GeorgiaSouthern University  WRIT5930/5930G - Technical Writing

Section A, W, 6:30 - 9:15pm
Newton 2211

Fall, 2004
Dr. Janice R. Walker
jwalker@georgiasouthern.edu

Instructor | Course Description | Required Texts | Required Materials | Honesty | Class Listserv | Attendance | Grades | Disclaimer | Assignments
Instructor Information
Dr. Janice R. Walker 
Department of Writing and Linguistics 
Georgia Southern University 
P. O. Box 8026 
Statesboro, GA  30460
Office: Newton 2222-A
Telephone: (912) 871-1327
Office Hours: T/R 3-5 pm, W 4:30-6:30pm
Online Office Hours Fridays, 7-8 pm
Email: jwalker@GeorgiaSouthern.edu
Home Page: http://www.GeorgiaSouthern.edu/~jwalker/
Course Description
This course will focus on the study and authoring of print and electronic documents found in business, engineering, government, scientific, and other technical professions.  Designed for students pursuing a wide variety of majors and for those responsible for training technical communicators, the course will use a hands-on workshop approach to learning the principles of authoring and design for a variety of technical documents, including articles and reports, proposals, presentations, and WWW pages.
Required Texts
Recommended Texts for WRIT5930 and WRIT5930G
Required Materials

You will also need access to a computer with an Internet connection outside of class.  Check the location and schedule of on-campus computing facilities at http://services.georgiasouthern.edu/computing/
 
Honesty
All members of the academic community recognize the necessity of being honest with themselves and with others.  The integrity of the educational experience is diminished by cheating in class, plagiarizing, lying, and employing other methods of deceit or dishonesty.  (See Student Conduct Code for definitions of Academic Dishonesty, including cheating and plagiarizing.)  The need for honest relations among all members of the community is essential.  Students will be held responsible for academic integrity and honesty in all work done in this course.  The instructor retains the right to set the minimum academic penalty for dishonesty in the course.
 
Class Listserv
All students will join, read, and contribute to the class listserv.  You are required to make 10 postings during the semester as stipulated in the schedule of assignments.   You also need to read each other's postings; you will not get credit if you merely repeat information others have already posted.  You may choose to post more than once per week, either responding to other students' posts, asking questions regarding assignments, readings, or class discussions, or discussing topics of interest to the general student population.  Spamming, use of inappropriate language, or posting of inappropriate materials will not be tolerated.  It is your listserv, and as such it is up to you (the students) to police it. 

Postings should be substantive (that is, they should actually have something to say) and should be approximately 250 words in length.  Consider good format for email and they should reflect an awareness of the rhetorical situation of which they are a part.
 
Attendance
Attendance is mandatory.  My attendance policy is firm: no excuses are allowed.  However, missed assignments may be made up.  It is the student's responsibility to find out any assignments or information missed as a result of tardiness or absence.  Please make arrangements with another student early in the semester to ensure that, should you need to be absent, you will still have access to this information.  Late assignments will automatically be lowered one full letter grade, or 10% (again, no excuses; save your creativity for your essays).
 
Grades
Distribution of final grade: 
 
Attendance & Class Participation
Listserv
InterviewAssignment
Proposal
Lead Class Discussion (Group Project)
Rough Drafts
Final Article
 30 pts.
10 pts.
5 pts.
5 pts.
5 pts.
5 pts.
40 pts.
Note: WRIT 5930G (graduate-level) students may have additional assignments; work modules and the semester project will be developed individually in consultation with the instructor. 		 Grades are assigned as follows: 
 
A 
B 
C 
D 
F		  90-100 
 80-89 
 70-79 
 60-69 
 Below 60
 
Disclaimer
All assignments in this syllabus are subject to change, depending on the instructor's assessment of students' needs.  It is the student's responsibility to obtain missed assignments, handouts, changes to the syllabus, and other course-related information.
 
Assignments
The schedule of assignments is a tentative one and is provided for planning purposes only.  Students are expected to check the schedule frequently for changes, and to complete all assigned readings and coursework as shown by the dates listed.  Additional information on assignments may be added to this site and/or discussed in class.  It is the student's responsibility to find out any assignments or information missed as a result of tardiness or absence.  (See also Attendance policy above).

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Last modified 18 July 2004 by Janice R. Walker.

The content of personal and other unofficial home pages is not sanctioned by Georgia Southern University and does not represent official information or opinions of the University. jwalker@georgiasouthern.edu is solely responsible for the contents of this page.