Geoffrey Sauer (gsauer@iastate.edu) Office: 433 Ross Hall Office Hours: W: 1:00 - 3:30 pm Office: 294-3085 Classroom: Ross 420

Goals

In this course we will explore the various forms and media by which working professionals convey technical information to both expert and novice audiences. As a student in this course, you will learn to write a variety of genres used in technical communication -- resumés and cover letters, memos, proposals, progress reports and final reports.

To facilitate production of such documents, you will also learn to use several types of desktop software, such as Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, as well as others.

Texts

Burnett, Rebecca E. Technical Communication. (6th Ed.) Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2004.

Supplemental readings both from the EServer TC Library website and from handouts.

Attendance

Because this class is a writing course, it is important that you attend class on a regular basis in order to build your writing skills. I understand that things come up during the semester, and therefore I allow three (3) unexcused absences -- that's all. Each absence beyond that will reduce your final grade significantly. More than six (6) absences during the semester will result in automatic failure.

Participation

Your contribution is central to the seminar. You will be expected to read critically the assigned articles, prepare brief written responses to particular assigned readings and participate intelligently and articulately in class discussions. During class, you must show evidence that you have read the textbook assignments by being able to discuss them intelligently.

Additionally, you will be assigned short written assignments, some of which we'll do in class, as well as an an oral presentation and three main written assignments outlined in the Assignments section below.

Assignments

All of the assignments below are described on individual assignment sheets accessed by clicking the links below. Grades are assessed according to criteria of individual assignments, as well as general grade criteria. Your final grade for the course is tabulated according to a 100-point system, which is broken down as follows:

• Class Participation (5): This entails showing up prepared for class discussion and contributing periodically to the class e-mail list.
• Quizzes (10): These quizzes are designed to test your comprehension of chapters from the textbooks and will be unannounced to ensure you read consistently and carefully.
• Short Assignments (30): These short assignments -- to be completed both in-class and out of class -- will fall mostly during the first half of the semester.
  • Interview - Due Sept. 2nd, an interview with a professional about their writing experiences.
  • Web Site Analysis - Due Sept. 9th, an analysis of an organizational Web site.
  • Print and Internet References - Due Sept. 16th, an annotated bibliography of print and Internet reference works in your field or discipline.
  • Collaborative Memo - Due September 30th, a memo written collaboratively with a partner based on a case study scenario.
  • In-class Writing Exercises - Due throughout the semester, these exercises are graded on a check minus, check, check plus basis.
• Report Proposal (10): Due Oct. 14th, this proposal will help you focus your attention on what you want to do for your final report project. Drafts of these proposals will be peer reviewed before final submission.
• Résumé and Cover Letter (10): Due Oct. 28th, the résumé and cover letter will also be peer reviewed and will provide you an opportunity to prepare for the job market after graduation.
• Progress Report Presentation (15): Due Nov. 13th, these oral presentations will give you experience with the increasingly important ability to present your ideas in a face-to-face setting using the latest presentation techniques and technologies.
• Final Report (20): Due during our exam period, the final report provides you the opportunity to demonstrate all you have learned in this course about technical communication, document design and visual presentation. Prior to the due date, we will hold substantial workshops and peer review sessions to help you fine-tune your drafts into a polished, professional document.

Appointments, Conferences and Communication

Appointments, I will be glad to meet you during office hours, before or after class, Conferences & or by appointment to discuss your work in the course and any Communication questions and concerns you may have in relation to it. I'm also available to answer questions via e-mail or phone. An e-mail message is often the easiest way to be sure you reach me or that I will be in the office when you drop by. You can get in touch with me in a number of ways:

• come to office hours: Ross 433
• send me e-mail: gsauer@iastate.edu
• call me at my office: (515) 294-3085
• leave a note in my English Department mailbox (Ross 203)
• call me at my cell phone: (515) 441-1461

If you have an important question or problem during the evening, or on a weekend, particularly when an assignment is due, I don't mind your calling me on my cell phone as long as you call between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. and not during dinner (5:00 to 7:00 p.m.).

At midterm, we will meet in one-on-one conferences, during which I will give you a grade in-progress so you can get a sense of how you are doing in the course. These meetings will be very informal and will be held in my office according to a schedule we will put together at that time. Attendance for these conferences is mandatory; if something arises to prevent your attending, you must provide 24-hour notice and reschedule the meeting.

Group Work

During the semester, we will be working in peer response groups to pilot test the various documents you create. Members of your response group will change from assignment to assignment in order to provide you with a variety of opinions. For each draft assignment, you should bring in three copies of your paper -- one to be turned into me and the other to members of your response group for review.

Additionally, we will be working in groups on shorter assignments, some of which you will complete with a partner. These collaborative assignments will be graded on both an individual and group basis (more on this later). You may also work with a partner or group on main assignments, but be sure you are prepared to work collaboratively with someone over a lengthy period of time.

Late Papers

Try to avoid them. However, you can receive an extension for good cause if you (1) contact me via email before the assignment is due, and (2) submit a formal written memo in which you explain the reason for the delay and propose a reasonable deadline (less than one week), which you will then be expected to meet. This memo, which needs to be placed in my department mailbox, will serve as a contract between the two of us. Failure to meet the new deadline violates terms of the contract and results in a failing grade for that assignment. You can submit late papers no more than twice during the semester. Oral presentations are excluded from this option and are due on the assigned date.

Academic Honesty

Unless you are working with others on a collaborative assignment, the work you turn in for this class must be your own. If you use others' work without crediting them, you will receive a failing grade for the assignment, and most likely for the course. While you certainly can ask for feedback from others, you should not allow anyone to write any part of your assignment for you. For further information, see the ISU Student Handbook's discussion of academic dishonesty.

Disabilities

If you have a documented disability and anticipate needing accommodation in this course, please make arrangements to meet with me soon. Also, please make sure a Disability Resources staff member sends me an SAAR form verifying your disability and specifying the accommodation you will need. The DR office is located on the main floor of the Students Services Building, Room 1076, ph. 294-6624. I look forward to working with you and will try my best to accommodate your needs.

Gender-Fair Language

Because gender-fair language is the editorial standard for most corporate style guides and professional journals, you should make certain that your language contains no gender biases. As more and more women assume positions of power in corporations, it will behoove you not to offend such a supervisor or client by using language with solely male pronoun references. We will be discussing gender-fair language during the first few weeks of the course.

Netiquette

The university has a fairly well-defined code of ethics for students using the campus computer network. However, I additionally expect all students to adhere to the general rules of network etiquette or "Netiquette" during their online interactions with others.