Course Name & Number

ENGL 2311

Technical Writing

Semester & Year

 Fall 2017

Catalog Description

Intensive study of and practice in professional settings.  Focus on the types of documents necessary to make decisions and take action on the job, such as proposals, reports, instructions, policies, procedures, e-mail messages, letters, and descriptions of products and services.  Practice individual and collaborative processes involved in the creation of ethical and efficient documents.

Prerequisite:  Satisfactory placement test score or passing grade in ENGL 0305.

Instructor’s Name

Erica C. Thompson

Office Phone #

972-899-8337

Instructor’s Office #

FM 107

Office Fax #

E-mail Address

ecthompson@nctc.edu

Office Hours

MTWR:

8:30-9:30am

MW:1-2:30pm

TR:2-3:30pm

Online: M 6-8p

Textbooks &  Materials

Required

·         Tebeaux, Elizabeth and Sam Dragga.  The Essentials of Technical Communication, 3rd ed. Oxford University Press, ISBN: 978-0-19-9379996.

·         Internet-enabled computer with access to Canvas and Google Docs & Slides OR MS Word & PowerPoint

Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete English 2311 will meet the following learning outcomes:

1. Recognize, analyze, and accommodate diverse audiences.
2. Produce documents appropriate to audience, purpose, and genre.
3. Analyze the ethical responsibilities involved in technical communication.
4. Locate, evaluate, and incorporate pertinent information.
5. Develop verbal, visual, and multimedia materials as necessary, in individual and/or collaborative projects, as appropriate.
6. Edit for appropriate style, including attention to word choice, sentence structure, punctuation, and spelling.
7. Design and test documents for easy reading and navigation.

Core Objectives

Foundational Component Area:  Communication

Courses in this category focus on developing ideas and expressing them clearly, considering the effect of the message, fostering understanding, and building the skills needed to communicate persuasively.  Courses involve the command of oral, aural, written, and visual literacy skills that enable people to exchange messages appropriate to the subject, occasion, and audience.

·         Critical Thinking Skills (CT)- to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information

·         Communication Skills (COM)- to include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral, and visual communication

·         Teamwork (TW)- to include the ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal

·         Personal Responsibility (PR)- to include the ability to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision-making     

Grading Policy & Procedures

How your grade is calculated:

•     Quizzes & Writing Process: 15%
•     Weekly Memos and Discussion Board Postings: 20%
•     Cover Letter/Resume/Proposal/Presentation: 15%
•     Manual: 20%
•     Research Report: 30%

Grading scale:

89.5-100 = A

79.5-89.4 = B

69.5-79.4 = C

59.5-69.4 = D

Below 59.5 = F

Scholastic Integrity

Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but not be limited to cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion.  See Student Handbook “Student Rights & Responsibilities: Student Conduct [FLB- (LOCAL)]” #18.

Disciplinary Actions [Student Handbook, #5] “When cheating, collusion, or plagiarism has occurred beyond any reasonable doubt, the instructor may give the student or students involved an “F” on a particular assignment or in the course. [See Scholastic Dishonesty FLB (Local)] The instructor shall make a written report of the incident and of the planned action to his Department Chair.  The Department Chair shall report the incident and action to appropriate instructional dean who shall review the case, notify the student and, if necessary, take further action.  This may involve either probation or suspension of the student or students in question. If such disciplinary action is deemed necessary, the Dean of Student Services shall be notified, and the action shall be taken through that office.”

Plagiarism, which should be avoided at all costs, includes the following student actions:

1. Turning in someone else's ideas, opinions, theories, or work as your own;
2. Unintentionally or inadvertently turning in someone else's ideas, opinions, theories, or work as your own as the result of failing to document sources both internally and in the Works Cited;
3. Copying words, ideas, or images from someone without giving credit; Failing to put a quotation in quotations marks;
4. Giving incorrect information about the source of information, quotations, or images;
5. Changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit;
6. Copying so many words, ideas, or images from a source that it makes up the majority of the student's work, whether or not the student gives credit.

Also, please be aware that you are the student, and it is your writing I expect to see.

·         DO NOT have another person write, type, edit any part of your writing assignments.

·         DO NOT have another person revise any part of your writing assignments outside of in-class workshop sessions or writing center tutorials.

·         DO NOT use someone else’s writing assignment or buy one from a “professional” source.

·         DO NOT use material on the internet or from print sources without documentation.

Consequences: An assignment in ENGL 2311 that the instructor considers to be in whole or in part intentionally plagiarized will receive a zero, the student must meet with the instructor to discuss their future in the class, and the incident will be reported to the college.

Attendance Policy

Face-to-Face Sections:

**Students who miss more than two weeks of class (i.e., four class days) may earn an “F” for the course or be asked to drop the course, at my discretion. **

Note: There are no “excused” or “unexcused” absences in college; an absence is an absence.

·         If you must be absent, you are expected to be prepared for class in the same manner as those students who were present.

·         DO NOT email or phone me to get homework or missed assignments. Get contact information for a classmate and request information from that classmate. I will not respond to “what did I miss?” emails.

Online Sections:

You have quizzes and writing/discussion assignments due each week. If you turn in your assignment, you will receive credit for attendance. If you miss more than two weeks’ worth of assignments, you may earn an “F” for the course or be asked to drop the course, at my discretion. **

ADA Statement

North Central Texas College does not discriminate on the basis of disability for admission or access to its programs.  The College is committed to providing equal access to its students with disabilities by providing appropriate accommodations; a variety of services and resources are made available through the ACCESS Department.  Students are responsible for notifying the ACCESS Department of their need for assistance.  Students with documented disabilities, such as mobility impairment, hearing or visual impairment, learning, and/or psychological disorders are eligible for services. 

Disability Accommodations

The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides accommodations for students who have a documented disability. A disability is anything that can interfere with learning, such as a learning disability, psychological challenge, physical illness, or injury. Accommodations may include extra time on tests, tests in a distraction-reduced environment, volunteer note taker in class, etc.

On the Corinth Campus, go to room 170 or call 940-498-6207. On the Gainesville Campus, go to room 110 in the Administration Building (100) or call 940-668-4209.  Students on the Bowie, Graham, Flower Mound, and online campuses should call 940-668-4209 to arrange for an intake appointment with OSD.

North Central Texas College is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, ADA Amendments Act of 2009, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-112).

http://www.nctc.edu/StudentServices/SupportServices/Disabilityservices/DisabilitiesFacultyResources.aspx

EEOC Statement

North Central Texas College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, or disability in the employment or the provision of services.

Gender Identity

This course affirms people of all gender expressions and identities. If you prefer to be called a different name than is what on the class roster, please let me know. Please advise me of this preference early in the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records, and so I may call you by your preferred name and pronouns.

Course Outline

• Weekly Memos (Outcomes: 1, 2, 4, 6; Core: COM)
• Discussion Board Postings: (Outcomes: 1, 3, 6; Core: TW, PR)
• LEGO Project and User Manual (Outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7; Core: CT, COM)
• Research Report (Outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6; Core: CT, COM, TW, PR)
• Action Proposal (Outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7; Core: CT, COM, TW, PR)
• Oral Presentation (Outcomes: 1, 3, 3, 5, 6, 7; Core: CT, COM, TW)
• Cover Letter and Resume (Outcomes: 1, 2, 6; Core: COM)
• Chapter Quizzes (Outcomes: 1; Core: COM)
• Evidence of Writing Process (Outcomes: 1, 6, 7; COR: COM, TW)

Course calendar and specific assignments are available on the Canvas Learning Management System (nctc.instructure.com)

Other Pertinent Information

Student Success Center

The Student Success Center is designed to help all students at NCTC develop tools to achieve their academic goals. This program also links students to FREE tutoring, including a Writing Center, a Math Lab, and free 24/7 online tutoring, and helps new students acclimate to college by providing computer lab services for prospective students. All students are invited to visit the Student Success Center. On the Corinth Campus, go to rooms 170, 182, or 188; on the Gainesville Campus, go to rooms 114 or 111; on the Flower Mound Campus, go to room 111; on the Bowie Campus, go to room 124.

Early Alert

The NCTC Early Alert program has been established to assist students who are at risk of failing or withdrawing from a course. Your instructor may refer you to this program if you are missing assignments, failing tests, excessively absent, or have personal circumstances impacting your academic performance. If submitted as an Early Alert you will be notified via your NCTC e-mail address and then contacted by a Counseling and Testing advisor or counselor to discuss possible strategies for completing your course successfully.

NCTC CARES

The NCTC CARES (Campus Assessment Response Evaluation Services) Team addresses behavior which may be disruptive, harmful or pose a threat to to the health and safety of the NCTC community-such as stalking, harassment, physical or emotional abuse, violent or threatening behavior, or self-harm. As a student, you have the ability to report concerning behavior which could impact your own safety or the safety of another NCTC student. Just click the NCTC CARES Team logo posted on MyNCTC, or send an e-mail to CARESTeam@nctc.edu. As always, if you feel there is an immediate threat to your own safety or welfare (or to another student), please call 911 immediately.

Tobacco-Free Campus

NCTC restricts the use of all tobacco products including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, electronic cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco on campus property. NCTC is aware that tobacco use influences underage students, which cumulates unsightly tobacco litter and interferes with assuring clean air for all who come to NCTC. NCTC recognizes the health hazards of tobacco use and of exposure to second hand smoke. Information on a tobacco cessation program is available for students, faculty, staff who wish to stop using tobacco products. We would like to "thank you" for your help in making our campuses Tobacco-Free. For questions or concerns, please contact the Office of Vice President of Student Services at 940-668-4240.