FIRST 8-WEEKS (SPRING 2006)

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Week 1 First 8 weeks	Jan 9 Classes start @ 4pm	Jan 10 -Introduction to class, peers, syllabi -PowerPoint -Assign Intro Memo (show ex), Chpt 1 & 2 -Email List	Jan 11 -Read Intro Memos -Chpt 2 & 4 in class	Jan 12 -Intro to Project 1: Fake Company: name, logo, motto, & letterhead -Bring in resume info on Monday -Fill out Pink Sheet about Fake Company	Jan 13 -Document Design (Chpt 6) -More Fake Company: ad, etc… -Read Chpt 5 for Mon
Week 2	Jan 16 -No Classes, -Martin Luther King Jr	Jan 17 -Intro to Project 2: Job Packet/Scann-able Resumes	Jan 18 -WORK DAY for Project 2: Job Packet	Jan 19 -PROJECT 2 DUE AT END OF CLASS -Exercises on Memos (Ch. 2 #5, Ch.3 #1) -Read Chpt 8 for Fri (225-242)	Jan 20 -Intro to Project 3: Interviewing -Sign up for Interviews -Hand in Memo Ex
Week 3	Jan 23 -Introduce Project 4: Short Report (Chpt 8) [Options: Progress on You or Fake Company] (Ch.8 #4?)	Jan 24 -Interviews on second floor of Library -Work day for Project 4 outside of class	Jan 25 -Interviews on second floor of Library -Work day for Project 4 outside of class	Jan 26 -No class: Watch your interview at the library -Work on Project 4	Jan 27 -WORK DAY for Project 4
Week 4	Jan 30 -PROJECT 4 DUE AT END OF CLASS -Fake Company Situation (Memo)	Jan 31 -Fake Company Situation (Email) -If done early, work on Mid-Term Letter	Feb 1 -Intro to Business Letters (Ch. 4 #6) -Fake Company Situation (Business Letters) -If done early, work on Mid-Term Letter	Feb 2 -Presentations of Mid-Term Letters -Read Chpt 7 for Fri -Interview #1 Summary due Feb 27	Feb 3 -Intro to Project 5: Instructions & Description of Mechanisms w/Demonstration -Worksheets? on Chpt 7
Week 5	Feb 6 -WORK DAY on Project 5 -Sign up for Demonstrations	Feb 7 -Hand in Practice Instructions/Description -Work on Project 5: Final Instructions & Description	Feb 8 -No Class: Instructor at a conference -Work on Project 5 on own time/Find someone to interview (Project 3)	Feb 9 -No Class: Instructor at a conference -Work on Project 5 on own time/Find someone to interview	Feb 10 -No Class: Instructor at a conference -Work on Project 5 on own time/Find someone to interview
Week 6	Feb 13 -No Class: Instructor at a conference	Feb 14 -PROJECT 5: Final Instructions & Descriptions DUE AT END OF CLASS	Feb 15 -Project 5 Demonstrations in or out of class	Feb 16 -Project 5 Demonstrations in or out of class -Read Chpt 8 (242-255) for Fri	Feb 17 -Intro to Project 6: Proposal
Week 7	Feb 20 -No Class: President’s Day	Feb 21 -WORK DAY for Project 6: Proposal	Feb 22 -WORK DAY for Project 6: Proposal	Feb 23 -PROJECT 6 DUE BY END OF CLASS	Feb 24 -Project 3: Interview someone in your field
Week 8	Feb 27 -Work on interview summaries -PROJECT 3 DUE BY END OF CLASS	Feb 28 -Web Site Setup & Design (Chpt 6)? -Intro to PROJECT 7: Portfolio	March 1 -WORK DAY for Project 7: Portfolio -If done, work on Fake Company presentation (Ch. 10)	March 2 -WORK DAY for Portfolio -If done, work on Fake Company presentation (Ch. 10)	March 3 -PORTFOLIO DUE/Group Work in class for Fake Company
Week 9 Finals Week	March 6 -PROJECT 1 DUE: Presentations of Fake Companies	March 7 -TBA	March 8 -TBA	March 9 -TBA	March 10 -TBA
Week 10	March 13 SPRING BREAK	March 14 First 8 week grades due	March 15 SPRING BREAK	March 16 SPRING BREAK	March 17 SPRING BREAK

*The above daily schedule is not set in stone. Updates will be in given in class and on the instructor’s teaching weblog. Attending class regularly will keep you up-to-date on assignment changes, due date changes, and other announcements.
SECOND 8-WEEKS (SPRING 2006)

8-8:50am MTWRF

Week 1	March 20 -Introduction to class, peers, syllabi -PowerPoint -Assign Intro Memo (show ex), Ch 1 & 2	March 21 -Read Intro Memos -Begin Project 1: Fake Company -Fill out Pink Sheet about Fake Company -Bring in resume info on Thursday	March 22 -More Fake Company: ad, etc… -Read Chpt 5 for Thurs	March 23 -Intro to Project 2: Job Packet/Scann-able Resumes (start on Job Desc & Company Summary)	March 24 -No Class: Instuctor at Online Training -Find resume stuff over weekend
Week 2	March 27 -WORK DAY for Project 2: Job Packet	March 28 -WORK DAY for Project 2: Job Packet	March 29 -Project 2 DUE at end of class time -Read Chpt 8 for Fri (225-242)	March 30 -Introduce Project 4: Short Report (Chpt 8) (Ch. 8 #5?)	March 31 -WORK DAY for Project 4
Week 3	April 3 -WORK DAY on Project 4	April 4 -WORK DAY on Project 4 -Sign up for Interviews next week -Read Chpt 3 for Wed	April 5 -PROJECT 4 DUE at beginning of class -Introduce Project 3 -Memo Exercises (Ch. 2 #5, Ch.3 #1)	April 6 -No Class: Instructor at Speech Contest -Prepare for Interview	April 7 -No Class: Instructor at a conference -Prepare for Interview
Week 4	April 10 -No Class: Interviews on second floor of Library [8-10/2-4] -Work on Memo Ex -Interview someone in your field	April 11 -No Class: Interviews on second floor of Library [8-10/1-4] -Work on Memo Ex -Interview someone in your field	April 12 -No Class: Watch Interviews at Library -Read Chpt 7 for Thurs -Memo Ex due tomorrow -Interview #2	April 13 -Hand In Memo Ex -Introduce Project 5 -Worksheets? on Chpt 7	April 14 No Class -Easter
Week 5	April 17 No Class -Easter	April 18 -WORK DAY on Project 5	April 19 -Work on Project 5 -Practice Documents due	April 20 -WORK DAY on Project 5	April 21 -No Class: Instructor at a conference -Watch Interviews -Work on Project 5
Week 6	April 24 -Project 5: Final Instructions & Descriptions DUE at end of class time -Read Chpt 8 (242-255)	April 25 -Introduce Project 6: Proposal	April 26 -WORK DAY on Project 6: Proposal	April 27 -WORK DAY on Project 6: Proposal	April 28 -Project 6 DUE by end of class time
Week7	May 1 -Work on interview someone in your field -Project 3 DUE by end of class time	May 2 -Web Site Setup & Design (Chpt 6)? -Intro to PROJECT 7: Portfolio	May 3 -WORK DAY for Project 7: Portfolio -If done, work on Fake Company presentation (Ch. 10)	May 4 -WORK DAY for Portfolio -If done, work on Fake Company presentation (Ch. 10)	May 5 -Portfolio DUE at class time/Group Work in class for Fake Company
Week 8 Finals Week	May 8 -Presentations of Fake Companies (all of class time)	May 9 -TBA	May 10 -TBA	May 11 -TBA	May 12 -TBA

*The above daily schedule is not set in stone. Updates will be in given in class and on the instructor’s teaching weblog. Attending class regularly will keep you up-to-date on assignment changes, due date changes, and other announcements.

SECOND 8-WEEKS: SPRING 2006

3-4pm MTWR

Week 1	March 20 -Introduction to class, peers, syllabi -Assign Intro Memo (show ex)	March 21 -Read Intro Memos -Begin Project 1: Fake Company -Fill out Pink Sheet about Fake Company	March 22 -Fake Company: name, logo, motto, & letterhead -Bring in resume info on Thursday -Read Chpt 2 & 8 for Thursday	March 23 -Finish up Fake Company stuff (hand in Pink Sheets) -Introduce Project 2	March 24
Week 2	March 27 -WORK DAY for Project 2: Job Packet	March 28 -Work Day for Project 2: Job Packet	March 29 -Project 2 DUE at end of class time -Read beginning of Chpt 8 for Thursday	March 30 -Introduce Project 4: Short Report (Chpt 4) -Work on Project 4	March 31
Week 3	April 3 -WORK DAY for Project 4	April 4 -WORK DAY for Project 4 -Sign up for Interviews	April 5 -Project 4 DUE at end of class time -Introduce Project 3 -Introduce Memo Ex	April 6 -No Class: Instructor at a Speech Contest -Prepare for Interview -Memo Exercises	April 7
Week 4	April 10 -No Class: Interviews on Second Floor of Library [8-10/2-4] -Memo Exercises -Work on interview someone in your field	April 11 -No Class: Interviews on Second Floor of Library [8-10/1-4] -Memo Exercises -Work on interview someone in your field	April 12 -No Class: Watch interviews at Library -Read Chpt 7 for April 13 -Work on Memo Ex -Work on interview someone in your field	April 13 -Memo Exercises DUE -Introduce Project 5: -Worksheets on Chpt 7?	April 14
Week 5	April 17 No Class -Easter	April 18 -Work on Project 5 -Practice Documents due at the end of class time	April 19 -WORK DAY on Project 5	April 20 -WORK DAY on Project 5	April 21
Week 6	April 24 -Project 5: Final Instructions & Descriptions DUE at end of class time	April 25 -Intro to Project 6: Proposal	April 26 -WORK DAY on Project 6	April 27 -WORK DAY on Project 6 -Work on interview someone in your field	April 28
Week7	May 1 -Project 6 DUE by end of class time -Project 3: Interview #2 DUE by end of class time	May 2 -Intro to Project 7: Portfolio -Web Site Design & Set-up?	May 3 -WORK DAY for Portfolio -If done, work on Fake Company presentation	May 4 -No Class: Agawasie Day -Work on Portfolios & Fake Company Presentations outside of class	May 5
Week 8 Finals Week	May 8 -Project 1 DUE: Presentations of Fake Companies (all of class time) -Project 7: Portfolios DUE at the end of class time	May 9 -TBA	May 10 -TBA	May 11 -TBA	May 12

NORTH DAKOTA STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE

TECHNICAL COMMUNICATIONS 105

Contact Information:

Instructor’s Name- Sybil Priebe

Instructor’s Email- sybil.priebe@ndscs.edu

Instructor’s Website- www.sybilpriebe.com

Instructor’s Weblog- www.xanga.com/teacher47

Office- Haverty 223

Office Phone- (701) 671-2346

Office Hours- Before Spring Break: __________

After Spring Break: __________

Course Description:

This course concentrates on business correspondence, informal report writing, technical communication, job preparation, and oral presentation.

Course Focus:

This course is designed to strengthen a student’s background in writing business and technical communication. Students will also gain the knowledge to present oral information to audiences with varying levels of technical expertise.

Text and Materials:

>The book you need is by Philip C. Kolin. It’s called: Successful Writing At Work (the Concise Edition), and it was published by Houghton Mifflin in 2006.

>Two 3.5” computer disks or a USB storage device

>An email address (the school’s or otherwise – Yahoo!, Hotmail, etc)

Class Rules:

1.When you miss class, you will be “missing something important.” Please make sure to sign the sign-in sheet; I will count you absent if you forget. Be responsible.

2.Respect each others’ writing, opinions, responses, and property. Harassment of any kind

will not be tolerated. I reserve the right as an instructor to ask anyone to leave the classroom if they are being disruptive or rude.

3.Packing up your things before class time is over is disrespectful. Please wait until I dismiss the class.

4.Respect goes both ways. If you are talking, I will listen (as will the rest of the class).

If I am talking, I’d like all of you to listen. Once again, I reserve the right as an instructor to ask anyone to leave the classroom if they are being disruptive or rude.

7.Turn off cell phones.

8.Be on time. You may not get to sign the sign-in sheet if you are late; this will result in an unexcused absence.

Attendance:

>Attendance is crucial to understanding all of the course materials and to earning a passing grade.

>Students with excused absences (illness with a doctor’s note, school-sponsored activities, military duty, or family emergencies) have two weeks to make up missed assignments.

>If a student misses 5 class periods due to unexcused absences, 10 points will be deducted from his/her final points. If a student misses 7 class periods, 20 points will be deducted from his/her total points. If a student were to miss 9 or more class periods, he/she would receive an F for the course.

>Class Participation Points will be awarded for attendance (and completing actual academic work) on WORK DAYS. Missing these days can hurt students’ grades due to the attendance policy (if it’s an unexcused absence); an absence also causes a deduction in Class Participation Points. [Ex: If we have ten WORK DAYS throughout the eight weeks, then each WORK DAY will be worth 10 points. Missing three of these days results in a reduction in 30 points whether the absence is excused or not.]

Late Work:

Late work will not be accepted. If you are going to be gone on a due date, arrange to hand in

the assignment earlier or talk to me about other arrangements. [Employers will not accept

late reports, so this is why the rule is in place.] If you are absent on a due date with an unexcused reason and do not arrange to hand in the assignment earlier, there will be no extensions. For example, if you skip class due to “illness” without a doctor’s note, you may not turn in the project the next day. The project will receive zero points.

Students with Disabilities:

Any student with disabilities or special needs, who requires special accommodations in this

course, is invited to share concerns or requests with me as soon as possible.

Plagiarism:

If any amount of plagiarism is found in a student’s paper (copying from the internet without quotations or parenthetical citations, copying parts or whole pages from another student, or any other sign of plagiarism), that student will be subject to disciplinary action which could result in no credit for the paper or a complete revision of the paper with a large reduction in points. If a student repeatedly plagiarizes, more severe actions will take place.

Assignments and Point Breakdown:

1000 Points = TOTAL AMOUNT OF POINTS POSSIBLE in this class.

50 Points = PROJECT 2: Job Packet: 1Resume, Application Letter, Follow-Up Letter, Job Description, and Summary of a Company they may want to work for someday. [10 pts Resume, 10 points per Letter, 10 pts for Job Des, & 10pts for Summary).

100 Points = PROJECT 3: Interviews. One interview will be done of the student, and the student will conduct one interview with someone in their field.

50 Points = PROJECT 4: Short Report.

100 Points = PROJECT 5: Instructions & Description of a Mechanism.

100 Points = PROJECT 6: Proposal.

100 Points = CLASS PARTICIPATION ON WORK DAYS: Showing up on these days AND doing work

related to class will get students a checkmark for the day. At the end of the semester, the work days’ individual points will be calculated by dividing the total amount of Work Days into 100. For example, if we have 10 Work Days for this 8-week period, then each Work Day will have counted for 10 points. Students not coming to class on Work Days or coming to class but not working on class-related items will not receive points towards the Class Participation total.

100 Points = DAILY ASSIGNMENTS: Sometimes, 10-20

point assignments will be due during class time. For example, the Memo Exercises.

100 Points = TBA.

Details of Assignments:

>Project 1: Fake Company documents and Final Presentation- The connecting theme throughout the

entire semester will be the fake company. In groups of no more than three students, a fake company will be created along with documents that a company must possess such as a logo, motto, job descriptions, organizational charts, etc. These documents will be created by students and revised by students throughout the semester. At the end of the semester, a Final Presentation will be given by the group of students “showing off” their company and all of its documents (ads, charts, business cards, logo, motto, letterhead, etc). The group will put together a Power Point Presentation showing off their documents to the class.

>Project 2: Job Packet- Students will create one resume, application/cover letter, follow-up letter, find

a job description, and complete a company summary. [Ch.5]

>Project 3: Interviews- After completion of this course, students will have tested their

interviewing skills through one “fake” interview. The interview will be videotaped, and students will get to view themselves afterwards and critically analyze what they did well in the interview as well as what they could have done better. The second interview will consist of students interviewing someone in their field either face-to-face or via email. In order to prove students have conducted the interview, either the student needs to print off the email or have the person sign the interviewing notes. Both interviews must be accompanied by summaries in order to receive full credit. [Ch.5]

>Project 4: Short Report- Students will have the option of creating a short progress (234) report

for their Fake Companies. Students, however, will not have to create a transmittal memo for this short report. Possible Topics for these reports include (but are not limited to): new store location, going online with the company, creating a catalog, expansion of new shop/store, expansion of services and/or products, changing of services and/or products, new employees to hire, updating shop or store with replacement of fixtures, etc… [Ch.8: 225-242]

>Project 5: Instructions & Description of a Mechanism- Students will create a batch of Instructions

(Chpt 7) to accompany a Description of a Mechanism (Handout). Following these two items, students will complete a demonstration (in their shop or in the classroom). This project consists of students doing a round of writing, a final round of writing, and, possibly, an oral demonstration.

>Project 6: Proposal- Students will propose an idea, an action, etc. Possible topics include: proposing a

new parking system on campus, proposing a new class, proposing a new major, proposing the addition of some building on campus, proposing a new ____ or the revision of _______... [Ch.8: 242-257]

>Individual Professional Portfolio- This portfolio will be a representation of all of the

finalized documents students will create and revise throughout the semester. The portfolio should be contained in a professional-looking folder and contain specific documents (which have been revised thoroughly) as required by the instructor as well as larger projects such as proposals and reports.

Grade Scale

900-1000 pts = A

800-899 pts = B

700-799 pts = C

600-699 pts = D

599 and below = F

Keep Track of Grades Here:

Assignment	Due Date	Student’s Score
:: Intro Memo [20]
:: Project 2 [50]
:: Memo Exercises [20]
:: Project 4 [50]
:: Project 5 [100]
:: Project 6 [100]
:: Project 3 [100]
:: Project 7 [200]
:: Project 1 [100]
:: Other Daily Work [60]	TBA
:: TBA Activity [100]	TBA
:: Class Participation [100]	N/A
TOTAL POINTS = 1000		TOTAL out of 1000=