Fall Quarter 16 | 6:10 PM - 7:30 PM MW Olson Hall 27

Lecturer Benjamin | cjbenjamin@ucdavis.edu |Email Me In Canvas

Office: Basement of Shields Library RM 87
Office Hours: T 10:00 - 1:00, W 10:00 - 11:30, R 10:00 - 1:00 & by appt.

What is this class? Writing in the Pro-

Am I ready for this

class?

fessions: Business Writing (4) Lecture/

discussion3 hours; extensive writing. Prerequi
site: course 1 or English 3 or the equivalent and
upper division standing. Business writing prepares students to communicate effectively in and for organizations, including
businesses (corporations), government agencies, and non-profit organizations. This course is particularly suitable for students entering careers that

require substantial communication, such as management, public relations,

and grant writing.

What are the goals of the course Like what am I going to learn/
do here?

Understand differences between academic and professional writing

Examine various writing situations professionals face and analyzing contexts, purposes, and audiences to determine appropriate writing choices
Gain familiarity with genres of business writing, such as emails, instant
messages, memos, letters, proposals, and reports
Employing writing as a process, from researching a problem to organizing
and drafting a document to reviewing, revising, and editing that document
Developing an effective professional tone and style
Employing rhetorical strategies for effective visual and document design
Addressing ethical, cultural, international, and political issues related to
writing
Learning strategies for effective collaboration on large writing projects

Which Materials
Do I Need?

Tebeaux, Elizabeth,
and Sam Dragga. The
Essentials of Technical
Communication 3rd
Edition. Oxford University Press, 2014.
Amazon link.

Satisfactory completion of
the Subject A requirement
and a passing grade in one
of the following: UWP 1,
ENL 3 or its equivalent.
If youre enrolled in the
College of Letters and Science or in the College of
Engineering you must
have completed a minimum of 84 units before
enrolling in UWP 101.
Still not sure? Consult your
academic advisor

But, Im already a
good writer, why is
this class required?
Writing is a skill and an art
that can always be improved.
Furthermore, humans are
writing more now than ever.
Clear, concise, coherent and
persuasive writing is one of
the key skills needed in todays information economy.
This course will help you become an experienced and
marketable writer, so gear up
to practice and refine your
writing skills.

What are the assignments? Think of this class

a consultancy business and yourself as a consultant. This
semester well explore popular business writing genres including job application materials, proposals, progress reports, technical reports, visual design, & oral reports. Youll
work on one large community engagement project with a
group. If groups arent for you, then its recommended you
take another section of 104A.

What are the Job Docs Ill Write? You will be responsible for finding a job ad advertising a position you will be
qualified for once you complete your degree at UC Davis.
Based on the ad, youll draft and write a Resume, Cover
Letter, and Thank You Letter. Youll be responsible thinking
about these documents rhetorically and to use good document design skills.

What is the Community Engagement Project?

The Minnesota Department of Health states: Community
engagement is a type of public participation that involves
people in problem-solving or decision-making processes.
The key ideas from this quote are that a community (a
collective group of people with common goals) convenes
together to investigate an ongoing community problem in
order to influence decision-making. Therefore, the community engagement project, designed specifically for this
course, asks you, as a student, to become an active participant in your community by consulting on a real world,
tangible, community problem, and to communicate that
problem and possible solutions to a real audience. You
will use the tools, skills, and concepts learned in the
course to effectively persuade an audience that the problem you identified is significant and that action should be
taken to solve that problem.
The project consists of a variety of writing assignments
that we will complete step-by-step in order to ensure that
you can be successful as a student and a community member for making societal change. Throughout this project
youll complete these following assignments: Community
Project Brainstorm, Project Proposal, Secondary Research
Progress Report, Primary Research progress report, Visual
Design Deliverable, and Technical Report.

What about the final? The final is an in class exam and

will test your skills/knowledge about professional and business writing incorporating theories, skills, techniques we
studied through the semester.

Which documents will my group and I

be responsible for drafting and submitting during the Community Engagement Project?
Community Project Brainstorm
Project Proposal
Secondary Research Progress Report
Primary Research Progress Report
Visual Design Deliverable
Technical Report

How will my work be assessed?

A

You submit work that

excels at responding to
the assignment requirements. You demonstrate originality and
sophistication. Your
papers are stylistically
accomplished, carefully
edited and free of
grammatical and mechanical errors.

Your work meets all of

the requirements of the
assignment at a high
level. Though your assignment still needs
revision, it presents
complete, appropriate
content, is wellorganized and demonstrates a clear attention
to stylistic issues.

Your work meets the

basic requirements of
the assignment. The
assignment may have
some organizational
lapses, but is logical
overall. The style is
straightforward with a
few lapses, but may be
repetitive or unremarkable.

Your work requires significant revision. Often,

D assignments lack clear
organization, require
further development of
content, and/or have
mechanical and stylistic
errors that impede the
readers understanding

Your work does not respond to the needs of

the assignment. May be
off-topic or incomplete.

Grade Distribution
A+

100-98

4.00

97-95

4.00

A-

94-90

3.70

B+

89-87

3.30

86-84

3.00

B-

83-80

2.70

C+

79-77

2.30

76-74

2.00

C-

73-70

1.70

D+

69-67

1.30

66-64

1.00

D-

63-60

0.70

the class is assessed according to the University Writing Program

Grading Standards. A copy of the full assessment document can
be found here.

59 and below

0.00

How can I be sure I earn a passing grade? Writing is a pro-

What criteria are used to grade my papers? Your work in

cess, you will be required to prepare multiple drafts before a final

will be due. Take your peers and lecturers critiques seriously,
produce multiple drafts, and dont wait until the last minute.
Drafts & reflections will be worth 25%. 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 dont submit a major writing assignment, can I still pass the course? No. All writing assignments 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. Final drafts should include
a reflection about the changes you made from your initial draft to your final draft. The lecturer will also be
checking the revision history in Google Docs. You should work in 1 single Google Doc during the entire assignment.

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 its your turn to talk, be sure your comments positively contribute 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-thetypes-and-severity-of-plagiarism-violations/

Can I turn in late work?

All work is due at the beginning of class on the date 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, uncooperative printers, last-minute technology failures, responsibilities to extra-curricular organizations and activities, a bothersome work schedule, etc.
For all assignments worth more than 5% of the overall grade, late work will be penalized 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 receive 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 participation in the course. Group work and workshopping assignments are essential to your success in this
course.
If you miss more than 2 class periods (1/10 of our class time) your grade will be negatively affected.
If you miss class, email a classmate for material you missed. Do not email the lecturer.

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, multiprogram 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), Mathematics Diagnostic Testing Project, Reentry and
Transfer Student Services, Veterans Affairs
(VA), TRiO Scholars Program, MURALS, International Student Resources, and PreProfessional and Pre-Graduate Advising. In
addition, it employs over 200 students as peer
advisers, student assistants, tutors, and readers. 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 additional support?

This course is meant to be inclusive of individuals of

all abilities.
Please let the lecturer now of how he can be inclusive to your particular abilities.
For additional information on disability services
please visit https://sdc.ucdavis.edu/