Texts required

1.      Richard Johnson-Sheehan, Writing Proposals: Rhetoric for Managing Change. ISBN: 0-205-32689-7. Available from online bookstores. A used copy is fine.

2.      Ereserve coursepack available via the TTU library. Type "Baake" into the search field and then scroll to the article.

3.      Baake Lecture Notes, available every week via the class Web Board. Lecture notes, discussion prompts, and class agenda will be posted to the appropriate conference in Web Board the weekend before each class (or sooner). Also available will be the transcript from the prior week's meeting and summary, written by a different class member each week. Please give these a read before each MOO session. 

Content and grade percentages

 

Summary of grade percentages. Details follow the table.

 

Percentage of grade	Student work due	My score (enter as you receive a grade for each item to keep track).
20 percent	MOO attendance and Web Board participation, class activities, personal writing progress.
5 percent	MOO summary report
25 percent	Final exam on reports and proposals:
50 percent	Final project in stages Proposal memo, 5 %. Project progress report, 15 % Final report, 25 %, Individual Presentations, 5%
Total: 100 percent

 

Details of content and grade percentages

 

Your grade will be determined by the following criteria and assignments. Specifics of each assignment will be posted to the 5372 assignments link from the course Web page.
 

§                  Attendance and Participation: Includes MOO attendance and Web Board participation, class activities, personal writing progress (20 percent of grade). 

 

 

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§                     MOO Summary report on one of the MOO sessions (5 points).

Sign up for a week on the Web Board (details see below). After your chosen MOO has finished, find the transcript of the class on Web Board for that week and read it carefully. Your commented summary will be a reflection on the class discussion based on the assigned readings, instructor's notes, prompts in agenda, the transcript, and additional resources. You will post this summary to the Web Board conference, which holds the transcript. Your peers are invited to continue the discussion.

[By the second week, sign up for a MOO summary week at Web Board. Choose any week that is open and claim it by posting your intent to summarize the MOO for that week.]

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§                     Final Exam on Reports and Proposals (25 percent)

 

Final exam due by email: Saturday May 5, 10 p.m.

 

 Among other questions, I may give you a report to read and critique for its effectiveness as well as multiple choice and essay questions based on course readings.
 

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§                Report Project, in four stages (50 percent total). You must complete all written parts of the project in order to pass the course.

                             

                        You will write a report with recommendations based on a problem or challenge in your life or workplace (if you are employed). For example, you might be thinking about going on a diet. Your project would involve research about the different diet options followed by analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of each, followed by a recommendation section in which you rank the options and recommend one. You could also do a report on behalf of your workplace, an organization you are part of, on family members who are facing some kind of decision.

 

                        Here are some other examples of problems/challenges you could explore:
 

o       Your company is contemplating opening a branch office. You could research various locations and recommend one or conduct a study about the feasibility of such a move.

o       You are trying to decide how to provide care for one of your aging parents. You could research senior care options for that family member.

o       You are considering several companies where you might like to work after receiving your MA degree. You would research the history of those companies, their financial particulars, etc. and rank them by preference.

o       You or someone you know is facing a medical decision. You could research treatment options and recommend the preferred choice.

o       You are concerned about a public policy issue, such as global warming. You could research literature on the topic and make recommendations for further study or public action.

o       You are brainstorming ideas for a doctoral dissertation. You could explore several topics/research questions and make a recommendation to yourself about the best path to take for the next step-the dissertation proposal.

 

Do not choose a problem/challenge that is private and you would not be willing to present to the class or have me read. Do not choose a problem that cannot be researched, one that would depend entirely on emotions or hunches. (Example: Should I break up with my partner and start dating someone else?) Do not choose a problem that is so simple it cannot sustain major research.

 

                        Your project must include primary and/or secondary research (Primary is gathering information yourself from interviews, surveys, etc. Secondary is gathering it from written sources, like a journal or magazine.) So, for example, if you were researching diet options, you might read medical reports on each diet and interview a nutritionist and family doctor. To earn an A, your report must have at least ten (10) sources. Some must be primary and some secondary; the exact split between the two types will depend on the nature of your project.

 

                        This report can take any of the various forms of reports for decisions making that we will study. I will provide an outline of what I expect in the report.

 

                        You may substitute a proposal for this report if you clear your idea with me in advance. Or you may undertake some research and analysis of existing reports and proposals, similar in nature to the analyses written by Dr. Baake of archaeology reports and the El Paso Electric company reports (see course readings below).

 

                        In some cases it may be appropriate to team up with another classmate on this project, especially if the research is long and involved. In your proposal memo you would justify why the project merits two class members.

 

Due	Part of the Project	Details
Week 5   (By class time Wednesday, Feb. 7).	One or two (1 - 2) single-spaced page proposal memo with your project idea, 5 percent of grade	This will be a memo telling me what report you plan to work on for the final project. I will then OK your project idea so you can get started.
Week 12   (By class time Wednesday, March 28).   Note effective 3/8/07: This is a one week extension from the due date originally posted on this syllabus.	Three to four (3-4) single-spaced pages project progress report, 15 percent of the grade. This will include an annotated bibliography of the research you have conducted so far.	This will be a progress report/status report explaining what you have done so far on the project, summarizing what research you have conducted, and outlining what your plan is for finishing on time.   Prompt on Report Project
Week 16   (By class time April 26*)	Report of six to eight (6 – 8) single-spaced pages with abstract (executive summary at the beginning, body, and recommendations to be used in decision-making, 25 percent of grade.	Prompt on Report Project
Individual presentations during weeks 15,16, and 17.	Oral presentation of your report, 5 percent of grade.	Short presentation to the class. Plan on about 10 minutes each, with time for a few questions.

 

Other Details

 

§         Observance of a Religious Holy Day. A student will be excused from attending classes or other required activities, including examinations, for the observance of a religious holy day and the time necessary to travel for this observance. The student will not be penalized for the absence and will be permitted to take an exam or complete an assignment missed during the excused absence. The policy applies only to the official holy days of tax-exempt religious institutions. No prior notification of the instructor is required.

 

Links within this page >	Overview	Texts	Content and grades		Other details	Class Schedule
Links to other pages >	Prompt on Report Project	Web Board.	Baake Home page	Activities	Grammar tips from Doc Baake	Ereserve

Course Reading Schedule

Week 1—Jan. 10: Initial class meeting. Getting to know each other.

Baake will display some examples of reports and proposals to discuss. We will finalize the syllabus.

 

Please post a brief biography of yourself to Web Board in advance of class.

  

Week 2—Jan. 17: Introduction to proposals and reports. Introduction to final project. Comparison of reports to other means of information spreading and persuasion.
Author and Title	Source
Lecture Notes	Web Board.
Report from the National Institute on Alcohol Use and Alcoholism Task Force on College Drinking (Skim this report with recommendations, especially the executive summary to note the format). http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/media/TaskForceReport.pdf	Web page
Call for Grant Proposals--Competition to Prevent High-Risk Drinking or Violent Behavior Among College Students (Skim this call for grant proposals to see how findings from the above report lead to calls for proposals.) http://www.edc.org/hec/grants/high-risk/0302/grant.html	Web page
Answers to the Call for Grant Proposals: Winners of the Grant Competition to Prevent High-Risk Drinking and Violent Behavior Among College Students (Skim some of the grant proposals that answered the above call and were awarded  funding.)   http://www.edc.org/hec/grants/high-risk/0302/winners.html	Web page
Information about the final project: Prompt on Report Project	(Prompt on Report Project)
Link to examples of various types of business writing, including reports, proposals, memos, resumes. Bookmark this site for future reference. http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/modeldocs/business.htm	Web page
Short memo guide: http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/communications_skills/34825	Web page

 

Week 3—Jan. 24: Proposals (J-S: 1-3)   We will discuss proposals (including grant proposals) and consider requests for proposals, how to determine when workplace situations require a call for proposals, and discuss any proposals that members of the class have been involved in writing.
Author and Title	Source
Baake – Lecture Notes	Web Board.
Johnson-Sheehan – Chapters 1-3, "Introduction to Proposals," Identifying Problems and Opportunities," "Purpose, Readers, Context."	Johnson-Sheehan (J-S pages 1–54)
Commerce Business Daily – Glance at this sample call for proposals.	cp
EPISD Grant Package. Glace over this. Included are several pages calling for grant proposals from high school teachers in the El Paso school district, a sample form for the grant, and a draft of one teacher’s application. This format is typical.	cp

 

Week 4—Jan. 31: Proposals continued (J-S: 4-6). Describing qualifications   We will discuss ways that you can determine a client's needs (current situation) before writing a proposal. We will also discuss the most effective way to describe your qualifications for receiving the contract.
Author and Title	Source
Baake—Lecture Notes	Web Board.
Johnson-Sheehan 4-6, "Describing the Current Situation," "Developing a Plan," "Describing Qualifications."	J-S

 

 

 

Week 5—Feb.  7: Primary and secondary research methods for proposals and reports   A proposal or report is only as good as the research behind it. This week we will discuss ways to gather new information and include it in your text.
Author and Title	Source
Baake—Lecture Notes	LWeb Board. 2)
Hager and Scheiber: Report Writing for Management Decisions, Ch. 8: “Conducting Primary Research…”	cp
An online consulting operation for small business owners. This article talks about primary and secondary research in the business world.     http://www.allbusiness.com/marketing/market-research/1310-1.html    This is a U.S. Small Business Administration sponsored Wed site with links to various business plans—everything from bed and breakfast to car washes. Look over a few of these plans, especially the sections dealing with market analysis, to see how research shows up in business plans.   http://www.bplans.com/samples/sba.cfm	Web pages
Online Reference Guide for Using Online Sources http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/index.html	Web page
One or two (1 - 2) page proposal memo with your project idea, 5 percent of grade due by class time Feb. 7.

   

 

Week 6—Feb. 14: Proposal style, etc. J-S Chs. 7-9   We will have class activities in developing survey questions, writing proposal introductions, editing for style, and other skills included in these chapters.
Author and Title	Source
Baake—Lecture Notes	Web Board.
Johnson-Sheehan – Chapters 7-9  Introductions, Costs, and Benefits), Developing Budgets, Writing With Style	J-S

 

 

 

Week 7—Feb. 21:  Proposal and report design, graphics, etc.   We will discuss design and graphics and have a class activity. We will also look at abstract writing.
Author and Title	Source
Baake – Lecture Notes Week 7	Web Board.
Johnson-Sheehan -- Chapters 10, 11, 12 (Designing Proposals, Graphics, and Putting the Proposal Together)	J-S
Kostelnick and Roberts -- Designing Visual Language (Perception and Design)	cp
Arnold -- "The Writing of Abstracts"	cp

 

Note: Week 8 readings and links updated Feb. 23

Week 8—Feb. 28: Types of reports,  Reports for decision-making.   Any report conducted for the purpose of eliciting recommendations for action is a report for decision-making. Often these reports discuss the feasibility of a proposed project and consider options for doing it. We will read an introduction to the types of reports found in the workplace and in government, including progress report. These are reports that summarize the status of a project in the works.
Author and Title	Source
Baake—Lecture Notes	W eWeb Board.
Lay et al Ch. 13 – Reports and Studies   Lay et al Ch 14 – Reports for Decision-Making	cp
Souther -- What to Report	cp
BP Amoco Report. Skim this report on an industrial accident that killed three people. The report won a technical communication award. Note the executive summary, recommendations, and reference listing. Also note the clean layout of the report, which we will refer to more in Week 11's discussion of design. http://www.csb.gov/completed_investigations/docs/BPAmocoInvestigationReport.pdf	Web page

 

Note: Week 9 updated Feb. 23

Week 9—March 7: The Rhetoric of Reports   Rhetoric is the art of developing proofs using language with the goal of persuading an audience to accept one’s view of what happened in the past, how to interpret the present, or what to do in the future. Reports are highly rhetorical, although often the audience has to read between the lines to find the message.
Author and Title	Source
Baake lecture notes	WWeb Board.
Tony Blair’s Iraq Dossier. This was the British government report that helped launch the Iraq war. Skim it for the arguments it develops http://www.faculty.english.ttu.edu/baake/5372/Lecture%20Notes/Iraq.pdf	Web page
Baake--Archaeology reports	cp
Miller--Special Topics in Engineering reports	cp

 

 

Week 10—Spring Break.

 

Note: Week 11 updated Feb. 23 

Week 11—March 21:  Catch up week :  Proposal and report design, abstracts   We will discuss design and have a class activity. We will also look at abstract writing.
Author and Title	Source
Baake – Lecture Notes Week 7	Web Board.
Johnson-Sheehan -- Chapters 10, 12 (Designing Proposals, and Putting the Proposal Together)	J-S
Kostelnick and Roberts -- Designing Visual Language (Perception and Design)	cp
Arnold -- "The Writing of Abstracts"	cp

 

 

  

Week 13—April 4: Corporate annual reports; scientific reports   Here we will look at corporate annual reports and scientific reports written in the IMRaD style.
Author and Title	Source
Baake—Lecture Notes	Web Board.
The Scientific Paper -- Moriarity	cp
Hager and Scheiber – Reading Smoke and Mirrors	cp
Baake – "The Giant that Ate El Paso Electric"	cp

 

Week 14—April 11: Ethical, cultural,  and gender issues in reports.   This week we continue our analysis of the ways that reports can persuade, sometimes crossing the bounds into deception. We look at the government report on the Branch Davidian gun battle with federal agents in Waco, Texas in 1993 and also at a study of the challenge of writing reports across cultures.
Author and Title	Source
Baake—Lecture Notes	Web Board.
Herrington – Ethics and Graphic Design: A Rhetorical Analysis	cp
Artemeva--"The Writing Consultant as Cultural Interpreter: Bridging Cultural Perspectives on the Genre of the Periodic Engineering Report."	cp
Sauer--Sense and Sensibility in Technical Documentation