English 302B:

 Advanced Composition for Business

302B presentation


Sections AB1 (MTWR 9:30-11:35 AM) and AB2 (MTWR 11:45-1:50 PM); IN 318 (Computer Classroom)

Summer Session A 2006

Professor Chris Thaiss

Website: http://mason.gmu.edu/~cthaiss/302bsu06.html

Phone: 703-993-1273

E-mail: cthaiss@gmu.edu

Chris Thaiss's Home Page

Office: Robinson A423

Hours: MT 2-3 PM and by appt.

 

GOALS


English 302B, Advanced Composition for Business, is meant to provide guided, evaluated practice in several forms of written communication common in business settings. These forms include, among others,

*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.



TECHNICAL SUPPORT


Check out the English Department's TEC Program (Technology in the English Concentrations) for tutorials on a wide range of web skills, from basic webpage design and searching databases to such advanced skills as image manipulation, sound recording, and video capture.

ITU Support at GMU (Innovation Hall 233) offers a range of services and guides for students who want to improve their computer skills.



EVALUATION STANDARDS


Evaluation will be ongoing in this course, primarily in the form of responses by the instructor and fellow students to ideas and documents in various stages of completion. Three projects (the comparative document analysis, the field research report, and the white paper) will be drafted, workshopped, and revised. Grades will be A through F, although only those students earning a final C or better will fulfill the GMU Advanced Composition requirement.

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


Projects are due in class, at the beginning of class on the dates marked (pending the instructor's changes in schedule). Don't miss deadlines: grades for final drafts of projects not turned in when due are dropped one letter for each day or part of a day that the project is late.


BOOKS AND MATERIALS


Writing on the Job, by John Brereton and Margaret Mansfield. Updated Ed. (New York: Norton, 2000) (WOJ)

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, which is open in the summer and where you can schedule appointments with a tutor to get additional comment on your drafts.

Further advice on your writing in the School of Management is available in the SOM online writing guide  sponsored by the GMU writing-across-the-curriculum (WAC) program.



ASSIGNMENTS: COURSE PROJECTS and PROPORTIONS OF CREDIT


1. In-Class Exercises, Quizzes, Workshops, Discussions, Oral Presentations (30%)--Because business writing, including the writing in this course, is collaborative, your full, active, cooperative participation in the daily work of the course is key to your success. 30% of course credit (roughly 2% of final grade for each day's participation). I will rate your daily participation either satisfactory (full, active participation, as described above under Evaluation Standards) or less than satisfactory. Each absence will mean that you cannot receive the 2% of the final grade for the in-class work conducted that day.


2. Comparative Document Analysis (10%)--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 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, tone, and graphic presentation.

Your completed analysis will consist of four main sections:

A. Executive Summary of Your Comparison--in no more than 200 words you must let your reader know the most important info in the report (e.g., the two articles you compared, the topic of comparison, and your judgment). Remember: the executive summary in any business document grabs the reader's attention and gives him/her a good reason to read on.

B. Synopsis of the Issue/Event--In 500 well-chosen words, you will summarize the contents of the issue/event. You should use the two articles as sources for the summary, but you may also use other sources, which you will need to cite accurately using APA or MLA style (see below). Since the articles will more than likely agree on many of the details, summarizing should not be difficult. However, where the two articles differ, you'll need accurately to state these differences.

C. Assessment of the Important Differences between the Articles--In 500 well-chosen words, you will show how the two pieces differ in purposes and intended audiences.  Most likely, these differences will be shown  indirectly: that is, you will need to read closely to see differences in the bias of each article and in the kinds of information they use to elaborate and explain. Most journalists strive for balance in their reporting, so that articles often appear unbiased and fair. But all publications subtly try to sway opinion and action of readers both by what they include and by what they leave out. Hence, the need for comparative reading on all public issues!
 
We'll look at the six areas of comparison listed above to help us see these differences. Of these six areas, clearly the most important are purposes and intended audiences. The other four areas of comparison: evidence, organization, tone, and graphic presentation, are the tools used by the writer to fulfill purposes and reach audiences. As a business reader and decision-maker, you need to see and understand these differences in order to make wise judgments. As a business writer, you need to learn how to use these tools in order to reach your objectives for the poeple you wish to serve.

D. Judgment: Which article does the better job of meeting its purposes for its intended readers?--In 300 well-chosen words, argue for your preference. HINT: the longer article need not be the more fair nor the more thorough, though it often is. HINT TWO: be aware of your own political and other biases (you have them) and try to do a fair analysis. 

Procedure: Drafts and revised drafts should be submitted using standard memo format (see WOJ, 21-25) and should be roughly 1500 words. Revised drafts must be accompanied by first drafts (with annotations by peer reviewers), filled-in critique sheets from peer reviewers, a one-page "change" memo that describes and justifies the changes in the revised draft, and an Appendix that includes photocopies of the compared documents.

MLA or APA Documentation Style: Your comparison report should cite your sources in either American Psychological Assocation (APA) style, the Documentation style often preferred by scholars in the School of Management, or Modern Language Association (MLA) style, which is required in SOM 301 and some other SOM courses. The style you choose should be used both for "in-text" citations and for your list of sources at the end of the report.


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 (on the final day 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 six features learned and applied in the Comparative Document Analysis assignment, and a detailed interview or interviews (minimum of 5 double-spaced pages) with an experienced employee or employees of the firm knowledgeable about the range and types of writing done by the firm as part of its work.

Appearance of Final Report

A positive visual impression means that the reader is more likely to read a business report. Looking good won't hide poor writng and thinking--but looking sloppy or "thrown together" often means that even the best writing and thinking will be ignored. I won't dictate appearance--surprise me and your classmates in a good way, impressing us with your creativity and style, even as you earn our respect for the quality and organization of your writing.

Evaluation of Company's Website

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 my adaptation of a website evaluation assignment originally designed by Professor Virginia Montecino.

Due Dates of Each Phase of Project

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.

Evaluation Criteria

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. In addition, I will grade on the appearance of the final report, as described above, and on how well each team member meets deadlines and cooperates in the team venture.

Oral Presentations

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. Team members who contribute little (this happens rarely, but it does happen) will receive significantly less credit.


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;

(4) cite sources using APA or MLA style.

Source material may include your own relevant experience and observation and that of others whom you can accurately and specifically cite; sources may also include 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 1200 and 1500 words. Include your first draft, critique sheets, and a change memo in the final packet.



PLAGIARISM


Please review the English Department's policy on plagiarism:

Plagiarism means using the exact words, opinions, or factual information from another source without giving that source credit. Writers give credit through the use of accepted documentation styles, such as parenthetical citation, footnotes, or end notes; a simple listing of books, articles, and websites is not sufficient. Plagiarism is the equivalent of intellectual robbery and cannot be tolerated in an academic setting.

Student writers are often confused as to what should be cited. Some think that only direct quotations need to be credited. While direct quotations do need citations, so do paraphrases and summaries of opinions or factual information formerly unknown to the writers or which the writers did not discover themselves. Exceptions to this include factual information which can be obtained from a variety of sources, the writers' own insights or findings from their own field research, (what has been called common knowledge). What constitutes common knowledge can sometimes be precarious; what is common knowledge for one audience may be so for another. In such situations, it is helpful to keep the reader in mind and to think of citations as being "reader friendly." In other words, writers provide a citation for any piece of information that they think their readers might want to investigate further. Not only is this attitude considerate of readers, it will almost certainly ensure that writers will not be guilty of plagiarism.

Since this course is heavily collaborative, I will expect individuals to help one another with constructive feedback. Nevertheless, I expect that any help (e.g., with editing) received outside of normal class workshops and discussions will be approved by me and will be credited in documents. Certainly, I expect that all uses of sources (oral, online, printed) will be documented. If I suspect plagiarism, I will report it to the University Honor Committee (it is your responsibility to be familiar with the GMU Honor Code and to abide by it).


SCHEDULE OF CLASSES


I hope that I will not need to make changes in this schedule. However, any changes will be announced in class, via e-mail, or on Townhall. It is each person's responsibility to be aware of changes.

M May 22:: Introductions and Exercises; activate e-mail accounts (see ITU Support if you need help);

T May 23:: Townhall--Getting Started and the "Junk Mail" exercise; The Process and Principles of Business
Writing; **begin group formation and proposal-writing for team field research; reading due: WOJ, Introduction

W May 24:: Composing and Revising Effective Business Prose (memo and letter exercises); post proposal for team field research; reading due: WOJ, Chapters 1, 6b 

R May 25:: Effective Editing of Business Prose: reading due: WOJ Chs. 10 and 11. Teams begin to compose detailed interview questionnaire to conduct fieldwork: reading due WOJ, Chapter 3a, to begin prep for research interviews. Post revised research proposal.

F May 26:: Last day to ADD classes.

M May 29:: Memorial Day (No Class)

T May 30:: Small-group workshop: compose and post letter of introduction/commitment to company. Teams continue composing interview questionnaires and POST them to Townhall group sites..

W May 31::   Begin discussion of "Comparative Document Analysis" assignment and do exercises in class. **Choose two articles for Comparative Document Analysis.

R June 1:: Continue discussion of Document Analysis criteria (exercise);Bring two (2) articles for CDA to class. **draft Comparative Document Analysis  

NOTE: Friday June 2 is the last day to drop classes without the Dean's permission.

M June 5:: Small-group workshop on drafts of comparative analyses; discussion of research progress; **revise and edit comparative analyses

T June 6:: Principles of the "White Paper"--after our discussion of examples, submit proposal paragraphs and begin drafting; reading due: WOJ, Ch. 6a as prep for discussion of "White Papers"

W June 7:: Workshop: continue drafting of white papers in class; post Field Research progress memos (interview results); discussion

R June 8:: Revised drafts of Comparative Analyses (plus addenda) due in class; Workshop: Drafting, Organizing, and Formatting Research Reports

M June 12:: Small-group workshop on drafts of white papers;**begin drafting reports of field research; revise and edit white papers

T June 13:: Critique Workshop--Evaluating WEB Pages Pertinent to Team Field Research; **continue drafting of  Field Research reports

W June 14:: Revised white papers (plus addenda) due in class; Workshop on Web Page Evaluation II--draft and post web critiques by end of class

R June 15:: Cross-group workshop on drafts of field research interview reports; **revise and edit reports

M June 19:: Cross-group workshop on drafts of field research document-analysis reports; workshop on ten-fifteen minute oral presentations of team field research; reading due: handout/web-based material on oral presentation techniques. **Prepare and practice oral presentations.

T June 20:: 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.