Major Projects
1. Problem-Solving Packet (Individual)
This first major project is designed to get you thinking about the basic genres of business writing. This will serve, in many ways, as a warm-up for what you can expect throughout the course. We will pay close attention to: 1) purpose, 2) audience, 3) adherence to conventions, 4) design, and 5) delivery method. Responding to a case I provide, you will write two documents—one memo and one letter.
10%
Due Sept 20
2. Communication Strategy Plan (Collaborative)
Working in teams, this project asks you to deliver sensitive information to a large audience that has multiple competing interests. Responding to a specific case, your team will compose an informal strategy plan and two team-developed documents.
15%
Due Oct 9
3. Employment Materials (Individual)
The third major project asks you to prepare key documents needed for the job market. This assignment asks you to simulate the real process you would likely go through to find, apply for, and follow up on a potential job. The documents you will produce include a memo, an “elevator speech” video clip, job application letter, a resume, and follow-up “thank you” email.
20%
Due Nov 8
4. Proposal (Individual)
The final major project is a short proposal. Proposals are often responses to problems or issues that arise in workplace situations. Proposals are action-oriented—meaning, the goal of the document is to get approval to carry out the work you propose. In this research-supported proposal, you should do the following:
To keep this project manageable, the proposal will be divided into four parts:
25%
Due Dec 11 at midnight
This first major project is designed to get you thinking about the basic genres of business writing. This will serve, in many ways, as a warm-up for what you can expect throughout the course. We will pay close attention to: 1) purpose, 2) audience, 3) adherence to conventions, 4) design, and 5) delivery method. Responding to a case I provide, you will write two documents—one memo and one letter.
10%
Due Sept 20
2. Communication Strategy Plan (Collaborative)
Working in teams, this project asks you to deliver sensitive information to a large audience that has multiple competing interests. Responding to a specific case, your team will compose an informal strategy plan and two team-developed documents.
15%
Due Oct 9
3. Employment Materials (Individual)
The third major project asks you to prepare key documents needed for the job market. This assignment asks you to simulate the real process you would likely go through to find, apply for, and follow up on a potential job. The documents you will produce include a memo, an “elevator speech” video clip, job application letter, a resume, and follow-up “thank you” email.
20%
Due Nov 8
4. Proposal (Individual)
The final major project is a short proposal. Proposals are often responses to problems or issues that arise in workplace situations. Proposals are action-oriented—meaning, the goal of the document is to get approval to carry out the work you propose. In this research-supported proposal, you should do the following:
- Identify and explain the problem
- Offer a detailed solution or address the shortcoming
- Explain the feasibility of your proposal
- Provide a call to action
To keep this project manageable, the proposal will be divided into four parts:
- Preliminary research and response (begins in October)
- Data visualisation
- Oral presentation
- Final document
25%
Due Dec 11 at midnight
Additional Requirements
1. Reflection Blog (Niihka)
After each major project, you will write a Niihka blog entry in which you reflect upon the reading, planning, and writing you’ve done throughout the duration of the project. In addition, you will write a final cumulative blog at the end of the semester that reflects upon all the work you’ve done in English 315. In other words, by the end of the semester you will have written a total of five reflections. The purpose of these essays is to pause, reflect, and assess your writing. What have you learned throughout the process? What might deserve more attention? In what ways might you apply what you’ve learned to future writing situations? Although these blogs are informal reflections, they should be example-driven and recall pertinent readings and/or activities. Each reflective entry should be around 750-1,000 words.
In addition to writing your blog entry, you should respond to two of your classmates’ blogs. Your responses should be thoughtful, offering relevant insights or forwarding appropriate questions. In other words, they should go beyond “great post!”
10%
2. Google Community Participation
Google Community (GC) will serve as a hub for most in-class and out-of-class writing activity. We will be communicating--posting reading responses, sharing links, asking questions, and so forth--on a weekly basis. As a minimum, you should complete 6 postings a week, two original posts and four replies to others' postings. Posts don't have to be super long (think about 200 words), but should be thoughtful and relevant.
I will check-in with you via email four times throughout the semester to update your GC grade.
10%
3. Participation/Professionalism
You are expected to participate in every class session. Participation includes fulfilling in-class writing activities and interacting in small-group or whole-group discussions. Part of being an effective communicator in business situations involves being a good colleague and sharing intellectual insights. I expect you to do the same in English 315.
While participation/professionalism is a somewhat subjective category, there are a few concrete behaviors that can result in a lower grade in this category:
10%
After each major project, you will write a Niihka blog entry in which you reflect upon the reading, planning, and writing you’ve done throughout the duration of the project. In addition, you will write a final cumulative blog at the end of the semester that reflects upon all the work you’ve done in English 315. In other words, by the end of the semester you will have written a total of five reflections. The purpose of these essays is to pause, reflect, and assess your writing. What have you learned throughout the process? What might deserve more attention? In what ways might you apply what you’ve learned to future writing situations? Although these blogs are informal reflections, they should be example-driven and recall pertinent readings and/or activities. Each reflective entry should be around 750-1,000 words.
In addition to writing your blog entry, you should respond to two of your classmates’ blogs. Your responses should be thoughtful, offering relevant insights or forwarding appropriate questions. In other words, they should go beyond “great post!”
10%
2. Google Community Participation
Google Community (GC) will serve as a hub for most in-class and out-of-class writing activity. We will be communicating--posting reading responses, sharing links, asking questions, and so forth--on a weekly basis. As a minimum, you should complete 6 postings a week, two original posts and four replies to others' postings. Posts don't have to be super long (think about 200 words), but should be thoughtful and relevant.
I will check-in with you via email four times throughout the semester to update your GC grade.
10%
3. Participation/Professionalism
You are expected to participate in every class session. Participation includes fulfilling in-class writing activities and interacting in small-group or whole-group discussions. Part of being an effective communicator in business situations involves being a good colleague and sharing intellectual insights. I expect you to do the same in English 315.
While participation/professionalism is a somewhat subjective category, there are a few concrete behaviors that can result in a lower grade in this category:
- An unwillingness to participate in discussion
- Late arrivals to class
- Texting/Facebooking/Tweeting/IMing during class
- An indication of incomplete reading
- Inappropriate, disrespectful, or uncivil remarks towards classmates or me
10%