Instructor: Nancy Knowles, Loso 146, (541) 962-3795, nknowles@eou.edu
Course home page: http://www.eou.edu/~nknowles/summer2006/ba225su06.htm
Office hours: M-R noon-1 PM and by appointment

Catalog Description: Analysis of methods of investigating, collecting, organizing, and presenting data for formal and informal business reports. Prerequisite: BA 211.

Required Texts and Materials: Oliu Writing That Works 8th ed., paper copies of any cited secondary material and extra copies of rough drafts

Learning Outcomes: Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Read professional writing critically,
2. Generate, revise, and format professional documents,
3. Produce effective, error-free documents for particular subjects, occasions, audiences, and purposes,
4. Write collaboratively,
5. Employ computer technology to compose visually pleasing, effective documents and graphics, and
6. Speak clearly and concisely about their own writing in a public forum.

• Students will produce at least 3,000 words (including drafts, in-class writing, informal papers, and polished papers); 1,000 words of this total should be in polished papers which students have revised after receiving feedback and criticism. 
• Students will be introduced to the discourse forms appropriate to the discipline the course represents. 
• Students will write at least one paper integrating information from at least one source, employing the appropriate documentation style for the discipline represented by the course. 
• Students will draft, revise, and edit their formal written work. 
• Students will seek assistance from a Writing Tutor in the Writing Lab when needed and when referred by the instructor.

• Classroom participation (outcomes 1, 4, and 6; 10%),
• Written assignments, including required proofreading (all outcomes; 60%),
• Written assessment of own work and the writing of colleagues (all outcomes; 10%), and
• Presentations (all outcomes; 20%).
  

Course Requirements:

• Read all assigned readings by the date they appear in the syllabus. Bring text to class.
• Attendance is required. Participation counts. Deadlines must be met.
  
• Papers must be word-processed with a 12-point font and 1" margins. Check grammar and spelling before submission.
• All final drafts must be accompanied by drafts demonstrating substantial revision, copies of all cited secondary materials, a works cited or references page, if appropriate, and a self-evaluation.
• Revision is permitted and may be required. All revisions must be accompanied by the graded draft. Revision grades, if higher, will replace the initial grade, but revision does not guarantee a higher grade.
• Extra Credit awarded for: excellent participation and  visits to the Writing Lab (submit blue form).
• Keep copies of all your work until you receive your official course grade.
  
• Those who cannot treat others respectfully will be asked to leave. Repeated problems will result in disciplinary action.
  
• Statement on Academic Misconduct: Eastern Oregon University places a high value upon the integrity of its student scholars. Any student found guilty of an act of academic misconduct (including, but not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, or theft of an examination or supplies) may be subject to having his or her grade reduced in the course in question, being placed on program or suspended from the university, or being expelled from the university--or a combination of these.
• Collaboration means sharing work equally. Doing someone else's work or allowing someone to do yours is cheating. 
• Use MLA citation format: cite all summarized, paraphrased, and quoted information; quote special concepts and more than three words from the original; paraphrasing requires changing wording and sentence structure; your work should significantly exceed the quantity of citations and build new ideas upon them. 
• No work from another course may be used for credit in this one without prior permission from both instructors.
• If you have a documented disability or suspect that you have a learning problem and need accommodations, please contact the Disability Services Program in Loso Hall 234. Telephone: 962-3081.

Changes to this schedule may be made during class.

All writing will be assessed based on accuracy, clarity, completeness, concreteness, organization, and visual effectiveness.

Memo (5 %): Draft a memo proposing a change in a business or academic policy or procedure. The memo should employ memo format and be addressed to a person who can implement the change. The document should state the proposed change, detail the need for the change, provide reasons for the change, describe the change, indicate feasibility, and conclude with a request for action. The final draft should be accompanied by rough drafts, response group work, in-class writing, and a self-evaluation discussing how the final draft emerged from the initial idea and what the particular strengths of the document are in terms of professional writing.

Business Letter (5%): Draft a business letter that includes both a negative aspect (like a complaint, resignation, rejection, or request for payment) and an assertion of goodwill. Use one of the ideas on the following pages or develop your own: p. 352 #10 or  #1, p. 382 #2c, p. 383 #3, or p. 384 #8. The letter should employ business letter format and should state the context of the issue, explain the facts leading up to the bad news, give the bad news, and establish goodwill in the closing (along with requesting action, if applicable). The final draft should be accompanied by rough drafts, response group work, in-class writing, in-class editing of letter and memo, and a self-evaluation discussing how the final draft emerged from the initial idea and what the particular strengths of the document are in terms of professional writing.

Collaborative Instructions Project (10%): As a group, draft a set of instructions, like operating instructions or a "how-to" pamphlet. See p. 473 Exercise #1 for ideas, or develop your own. The document should be concise and clearly formatted for its purpose. Include diagrams or visual aids in the document, if applicable. It's OK if these are handwritten, but they should be incorporated into the formatted document in a professional way. The document should introduce its purpose, define any necessary terms or concepts the audience might be unfamiliar with, indicate required materials, detail the steps in the process in the order they should be performed, and conclude with congratulations and/or offer of further assistance. The final draft should be accompanied by rough drafts indicating who wrote what, response group work, in-class writing, and group evaluations (the latter will be collected individually to allow confidentiality).

Collaboration instructions:

• Share contact information.
• Attend meetings prepared so that your group will respect you.
• Define collaborative roles. Here are some ideas:
• leader (makes decisions group cannot agree upon, delegates tasks),
• mediator (makes sure everyone's needs are met, acts as contact person for problems),
• time-keeper (keeps meetings short and productive, reminds group members of deadlines),
• doer (does footwork, makes phone calls, gets little details done), or
• inventor (brainstorms new ideas, creative approaches).
• Define writing responsibilities by dividing sections of writing--everyone must write a portion of the document.
• Determine responsibilities for designing, compiling, and formatting the document. Here are some ideas:
• designers will decide document length and format on the page, sketching out ideas,
• compilers will collect writing on disks, place writing in the document, and ensure that all formatting matches the original, and
• formatters will make the finishing touches on the document, ensuring consistency and inserting graphics, if any.
• Allow time for feedback once the document has been printed--everyone must provide feedback.
• Contact me with any problems!

Collaborative Instructions PowerPoint Presentation (10%): As a group, prepare a PowerPoint presentation on your instructions as if you were teaching a group how to perform the process. The presentation should last 5-10 minutes, should include an introduction (attention-getter and overview), detail the instructions step-by-step, and conclude with words of encouragement. The PowerPoint slides should include only enough information to supplement the discussion by helping the audience focus on or understand the steps; they should not include all words spoken, and presenters should not read from them. The presentation may also include an activity or physical demonstration of the process. All group members must have a speaking role. The presentation will be assessed on professionalism, concise and visually pleasing delivery of instructions, and equal responsibility shared among group members.

• Cover letter addressed to Nancy Knowles, Assistant Professor of English/Writing, Eastern Oregon University, 1 University Blvd., La Grande, OR 97850 (Dr. Knowles): The cover letter should summarize the request, state why you are approaching me (connect your project's objectives to my interests), mention any prior discussion of the proposal that we may already have had, and describe the contents of the proposal package you are sending. The letter should conclude with a request for action. Remember to format the cover letter appropriately. (1 page maximum)
• Proposal: Include an executive summary (summarizing the proposal), a statement of need (why this proposed report needs to be written), a description of the proposed report, a feasibility section detailing the time needed (include a timeline) and efforts necessary to complete the proposed report (show that it is feasible), a qualifications section arguing why you would be a good person to complete the report and referring to your attached resume, and a conclusion reiterating your argument and requesting action. (4 pages maximum single-spaced)
• Annotated Works Cited Page: Compile a regular works cited page and follow each source listed with a précis including the following information:
• what information is presented 
• how this source might be useful to your report
• how the focus of this source differs from your own
• why the source is credible or not (check source, publication, date, and professionalism of writing)
• Resume (1 page maximum)

• Transmittal letter or memo
• Front matter
• Title page
• Table of contents
• Body (minimum 5 pages single-spaced or 10 double-spaced)
• Executive summary
• Introduction
• Appropriate body sections with headings
• At least one figure or table
• Conclusion
• Works Cited (not annotated)
• Appendices, if any