Professional Writing ENGL 4000.

01
TR 1:00-2:00
Business &

Des Peres 208

ENGL 4000.05
TR 4:10-5:15
Des Peres 212

SAINT LOUIS
UNIVERSITY
FALL 2017

Course Description & Objectives

In this course, we work with a work. Together we will create a which you will write as a
real-world client to deliver range of professional professional.
our collaborative projects on- documents contributing to our Develop the rhetorical
time and with an eye toward class project and real-world strategies necessary for
professionally design. client to develop and refine our writing and speaking
professional identities. Finally, persuasively in professional
ENGL 4000 is an interactive we will move into an and public settings.
experience of learning to application of our professional Gain more control over the
communicate clearly and writing in the creation of a style and form of your
efficiently with business collaborative media kit writing in order to adapt it
professionals in ways that will designed to communicate to new and different
allow you to understand across various media, both circumstances.
important issues that will affect written and technological. Be a more accurate,
your life and career. This course precise and perceptive
works on the premise that in Upon successful completion of editor of your own writing
addition to communicating this course, students will be able and the writing of others.
clearly and efficiently to do the following:
coordinating projects and Use writing to explore
deadlines, working personal and professional Whats in this syllabus?
collaboratively, scheduling values, goals, and
perspectives. How to take the course 2
meetings, reporting your
progressyou will also be Understand how writing and Requirements 2
communicating the values of editing function in realistic
Grading 3
your employer and/or yourself professional settings and
situations, in order to Policies 3
as an employee, always
articulating the value of your understand the context(s) in Schedule 4
Fine Print 6

Website: https://witcherengl4000.wordpress.com
Course
Required Text: Kolin, Philip C. Successful Writing at Work. 11th ed. Cengage,
Details 2015. (ISBN: 97811305667617)
how to take wading snorkeling scuba diving
this course
Its not what you get Youll get the basic You have a grasp of You want to go
in this course, its how
outlines, the the basics & want to deeper, using the
deep you go. People
take 4000 for a lot of highlights, the main explore below the tools youve gained
reasons, usually ideas; surface-level surface as a focused critical
variations on its knowledge Maybe youve taken thinker
required. Theres nothing wrong similar courses before. Experienced? You
with the shallows; this You already know that invite collaboration &
Its entirely possible to may work if 4000 is 4000 will involve outside of the box
pass the class (C) outside of your major. collaboration & thinking.
without being invested, dedication.
but it would be a Waders assume the Divers go above &
shame. This course textbook, documents, Snorkelers are ready beyond, filling the gaps
operates on 3 levels. and professor tell the to engage the client & in the course and
Imagine that the same story. They are their teammates to making expectations
course is the ocean. mainly concerned with deliver professional & reality. They are
Go as deep as youre WHAT they need to do well-designed projects. passionate and want
willing to pass. They are interested in to know WHY the client
HOW to address the matters and HOW to
Course Requirements clients needs. meet their needs.

This course requires reading, into that market. In the second Assignment 2: Managerial Docs
writing, and group discussion. It assignment, you will practice (10%)
is fast-paced and deadline- composing a diverse set of This project includes a job ad,
driven. All work should be correspondence: job ad, announcement, & news
polished and client- announcement letter, and a release.
presentable. You will need to press release. Finally, in the third
put in consistent effort assignment, you will act in the Assignment 3: Apps & Interviews
throughout the entire semester. role of job-seeker, as well as (20%)
Youll need to speak up in class interviewer. Youll enact the roles of job
and demonstrate active seeker-& employer. Craft a
learning. Learning is not a In the final portion of the class, resume & cover letter; perform
spectator sport. you will embark on a marketing an interview.
campaign that fulfills your
This course will ask you to proposal. This campaign will ask Assignment 4: Deliverables
complete four major you to put into practice all the (45%)
assignments, all of which are forms of business and This assignment includes a
meant to introduce you to professional writing through the media kit (20%), trend analysis
various aspects of the business creation of a trend analysis and (15%), and oral presentation
and professional world. In the media kit. (10%).
business world, teamwork is key,
so in this class youll be asked to Attendance & Daily Work (10%) Your Instructor:
work collaboratively with your This includes active discussion, Dr. Heather Bozant Witcher
classmates to complete the individual conferences & in-
assignments. The first three class assignments. Office: Adorjan 222
assignments will build off of one e-mail: [email protected]
another, using a real-world Assignment 1: Proposal (15%) Email is the preferred way to
class client as a starting point. Your group will deliver an reach me.
For the first assignment, you will assessment & proposal for
choose a vertical market and Convergint Technologies.
Office Hours: T 2-3; W 12-2,
offer a proposal for entering
and by appointment
 The grading scale used for this course is:
Questions about a grade you
A 100-94 C+ 79-77 received? Want help improving your
A- 93-90 C 76-73 writing or collaborative process?
Grading B+ 89-87 C- 72-70 Come and see me. We can meet
B 86-83 D 69-60 during my office hours or you can
B- 82-80 F 59 and below schedule an appointment.

Policies
Turning in Assignments/Late Work absence, your final course average will
Assignments are be lowered by 3 points for each new
due when they are absence. So, if you have five
due. Late work will unexcused absences, you lose 6 points
not be accepted from your final average. In that case, if
and will result in a your average were an 84, it would then
failed grade unless become a 78. POLICIES
there is an emergency, which, of
course, requires documentation. If for This may seem draconian, but missing
OVERVIEW
some reason you feel you cannot two weeks of the course is a significant
complete an assignment by the problem. Moreover, part of the goal for Late Work:
provided due date, please speak with this course is to acculturate you to In the business world,
me well in advance of when the university life, which demands a much getting work done on
assignment is due, and we can discuss greater degree of personal time should be a
whether alternative arrangements can responsibility. (And as a wise man once priority. Late work will
be made. said, 90% of life is showing up.) not be accepted and
will result in a failed
The work for this course is carefully Be aware that I will not check with you grade.
sequenced and will grow out of when you have reached your three
ongoing class work and homework allowed absencesit is your Attendance:
assignments. Staying on top of these responsibility to keep track. However, I Do you show up to
assignments, completing them reserve the right to contact your your other classes
diligently, and turning them in on time academic advisor(s) if your absences and obligations? Do
are crucial for your success in this the allowed number. Excused absences the same here. The
course. (which wont count against your total) fastest way to fail this
include religious holidays, participation course is to not show
Attendance in SLU-sponsored activities, civic up. You have 3
This is an English responsibilities, and weather-related unexcused absences;
Department Policy. emergencies. If you find that you will be afterwards, you lose 3
Regular attendance is absent for an extended period due to points from your
expected, and is illness or a family crisis, you should overall average for
fundamental to your success in this contact the office of the Dean of each new absence.
class. Being in class and on time,* Students, who will then contact me. If
working constructively with your you find yourself in one of these Tardiness:
classmates, and taking part in class situations, I will do my best to work with Dont do it.
discussions are all equally important. you, but an excessive number of 3 late arrivals = 1
Because it is so important for your absences for any reason will make it unexcused absence.
success in the course, the Writing difficult for you to complete the course.
Program has instituted a program-wide
attendance and tardiness policy. *Note on Tardiness: If you cannot arrive on
You may have three unexcused time, please consider taking a different
section. For each group of 3 late arrivals,
absences over the course of the
youll receive one unexcused absence.
semester. Starting with your fourth
Schedule *This course is designed to
meet the students needs. For
DATE TOPICS ASSIGNMENT DUE (TO BE COMPLETED this reason, the schedule is
BY CLASS) subject to change.

8/29 Course Intro

8/31 Rebranding Read: SWAW Chapter 1 (focus
primarily on p. 11-37) & Chapter 3
SYLLABUS
OVERVIEW
9/5 Rebranding Read: SWAW Chapter 13; review For each class, you will
Convergint website and social media have a reading assignment
sites or you will be responsible
for researching and
9/7 Rebranding Read: SWAW Chapter 9, p. 372-389; composing your
assignments.
Begin research for proposal (best
practices, prices and services; scout You need to keep up with
the competition: Create a list of the readings on your own. I
competitors, including regional and consider the textbook as
national competition). background readingin
other words, read it before
9/12 Rebranding Convergint Representative Visit class, and if it covers new
Jim Gross; Continue research. or unfamiliar territory, re-
9/14 Rebranding Workshop read and study it more
closely on your own time.
Quizzes: I expect you to
9/19 Rebranding RFI opens. Workshop
come to class prepared
9/21 Managerial Docs Read: SWAW Chapters 4 & 5; to discuss the
Begin thinking about the individuals assignments and projects
youll need to hire to get your assignments thoughtfully.
proposal done. Make a list of job titles Nobody likes pop quizzes;
and descriptions, and bring in at least the best way to avoid
2 job ads for companies hiring those them is to come
positions. RFI closes. prepared and regularly
engage in class
9/26 Managerial Docs 1_Rebranding Proposals Due discussion.
Read: SWAW Chapter 9, p. 390-392
and Chapter 2 (focus on editing, p.
59-68)

9/28 Managerial Docs 2_Job Ad Rough Drafts due

Peer ReviewJob Ads
WorkshopNews Letter &
Announcement Letter

10/3 Managerial Docs RFI opens. Workshop

10/5 Managerial Docs Workshop
2_Managerial Docs Due by midnight

10/10 App Materials Read: SWAW Chapter 7, p. 236-288

(stop at Interview)
10/12 App Materials Read: SWAW Chapter 7, p. 288-296
RFI closes.
10/17 10am-2pm: Midterm Conferences in ADJ 222 (Jim Gross
will be available.
SYLLABUS
10/19 Midterm Conferences in ADJ 222 OVERVIEW2
This course revolves around
10/24 Fall BreakNo Class Prepare for Interviews practical engagement.
10/26 Interviews 3_Interviews Day 1 (RFI opens) Youre tasked with
deadlines and client
10/31 Interviews 3_Interviews Day 2 responsibility. Youre
representing SLU, so dont
3_Application Materials due in Drive
make us look bad!
by midnight
11/2 Interview De-Brief Read: SWAW Chapter 7, p. 296 Because the class is hands
Media Kit SWAW Chapter 10 on, the majority of our
time in class will be
11/7 Media Kit Read: SWAW Chapter 11 workshopping your
11/9 Media Kit Readings for Media Kit on Course projects. Youll use class
Website time to consult and create
with your groups.
11/14 Media Kit Workshop
Participation: Im not
11/16 No ClassInstructor out of town
looking for a certain
*Note: There are only 3 class periods leftconsider meeting with
number of comments
your group to finalize your trend analysis, leaving the remaining
per class period to
classes for your media kit
achieve a perfect
participation score, so
11/21 Media Kit Workshop (RFI closes.) please dont ask me for
11/23 Thanksgiving BreakNo Class this magic number.
Rather, I am looking for
12/5 Media Kit 4_Trend Analysis Due genuine engagement
Informal Presentations to class and sincere effort in all
12/7 Media Kit Workshop activities. Failure to
actively participate on
12/14 3-6pm Presentations to Jim Gross a consecutive basis will
result in the lowering of
your final grade by an
12/ 14 4-5:50pm ENGL 4000.05 Final Exam; entire letter grade.
4_Media Kits Due

12/ 19 12-1:50pm ENGL 4000.01 Final Exam;

4_Media Kits Due
The Fine Print
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is honest, truthful and responsible conduct in all academic endeavors. The
mission of Saint Louis University is "the pursuit of truth for the greater glory of God and for the service of
humanity." Accordingly, all acts of falsehood demean and compromise the corporate endeavors of
teaching, research, health care, and community service via which SLU embodies its mission. The
University strives to prepare students for lives of personal and professional integrity, and therefore
regards all breaches of academic integrity as matters of serious concern.

The governing University-level Academic Integrity Policy was adopted in Spring 2015, and can be
accessed on the Provost's Office website at:
http://www.slu.edu/Documents/provost/academic_affairs/University-
wide%20Academic%20Integrity%20Policy%20FINAL%20%206-26-15.pdf

Additionally, each SLU College, School, and Center has adopted its own academic integrity policies,
available on their respective websites. All SLU students are expected to know and abide by these
policies, which detail definitions of violations, processes for reporting violations, sanctions, and
appeals. Please direct questions about any facet of academic integrity to your faculty, the chair of
the department of your academic program, or the Dean/Director of the College, School or Center in
which your program is housed.

Several Internet sites offer students access to the essays of other students for research purposes.
These sites require a student to upload a paper of their own to gain access. All students should know
that if another student plagiarizes using their essay, the original author is liable for a Class B offense:
collusion. Such an offense can result in expulsion from the University.

Title IX Statement
Saint Louis University and its faculty are committed to supporting our students and seeking an
environment that is free of bias, discrimination, and harassment. If you have encountered any form of
sexual misconduct (e.g. sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, domestic or dating violence), we
encourage you to report this to the University. If you speak with a faculty member about an incident
of misconduct, that faculty member must notify SLUs Title IX coordinator, Anna R. Kratky (DuBourg
Hall, room 36; [email protected]; 314-977-3886) and share the basic fact of your experience with her.
The Title IX coordinator will then be available to assist you in understanding all of your options and in
connecting you with all possible resources on and off campus.

If you wish to speak with a confidential source, you may contact the counselors at the University
Counseling Center at 314-977-TALK. To view SLUs sexual misconduct policy and for resources, please
visit the following web address: www.slu.edu/here4you

Student Success Center

In recognition that people learn in a variety of ways and that learning is influenced by multiple
factors (e.g., prior experience, study skills, learning disability), resources to support student success are
available on campus. The Student Success Center, a one-stop shop, which assists students with
academic and career related services, is located in the Busch Student Center (Suite, 331) and the
School of Nursing (Suite, 114). Students who think they might benefit from these resources can find out
more about:
Course-level support (e.g., faculty member, departmental resources, etc.) by asking your
course instructor.
 University-level support (e.g., tutoring services, university writing services, disability services,
academic coaching, career services, and/or facets of curriculum planning) by visiting the
Student Success Center or by going to www.slu.edu/success

Students with Special Needs Disability Services

Students with a documented disability who wish to request academic accommodations are
encouraged to contact Disability Services to discuss accommodation requests and eligibility
requirements. Please contact Disability Services, located within the Student Success Center, at
[email protected] or 314.977.3484 to schedule an appointment. Confidentiality will be
observed in all inquiries. Once approved, information about academic accommodations will be
shared with course instructors via email from Disability Services and viewed within Banner via the
instructors course roster.

Writing Services
Writing Services, housed within Academic Support, is staffed by friendly, experienced consultants,
who help SLU undergraduate students with all writing projects. Whether you are brainstorming or
working on final revisions, whether you feel you are a strong or weak writer, the writing consultants are
eager to serve as your sounding board. Our individualized support fosters strong critical thinking and
rhetorical decision-making. Writing Services has three locations: BSC 331; Pius Library 320-8; and
Nursing Building 114 on the Med Campus. Make an appointment online
(http://www.slu.edu/x34507.xml) or by phone (314-977-3484).

Writing services are available for international students at the English Language Center (ELC), where
consultants are trained to help writers with second-language concerns. In one-on-one consultations,
you can develop strategies to improve your writing at any stage. Consultants can help you with skills
from brainstorming, developing, and organizing your ideas to writing clear sentences, documenting
sources, and polishing the final document. You will find the ELC's help most effective if you schedule
an appointment with sufficient time to revise your work before the assignment is due. To make an
appointment, log on to http://myslu.slu.edu, click the "Tools" tab, and select the "SLU Appointment"
icon.

Course Content Disclaimer

In this course, students may be required to read text or view materials that they may consider
offensive. The ideas expressed in any given text do not necessarily reflect the views of the instructor,
the English Department, or Saint Louis University. Course materials are selected for their historical
and/or cultural relevance, or as an example of stylistic and/or rhetorical strategies and techniques.
They are meant to be examined in the context of intellectual inquiry of the sort encountered at the
university level.