Winter ’18 | Lecturer Benjamin |T/TH 4:40 - 6:00 PM | SHLDS 90A

cjbenjamin@ucdavis.edu |Email Me In Canvas

Office: Basement of Shields Library RM 87
Office Hours: T/TH 3:00PM to 4:30PM or by appt.

What is this class? Writing in the Pro- Am I ready for this

fessions: Business Writing (4) Lecture/
discussion—3 hours; extensive writing. Prerequi- class?
site: course 1 or English 3 or the equivalent and • Satisfactory completion of
upper division standing. Business writing pre- the Subject A requirement
pares students to communicate effectively in and for organizations, includ- and a passing grade in one
ing businesses (corporations), government agencies, and non-profit organi- of the following: UWP 1,
ENL 3 or its equivalent.
zations. This course is particularly suitable for students entering careers
• If you’re enrolled in the
that require substantial communication, such as management, public rela- College of Letters and Sci-
tions, and grant writing. ence or in the College of
Engineering you must
What are the outcomes of the course… Like what am I going to have completed a mini-
learn/do? mum of 84 units before
• Understand differences between academic and professional writing enrolling in UWP 101.
• Examine various writing situations professionals face and analyzing con- • Still not sure? Consult your
texts, purposes, and audiences to determine appropriate writing choic- academic advisor
es
• Gain familiarity with genres of business writing, such as emails, instant
messages, memos, letters, proposals, and reports But, I’m already a
• Employing writing as a process, from researching a problem to organiz-
ing and drafting a document to reviewing, revising, and editing that doc-
good writer, why is
ument this class required?
• Developing an effective professional tone and style Writing is a skill and an art
• Employing rhetorical strategies for effective visual and document design that can always be improved.
Furthermore, humans are
Which Resources Do I Need To Be Successful? writing more now than ever.
Clear, concise, coherent and
Tebeaux, Elizabeth,
persuasive writing is one of
and Sam Dragga. The the key skills needed in to-
Essentials of Technical day’s information economy.
Communication 4th or This course will help you be-
3rd Edition. Oxford come an experienced and
University Press marketable writer, so gear up
to practice and refine your
Publisher Link writing skills.
Barnes & Noble Rent
What are the assignments? Think of this class as
a consultancy business and yourself as a consultant. This semes-
ter we’ll explore popular business writing genres including job
application materials, proposals, progress reports, technical re-
ports, visual design, & oral reports. We’ll work as a large class
to consult on one community problem in a partnership with an
on-campus resource. We will conduct both secondary and pri-
mary research related to that problem. We will split into groups
to work on writing deliverables to help assist that on-campus
resource in achieving their mission and goals.

What are the Job Docs I’ll Write? You will conduct a for-
mal job search and find 1 job ad for positions you would like to
apply to. You will conduct a Rhetorical Analysis of the job ad Which documents will my group
and state what choices you would make in regards to your Re-
sume and Cover Letter. You will use the analysis to plan and and I be responsible for drafting
complete a resume, cover letter, and thank you letter for that and submitting during the Commu-
job. Additionally, you will contact and conduct an informational nity Engagement Project?
interview with someone who works a similar position to the job
you decide to apply to. You will also complete a business profile Project Proposal
for the company that person works for.
Secondary Research Progress Report
What is the Community Partnership Project? The Min- Primary Research Progress Report
nesota Department of Health states: “Community engagement
is a type of public participation that involves people in problem-
Technical Report
solving or decision-making processes.” The key ideas from this Written Deliverable
quote are people from the public (a collective group of people
with common goals) convene together to investigate an ongo- Oral Report
ing community problem in order to influence decision- How will I be assessed on profes-
making. We will work as a community to address an ongoing
community problem at UC Davis. You will partner with two oth- sionalism?
er students and consult on subtopic of our larger community
Attendance
problem and create an actionable writing deliverable to help a
community partner reach their goals. Group Evaluations
The project consists of a variety of writing assignments that we Homework
will complete step-by-step in order to ensure that you can be
successful as a student and a community member for making In-class Work
social change. Throughout this project you’ll complete these
following assignments: Group Doctrine, Proposal, Secondary
Progress Report with an Annotated Bibliography, Primary Re-
search Progress Report, Technical Report, Final Writing Deliver-
able, and an Oral Report.

What about the final? The final is a take home exam and
will test your skills/knowledge about business writing incorpo-
rating skills and techniques we studied through the semester.
How will my work be assessed?
A B C D F
You submit work that Your work meets all of Your work meets the Your work requires sig- Your work does not re-
excels at responding to the requirements of the basic requirements of nificant revision. Often, spond to the needs of
the assignment require- assignment at a high the assignment. The D assignments lack clear the assignment. May be
ments. You demon- level. Though your as- assignment may have organization, require off-topic or incomplete.
strate originality and signment still needs some organizational further development of
sophistication. Your revision, it presents lapses, but is logical content, and/or have
papers are stylistically complete, appropriate overall. The style is mechanical and stylistic
accomplished, carefully content, is well- straightforward with a errors that impede the
edited and free of organized and demon- few lapses, but may be reader’s understanding
grammatical and me- strates a clear attention repetitive or unremark-
chanical errors. to stylistic issues. able.

Grade Distribution
A+ 100-98 4.00
A 97-94 4.00
A- 93-90 3.70
B+ 89-87 3.30
B 86-84 3.00
B- 83-80 2.70
C+ 79-77 2.30
C 76-74 2.00
C- 73-70 1.70
D+ 69-67 1.30 What criteria are used to grade my papers? Your work in
the class is assessed according to the University Writing Program
D 66-64 1.00
Grading Standards. A copy of the full assessment document can
D- 63-60 0.70 be found here.
F 59 and be- 0.00 How can I be sure I earn a passing grade? Writing is a pro-
low cess. You will be required to prepare multiple drafts before a final
will be due. Take your peers’ and lecturer’s critiques seriously,
produce multiple drafts, and don’t wait until the last minute.
Drafts of several assignments will be worth up to 20% of the grade for that assignment. Submit all work & go
to class!!! HINT: “A” students routinely come to office hours. Note: You must earn a C– or higher to satisfy
the Upper-Division Writing Requirement. The requirement also requires that you write 6000-words for the
course.
If I don’t submit a major writing assignment, can I still pass the course? No. All writing assign-
ments must be submitted in order to pass this course. Be sure that you submit everything on or before the
due date.
I turned in my daft, am I finished? All writing in this course must be revised. The lecturer will also be
checking the revision history in Google Docs. You should work in 1 single Google Doc during the entirety of
each assignment from the rough draft to the final draft.
What are the course policies I will be expected to follow?
Classroom Conduct?
• Conduct yourself courteously and professionally.
• Treat others with respect and practice good listening skills.
• When it’s your turn to talk, be sure your comments positively contrib-
ute to the classroom experience.
• Respond to questions when asked by Lecturer Benjamin.
• Be attentive and focused on the work in class.

What about plagiarism?

• Your integrity is on the line.
• Academic honesty requires that you submit your own and original
writing for this course.
• Cite all sources you use in in-text citations and include a bibliography.
• Plagiarism will not be tolerated: any suspected dishonesty will be
reported to Student Judicial Affairs.
• For more information about plagiarism, please see this chart: http://
thevisualcommunicationguy.com/2014/09/16/did-i-plagiarize-the-
types-and-severity-of-plagiarism-violations/

Can I turn in late work?

• All work is due at the beginning of class on the day listed in Canvas.
• You must submit your own work on Canvas before the beginning of class.
• Invalid excuses for late work include: writer's block, busy computer labs, uncooper-
ative printers, last-minute technology failures, responsibilities to extra-curricular organ-
izations and activities, a bothersome work schedule, etc.
• For all assignments worth more than 5% of the overall grade, late work will be pe-
nalized one half of a grade per calendar day (not class period) late.
• Minor assignments (in-class work, workshop memos, reflections, etc.) will not be accepted late.
• You must come to class prepared. Failure to prepare for class will result in an unexcused absence.
• Late work ends up at the bottom of the grading pile, so if you submit something late, you will likely re-
ceive a graded version well after your peers do.

Can I keep my cell phone on and check it during class?

• Your phone must be silenced and put away during the entire class period.
• If your phone rings, or you are using your phone, you will be asked to leave the class for the day.
• If you routinely break the no-phone policy, you will be asked to “check in” your phone with the lecturer
before attending any further classes.

Is attendance mandatory?
• Yes! This course is centered around you — your learning and success depends upon your active participa-
tion in the course. Group work and workshopping assignments are essential to your success in this
course.
• Repeatedly missed classes will likely have a negative affect on your grade.
Are there other resources available to me?
Where can I get additional help during the course?
• Come to office hours.
• Exchange your information with a peer and ask them questions about course content outside of class.
• Visit the Student Academic Success Center. The Student Academic Success Center (SASC) is a large, multi-
program Student Affairs department providing essential services, programs, and information for UC Davis
students. Programs include: Academic support services in tutoring, retention, study skills, mathematics,
science, writing/ESL , Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), Guardian Scholars Program (GSP), Mathe-
matics Diagnostic Testing Project, Reentry and
Transfer Student Services, Veterans Affairs
(VA), TRiO Scholars Program, MURALS, Inter-
national Student Resources, and Pre-
Professional and Pre-Graduate Advising. In
addition, it employs over 200 students as peer
advisers, student assistants, tutors, and read-
ers. For more information visit http://
success.ucdavis.edu/index.html
• Aslo visit the writing support at Dutton Hall.
Here is their website: http://
success.ucdavis.edu/academic/writing.html

If I have a disability, where can I receive addi-

tional support?
• This course is meant to be inclusive of individuals of
all abilities.
• Please let the lecturer know how he can be inclu-
sive to your particular abilities.
• For additional information on disability services
please visit https://sdc.ucdavis.edu/

What is the co-course offered through the Aca-

demic Success Center?
• WLD 992 – Section 5 CRN 74052 taught by Elizabeth
Chuchel on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Universi-
ty House Annex is a 1 credit course that offers ad-
dictional assistance to students enrolled in UWP 104A.
• Registration in this course includes unlimited visits with a writing specialist during the instructor’s office
hours.
• Please contact Elizabeth Chuchel, Pre-Graduate Writing Specialist, for more information at
eachuchel@ucdavis.edu