
T March 18:: Have posted proposals for white papers to Townhall discussion; further discussion of white paper criteria and formatting. Begin discussion of "Evaluation of Webpages" as part of Team Field Research
R March 20:: Class does not meet; continue writing of white papers
T March 25:: Small-group workshop on drafts of white papers;**begin revising and editing white papers.
R March 27:: Revised white papers (full packet) due in class; workshop on Web Page Evaluation II
T April 1:: Workshop on Web Page Evaluation III: post web page evaluations by end of class
R April 3:: Progress reports on drafts of field research interview reports; discussion;**continue drafting of interview reports
T April 8:: Cross-group workshop on drafts of interview reports
R April 10:: Complete interview report workshop; review of principles of document analysis for that portion of team field research report; **revise and edit interview reports; **read handout/web-based material on oral presentation techniques
T April 15:: Principles and Techniques of Oral Presentations in Business;**draft document analysis portions of team field research reports;**prepare and practice oral presentations
R April 17:: Progress reports on drafts of field research document analyses
T April 22:: Cross-group workshop on drafts of field research document analyses
R April 24:: Complete workshop on field research document analyses; discussion of "executive summaries" and descriptions of physical surroundings
T April 29:: Oral presentations of team field research projects
R May 1:: Revised drafts of both parts of Team Field Research reports, plus addenda, due in class; ten-fifteen minute presentations; course review.
There will be no final exam in this course.