University of South Florida, Sarasota-Manatee
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Please report malfunctioning
links to the instructor. Updated 5 February
2012 Students are responsible for being aware of all
the material linked to this web page by the end of the term. The final exam
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Course Syllabus
and Assignment Instructions
Spring 2012, ENC 3250 Syllabus (updated 10 Jan 2012) REVISION INSTRUCTIONS (for students
requesting detailed markup) Defining
“Writing Errors” in This Course Course Textbooks (recommended
but not required)
Business Writing: What Works, What Won’t, Revised Edition, by Wilma Davidson. St. Martin’s Griffin, Resource Book. 2001. ISBN 0312109482, $16.95 list. (available from Amazon.com) Effective Business Writing (A Guide For Those who Write On the Job), 2nd Edition Revised And Updated, by Maryann V. Piotrowski. Harper Collins, 1996. ISBN: 0062733818, $12.99 list ($4.24 as used book on Amazon.com). Harper Dictionary of Contemporary Usage, by William and Mary Morris. Harper Collins, 1988 (reprint of original 1975 publication). ISBN 006181606X or 978-0061816062. Hardbound, about $12.00 at Amazon.com. Why Business People Speak Like Idiots: A Bullfighter's Guide, by Brian Fugere, Chelsea Hardaway, and Jon Warshawsky. Free Press, 2005. ISBN 0743269098. Hardbound, about $15.00 at Amazon.com. The Dictionary of Corporate Bulls**t: An A to Z Lexicon of Empty, Enraging, and Just Plain Stupid Office Talk, by Lois Beckwith. Broadway, 2006. ISBN 0767920740. Paperback, about $10.00 at Amazon.com. Schedule of ENC 3250 Assignments, Fall 2011
Grading is usually
completed within one week of the submission date. See syllabus for
information on optional detailed markup and revision. USF Academic Calendar,
Spring 2012 (http://www.registrar.usf.edu/enroll/regist/calendt.php)
Course Content
and Lectures
INSTRUCTIONS: Each lecture consists of a spoken audio recording in MP4 format and a set of PowerPoint slides. It is important to download both files and listen to the spoken audio as you see the slides on your computer. To hear MP4 files on a Windows computer, download free Quicktime player here: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL837. Alternatively, you may use the free VLC Media Player, to be found here: http://www.videolan.org/vlc/. Then, each week, right-click on the PowerPoint link, choose SAVE TARGET AS, and download to your computer desktop. Do the same with the MP4 link. Open the PPT file first and then the MP4 file. As you listen to the MP4 audio, you will hear cues to advance to succeeding slides. If you lack PowerPoint on your computer, you may download a free PPT viewer here. You should save all lecture files in the same folder in which you keep your written assignments and emails related to the course. Also, back-up this folder regularly onto external media such as a CD-ROM, USB flash drive, or online archive. This folder will contain the core of what you are paying for and learning in this course. Treat it accordingly. An assignment lost as a result of careless computer usage will likely incur a penalty. DO NOT TRY TO HEAR THE MP4 FILE AS
STREAMING AUDIO OVER THE INTERNET -- IT WILL PROBABLY BE INTERRUPTED. NOTES: Listen to and take notes on lectures as they are posted -- they provide essential information needed to perform assignments successfully. You must read the PowerPoint slides and hear the audio recording simultaneously. If you are unable to hear a lecture, contact the instructor immediately. Beginning with the Week 1 lecture, send me an email (by the deadline stated in the syllabus) noting the code words mentioned in the audio recording. Failure to do so will result in penalty to your final grade. IF YOU THINK A LECTURE IS “TOO LONG” ... Remember that, if meeting on campus, this course would normally require several hours of in-person attendance plus roundtrip travel every week for 16 weeks in a semester or nine weeks in the summer session. At around 30 to 60 minutes per week, and requiring no more travel than minuscule movement of your computer mouse or fingers on the keyboard, the lecture content in this online medium is ridiculously light. If you find a lecture unsatisfying or confusing for any reason, contact me about it. Don’t wait to complain at the end of the semester. By then, it’s too late. The lectures are not aimed at entertaining you; they are produced to improve the efficiency and depth of your learning. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR OWN
EDUCATION: THINK AND ACT LIKE A PROFESSIONAL, NOT LIKE A STUDENT. Except for the introductory lecture posted before the beginning of the term, lectures will usually be posted on Wednesdays or Thursdays. You will be notified via email when they are available. Please do not ask for a lecture to be posted in advance -- they are custom-prepared every semester. Links for PowerPoint slides and audio lectures will be added below in orange-colored text, beginning with the Week 1 lecture when the term begins on Jan 9, 2012. Please check for lecture links only after being notified by email that they have been posted. Week 1 (Jan. 9, 2012):
Course Introduction (PPT Slides) Week 2 (Jan. 18, 2012):
Assignment 1: Business Memo (PPT Slides) Week 3 (Jan. 25, 2012):
Assignment 2: Employee Reprimand (PPT Slides) Week 4 (Feb. 1, 2012): Communicating in the Workplace
(PPT Slides) Week
5 Week
6 Week
7 Week
8 Week
9 Week
10 (no lecture - spring break) Week
11 Week
12 Week
13 Week
14 Week
15 CONTACT
ME AT ANY TIME: I welcome questions raised
by the lectures and other communications. Send your inquiries and comments to
me via email (thorsdag [at] comcast dot net). If your message appears to be
of general interest and value to the class, I will send your original
question and my response to all students. If you wish to meet in person,
please contact me via email to arrange an appointment. My USFSM campus office
is B-210. Students With Disabilities
ADA Statement: Students with disabilities are responsible for registering with the Office of Student Disabilities Services (Coordinator: Pat Lakey, mailto:plakey@sar.usf.edu) in order to receive special accommodations and services. Please notify the instructor during the first week of classes if a reasonable accommodation for a disability is needed for this course. A letter from the USF Disabilities Office must accompany this request. Policy on Religious
Observances
Students who anticipate the necessity of being absent from class due to the observation of a major religious observance must provide notice of the date(s) to the instructor, in writing, by the second class meeting. (In an online course which holds few if any class meetings, this policy may -- at the instructor’s discretion -- apply to deadlines for assigned work which fall on a religious holiday. Please consult with the instructor regarding individual circumstances.) Emergency Operations
at USF (800-992-4231)
In the event of an emergency, it may be necessary for USFSM
to suspend normal operations. During this time, USFSM may opt to continue
delivery of instruction through methods that include but are not limited to:
Blackboard, Elluminate, Skype, and email messaging and/or an alternate
schedule. It’s the responsibility of the student to monitor the Blackboard
site for each class for course-specific communication, and the main USF,
College, and department websites, emails, and MoBull messages for important
general information. See the Safety Preparedness Website for further
information: http://www.sarasota.usf.edu/facilities/SafetyPreparedness.php. The USF hotline
at 1 (800) 992-4231 is updated with pre-recorded information during an
emergency. Software/Hardware
Help
BLACKBOARD AND USF TECHNOLOGY Blackboard tutorial: http://www.sarasota.usf.edu/Academics/DE/current_students.php Live chat with USF IT assistant: http://usfsupport.custhelp.com/app/chat/chat_launch How to post your website or blog on the USF server Additional Info on Using USF Server for Posting General FAQ for USF Information Technology users Student discount prices for MS Office products USE MS WORD TO BUILD A SIMPLE WEBSITE Websites in MS Word (Word document from Mississippi College) How To Build a Website in MS Word Use MS Word to Create Web Pages GENERAL INFO ON TECHNOLOGY USE IN THIS COURSE Use .doc, not .docx, for MS
Word documents in this course YouTube video explaining .DOC vs. .DOCX Beware of Your Spell Checker -- It May Be Misleading You! (Jan 2012) Download free Quicktime player (for Windows) Download free VLC Media Player (alternative for lectures) Free PowerPoint Viewer (for lectures) Word 2003/2004 (Univ. of Wisconsin tutorials) Word 2007/2008 (Univ. of Wisconsin tutorials) Microsoft Office 2010 Online Help (from Microsoft.com) NeoOffice (shareware alternative to MS Office for Macintosh) Open Office (shareware alternative to MS Office for Windows) Create a GANTT chart in Excel (Windows) Create a GANTT chart in Excel (Macintosh) Tutorial on GANTT chart in Excel (YouTube video) Microsoft PowerPoint Support Center PowerPoint FAQ (very helpful) Apple ... The Computer for the Rest of Us How to Right-Size Graphics in PowerPoint How to Set Headers/Footers in Word Microsoft Support for Macintosh (Mactopia) Convert any printable document to PDF (free program) ZAMZAR - free online file conversion Thoughtful Commentary
A COLLEGE DEGREE FOR THE RIGHT REASONS? Five Reasons to Skip College (Forbes, April 2006) Alternatives to College Education (June 2010) Is College Obsolete? (July 2008) Lessons I Didn't Learn in College (Newsweek) How to Evaluate Information Sources (Cornell Univ.) Six Steps for Learning Difficult Subjects Quickly How to Get an “A” (Prof. Jack Lynch, Rutgers University) Reining in College Costs (BusinessWeek, Dec 2009) Financial Advice for College Graduates (May 2010) Graduates, Do Your Financial Homework (May 2011) Alternative Education Via YouTube? (June 2010) Info for Non-Traditional Students Tips for Work/Life Balance (WebMD) FACTS AND OPINIONS Stop Thinking Outside the Box!
(Nov 2011) The Multi-Million-Dollar Impact of Business Communication Did You Know? (YouTube video about current and future realities) Working with China’s Generation Y (Feb 2010) America the Fragile Empire (LA Times, Feb 2010) Are Robots in Your Future? (Businessweek, Feb 2011) Generational Differences in the Workplace (Sarasota Herald-Tribune, March 2011) American Students Still Win at Innovation (BusinessWeek, Jan 2011) Privacy at Work: Your Computer Is a Window to Your Soul Take Control of Your Workplace Stress PowerPoint In Combat (NY Times, 26 Apr 2010) LONG AGO BUT STILL RELEVANT Essay on Pedantry from 1751 (Samuel Johnson) Aristotle's Rhetoric (ca. 350 B.C.) - full English text Example of Excellent Professional Writing (John McPhee, 1987) Business Writing in History (academic research article, 1999) Student Evaluations of Past Courses
Click HERE for
evaluations (numeric scores and comments) by students in courses taught by
Mr. Roberts from Fall 2003 through Fall 2011 (updated 23 January 2012). NOTE: For numeric
scores of all USF faculty, see https://fair.usf.edu/Custom/usf/EvaluationMart/EvaluationSearch.aspx
(For technical reasons, you must carefully copy and paste this exact red-text
link into your web browser; it will not work as a live link on this page.) |
Important Sites
and Pages
Blackboard (http://my.usf.edu): all student grades are posted on Blackboard OASIS (main portal for class schedules and related information) USFSM Undergraduate Catalog (2011-2012) (see pages 54-59, “Academic Integrity of Students”; all students are required to read and follow this policy) Students’ Changing Views of Plagiarism Academic Misconduct Defined and Explained (Univ. of Washington) Registrar’s Event Calendar 2010-2011 Professional & Technical Writing at USF Sarasota-Manatee USFSM Business & Technical Writing Certificate The Writing Internship at USF Sarasota-Manatee Writing Internship Application Making the Most of an Internship (article) Main Web Portal for USF Sarasota-Manatee USF
Sarasota-Manatee Career Center Instructor's Professional Website WIKIPEDIA (Support this if you can) Writing Correctly
and Effectively
ON-LINE AND ON-CAMPUS WRITING HELP USF Sarasota-Manatee Writing Resource Center Online Grammar and English
Handbook Purdue Univ. Online Writing Lab (OWL) Purdue OWL Handouts for Professional Writing 21 Ways to Stay Focused in an Online Class WRITING IMPROVEMENT Three Laws of Professional Communication The Paramedic Method (conciseness, from Purdue OWL) Conciseness: Definition and Examples Energize Business Writing with Action Verbs The Ridiculous Business Jargon Dictionary Abstract, Concrete, General, and Specific Terms Eliminate the Vague Antecedent When to Use Active- or Passive-Voice Verbs How to Eliminate Passive Voice Gallery of Misused Quotation Marks Use Parallel Structure in Lists (Purdue OWL) Pitfalls of Bureaucratic Writing Comma Splices and Run-On Sentences WRITING ONLINE AND ON-TARGET Why Emails Are So Misunderstood Is Email Now Outmoded? (New York Times, Dec 2010) *!#@ The E-Mail. Can We Talk? (BusinessWeek) Social Networking for Business Social Media Optimization (online marketing) The Fine Art of Getting It Down on Paper ... Fast Devoid of Content -- learning language STYLE, USAGE, DOCUMENTATION, IDIOM Annoying, Pretentious and Useless Business Jargon (January 2012) Choosing the Best Words: Denotations & Connotations Notorious Confusables: A Guide to Using the Right Word at the Right Time Defining “Writing Errors” in This Course Online Word Reference / English Dictionary The Writer’s Handbook: An Editing Checklist (Univ. of Wisconsin Madison) Recognizing and Eliminating Mistakes (June 09) Make Your Writing Clear and Memorable Elements of Style (Strunk & White) 50 Years of Stupid Grammar Advice (anti-Strunk & White) Let's Think Outside the Box of Bad Clichés (Newsweek) Writing in Business (WikiBooks) American Heritage Reference Collection Common Language Errors to Avoid (Roberts) Common Errors in English (Paul Brians) MLA Documentation Procedures (Purdue) MLA Parenthetical Documentation Rules Easy Documentation Tool (MLA Format) Importance of Citing References Use of Articles in English (especially useful if your native language is not English) Websites for Students of English as Second Language U.S. English Idioms for Spanish Speakers (book) English Forums for Non-Native Speakers of English Professional Writing
Tips and Samples
GENERAL TIPS Business Writing Tips (commercial workshop provider) Business Writing: Expert Advice and Online Resources Managerial Writing Style (Sloan School of Business) How to Craft an Effective Elevator Speech Overcoming Writer's Block (Purdue) Sales Letters: The Four-Point Action Closing Memo Writing (from Purdue Online Writing Lab) Revision in Business Writing (Purdue) Don’t Put Your Reader to Sleep (Right Away) Use the Period. And Other Writing Lessons. (12 Oct 09) ASSIGNMENT 1: BUSINESS MEMO Sample Memo from Actual Company (Assignment 1) Sample Assignment 1 Student Memos (2006 and 2010) ASSIGNMENT 2: EMPLOYEE REPRIMAND Sample Employee Reprimand (Assignment 2) How to Deal with Problem Employees (Assignment 2) What Do You Call Co-Workers & Customers? (Feb 2010) Progresssive Discipline (from Univ. of Iowa) ASSIGNMENT 3: COVER LETTER & RESUME Sample of Assignment 3 submission (Spring 2011) ASSIGNMENT 4: REPORT, PROPOSAL, OR PLAN How to Write More Powerful Business Reports Nonprofit Proposals (A Short Course) Guidelines for Nonprofit Proposals (very useful) Fundamentals of Grantsmanship (Univ. of Washington) Proposal Writing Websites (Univ. of Pittsburgh) Tips for Writing a Business Proposal Five Reasons for a Failed Proposal (Feb 2010) Samples of Assignment 4 OUTLINE Essential Elements of a Good Business Plan (Small Business Administration) Sample of Assignment 4 Business PLAN Sample of Assignment 4 Business PLAN [3250 Student] Sample of Assignment 4 Business REPORT Sample of Assignment 4 For-Profit Business PROPOSAL Business Feasibility Study Outline Advice on Writing a Business PLAN How to Write a Great Business Plan (Harvard Business Review) Financial Section of Business Plan The 10 Stupidest Things an Entrepreneur Could Do (January 2011) Resume and Cover Letter
/ Job-Hunting
ASSIGNMENT 3: COVER LETTER AND RESUME Resume and Interviewing Advice (MUST READ FOR ASSIGNMENT 3) Assignment 3 (Resume): How to Revise Final Cut: Words to Strike From Your Resume (Oct 2011) USF Sarasota-Manatee Career Center USFSM Student Alumni Mentor Program Hot to Get Noticed by Hiring Managers (May 2011) Choose Meaningful Resume Details (Monster.com, Feb 2011) Dynamic Digital Resumes (Mashable.com, 21 Feb 2011) Hottest Jobs Barricaded by Grueling Interviews What NOT to Say in a Job Interview (April 2011) 11 Ways to Hurt Your Career
(Monster.com) Tiny Typos on Resume Can Sink Your Job Hunt Ten Resume Mistakes (posted Feb 2010) Use “Power Verbs” in Your Resume and Cover Letter Basic Tips: Landing the Next Job (2008) The Start-Up Of You: The New Economic Realities (NY Times) Ten Worst Things to Put in Your Cover Letter (Wall St Journal) Age-Proofing Your Job Application (Wall St Journal, Aug 2011) INFO FOR PROFESSIONAL WRITING CAREERS Career Perspectives from a Recent USFSM Graduate (Nov 2010) Career Tips from USFSM Business & Technical Writing Program Bureau of Labor Statistics: Outlook for Professional Writers Career Summaries from Princeton Review Sarasota Craig’s List - seeking writers and editors The IRS Targets Independent Contractors (BusinessWeek, 8 May 2010) Getting in the Game: From Freelancer to Employee (Wall St Journal, June 2010) Not All College Majors Are Created Equal (January 2012) INFO FOR MILITARY VETERANS & GOVERNMENT JOB-SEEKERS For military veterans: vetjobs.com Job Hunting for Vets (May 2011) MilitaryStars.com (Manatee County, Florida) Federal Resume Handbook (2002) ONLINE JOB-HUNTING Social Media History Becomes New Job Hurdle (NY Times) What Job-Seekers Need to Know About Social Background Checks (July 2011) Career Amp (using Facebook for networking) New Directions in Online Job Search (Feb 2010) Post Your Own Job-Hunting Website Job Search Innovations (video resume + interview) Web-Based Job Hunting (Feb 08, Wall St Journal) Using Social Networking in a Job Search Job-hunters: Beware of Social Networking Sites Can Facebook Get You Fired? (CNN, Nov 2010) Scams to Avoid in Online Job Search Dream Jobs: College Students Get Real (BusinessWeek, 8 May 2010) Dream Jobs One Year Later (BusinessWeek, 12 May 2011) America’s Top 25 Cities for Recent College Graduates (The Atlantic, May 2011) FOR BUSINESS GRADUATES Three Types of People to Fire Immediately (BusinessWeek, Nov 2011) The $32,000 Startup (BusinessWeek, June 2011) The MBA Marketing Machine (BusinessWeek, June 2010) College Drop-Outs Become Billionaire Entrepreneurs? (BusinessWeek, June 2010) Meet the Microworkers (BusinessWeek, Feb 2011) How to Prepare Yourself as an Entrepreneur (BusinessWeek, Feb 2011) You Don’t Have to Be an Inventor to Be Innovative (BusinessWeek, Feb 2011) Innate Risk Takers (BusinessWeek, Feb 2010) Fundamentals of Innovation (Feb 2010) B-Schools Fight Bad Writing (Associated Press) Is It Time to Retrain Business Schools? (NY Times) Policy vs. Practice: Accurate HR Writing Why Can’t M.B.A.’s Write? (Wall Street Journal, March 2011) The Three R’s in Business Communications (Robert Parkinson, July 2010) End of the Myth: CPAs Do Have to Write (CPA Journal) Karma Capitalism (BusinessWeek) People Skills for Business Majors (BusinessWeek) The Bully Rulebook (INC. magazine) How to Out-Behave Your Business Competitors Are B-Schools a Blight on the Land? (book review) Quotes On the Importance of Communication in Business Clear, Concise Writing Important for Success Wall Street Weaselwords (Newsweek) Five Social Media Lessons for Business (Businessweek, Sept 2011) Humor
Andy Borowitz - Humor & Satire Worst Technical Writing (contest) Oddities of the English Language Need an Outrageous Ad Agency? Try This One. Thoughts from Scott
Adams, Creator of Dilbert Demotivational Art from Despair, Inc. Pop Talk Is Totally Everywhere Like, Why Do So Many People Like Saying "Like"? Five Weird Ways to College Success (Washington Post) Can one letter in a misspelled word matter? (cartoon) Stanley Bing Blog: How to Be Machiavellian and Funny Stanley Bing: The 2,000-Year-Old Businessman |