Advanced Technical/Professional Writing

 Zoom Meeting link and ID: https://ship.zoom.us/j/9474180829 ( Meeting ID: 947 4180 8297)

Contact Information: Phone:  717-477-1716 (calls forwarded through Jabber); English Dept: 717-477-1495
Email: ctkung@ship.edu

TEXT: Johnson-Sheehan, Richard. Technical Communication Today.  6th ed . Boston: Pearson,  2019.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This seminar will explore some of the theoretical issues raised in all types of professional communication: writing for various audiences, understanding persuasive strategies, and improving research methodology. We'll work on improving clarity and coherence in our writing, understanding more thoroughly how purpose and audience affect our work, and develop greater skill in document design. We will also re-address many of the skills and assignments learned in English 238: memos, letters, status reports, oral presentations, research assignments, and resumes.

Reflecting actual workplace strategies, much of the work we do this semester will be collaborative, with each group member actively creating and contributing to the larger project. This semester our class will  help the Shippensburg Revitalization Group develop a more effective business presence, through revised electronic or standard documents or both (. Groups will interview their clients, understand the wishes and needs of the client, and write a proposal for what they believe should be developed. Then, after getting my (and the client’s approval) groups will begin constructing those materials. Your group will then present the materials to the class (and hopefully the client) at the end of the semester. In addition, you will each create an  electronic portfolio using the WIX website authoring program, highlighting your work for the client and other accomplishments from your college years.

By the end of the semester, you’ll understand project management over a period of time; learn how to write professional proposals; learn how to create clean, navigable web sites; improve clarity and coherence in your writing across different platforms; understand more thoroughly how purpose and audience affect your work; develop greater skill in document design; and have a clean, clear professional online presence. Since this is a smaller seminar-style course, students get a lot of individual attention and have a lot of freedom to develop ways of making the projects meaningful to them.

Additional information! our text forms the basis of a "Foundation Certification" exam sponsored by the Society for Technical Communication. Our work this semester will cover most of what you will need to pass this exam and claim this outstanding credential. I will attempt to secure funding for you to take this exam and will help you study, if you wish to take the exam. I highly encourage it! More information can be found at http://stc.org/certification.

COURSE POLICIES:

Attendance and Participation: Much of your course grade will be based on collaborative work. This means that you MUST cooperate on all levels, be prepared, communicate effectively, and treat each other professionally. Though collaborative work requires 100% effort from all group members, you may divide your work as you see fit. Your projects will be done with my guidance, but I will run class more like a workplace: I will give you assignments and deadlines and you will complete them professionally by that deadline. While I suggest google docs as a centralized space, your small group may choose a different model (Teams, One Note, Slack, even D2L) through which to communicate. Just make sure everyone is comfortable with it.

Our class this semester will be a Zoom synchronous class, meeting MWF at 10:00. For the first several weeks we will meet every day, but beginning late February/early March, our schedule will switch to allow you more time to complete projects in your groups; we will not meet on Fridays, and we can hopefully meet f2f some of the Wednesdays for those of you on campus for more personalized Q&A and computer program assistance (we'll likely use the computer lab in DHC 002). As a class we will discuss specifics later in the semester and work out a schedule best for the class as a whole.        

Papers: Papers must be handed in on the day they are due to the appropriate D2L Assignments folder, unless previous arrangements are made. Late work will be lowered 1/2 letter grade each DAY it is late. All major assignmentsas listed below must be completed to pass the class.

Plagiarism : Plagiarism is the submission of work done by another with the intent that it be evaluated as one's own. Any ideas found in books, articles, and the internet must be given written credit. Using material from websites is a particularly thorny issue, the ins and outs of which we will discuss in class. Plagiarism is against university policy and is a very serious transgression; I will fail any student who I believe consciously plagiarizes, and you will be subject to disciplinary action by the University. If I ever have a question about the originality of your work, it will be your responsibility to provide full text of your sources and an explanation of your documentation. It is not my job to "catch" you plagiarizing; that's a waste of everyone's time. Shippensburg University's Academic Dishonest and Plagiarism Policies are available in your SU Catalog .

It's also tempting to just take a sample of work I’ve posted and insert your own words into it, but this is also academic dishonesty. A sample document I post is the property of that student who has given me permission, and as you’ll learn, graphics, design, layout--at least in websites--are copyright protected. All this is to say: your work, even in design, needs to be your own. Templates, on the other hand, are designed to be shared; you’re OK swapping your work in for the Latin gibberish. But I’ll still always be grading for good document design, and these templates don’t necessarily provide that.

Conferences/Help: Please do not hesitate to meet me during office hours or make an appointment to see me. If you are a student with a disability and would like to discuss special academic accommodations, please contact me during my office hours.

Title IX Safe Campus Policy: Shippensburg University and its faculty are committed to assuring a safe and productive educational environment for all students. In order to comply with the requirements of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the University’s commitment to offering supportive measures in accordance with the 2020 regulations issued under Title IX, the University requires faculty members to report incidents of sexual violence shared by students to the University's Title IX Coordinator at title9@ship.edu or by calling 717.477.1161. The only exceptions to the faculty member's reporting obligation are when incidents of sexual violence are communicated by a student during: 1. a classroom discussion; 2. in a writing assignment for a class; 3. or as part of a University-approved research project. Faculty members are obligated to report sexual violence or any other abuse of a student who was, or is, a child (a person under 18 years of age) when the abuse allegedly occurred to the person designated in the University protection of minors policy found here.  Information regarding the resources that are available to victims of sexual violence are set forth here and reporting processes and resolution can be found here.  

GRADE DISTRIBUTION:

Active participation is simply expected in this very small seminar-level course; it consists of: attendance, promptness, taking part in discussion, preparation for class (including having read the chapters), and responsible group collaboration on larger projects.

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