English 3040Technical Writing |
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Course Goals | Required Text | How to succeed | Conduct | Grading Policy | Attendance | Dropping the Course | Due Dates | Technology Requirements | Plagiarism | ADA and Religious Holiday Statement | Back to Index |
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Schedule Spring 2012 (subject to change) |
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| = class will be held in a computer classroom. Please check schedule for room number. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| = major assignment due. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Course GoalsThe primary purpose of ENGL 3040 Technical Writing is to teach students to read critically and communicate effectively in the genres and styles of discourse appropriate to the professional community they will join upon graduation from the university. ENGL 3040 has these major objectives for student learning:
Required TextMarkel, Technical Communication, 9th ed. PoliciesThe following policies intend to help you develop and display professional work habits, both in individual and team work. These habits include meeting deadlines, doing required work, and regular attendance. Please read these policies carefully, as I intend for us to follow them during the semester. How to Succeed in this Course
Conducting Yourself in The Computer ClassroomKnowledge of word-processing techniques and electronic communication has become an essential part of being a writer in today's professional world. This class will assume that all students have a general knowledge of word processors, web browsers, and email applications. Most other computer-related topics will be covered in class. If you are unsure of your computer literacy abilities, contact me immediately. Although we are often meeting in a computer classroom, the computers are not available for personal use before, during, or after class. Please do not log in to your computers until directed to do so. It is expected that discussions will occur in the classroom; consequently, it is important to be respectful and listen to the instructor and your classmates. "Listening" does not include answering a cell phone, texting, chatting to your neighbor, checking email, surfing the Internet, etc. Computer use (email, Facebook, games, etc.) not directly related to the class will result in your dismal from the classroom for the day. You will be counted absent. Grading PolicyAll major assignments must be turned in in order to pass this class. Documents will be assessed against a general technical writing rubric.Category weighting is in relation specific assignmenta. So, for example, while audience, design, style and editing, structure, and assignment completion are always important, the "design" category is worth more on assignments where design may be viewed as more important. Rubric-to-Points Translation for General Rubric:
Projects submitted more than 7 days after the due date will not be accepted for a grade (they will receive a zero), though I will be happy to look over the project and offer constructive commentary. The following table outlines the course's major assignments and their point value:
At the end of the course, the sum of the points earned by all assignments determines your grade according to the following table:
Team AssignmentsTeam assignments receive grades based on group and individual work. It is possible that unsatisfactory participation in team assignments will result in a lower participation grade or a lower grade on the team assignment itself. You may be called upon to evaluate your own or your team members' performance on group assignments. Attendance and Tardiness PolicyYou are allowed 2 unexcused absences in this class. All unexcused absences beyond 2 will result in a loss of 1 point from your final semester's point total for each absence. The 2 absences that do not deduct points from your grade are not considered "allowed," "free," or "permitted" - they only result in no points being deducted from your grade. Any quizzes or participation grades given on a day when you are absent without documentation will result in a grade of zero (0) for that quiz/participation assignment and may not be made up. Do not show up late to class. If a participation grade or quiz is given during the first 15 minutes and a student arrives late, a grade of zero (0) will be received for that assignment. A student will be excused from attending classes or other required activities, including examinations, for documented University-approved functions (such as competing in an athletic event), or the observance of a religious holy day and the time necessary to travel for this observance. The student will not be penalized for the absence and will be permitted to take an exam or complete an assignment missed during the excused absence. The policy applies only to the documented University-approved events and official holy days of tax-exempt religious institutions. No prior notification of the instructor is required, though is requested. Other than exceptions related to university-related events and religious circumstances, only a note from a doctor or death notice for an immediate family member will result in an absence being excused. Personal circumstances are not considered acceptable for excusing an absence. Please see The Tigercub for additional materials relating to what constitutes an "excused" absence. Dropping the CourseIf you drop the course, you must do so in person at the Office of the Registrar. I cannot drop you from the course. It is your responsibility to make yourself aware of the drop dates. Due Dates and Submission TechnologyYou will fail the class if you do not attempt and submit ALL major assignments. Assignments more than a week late automatically receive a grade of zero (0). It is your responsibility to turn in your work on time. Computer-related excuses will not be accepted. Assignments are due by the beginning of the designated class period, unless specified otherwise. Electronic assignments are to be submitted through Blackboard. While computer errors do happen, it is your responsibility to make sure that your work is in the correct place at the correct time. Documents received via email, rather than Blackboard, will not be accepted for grading unless prior arrangements have been made. Electronic documents must be saved in the following format: lastname_firstinitial_assignmentname. For example, if I were to submit the multicultural assignment, I would save the file as "Ross_D_Multi.docx." Documents saved in the .docx format are generally compatible across systems. However, formatting is a major aspect of this class. To that end, you may wish to save your file as a .pdf to insure that all formatting appears to me exactly as you intended. There are several free options available to you, beyond those offered by most office software suites, including bullzip, pdfill, and cutepdf, among others.The excuse "it didn't look like that on my computer" will not be accepted. If you are absent the day an assignment is due, I will not accept the work via email. You must make arrangements with me to submit work before the deadline or put your work in my department mailbox. You will lose ten percent (10 %) of the available points for the assignment per calendar day late. If extenuating circumstances apply (see below), your work will be due the day after your return from your athletic event or the day after you attend the emergency appointment or funeral. I may give quizzes at any time during the class. These quizzes cover the specified readings, but they may also cover material introduced in previous classes/chapters. I do not offer make-up quizzes for any reason other than absences for university business (and only with proper university documentation), documented illness (a clinic must document the episode of illness if you have a chronic illness), or the death of an immediate family member. Additionally, late homework exercises will not be accepted under any circumstances. Lastly, use of program templates (e.g., Word templates) or résumé generators to format any of your documents is discouraged. These don't encourage you to learn the programs and generally result in dull documents. Basic Technology RequirementsComputers You are expected to be familiar with the day-to-day operation of computers including email (and sending attachments) and standard software. If you are not familiar with basic computing skills, speak to me as soon as possible, so that we can familiarize you with basic procedures. You are also expected to have regular access to computing technology whether it be your computer at home or the computers provided by the university. The statement, "I don't have access to a computer" is not acceptable. Hardware and Disk Media RequirementsIt is your responsibility to ensure that the computer(s) and disk(s) you use are functional and that you have, in the case of technological failure, backed up your data. Bring a USB drive to class, keep your work on it, and keep your work updated. Email RequirementYou are required to have a viable @auburn.edu email account. RE: ENGL 3040 - [Your Last Name] Identifying emails from students is difficult, especially when sent from accounts outside of the university. Addresses such as "Yellow_Fluffy_bunny@yahoo.com" with subject lines like "I have a question" or "It's me from class" are generally used to transmit viruses and will be deleted without being read. Professional communication requires you to clearly identify your subject and your name. Back to TopPlagiarismPlagiarism includes any use of words or ideas of another writer that would allow readers unfamiliar with the source to assume that the words or ideas originated with you. Policy does not allow me to judge whether an instance of plagiarism is accidental or deliberate. If I find in your work 1) another writer's language inserted without quotation marks and acknowledgment, 2) a close, unacknowledged paraphrase of someone else's writing, or 3) another writer's research or analysis presented without acknowledgment, then I will treat it like a plagiarized assignment and deal with it appropriately. Sanctions range from failing the assignment to expulsion from the university. I take the issue of plagiarism very seriously, and will enforce the university's plagiarism policies to their full extent. Please see The Tigercub for official university policies relating to plagiarism and penalties. Special NeedsAuburn University makes reasonable accommodations for people with documented disabilities. I will adapt methods, materials, or testing for equitable participation. During the first week of class, set up a meeting with me. Bring the Accommodation Memo and Instructor Verification Form to the meeting and discuss what you need for equitable participation in this class. If you do not have an Accommodation Memo but need special accommodations, make an appointment with the Program for Students with Disabilities (Haley Center 1244; 334-844-2096; psd@auburn.edu or haynemd@auburn.edu). All communication between a student, the Program for Students with Disabilities, and his or her professor is confidential. Religious HolidaysStudents requiring to miss class due to the observance of an officially recognized religious holy day are asked to consult with me in advance so we can schedule missed work accordingly. |
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