Syllabus

Course Information

ENGL 288A: Introduction to Technical and Professional Writing

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Frank Macarthy

Email: fwmacar@uw.edu
Office: Zoom Link Links to an external site.
Office Hours: T & TH 2:00 - 4:00pm (& by appointment)

About the Course

Course Overview

ENGL 288 engages in professional genres and communication practices in light of emerging technologies. Students produce texts that prepare them to enter professional spaces.

More specifically…

As the “whole durned human comedy keeps perpetuatin' itself down through the generations,” communication and composition continue to evolve, shift, reshape, and reform. Regardless of your aspirations, you will be creating, composing, and communicating. ENGL 288 will introduce you to a variety of professional and technical genres across all modes of communication. By the end of the quarter, you will walk away with a better understanding of the conventions and expectations of technical and professional composition, a base knowledge of genre research and re-creation, and a collection of tangible work that will be useful in your field.

Learning Goals

  • Research and information integrity
  • Practices and Processes
  • Knowledge of convention and genre
  • Collaborative learning
  • Technology
  • Professionalization

Required Texts (DO NOT BUY ANYTHING!)

  • Everything will be posted to Canvas

Modality and Adjustments to Syllabus

This class is listed as an asynchronous course, which might need some explaining. Asynchronous pretty much means that you can approach the class material without a schedule. But, in order to maintain a semblance of structure, not EVERYTHING is asynchronous. I have posted "due dates" for homework, group work, and Sequences that, if you follow, will ensure that you will never fall behind. I recommend keeping up with everything as best as possible, but don't stress if you miss a due date or two. The most important pieces are the Sequences and the group work. If you start to fall behind on the Sequences, it will be very hard to catch up and the group assignments require synchronous scheduling (see below). I reserve the right to alter the syllabus to accommodate the needs of the class community, with notice. Be sure to check Canvas for updated versions of the syllabus, as necessary.

Reading Assignments

You will have several forms of reading assignments due every week. It is your responsibility to keep up with the readings. I will post the readings week-by-week under the Reading label on the weekly modules (the readings will be broken up by topic). These assignments will prompt and inform your reading responses, homework, group work, and they will serve as resources for your Sequences. You should complete all the reading for each week prior to anything else to ensure that all of the assignments are easy to understand and follow. 

Individual Homework Assignments

There will be some form of individual homework due every week. These assignments are meant to be completed individually and it would be beneficial to have them completed by the end of each week. Try to follow these practical expectations:

  • Standard 12-point font (Times, New Roman, Calibri, etc.)
  • Double spaced
  • One inch margins on all sides
  • I will ask you to submit many assignments digitally. Unless I state otherwise, submit your assignments in the .doc, .docx, or .pdf format

Group Homework Assignments

You will be placed in a group of 3-4 (or 4-5, it depends on how many students are in the class) and you are expected to meet with your group at least once a week at a time of your choosing. There are separate "group homework assignments" that need to be completed every week alongside the individual homework assignments, readings, and reading responses. The group homework assignments should be the last assignment you do for the week because you often need to share your individual homework with your group members to complete the group assignment. If you are unable to meet with your group for whatever reason, you must let your group know and you must also email me. Missing multiple group meetings will impact your grade, so make sure that you are available for your group meetings. You will have a chance at the end of the quarter to evaluate your peers' and your own work with the group assignments and the student evaluation will play a role in deciding your final grade.

Reading Responses

For each of your reading topics for every week, you will have a reading response.  I will prompt different, open-ended questions based on the topic (or related to different lessons throughout the semester). The reading responses replace reading quizzes (no one likes those) and also account for a majority of your participation grade. They are a low-stakes way to prove your understanding of the lessons being taught. Or they may just be based on a question I feel like asking that day. Depends on what kind of mood I’m in. YOU MUST RESPOND TO SOMEONE ELSE'S RESPONSE, TOO!

Sequence Projects

Sequence 1: The Interview ("due" by the end of week 2)

  • For the first sequence, you will interview someone in a field that connects with your major (or your dream job). This could be a friend, a family member, a colleague, a professor, a mentor, an older student in your field, etc. The interview can take place face-to-face, over the phone, through Zoom (or a similar program), or through email. Along with the recording or transcript of the interview, you will also write a brief analysis of what you learned about the genres of writing associated with your field.

Sequence 2: The Research ("due" by the end of week 3)

  • Following the interview, you are to gather some examples of the genres you discussed with your interviewee. Once you have a collection of examples, you are to write a cover letter/proposal that outlines and analyzes the conventions/audiences/processes/authors associated with one of the genres you researched and propose your idea for the final project.

Sequence 3: The Product ("due" during weeks 4 & 5)

  • For the final sequence, you are to create the genre you chose in sequence 2. You may utilize any modes of communication the genre requires. Along with the genre, you are to write an analysis of the conventions you followed, the process of creating the genre, and, ultimately, what you learned.

Revision

If you are unsatisfied with your grade on any of the writing projects (other than the final project) and would like to make revisions to try to earn a higher grade, you are welcome to do so. You must come to my office hours or set up an appointment with me during which we will discuss what steps you can take to improve your grade and what time frame you will have to complete the revisions. You may submit a work at least 72 hours before the due date if you wish to have some feedback. I will not be fully proofreading the work, but I will let you know if you are on the right track and what can be fixed before the actual due date.

Late Work and Attendance

Since this is an asynchronous course, there is no attendance and, technically, there are no due dates. I have broken up the quarter week-by-week with suggested weekly due dates to ensure that you do not fall behind. As long as you complete the readings and assignments week by week, you will have no trouble keeping up with the material. The suggested due dates for homework is important because it not only reinforces the topics we cover, but it usually also connects to the group work you will complete every week. Late sequence papers impact the peer review process. Thus, "late" work will impede your (and your peers') overall learning experience. If you fall behind or feel overwhelmed, please let me know and we can figure something out!

Engagement and Participation

Participation is mandatory in ENGL 288. But, there are many ways to participate without having to raise your hand in class (since we don't meet!). The reading response activities each week will be a major part of your participation grade. The other major opportunity for participating is through the weekly group assignments. Make sure that you and your entire group are able to meet each week. If you are unable to make it for some reason, let your group and me know. Missing multiple sessions can result in a loss of points (there will be a group evaluation at the end of the quarter).

Grading

The following grading scale will be used throughout the semester:

95% or higher: 4.0

85: 3.2

93-94: 3.9

84: 3.1

91-92: 3.8

83: 3.0

90: 3.7

82: 2.9

89: 3.6

81: 2.8

88: 3.5

80: 2.7

87: 3.4

79: 2.6

86: 3.3

78: 2.5

Although this is a composition class, I will not be necessarily grading your work on your spelling/punctuation/grammar/syntax/etc. “Good writing” is so much more than that. Instead, I will be focusing more on your abilities to research, analyze, and ultimately create technical communication genres. Your grades will be determined in a more labor-based system. You will not be graded on the “perfection” of your work, but on the rigor of your work and how much you attempted to follow the expectations. We will build grading contracts for each sequence so you will know exactly what I will be looking for.

Cancelled Office Hours

On the rare occasion I need to cancel office hours, I will let you know through email before the office hours begin. Be sure to check your email every day before office hours to make sure nothing has changed.

Syllabus Resources

English Department Statement of Values

The UW English Department aims to help students become more incisive thinkers, effective communicators, and imaginative writers by acknowledging that language and its use is powerful and holds the potential to empower individuals and communities; to provide the means to engage in meaningful conversation and collaboration across differences and with those with whom we disagree; and to offer methods for exploring, understanding, problem solving, and responding to the many pressing collective issues we face in our world—skills that align with and support the University of Washington’s mission to educate “a diverse student body to become responsible global citizens and future leaders through a challenging learning environment informed by cutting-edge scholarship.”

As a department, we begin with the conviction that language and texts play crucial roles in the constitution of cultures and communities.  Our disciplinary commitments to the study of language, literature, and culture require of us a willingness to engage openly and critically with questions of power and difference. As such, in our teaching, service, and scholarship we frequently initiate and encourage conversations about topics such as race, immigration, gender, sexuality, and class.  These topics are fundamental to the inquiry we pursue.  We are proud of this fact, and we are committed to creating an environment in which our faculty and students can do so confidently and securely, knowing that they have the backing of the department.

Towards that aim, we value the inherent dignity and uniqueness of individuals and communities. We aspire to be a place where human rights are respected and where any of us can seek support. This includes people of all ethnicities, faiths, genders, national origins, political views, and citizenship status; nontheists; LGBQTIA+; those with disabilities; veterans; and anyone who has been targeted, abused, or disenfranchised.

Academic Integrity

The University takes academic integrity very seriously. Behaving with integrity is part of our responsibility to our shared learning community. If you’re uncertain about if something is academic misconduct, ask me. I am willing to discuss questions you might have.

In general, acts of academic misconduct may include but are not limited to:

  • Cheating (working collaboratively on quizzes/exams and discussion submissions, sharing answers and previewing quizzes/exams)
  • Plagiarism (representing the work of others as your own without giving appropriate credit to the original author(s))
  • Unauthorized collaboration (working with each other on assignments)

However, concerns about these or other behaviors prohibited by the Student Conduct Code will be referred for investigation and adjudication by (include information for specific campus offices).

Students found to have engaged in academic misconduct may receive a zero on the assignment (or other possible outcome).

Access and Accommodations

Your experience in this class is important to me. If you have already established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS) Links to an external site., please communicate your approved accommodations to me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss your needs in this course.

If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), you are welcome to contact DRS at 206-543-8924 or uwdrs@uw.edu or disability.uw.edu.  Links to an external site.DRS offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities and/or temporary health conditions.  Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you, your instructor(s) and DRS.  It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law.

Religious Accommodations

Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy Links to an external site..  Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form Links to an external site..

Title IX

Sex- and gender-based violence and harassment: Links to an external site. UW, through numerous policies Links to an external site., prohibits sex- and gender-based violence and harassment, and we expect students, faculty, and staff to act professionally and respectfully in all work, learning, and research environments. For support, resources, and reporting options related to sex- and gender-based violence or harassment, visit the UW Title IX webpage Links to an external site., specifically the Know Your Rights & Resources Links to an external site. guide.

If you disclose information to me about sex- or gender-based violence or harassment, I will connect you (or the person who experienced the conduct) with confidential and/or private resources who can best provide support and options. Please note that some senior leaders and other specified employees have been identified as “Officials Required to Report Links to an external site..” If an Official Required to Report learns of possible sex- or gender-based violence or harassment, they are required to call SafeCampus and report all the details they have in order to ensure that the person who experienced harm is offered support and reporting options.

Notice to Students - Use of Plagiarism Detection Software

Notice: The University has a license agreement with SimCheck, an educational tool that helps prevent or identify plagiarism from Internet resources. Your instructor may use the service in this class by requiring that assignments are submitted electronically to be checked by SimCheck. The SimCheck Report will indicate the amount of original text in your work and whether all material that you quoted, paraphrased, summarized, or used from another source is appropriately referenced.