The mission of  New Mexico State University at Alamogordo is
to provide quality learning opportunities for individuals in the diverse communities we serve.

Prerequisite: Credit for English 111G, Rhetoric & Composition

Catalogue Description: Effective writing for courses and careers in business, law, government, and other professions. Strategies for researching and writing correspondence and reports, with an emphasis on understanding and responding to a variety of communication tasks with a strong purpose, clear organization, and vigorous professional style.

Background: In the past, many business and accounting students at NMSU-A have found that the course English 218G, Scientific and Technical Communication fits--or is accepted--in their degree plans, including business degree plans. There will still be some overlap of rhetorical information and communication skill development between English 218G and English 203G. But, in order to better prepare students for specific disciplinary demands and work place demands, we offer English 203G to target the skills needed for success in the business environment. To that end, this course will draw upon communications assignments, such as case analyses, commonly found in the fields of business and law.

Course Objectives: Students will gain the ability to

• read and critically analyze management texts and case studies
• analyze audiences and, to some extent, organizational cultures
• plan and research written and oral communication using planning guides and various research tools, including the Internet
• draft and revise written and oral communication, striving for professional style
• design documents based on sound principles of layout and reader reception
• use current communications technologies
• work in effective project teams

Grading: Grades will be figured as follows:
 

Grade Points	Assignments
10	Diagnostic Test
20	Individual Project:  1 pg. Memo. May be revised
20	Individual Student's Chapter Presentation:  Chapter Summary, Summary and analysis of chapter weblinks, discussion questions.  May use WebCT Chat tool, Discussion tool, email attachments.  Students do not need to use the Presentation Tool for this assignment.
20	Group Project:  1-2 pg. Bad News Letter.  May be revised.
10	1 pg. Application (Cover) Letter.  May be revised.
20	1-3 pg. Resume, formatted in Word or WordPerfect, and formatted for ASCI.  May be revised.
20	Group Project:  2 pg. Project Plan
20	Group Project:  2 pg. Progress Report
40	Group Project, probably aWebsite:  Publishable Product. 3-4 pages.
50	Quizzes, short writing assignments, responses to case studies:  6 @ 10 points each: drop the lowest score.
20	1 pg. Proposal for Formal Business Report, Proposal, or Plan
40	Annotated Bibliography for Formal Report, Proposal, or Plan
30	Presentation Based on Formal Report.  Graphics Required.  PowerPoint suggested.
80	Formal Business Report, Proposal, or Plan.  4-8 pages of text, not counting formal elements; requires graphics
400 Total Points

Semester Grade Totals:  400-360=A; 359-320=B; 319-280=C; 279-240=D; Below 240=F

Attendance Policy

Attendance
 

25 bonus points are possible for attendance.  However, since bonus points are possible for attendance, there are NO EXCUSED ABSENCES, except for authorized University functions, as provided for in the Student Handbook. Also, absences and tardies may eventually cost you points, and therefore lower your semester grade, thus:
 
 

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Required Texts:

Oliu, Walter E., Charles T. Brusaw, and Gerald J. Alred.  Writing That Works:  Communicating Effectively on the Job.  8th ed.     Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2004.

Hacker, Diane.  A Pocket Style Manual. 4th ed. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin's, 2004.

Optional Text:

Alred, Gerald J., Charles T. Brusaw, and Walter E. Oliu. The Business Writer's Handbook. 7th ed. New York: St. Martin's, 2004.

• A reliable  internet account.
• Access to MS Office or WordPerfect Suite.  These include spreadsheet and presentation programs.
• Access to Internet Explorer and to a Web Editor, like Dreamweaver (available in NMSU-A labs), MS FrontPage (should be available in our labs), Netscape Composer (simple and free, inside of Netscape Communicator Browser).
• A good dictionary.  
  

 

Instructor Contact Information	email:  mcneel@nmsua.nmsu.edu website: http://alamo.nmsu.edu/~rmcneel
Ron McNeel  Professor of English	Face-to-Face Office Hours as of January 18:   Mon. & Wed. 6:30-7:30 p.m. Tu. & Th.: 2:30-3:45 & 5:30-6:30 Online: Sunday nights 9:00-11:00    and by appointment Office #115, Faculty Office Building  Office Phone with voice-mail:  439-3742

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Any changes will be announced in advance. Note the presence of a "make-up day, Friday, February 2.  We will probably attend this "make-up" day using WebCT.
 

Session # and Date	Assignments and Activities
1. Mon., Jan. 22	Orientation to the course: textbook, handbook, and online resources. Register as a student at the website for our textbook, Writing That Works:  http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/writingthatworks
2. Wed., Jan. 24	Read Chapter 1, on Audience & Purpose.  Register as a student at the website for our handbook, A Pocket Style Manual: http://dianahacker.com/pocket and take the Electronic Diagnostic Test A, under the Additional Resources link on the home page for the handbook. Jan. 25 is the deadline for payment arrangements
3. Mon., Jan. 29	Chapter 2, on Organization.  Jan. 30 is the deadline for drop/add
4. Wed., Jan. 31	Read Chapter 3, on Drafting.  Assign Individual correspondence project.
5. Fri., Feb. 2	Let's try to "meet" in WebCT. Read Chapter 4, on Revising for Essentials.  Quiz or Revision Exercises.
6. Mon., Feb. 5	Read Chapter 5 on Revising for Coherence, Emphasis, and Ethics.  Case Study exercise on Ethics
7. Wed., Feb. 7	Read Chapter 6 on Collaborative Writing.  Continuation of ethical case study in collaborative writing exercise. Assign Group correspondence project.
8. Mon., Feb. 12	Read Chapter 9 on principles of Business Correspondence.  Work on group correspondence project.
9. Wed., Feb. 14	Read Chapter 10 on Writing Business Correspondence.  Quiz or case study.

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Plagiarism, and Grading Policies

•  You are responsible for the information presented at each class session whether or not you can get online from home. 
•  Since a first year college writing course is a prerequisite for this course; and since every first year college writing course will cover issues of plagiarism; I  am confident that you have been exposed to the rules governing plagiarism.  If you are not, refer to any first year college English textbook. 
• Plagiarized papers will receive a grade of zero.  Disciplinary action may be initiated against students who engage in academic dishonesty.  You should familiarize yourselves with the Student Code of Conduct in the NMSU-A Student Handbook.  A plagiarized formal written report is sufficient cause for a failure grade for the entire course. In such a case, disciplinary action at the University level will be initiated. In case I have a question about whether or not your formal written report is indeed authored by you, keep all pre-final drafts, notes, bibliography cards, and other research and drafting materials. Be prepared to deliver these pre-final research materials by mail.
• The formal written report is a requirement for passing the course.
• ALL late papers will lose 10% of the possible points.  A paper is late if it is received by me,  either on  the WebCT email system or by another email system I use, with a "Sent" time and date after Saturday midnight of the week the assignment is due.  I will not take late papers or revisions after Friday, April 20.
• So that NMSU-A may engage in assessment activities, the instructor reserves the right to keep early drafts and final drafts of your assignments.

In Case of Holloman Air Force Base Closure
National or international events may cause Holloman Air Force Base to close, keeping students from leaving the base to attend classes on campus, and keeping instructors from entering the base to teach classes there.  To alleviate the problems a closure would cause,
• the instructor may collect student phone numbers and email addresses;
• the instructor may use email addresses to create a distribution list to keep students up-to-date on assignments and activities;
• students should note the instructor’s email address and be adept at sending word-processed assignments as attachments via computer;
• instructors and students may need to mutually agree on a make-up class or classes, times, places, and modes of instruction (including email or chat room discussions), in order to abide by state requirements of 750 minutes of class time per credit hour.

Classroom Conduct
• You are not allowed to use tobacco products in classrooms at NMSU-A or HAFB.
• You are not allowed to eat or drink in computer classrooms at NMSU-A or HAFB.
• Any student engaging in disruptive behavior will be required to leave the class.  This may include harassment via email.

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