Writing in the Workplace

 

ENG2570 E282 | Th 6:00PM-8:30PM | V-103B

 

Professor Ellis

Office: Namm N-520

Contact: jellis@citytech.cuny.edu

Office Hours: W 4:00PM-5:00PM, Th 3:00PM-4:00PM, and by appointment

 

Class Description

One’s success in the workplace depends almost as much on what you know as how you communicate with others. Without the skills of writing a variety of documents, speaking confidently to an audience, and performing meaningful research that enriches your work and enables others to do their work, you will find yourself left behind while others with those so-called soft skills make strides in their own careers. This class gives you opportunities to strengthen your workplace communication skills through projects and daily writing activities. It is through doing this work over time that you develop communication acumen.

 

Learning Objectives and Prerequisites (See Separate Handout)

 

Required Resources

• For each class: a different printed magazine or newspaper article of interest to your studies and future career. Online sources are not permitted for this particular work.
• Notebook or loose-leaf US-letter-size paper (paper with torn fringe is unacceptable)
• Black or blue ink pen
• City Tech Student Email
• citytech.cuny.edu Account (requires student email address to setup)
• Office suite of applications to create DOCX, PPTX, and PDF documents
• Access to printer
• USB flash drive AND an online storage solution
• City Tech’s Ursula C. Schwerin Library, http://library.citytech.cuny.edu
• Purdue Online Writing Lab: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

 

Grade Distribution

Project 1: Workplace Research	Following MLA format, write a 750-1000-word report on what it is like to be an employee in the career that you intend to pursue. Your report must have quoted material from these sources: an interview conducted by you in person or by email with someone with knowledge of your industry, an article from a library source discussing your industry, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook (https://www.bls.gov/ooh/). More sources are encouraged after these three required sources are met.	25%
Project 2: Career Topic Research Paper	Following MLA format, write a 1500-2000-word research paper on a topic, term, or concept that is important to your studies and future career. This document should represent your engagement in a field of study and be included in your job application portfolio after the class is completed. All sources in your paper must be quoted and cited. There must be at least 10 quoted sources accessed through the library (databases, periodicals, books).	25%
Project 3: Research Presentation	After completing your research paper, you will have an opportunity to turn it into a 5-minute oral presentation supported by a PowerPoint slideshow. Your PowerPoint slideshow should balance text with images that support what you have to say. All images in your presentation must be made/taken by you. On the day of your presentation, you must be prepared with your PowerPoint saved on a flash drive and one other medium (e.g., cloud-based storage) and dressed in business casual attire.	25%
In-Class Writing	Be prepared to write in-class, online assignments and written assignments. Always bring a magazine (preferred) or newspaper (acceptable occasionally but not for all in-class writing assignments) with an article about something related to your studies and future career that you have read completely and underlined important, key sentences in. These readings that you choose will be the basis for the in-class writing assignments.	25%
Total		100%

 

Policy for Late Work

Assignments submitted late or exams taken late will incur a 10-point reduction for each DAY that they are late. No assignments will be accepted after the last day of class. If a student knows that work cannot be completed on time, he or she should contact me or visit my office hours to discuss.

 

Attendance and Lateness Policy

The expectation for successful and respectful college students is to arrive on time and attend all classes. The college permits students to miss 10% of a class (three absences) for whatever reason. In our class, each additional absence will reduce your final grade by 10 points (equivalent of a full letter grade). Missing too many classes will obviously result in failure of the class. Also, an absence does not excuse you from any assignments or exams. Use your absences wisely. Arriving late or leaving early will count as a full or partial absence depending on degree.

 

Required Format for Papers

All formal writing and citations should follow APA guidelines (see the Purdue OWL APA section for more information: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/). Remember in your research paper that quoting is far more persuasive than paraphrasing, and in either case, your use of others ideas or writing must be properly cited to give credit where credit is due and to maintain your own academic integrity.

 

College Policy on Academic Integrity

Students who work with information, ideas, and texts owe their audience and sources accuracy and honesty in using, crediting, and citing sources. As a community of intellectual and professional workers, the College recognizes its responsibility for providing instruction in information literacy and academic integrity, offering models of good practice, and responding vigilantly and appropriately to infractions of academic integrity. Accordingly, academic dishonesty is prohibited in CUNY and at New York City College of Technology, and is punishable by penalties, including failing grades, suspension, and expulsion. The complete text of the College policy on Academic Integrity may be found in the catalog.

 

Class Schedule

Week	Day	Date	Activities and Due Dates
1	Th	Feb 2
2	Th	Feb 9	In-Class Writing Exercise (bring article from newspaper or magazine relevant to your studies and career—online sources are not allowed)
3	Th	Feb 16	In-Class Writing Exercise (bring article from newspaper or magazine relevant to your studies and career—online sources are not allowed)
4	Th	Feb 23	In-Class Writing Exercise (bring article from newspaper or magazine relevant to your studies and career—online sources are not allowed)
5	Th	Mar 2	In-Class Writing Exercise (bring article from newspaper or magazine relevant to your studies and career—online sources are not allowed)
6	Th	Mar 9	In-Class Writing Exercise (bring article from newspaper or magazine relevant to your studies and career—online sources are not allowed)
7	Th	Mar 16	In-Class Writing Exercise (bring article from newspaper or magazine relevant to your studies and career—online sources are not allowed) Due: Project 1: Workplace Research Introduce: Project 2: Career Topic Research Paper
8	Th	Mar 23	In-Class Writing Exercise (bring article from newspaper or magazine relevant to your studies and career—online sources are not allowed)
9	Th	Mar 30	In-Class Writing Exercise (bring article from newspaper or magazine relevant to your studies and career—online sources are not allowed)
10	Th	Apr 6	In-Class Writing Exercise (bring article from newspaper or magazine relevant to your studies and career—online sources are not allowed)
11	Th	Apr 13	Spring Recess
12	Th	Apr 20	No class. Monday schedule.
13	Th	Apr 27	In-Class Writing Exercise (bring article from newspaper or magazine relevant to your studies and career—online sources are not allowed)
14	Th	May 4	In-Class Writing Exercise (bring article from newspaper or magazine relevant to your studies and career—online sources are not allowed) Due: Project 2: Career Topic Research Paper Introduce: Project 3: Research Presentation
15	Th	May 11	In-Class Writing Exercise (bring article from newspaper or magazine relevant to your studies and career—online sources are not allowed)
16	Th	May 18	In-Class Writing Exercise (bring article from newspaper or magazine relevant to your studies and career—online sources are not allowed)   Due: Project 3: Research Presentation
17	Th	May 25	In-Class Writing Exercise (bring article from newspaper or magazine relevant to your studies and career—online sources are not allowed)