Jane Hamilton, Assistant Professor of Reading and English 

Provides information on principles of written and oral communication specifically applied to business and technical fields.  Assignments are designed to develop skill and practice in the use of these principles and include the writing of memoranda, business letters, instructions, informal reports and formal reports.  Students are encouraged to tailor assignments to the specific careers they are pursuing.   (Not applicable for humanities requirement.)  

• Number of hours per week:   3 lecture/lab for 3 credits  (Class is taught in the Write Place computer lab with WebCT support.)
• Prerequisite:   ENG 101 with a grade of "C" or higher. Because of emphasis on graphics and computer formatting, students are advised to complete CIS 109 or IND 105 or to have equivalent word processing skills.

 This course will build on--not repeat--concepts of composition taught in English 101.  From that basis, we will focus on developing communication skills that reflect the specific demands of the workplace, which include talking about writing.   See the Semester Details for the sequence of projects. By semester's end, you should be able to:

• Recognize ways that technical writing differs from academic writing, which you'll demonstrate on an exam at mid-term;
• Describe the active purpose(s) of a writing project, which you will do with each project you write;
• Identify the various readers of a project and their needs, which you will do with each project you write;
• Identify and apply visual transitions (e.g. headings, lists, and type variations) to technical writing, which you'll do both on tests and in several of your writing projects;
• Identify types of visual aids and their purposes, which you'll do in a series of quizzes and by applying appropriate visual aids in your Mentored Technical Report;
• Demonstrate the technical writing process, which you will demonstrate in a variety of short writing projects and the Mentored Technical Report (a book format report);
• Revise writing so that it reflects the style expectations of the workplace for word use, which you will demonstrate by revising a memo I provide.
• Talk about your writing informally and formally, which you will demonstrate in presentations about your Mentored Technical Report;

For more information, consult the course outline. 

- Technical Communication:  A Reader-Centered Approach, 5th Ed., by Paul V. Anderson, (Wadsworth, 2003)
- Keys for Writers, 4th Ed., by Ann Raimes ( Houghton Mifflin, 2005);  substitutions must be approved by the instructor.
- 2 or 3 computer floppy disks (3 1/2") labeled with your first initial and last name and Eng111[section] or a data stick (ZIPs and CDs are not recommended).

A key requirement for this course is that you find someone from your major field of study or your workplace who will agree to assist you with the content of a formal technical report project.  The mentor will:

• Help you decide on an appropriate topic;
• Receive a written proposal and progress report from you;
• Review a rough draft of the report for its TECHNICAL CONTENT accuracy;
• Provide part of the final grade on the formal technical report.

I will evaluate each assignment on a four-level system and assign points, depending on its importance.  The four levels include:  exceeds standards; generally meets standards; marginally meets standards; and falls short of standards.  There will be about 400 points possible during the semester, broken down into the following types of assignments:

• Attendance and weekly quizzes
• Miscellaneous projects and quizzes (about 6 of them)
• Major writing projects and oral report (about 6 of them)
• Mentored Technical Report  (including individually evaluated process sections)

Final semester grades may be curved to reflect total class performance.  (Note:  Do not figure "percentages"; they will mislead you.  For example, 2 points of 4 is 50%, an "F" elsewhere but a "marginally meets standards" in this class--so closer to a "C" in its impact on final grade. If you want to know how you're doing, ASK!!)

• Use class time: Be in your seat and ready to start at the assigned start time of the class. You will receive 4 attendance points every class session that you attend (starting the 2nd week). Any late arrival (after the stretch) or early departure (before I dismiss class) will result in the loss of one or two attendance point.
• Notify me of any absences--whether expected or unexpected-- to receive 1 attendance point. You may leave a voice mail, written, or email message but I must receive it within 24 hours of the absence. I do not need to know why you are absent, nor do you need to apologize for missing class. Your priorities are your business. I do, however, want you to develop the "real world" employment habit of giving notice. Any 2 consecutive incidents of being absent without notice will result in an automatic F for the course (pending your timely withdrawal).
• Attend class: You don't earn points when you miss class. You will receive 1 point if you notify me of the absence; absence without notice is 0 points for the class. This may impact your grade, depending on the average attendance. I will give you a warning of your peril if you build up a total of 3 absences. Your 4th absence, regardless of reason, results in an "F" for the course.

When deadlines are given, they are absolute. Any submissions that are not turned in by the due date will be penalized by being capped at "marginally meets standards" points (whether or not you are absent). Any assignments later than 1 class session will receive 0 points, unless some arrangement has been made in advance. See the schedule for specific deadline dates. I reserve the right to move deadlines back as necessary, but promise never to move one forward.

Any request for an exception to a course requirement will be considered if you request it BEFORE you have tripped a penalty. Be prepared to provide documentation to prove the need for any such request.

If you stop coming to class, you have not withdrawn and will receive an "F" for the course. (Some students may be dropped at mid-term in compliance with financial aid rules.) Forms to properly withdraw from the course are available from the office of Admissions and Records. Withdrawal from the class is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. Consult the Class Schedule for the last day for you to initiate such a withdrawal for this semester. If you stop coming, but your name is still on the class roster at the end of the semester because you did not formally withdraw, you will receive an "F" for the course.

All work you submit must be your own. In English 111 in particular, academic dishonesty also robs YOU of an opportunity to add to basic skills that you must have to succeed in your desired employment. Some authorities say that as much as 85% of your success may depend on your ability to communicate, so it is important that you make the most of this opportunity to acquire better writing and speaking skills. Behavior which qualifies as academic dishonesty is described completely in the SVCC Code of Student Conduct. For our purposes, it includes cheating and plagiarism, as well as alteration or use of another student’s work. The penalty for academic dishonesty may include, but is not limited to, any of the following: "0" on that assignment (generally applied to a single, minor offense); failure of the course (generally applied to any second offense), referral to college academic discipline system for further action (in combination with theft or other serious code violations).

Because the writing you do for an employer generally belongs to that employer, the rules for using sources and quoting text differ somewhat from academic expectations.  We will apply both the academic standard and the employment standard, depending on the assignment, so make sure you are clear on what is expected when an assignment is given.

Assessment Statement:

Sauk Valley Community College is an institution dedicated to continuous instructional improvement. As part of our assessment efforts, it is necessary for us to collect and analyze course-level data. Data drawn from students’ work for the purposes of institutional assessment will be collected and posted in aggregate, and will not identify individual students. Your continued support in our on-going effort to provide quality instructional services at SVCC is appreciated.

If you have a disability or suspect that you have one and want to request a classroom accommodation, it is your responsibility to inform me. Reasonable accommodations will be sought after verification from the Student Needs Coordinator’s Office located in Room 1G24, or by calling extension 246.

Please remember that you have set aside this time to improve your writing skills with my assistance. The computers are a tool we will use to help accomplish that task. Please be courteous and restrict your personal use of the Internet to before and after class. Those sending personal emails, chatting, browsing, or otherwise distracting themselves or class members from full attention to the work of the course may lose one or both of their attendance/ participation points for that class session.

I do not have specific rules regarding use of cell phones, talking during work periods, etc. As long as the class is able to act courteously toward me and classmates on these issues, we will do without restrictions. I reserve the right to impose penalties for uncorrected disruptive behavior, up to and including dropping the student from the course.

The College policy on student records complies with the “Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.” This Act is designed to protect the privacy of education records, to establish the rights of students to inspect and review their education records, and to provide guidelines for correction of incorrect or misleading data through formal and informal hearings.   A copy of the Act or questions concerning the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act may be referred to the Dean of Student Services, Ext. 271.