Syllabus Writing 50E: Academic Writing for Engineers Winter 2008 Kelly Simon ----------------------------Contact Information: Email: Phone: Office: Office Hours: Drop Box: Course Information: Class Time: Class Location: Class Webpage: Required Text:
Required Materials:
[email protected] (I can guarantee response to emails on M-F only) 310-405-1719 (cell), 818-780-9711 (home) SH 5432 D Tuesday and Thursday 1-3pm by appointment Call, text, or email for appointment South Hall 1520 TR 3:00 - 4:50 HSSB 1207 http://KellyRSimon.googlepages.com/writ50e "A Guide to Writing as an Engineer" D. Beer and D. McMurrey. 2nd e. ISBN #: 0471430749 Supplemental texts as assigned Regular access to the internet and email and a printer
COURSE REQUIREMENTS Attendance and Punctuality The pace and structure of this course require that you attend all class sessions. Missing more than two classes will seriously impact your grade. Arriving to class late twice will result in an absence. If you do miss a class, you are responsible for finding out what you've missed by checking the course website, making an appointment with me, or by contacting another student in the class, none of which will replace your actual participation in class. If you are absent, I will not respond to emails inquiring about what you've missed in class. Classroom Participation As a course participant, you are expected to engage in all classroom discussion and exercises. You will function as a peer editor to other students as a team player during the various writing activities. Failure to participate in class activities or becoming consistently occupied with activities unrelated to the class will significantly impact your grade. Course Drop Date The drop deadline for this course is January 10th. After this date, you must petition the writing program director to be dropped from the course, and this is often quite difficult! Late Work Late work will not be accepted. Please make every effort to turn in work on time. Class discussions and the flow of the class will depend upon you completing the assigned work since more often than not we will be using the reading and writing work to propel class discussions. So, not completing your homework will not only result in a zero on the assignment, but you will also lose participation points for not being able to actively engage in class discussions.
A Note of Common Electronic Courtesy Please turn your cell phones off when you arrive in class and keep them in your pocket or your bag. Text messaging during class will not be tolerated. If I have to ask you more than once to put your phone or electronic texting device away, you will be marked absent for the class. Computers and cameras will be an important part of the coursework, however, when in class, they should be used for course related work only. Academic Honesty Learning how to incorporate outside materials into your writing effectively is a crucial skill that we will be developing in this course. Any student caught intentionally trying to use another person's work as their own will be seriously reprimanded. A Note for Students with Disabilities If you are a student with a documented disability and would like to discuss special accommodations, please contact me during office hours, after class, or via email. Grading Grading is tri-fold and each part is influenced by your active engagement in class. 1.) Professional Portfolio (40% of Final Grade) o Internship Search o Internship Description o Company Study o Resume o Recommendation Letter Request o Cover Letter o Website/E-portfolio o Course Reflection on your participation and your team member's participation in the group 2.) Team Product Portfolio (40% of Final Grade) o Project Pitch o Gannt Chart o Photo Essay o Materials Analysis o Environmental Impact Report o Progress Report o Business Correspondence (Memo, Email, Letter) o Engineering Redesign Proposal o Press Release o Powerpoint Presentation 3.) Participation (20% of Final Grade) o Cooperative Group Work o Assigned readings completed on time o Regular Attendance and enthusiastic participation o Completed Homework Assignments (as announced) 1.) PROFFESSIONAL PORTFOLIO: The professional portfolio will be completed during the first third of the course, but will be revised through the end of the course. The work in this portfolio is designed to assist you in creating a practical packet of materials for applying to engineering related jobs or internships.
2.) TEAM PORTFOLIO: The goal of the team project is to give you collaborative and practical experience writing in genres that you will likely encounter in the engineering profession. Together your team will select an engineering structure/project in the local Goleta community that has somehow impacted the local society or the way that people operate around it. Your team will research and report upon the structure/feat/object and the people affected by it, eventually suggesting ways that the project could be improved to better serve the local community needs. 3.)PARTICIPATION: Participation in class means actively engaging in small and large group discussions, being prepared with homework as assigned, contributing during in-class activities, asking questions, and polite interaction. COURSE SCHEDULE Note: This is a tentative schedule serving only as an outline, and it will change. Readings and additional homework will be announced as needed. Please note that anything announced in class supercedes what is written below.
WEEK 1 Date January 6th
In Class Introductions to Class
Homework Visit Class webpage
Meeting Space Miramar Lab
Syllabus Distributed Review of Concepts from 2E classes January 8th
Read Handout by Jan. 8th
Writing Sample Summary/Paraphrasing Visit the Career Center, choose five Browse Internship internships that you Opportunities would like to Introduction to pursue, bring to Individual Portfolios class on January 13th
Miramar Lab
Internship Description and summary of Career Center visit due January 13th WEEK 2 Date January 13th
In Class Formatting, Writing, and Adapting Your Resume Analysis and
Homework Company Summaries due January 15th
Meeting Space Miramar Lab
Revision of Sample Resumes
January 15th
Company Studies Announced Write a draft of your resume, due at the end of class for revision suggestions Introduction to Cover Letters Recommendation Request Announced
WEEK 3 Date January 20th
In Class Review Cover Letters and Recommendation Requests Introduction to Team Project
January 22nd
Discuss Reading and Social Affects of Engineering Watch excerpt from video TBA Project pitches Teams decided: discussions of project designs, choose engineering project.
WEEK 4 Date January 27th
In Class Library Research for team project
Write Cover Letter, bring to class on Tuesday, January 20th
Miramar Lab
Bring copy of Recommendation Request to class on January 20th
Homework Write introductory summaries for webpage, post revised resume and sample projects posted by January 29th.
Meeting Space Leadbetter Lab
Project Pitch due January 22nd
Continue working on individual Eportfolio polished draft due January 29th
Miramar Lab
Homework Continue working on individual e-
Meeting Space Miramar Lab
January 29th
Team Photo Essay Announced
portfolio. Revised, polished e-portfolio due in class February 3rd Draft of Photo Essay due in class February 5th.
Miramar Lab
Managing project timelines and producing a Gannt Chart Research for Engineering Project and Photo Essay WEEK 5 Date February 3rd
February 5th
WEEK 6 Date February 10th
In Class Peer Review of Eportfolios
Homework
Continue polishing E-portfolios or work on Photo Essay Photo Essays due Materials Analysis and Environmental Avoiding Plagiarism Impact Reports due in class on February Materials Analysis 10th and Environmental Impact reports announced: Library research
In Class Business Correspondence Announced: Memo, Letter, and Email
Homework Do individual Progress Reports bring to class on February 12th
Materials Analysis and Environmental Impact Reports due
Business Correspondence Due February 12th
Meeting Space Miramar Lab
Miramar Lab
Meeting Space Miramar Lab
February 12th
Progress Reports Announced Progress Reports due
Miramar Lab
Business Correspondence Due
WEEK 7 Date February 17th
In Class Collecting quantitative and qualitative data
Homework Meeting Space Continue research in Miramar Lab the field
Research in the field on Engineering Redesign February 19th
WEEK 8 Date February 24th February 26th
Research in the field Continue research in Miramar Lab on Engineering the field Redesign, continued Redesign proposals due February 26th In Class Press Release Announced Individual Portfolio Critiques
Homework Prepare Individual E-portfolios for Group Critiques Revise E-portfolios
Meeting Space Miramar Lab Miramar Lab
Prepare power point presentations WEEK 9 Date March 3rd
In Class Preparation for Powerpoint Presentations
Homework Work on portfolios
Meeting Space Miramar Lab
March 5th
Revisions of Eportfolios and Team portfolios Preparation for Powerpoint Presentations
Work on portfolios
Miramar Lab
Homework Prepare Portfolios Professional E Portfolios and Team Portfolios Due by midnight tonight
Meeting Space Miramar Lab Miramar Lab
Revisions of Eportfolios and Team portfolios Final wrap up of team project WEEK 10 Date March 10th March 12th
In Class Group Presentations Group Presentations
There is no final for this course. All work will be completed by the final class meeting on March 12th.