This syllabus outlines the learning objectives, projects, policies, and grading for an online business writing course. The course aims to help students develop communication competencies needed for the workplace like problem solving, writing, and oral communication skills. It will also address communicating effectively in intercultural contexts and using multiple media platforms. The projects are designed to prepare students to communicate successfully in today's global workplace. Students will complete chapter quizzes, 5 projects of varying lengths and media types, and follow policies regarding technology, file formats, deadlines, plagiarism, and civility.

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Business Writing
Barb Kirchmeier
barbara@uidaho.edu| Brink Hall 213
208-885-8326 |office hours: M-F 12:00-1:00pm
This course will help you build communication competencies identified by the United
States Department of Labor, and industry focus groups, as the most important to
employers. In addition to problem solving and writing skills, employers list oral
communication skills as among the most important for graduates.
Moreover, the ability to effectively apply these skills within intercultural contexts is highly
valued in today’s global workplace. Finally, business communication is increasingly
produced across a wide variety of multi-media platforms requiring skills in aural, oral,
textual, and visual literacies. The projects in this course are designed to help you meet
these challenges and prepare you to successfully communicate in today's workplace.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: After completing this course, you will be able to:
 respond to rhetorical situations that arise within business environments
complicated by ethical, political, social, and cultural concerns,
 learn and apply specific conventions used in US business communities such as
tone, style, and genre and adjust those conventions to meet the needs of culturally
diverse audiences,
 communicate solutions to rhetorical problems through a variety of print and
electronic genres
TEXTBOOK. Thill, John V. and Courtland L. Bovee. Excellence in Business Communication,
12th ed. Pearson, 2017.
I suggest that you order the e-book, which is much less expensive than the hard-copy. For
more information about the e-book, visit this website:
http://www.mypearsonstore.com/bookstore/excellence-in-business-communication-
subscription-9780134328683?xid=PSED
You are welcome to purchase the textbook in any format that you please, but do make
sure that you purchase the 12th edition.
Grades: Final grades are based on successful completion of the following:
Project Points
Completion of chapter reading quizzes 100 points
Project 1: Interpersonal Communication 150 points
Project 2: Visual Communication 175 points
Project 3: Intercultural Communication 175 points

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Project 4: Crisis Communication 250 points
Project 5: Professional Identity 150 points
Total Points Possible 1000 points
Project Descriptions
PROJECT 1: Interpersonal Communication. In this project, you will respond to a case study
requiring written communication to different audiences using both external and internal
workplace genres. Next, you will create an audio-only podcast about presentation speaking
style.
PROJECT 2: Visual Communication. In this project, you will create a Public Service
Announcement for a client and justify design choices in a screencast.
PROJECT 3: Intercultural Communication. In this project, you will compose a creative
design brief to plan and create an intercultural slidecast guide for an American business
or organization whose employees will be soon be working in another country and culture.
PROJECT 4: Crisis Communication. In this project, you will gather and analyze
communication before, during, and after a crisis event using a research dossier in
Evernote. You will then draw upon this research to write a white paper and compose a
screencast that analyzes a spokesperson's apology. This project includes composing and
populating an electronic research dossier.
PROJECT 5: Professional Identity. In this project, you will write a targeted cover letter
and resume or curriculum vitae and create a LinkedIn profile.
Course Policies
1. Online Participation. This section of business writing is an online course which means
you will complete all work online. Success in this course is dependent on your active
participation and engagement throughout the course. As such, you are required to
actively participate in asynchronous online activities by the deadline listed in project
schedules.
2. Technology Requirements.
 Computer in good working order.
 Microsoft Word. Students are strongly encouraged to use Microsoft Word because it is the
most commonly used software in the workplace today. Microsoft Office is provided at no
extra cost to all students as part of the U of I Microsoft Licensing Agreement. You can install
it on up to five separate devices. To install, visit this ITS Technology Services website:
https://www.uidaho.edu/infrastructure/its/self-help/ms-office/office-365.
 Microphone. Most computers have an integrated microphone that will work fine for this
course. If you need to purchase one, however, here are two inexpensive microphones that
BbLearn recommends: Logitech 1 ($14.99) and Logitech 2 ($19.99).
 Reliable Backup. You will need a reliable backup to store the latest drafts of your work
other than the hard drive of your computer or an easily lost thumb drive. Consider using

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OneDrive, available to all U of I students, staff, and faculty. For more information, visit this
ITS Technology Services website:
https://support.uidaho.edu/TDClient/KB/ArticleDet?ID=148.
3. Multimedia Project Deliverables. Four of the projects in this class require both written
and multimedia communication deliverables. Students are not expected to have prior
experience in producing multimedia products and will be invited to create these using
free, cloud-computing tools that will also host the file.
Should you choose to create your digital media another way, your file must be hosted in
the cloud and play as a video without a user needing to download because you are
practicing how to share media as it is shared in workplace environments.
4. Accepted File Formats. The following are the only accepted file formats:
 Print Deliverables: Word or PDF.
 PSA Billboard or Poster Deliverable: jpg, png, or other image file; Word, PPT or
PPTX, PDF file; or the URL where the file is hosted.
 Multimedia Deliverables: URL where the file is hosted.
Digital media files (MP3, MP4, etc.) are not accepted in this course.
5. Deadlines. All work is due by 11:59 PM on the day/date indicated in
the course schedules. Late assignments will lose one letter grade (or the equivalent
number of points) per day.
If, when I start to grade your work, a file will not open or a URL link does not work, I will
notify you by email and you will be given 24 hours to submit work correctly in BbLearn,
but a late work point penalty will apply. To avoid this problem, verify your submission
(see policy 6).
6. Verify Submissions to Avoid Point Penalties. When submitting assignments, students
are responsible for verifying that files they uploaded are not corrupted and will open
and that URLs work. This means you must return to the submissions box and open any
files you uploaded and check that a URL works.
If your work does not submit correctly or if you failed to submit part of it, you will need
to submit all work again in a single attempt because the last submission is the only one
I grade.
7. Center for Disability Access and Resources Reasonable Accommodations. Reasonable
accommodations are made for students who have documented temporary or
permanent disabilities. All accommodations must be approved through the Center for
Disability Access and Resources located in the Bruce M. Pitman Center, Suite 127 in
order to notify your instructor(s) as soon as possible regarding accommodation(s)
needed for the course.
Center for Disability Access and Resources
Phone: 208-885-6307
Email: cdar@uidaho.edu
Web: http://www.uidaho.edu/current-students/cdar

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8. University of Idaho Classroom Learning Civility Clause. In any environment in which
people gather to learn, it is essential that all members feel as free and safe as possible
in their participation. To this end, it is expected that everyone in this course will be
treated with mutual respect and civility, with an understanding that all of us (students,
instructors, professors, guests, graders, and teaching assistants) will be respectful and
civil to one another in discussion, in action, in teaching, and in learning.
Should you feel our online classroom interactions do not reflect an environment of
civility and respect, you are encouraged to meet with your instructor during office hours
to discuss your concern. Additional resources for expression of concern or requesting
support include the Dean of Students office and staff (885-6757), the UI counseling &
Testing Center’s confidential services (885-6716), or the UI Office of Human Rights,
Access, & Inclusion (885-4285).
9. Plagiarism. Violation the University of Idaho Student Code of Conduct may
result in a course grade of ‘F'.
10. Contacting Me. You are invited to email me when you have a question or to request a
writing conference or feedback on a draft through email. You may expect a reply within
24 hours, Monday-Friday.