GEB 3213 Schedule
Writing in Business
Spring 2007
GEB 3213 Syllabus
GEB 3213 Assignments
GEB 3213 Schedule
GEB 3213 Gradebook
Newsworthy Business Communication:
Instructor: Cathlena Martin
Email: cmartin@english.ufl.edu
Section: 3358
Office: Bryan 125b
Office Hours: Tuesday 11am-2:45pm in the Image Lab on
the 4th floor of Rolfs Hall
Mailbox: 4301 Turlington
Class Times: MW per 9 (4:05-4:55) / lecture T per 10
(5:10-6:00)
Class Room: Matherly 114
Class Website: http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/cmartin
Class Listserv: SPRING-3358-L@lists.ufl.edu
Course Texts
Business and Administrative Communication. 7th edition. Kitty O.
Locker, McGraw-Hill, 2005, combined with Business Writing CPR: 16 Principles
for Writing Virtually Anything Effectively. Jane Douglas.
Course Schedule and Assignments
Unless prefaced with CPR, course reading assignments refer to Business
and Administrative Communication.
All readings are due by Tuesday night.
Week 1: 8-10 January
DISCUSSION 1 (Monday 8)- Course introduction: syllabus, assignments,
materials.
HW- purchase textbook
LECTURE 1 (Tuesday 9) – Introduction to Business Writing.
(F,J)
-Lecture handout: Y2Kpaper and Y2Kmemo.
-Lecture notes are available on Vista
DISCUSSION 2 (Wednesday 10)- Course introduction: introduction to
Vista and the resources; announce Pre-test; review lecture; Diagnostic
writing.
HW- Purchase textbook;
-complete Diagnostic writing (due Tuesday 1-16)
-complete Pre-test in Vista by Friday, January 19th.
READING- Reading for this week: Chapter 1: Business Communication, Management,
and Success (pp. 3-28); Chapter 3: Adapting Your Message to Your Audience
(pp. 58-80).
Online Powerpoint:
Chp 1 and 3
Week 2: 16-22 January (no class Monday the 15th)
READING — Reading for this week: Chapter 17: Résumés
(pp. 490-520), and Appendix C: Making and Communicating Meaning (pp. 615-627).
Online PowerPoint: Communicating
Meaning; Resume FAB
PowerPoint: Communicating Meaning
and Making Your Writing Easy to Read
LECTURE 2 (Tuesday 16)– Writing for Purpose and Audience:
Producing an Effective Resume (F) (lecture
notes will open in powerpoint)
-Diagnostic Memo due (hand in a hard copy at the beginning
of the lecture and email me a copy before class at cmartin@english.ufl.edu).
DISCUSSION 1 (Wednesday 17) – Answer any course questions;
go over assignment requirements; past student
advice; review lecture; discuss email etiquette (page 22).
-Highlight page 12 criteria for effective messages and six questions for
analysis page 24-27.
-Achieving action-oriented business writing. See exercises 1.1, 1.2 (28-31)
(1.2 in online slides).
HW - Take Pre-test in Vista by Friday (1-19) (but I would highly recommend
taking it before Thursday in case Vista crashes);
-Review some job and career websites and bring in a sample job
classified ad Wednesday (1-24).
DISCUSSION 2 (Monday 22)– See exercises 3.3 and 3.5.
- Look at bad examples of memos or e-mails and discuss and rewrite. Bad
examples of memos: make a list of why/what aspects of these 3 memos
are bad and how you would change them.
HW--Review some job and career websites and bring in a sample
job classified ad Wednesday (1-24).
Week 3: 23-29 January
READING - Reading for this week: Chapter 2: Building Goodwill (pp. 34-52)
and Chapter 18: Job Application Letters (pp. 524-543).
Online PowerPoint: Cover
Letters and Goodwill
LECTURE 3 (Tuesday 23)– Business Letters: producing the
Cover Letter (J) (lecture notes will
open in PowerPoint).
DISCUSSION 1 (Wednesday 24)– Discuss job ads and find key
words; Resume analysis and discussion. See
exercises 17.2, 17.3, 17.5 (521-522).
HW - Begin drafting resume by making a list of every possible activity,
honor, membership that could possibly go on your resume. Look at "Getting
Started" if you need some additional help. Then craft list into
formal resume specifically targeting your job ad. Resume draft due
Monday (1-29).
DISCUSSION 2 (Monday 29)– Draft of resume due today.
Exchange drafts and peer
review resumes.
HW – Polish resume; Assignment 1: You will turn in your
final resume with the cover letter on Wednesday (2-7)
-Watch Locker video on Vista, "The Employment Interview" before
Wed (1-31). To find this video on Vista look under "Course Content,"
then click on "Course-Wide Content - Student Center", then click
on "6. Video Presentations," then you'll see a list of videos,
including "The Employment Video."
Week 4: 30 January -5 February
READING - Read Chapter 4: Making Your Writing Easy to Read (pp. 86-109),
Chapter 7: Informative and Positive Messages (pp. 150-168); and Writing
CPR, Chapter 1: Call 911 (pp. 1-3) and Chapter 2: Check for Pulse: Clarity
(pp. 5-14).
Online PowerPoint: Frontloading
and Positive Messages
Online PowerPoint: Clarity and Making your
writing easy to read.
LECTURE 4 (Tuesday 30)– Clear Writing and Good News Messages
(J) (lecture notes will open in powerpoint)
DISCUSSION 1 (Wednesday 31) - Cover
letter analysis and discussion. Goodwill
and Cover letter Powerpoint. See exercises 18.1, 18.2, 18.3 (545-547).
Discuss Locker video "The Employment Interview."
HW- Cover letter draft due Monday (2-5).
- Read Grammar
and Mechanics Guide in PDF.
DISCUSSION 2 (Monday 5)– Exchange drafts and peer
review cover letters.
HW – Use the following PDF questionnaire
to edit and review both of your own documents before you turn them in
Wednesday.
Assignment 1: Final cover letters due Wednesday (2-7).
Turn in the final draft of your cover letter, resume, and job announcement
with the rough draft and peer reviews of your cover letter and resume
and the questionnaire you filled out about your own resume and cover letter.
Paper clip all of these documents together. You should have ten docuements
total.
Be sure and remember to email me your cover letter and resume before class
Wednesday.
Week 5: 6-12 February
READING - Reading for this week: CPR: Chapter 3: Clear Airway: Continuity
(pp. 15-26).
Online PowerPoint: Continutity
LECTURE 5 (Tuesday 6)– Using Continuity in Your Writing.(lecture notes will open in PowerPoint)
DISCUSSION 1 (Wednesday 7)–Frontloading
your message, giving positive information effectively, and writing
for the reader's needs. See exercises 7.1 (169), 7.2 (171), 7.19 (178),
Making Your Writing Easy to Read. See
exercises 4.7—4.14 (111-112).
HW - due Monday (2-12): Making Your Writing Easy to Read pages 111-112
exercises 4.7-4.14. And yes, you need to type out the answers and bring
them to class on Monday.
DISCUSSION 2 (Monday 12)– Go over HW.
-The memo format (Memo Format on page 584-585)
-bad examples of memos: make a list of why/what
aspects of these 3 memos are bad and how you would change them. See exercises
7.3 (172), 7.19 (178).
Week 6: 13-19 February
READING – Reading for this week: Chapter 6: Designing Documents,
Slides, and Screens (pp. 127-147); Chapter 15: Using Graphs and Other
Visuals (pp. 442-459); Appendix A: Formats for Letters, Memos, and E-Mail
Messages (pp. 572-588)
Online Powerpoint: Design
LECTURE 6 (Tuesday 13)– Document and Graphic Design.(lecture
notes will open in PowerPoint)
DISCUSSION 1 (Wednesday 14)– Happy Valentine's Day!
-Discuss Positive Memo Assignment and postive
memo helps from past classes;
For the Positive Memo, you will select either exercise 7.15 or 7.17 from
chapter 7; be sure and bring your textbook Monday.
-review Postive information organization structure
HW- Rough draft of positive memo due Monday; be sure and bring your textbook
Monday.
DISCUSSION 2 (Monday 19)– Peer Review of positive memo drafts
(page 168).
HW – Assignment 2: Informative/Positive memo due Wednesday;
-Use the following PDF questionnaire
to edit and review your own documents before you turn it in Wednesday.
-Turn in Postive Memo final copy, positive memo rough draft, and questionnaire
paper cliped together Wednesday.
Week 7: 20-26 February
READING — Reading for this week: Chapter 5: Planning, Composing,
Revising (pp. 115-124); and Chapter 8: Negative Messages (pp. 183-202).
Online Powerpoint: Bad News Memo
LECTURE 7 (Tuesday 20)— Bad News Memos (lecture
notes will open in PowerPoint)
DISCUSSION 1 (Wednesday 21)– Turn in Positive Memo
- Financial Aid Form p.146-7 in pairs; get into groups for financial aid
project.
- Designing Documents, slides, and graphs. See exercises 6.1 (141), 6.3
(144), 6.4 (144), 6.5 (145); 6.2 (142-3), 15.2 (460), 15.4 (461-463).
HW- Financial Aid form draft due Monday (group assignment p.146-7).
Bring 2 copies Monday
DISCUSSION 2 (Monday 26)– Introduce team
project, discuss team report,
form team groups, and start planning proposal see p. 354-356;
-Peer review financial aid form.
HW- Assignment 3: Improving a Financial Aid Form (team
assignment) due Wednesday
-Print out and as a team fill out PDF
questionnaire.
-Turn in final Financial Aid form (only one copy per team), the rough
drafts, the peer reviews, and the questionnaire all paper cliped together
Wednesday.
Week 8: 27 February-5 March
READING — Reading for this week: CPR Chapter 5: Provide Chest Compressions:
Concision (pp. 39-45).
LECTURE 8 (Tuesday 27) Concision and E-mail.(lecture
notes will open in PowerPoint)
DISCUSSION 1 (Wednesday 28) – Turn in final Financial Aid
form (only one copy per team), the rough draft, the peer reviews, and
the questionnaire all paper cliped together.
-The Bad News Memo and Negative
messages powerpoint: discuss student
Diagnostic memo examples; other Negative
memo examples; See exercises 8.1, 8.2, 8.3.
-discuss proposal (see page 354-356).
HW - Bad News memo draft due Monday; prepare for midterm quiz
next Tuesday night
-Bring your textbook Monday for the peer review session. If you do not
bring your textbook then you will not be able to participate in the review.
-Begin working on group proposal.
DISCUSSION 2 (Monday 5) – peer review Bad News Memo (page
202).
-Discuss creating continuity.
HW — Assignment 4: Negative Message due Wednesday;
prepare for midterm quiz Tuesday night
-Use the following PDF questionnaire
to edit and review your own documents before you turn it in Wednesday.
-Turn in Negative Memo final copy, negative memo rough draft, and questionnaire
paper cliped together Wednesday.
Week 9: 6-7March
READING — -Read CPR: Chapter 4: Give Artificial Respiration: Coherence
(pp. 27-38), and Chapter 14: Analyzing Information and Writing Reports
(pp. 390-433).
Online Powerpoint: Grammar
and Punctuation review and Coherence
and more Grammar
LECTURE 9 (Tuesday 6)– Coherence and Midterm quiz (lecture
notes will open in Powerpoint)
DISCUSSION 1 (Wednesday 7) – Turn in Negative Memo final
copy, negative memo rough draft, and questionnaire paper cliped together.
Have a great Spring Break!
12-17 March -Spring Break-
Week 9 (continued): 19 March
DISCUSSION 2 (Monday 19) - Show examples of past projects; work
on proposals (see p. 354-356) in class in groups - bring any questions
to class that your team has for me regarding your group project or your
proposal; concision examples and exercises
and active verb exercies;
Week 10: 20-26 March
READING —Reading for this week: Chapter 9: Persuasive Messages
(pp. 212-241), and Appendix D: Crafting Logical Arguments (pp. 632-363).
Online Powerpoint: Crafting
Logical Arguments and Persausive
Messages
LECTURE 10 (Tuesday 20)– Persuasion and Reports.(lecture
notes in powerpoint are available on Vista)
DISCUSSION 1 (Wednesday 21)– Jane will
be joining our class today for a teacher evaluation.
-Discuss Persuasive writing assignment; Persuasive
ad; Persuasive exercise; See
exercises 9.2, 9.4, 9.5 (pp. 242-244, and group writing exercises 9.8,
9.9, 9.11, 9.13 (pp.245-247).
-answer any questions about proposal
HW - Persuasive message draft due Monday April 9.
- Team Proposal draft due Monday March 26. As a team, bring 4 copies
of your proposal Monday.
DISCUSSION 2 (Monday 26) – peer review proposals; E-mail
discussion.
HW-Team Proposal due Wednesday
Week 11: 27 March -2 April
READING — Reading for this week: Chapter 12: Working and Writing
in Groups (pp. 316-337); and Chapter 13: Planning, Proposing and Researching
Reports (pp. 348-382).
LECTURE 11 (Tuesday 27)— Working in Teams and Writing Reports
(lecture notes in PowerPoint)
DISCUSSION 1 (Wed 28)– Turn in one hard copy per team of
your proposal with all team member's names listed and one electronic copy
per team with all team member's names listed in the email.
-Gantt Chart see p. 452, 454;
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010346051033.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gantt_chart
http://www.netmba.com/operations/project/gantt/
HW- Work on team Gantt chart.
DISCUSSION 2 (Mon 2)– Business
library research workshop for reports: G'ville
Business Bookmarks, Industry
Market Research. Peer review Gantt Chart; See exercises 13.4, 13.5,
13.6, 13.10 (pp. 386-387).
HW- Team Gantt chart due Wednesday April 4 - turn in one copy per team.
Week 12: 3-9 April
READING - Reading for this week: Chapter 11: Communicating Across Cultures
(pp. 292-310).
Powerpoint on International Communication
LECTURE 12 (Tuesday 3) — Communicating across Cultures.(lecture
notes in PowerPoint)
DISCUSSION 1 (Wednesday 4)— Collaborative writing and team
project planning; team meeting. Gantt Chart due - email me a copy
before class time and hand in a hard copy Monday.
HW: project progress report due Monday
-Rough draft of persuasive memo due Monday
DISCUSSION 2 (Monday 9)– Team Progress Report due
-Peer review persuasive memo.
HW — Assignment 5: Persuasive Memo due Wednesday at the
beginning of class.
-Use the following PDF questionnaire
to edit and review your own documents before you turn it in Wednesday.
-Turn in Persuasive Memo final copy (two memos), rough drafts, and questionnaire
paper cliped together Wednesday.
Week 13: 10-16 April
READING – Reading for this week: Chapter 16: Making Successful
Presentations (pp. 468-484).
LECTURE 13 (Tuesday 10)– Making Successful Presentations.
(lecture notes are available on Vista)
DISCUSSION 1 (Wednesday 11)– Turn in Persuasive Memo final
copy (two memos), rough drafts, and questionnaire paper cliped together.
-Sample report analysis, document design and organization; field any questions
about the report.
-Refining your team presentation; answer any final questions before presentations
-Intercultural communication Ex 11.8b: class debate. Each team is responsible
for arguing for the suitability of one candidate--with four teams being
assigned one of the four candidates in the exercise and the fifth team
being allowed to choose which candidate is most suitable. In the debate
format, each team has to anticipate and rebut the arguments put forth
by the other teams on their respective candidates' strengths and suitability
for the position.
HW - work on project
- view videos available via Vista's Course-wide Content: Student Center.
The videos are located under Item 6: Video Presentations. View both "Offensive
and Assertive Communication" and "Defensive and Supportive Communication."
- See exercises in 12.2, 12.3. and 12.4.
DISCUSSION 2 (Monday 16) Meet in Teams; Collaborative writing
and team project planning.
HW - View the video "Presentation Skills" available on
Vista and analyze the openers and closers in exercise 16.1.
Week 14: 17-23 April
LECTURE 14 (Tuesday 17)– Professional writing for your career
DISCUSSION 1 (Wednesday 18)– 2 Oral presentations
HW - Work on report; prepare for quiz; complete final Quiz Pro Post-test
in Vista (this will be avaliable until the last day of class, but don't
wait that long to take it.)
DISCUSSION 2 (Monday 23) – 2 Oral presentations
HW — Work on report; prepare for quiz; complete final Quiz Pro Post-test
in Vista (this will be avaliable until the last day of class, but don't
wait that long to take it.)
Presentation Rubric in PDF
Week 15: 24-25 April
LECTURE 15 (Tuesday 24)– final quiz (in
lecture)
DISCUSSION 1 (Wednesday 25)– 1 Oral presentation; Conclusions
and final in-class writing assignment. Final team reports due
today. Turn in Team Evaluations.