English 305/VV03: Scientific and Technical Writing
Spring 2004
121 ARM
TR: 13:00 - 14:15
Instructor: Gregory A. Thumm
Mailbox: 231 Stansbury
Office: 337 Stansbury
Email: Greg.Thumm@mail.wvu.edu or gthumm@mix.wvu.edu
Office Hours: TR 14:30-15:45, or by appointment

REQUIRED TEXTS AND MATERIALS
•Professional & Technical Writing Strategies: Communicating in Technology & Science. Judith S. Vanalstyne & Merrill D. Tritt

COURSE PROJECTS

Resume & Cover Letter (10%)

Description of a Mechanism (15%)

lnstructions (20%)

Process Analysis (25%)

Proposal (30 % )

COURSE POLICIES

Attendance
Meeting appointments and commitments is part of being a professional. Because you need to be present to do your
job, please note the consequences of missing class:
•More than two (2) absences will compromise your final course grade as much as one full letter.
•More than five (5) absences will result in a failing grade for the course.
•I do not distinguish between excused and unexcused absences.

Students who are 10 minutes late for class will be marked absent and not be allowed to stay in class. D:,

If you must be absent, you are responsible for the work due the next class period and for getting any handouts you may have missed. If you come to class without a draft or whatever is required that day, you will be asked to leave, and you will be marked absent. Therefore, it is a good idea to get the phone numbers of two other classmates so you ~-can contact them if needed.

You will not be allowed to make up in-class work you miss due to absence or tardiness.

Absence from a conference counts as two class absences.

lf an emergency does arise, please contact the Office of Student Life ASAP (293-5611). This Office can inform all of your professors of the emergency.

Participation
Participation not only includes doing the required written work, but coming to class or conferences prepared, taking part in class discussion, asking questions, contributing your knowledge and insights in whatever form is suitable, and striving to make all contributions excellent.

Late Work
•Late work is unprofessional and, therefore, unacceptable. Please note the consequences of late work.
•Even a single late draft will negatively affect your participation grade.
•Late final drafts will receive as much as a full letter grade penalty for each day they are late. After one week, late work will receive an automatic F.

If you have a problem with an assignment, please talk to me ahead of time, and we may be able to negotiate some special arrangement. Deadlines are not negotiable after you have missed them.

Special needs - If you have a learning disability, hearing, or vision problems, or any other special need that might affect your performance or participation in class, please be sure to talk to me. Also please be aware of the support services available to you through Disability Services, located in room G 30 of the Mountainair (phone 293-6700).

Social Justice - English 305 supports WVU's commitment to social justice. The classroom community will work together to create a positive learning environment based on open communication and mutual respect.

Procedural Requirements
Because this course introduces you to professional writing, I will expect you to meet professional standards most employers take for granted. When you turn in your work for a final grade, please submit the final version in a manila folder labeled clearly with your name. In addition to your final draft, include earlier drafts, as well as peer responses, and any other required work.

Promptness - In this class, as in the working world, you must turn in your work on time. All projects are due at the beginning of class on the dates listed in the schedule unless otherwise indicated. If you cannot be in class, your project is due in my mailbox during class-time. Remember, assignments turned in late will be penalized.

Presentation - All work should be neatly typed, using standard margins and spacing in a word-processing program. .All work should exhibit complete and appropriate format.

Grammar, Spelling, and Proofreading - At work, even a single error in spelling, grammar, or proofreading can jeopardize the effectiveness of your written work. Grading will reflect the great seriousness with which those matters are viewed in the working world. I expect you to proofread your work carefully and to pay attention to the mechanics of your writing. Please note that if you have problems with grammar and / or mechanics, you may use the free tutoring service available through the WVU Center for Writing Excellence, or you may make appointments with me. Your writing must demonstrate control over grammar and mechanics for you to pass this course. If you have problems with grammar / mechanics, it will be your responsibility to improve them.

Miscellaneous
Cell phones must be turned off before class starts. You will be asked to leave the classroom and marked absent for the day should your cell phone create any classroom disturbance.

There is no Final Exam in this class.

You must complete all assignments to pass this course.

I will not give out or discuss grades over the phone or via email.

Grading Criteria

A (91 -100): Exemplary work. The paper meets or exceeds all the objectives of the assignment. The content is mature, thorough, and well-suited for the audience; the style is clear, accurate, and forceful; the information is wellorganized and formatted so that it is accessible and attractive; the mechanics and grammar are correct. In the workplace, a company could use your writing without further revisions and might even use the work as an example when training new employees.

B (81- 90): Good work. The paper meets the objectives of the assignment, but needs improvement in content, presentation, or writing style / mechanics. In the workplace, a company would be able to use your writing without major revisions of any sort; any problems with content, format, mechanics, or style are easily corrected.

C (71 - 80): Satisfactory work. Documents are adequate in all respects, but require some further substantive revisions of either content, presentation, or writing style / mechanics; they may require further work in more than one area. ln the workplace, the documents would be functional for an immediate deadline, but would require furthe revisions before being distributed or made part of a permanent record.

D (61 - 70): Documents are unprofessional. They generally require e ttensive revisions of content, presenlation, writing style, and/or mechanics. A company would most probably have to assign the project to another writer for successful completion.

F (60 and below): The document does not have enough information, does something other than what the assignmenl required, or it contains major and pervasive problems in terms of content, presentation, or writing style / mechanics. A company would most probably dismiss the writer from the project.

An F is also given for plagiarized work or falsified documentation. So we're clear on what is considered cheating and plagiarism. the following definitions are irom the West Virginia University Undergraduate Catalog. Please see the section on Academic Integrity/Dishonesty for the full definition and discussion of procedures.

Plagiarism: material that has been knowingly obtained or copied in whole or in part form the work of others . . . including (but not limited to) another's academic composition.

Cheating: doing academic work for another student, or providing one's own work for another student to copy and submit and his/her own.

Scholastic dishonesty involves misrepresenting as your won work any part of work done by another; submitting the same paper or substantially similar papers to meet the requirements of more than one course without the written approval and consent of all instructors concerned; depriving another student of necessary course materials; interfering with another's work.

Plagiarism and cheating are serious offenses. Clear cases will result in an F for the course and appropriate academic discipline. Ignorance of documentation standards cannot be used as an excuse; if you have any questions about how to properly document sources, or any other questions which will help you avoid unintentional plagiarism, please see me. Plagiarized rough drafts will be considered as a serious offense as plagiarized final papers.

SCHEDULE (subject to change)

01/13 (T) Introduction

01/15 (R) The Writing Process, pp. 39-63

01 /20(T) Document Design, pp. 115- 138 33

01/22 (R) Web design, pp. 630-644

01/27(T) Resumes, pp. 423-33; Cover Letters, pp.433-39

01/29(R) Optional Conferences–337 STA

02/03(T) Resume & Cover Letter Rough Draft Due

02/05(R) Resume & Cover Letter Final Draft Due

Using Graphics and Visuals, 72-107

02110(T) Describing Mechanisms, 278-303

02/12(R) Begin draft of Description of a Mechanism paper -optional conferences 337 STA

02/17 (T) First Drah of Description paper due

02//19 (R) Documentation, 194-224

02/24 (T) Final Draft of Description paper due

Giving Instructions, 310-25

02/26 (R) Begin draft of Instructions paper–optional conference 337 STA

Mid-Term Reports Due by March 2

03/02 (T) Illustrations Draft of Instruction paper (w/ motion)

03/04 (R) Textual Draft of Instruction paper due

03/09 (T) Conferences 337 STA

03/11 (R) Conferences 337 STA

March 13-March 21 Spring Break

03/23 (T) Instruction paper due

03/25 (R) Process Analysis, 331-51

03/30 (T) Optional Conferences 337 STA

04/01 (R) First Draft of Process Analysis Due

04/06 (T) Proposals, 492-531

04/08 (R) final Draft of Process Analysis Due
Begin draft of Proposal paper-generating ideas

04/13 (T) Conferences-337 STA

04/15 (R) Conferences 337 STA

04/20 (T) First Draft of Proposal Due

04/22 (R) Optional Conferences 337 STA

04/27 (T) revising the Proposal

04/29 (R) Proposal Paper due