English 313 Syllabus Fall 2020 Kirchmeier. Business Writing University of Idaho.

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Business Writing
Barb Kirchmeier
barbara@uidaho.edu| brink hall #213
208 885-6156|office hours: Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 11:00-noon
and by appointment
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: no textbook is required.
GRADES: Final grades are based on successful completion of the following:
Participation in Brainstorming and Peer Review Forums 225 points
Project 1: Interpersonal Communication 125
Project 2: Visual Communication 150
Project 3: Intercultural Communication 150
Project 4: Crisis Communication 250
Project 5: Professional Identity 100
Total Points Possible 1000 points

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Project Descriptions
PROJECT 1: Interpersonal Communication. In this project, you will respond to a business
case study requiring written communication to three different audiences using both
external and internal workplace genres. Next, you will create an audio-only podcast about
presentation speaking style. Deliverables:
1. External Positive News Formal Letter, about 250 words.
2. Internal Negative News Memo Report, about 400 words.
3. Internal Neutral Email, about 150 words.
4. Audio-Only Podcast, 1-3 minutes.
PROJECT 2: Visual Communication. In this project, you will create a Public Service
Announcements for a client and justify design choices in a screencast.Deliverables:
1. PSA announcement designed as a poster or for a billboard.
2. Screencast Design Justification, about 3 minutes.
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 soon be working in another country and culture.
Deliverables:
1. Intercultural Slidecast Guide, about 5 minutes.
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. Deliverables:
1. Research Dossier, digital workspace or document file.
2. White Paper, about 1500 words.
3. Screencast Presentation, about 3 minutes.
PROJECT 5: Professional Identity. In this project, you will write a targeted cover letter
and resume or curriculum vitae and create a LinkedIn profile. Deliverables:
1. Cover Letter, about 350 words.
2. Resume or CV, 1-2 pages.
3. LinkedIn Profile page.

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Course Policies
1. 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 and as part of the UI Microsoft Licensing
Agreement. You can install it on up to five separate devices. To install, to ITS
Technology Services 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. Here
is one I recommend http://www.dropbox.com.
2. Multimedia Project Deliverables. Four of the projects 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.
3. 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.
4. 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 5).
5. 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

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to submit all work again in a single attempt because the last submission is the only one
I grade.
6. Compress Files Over 1 MB. Your work may lose points if the file you submit is over 1 MB
because large files slow down my ability to grade work efficiently.
7. Center for Disability Access and Resources. Reasonable accommodations are
available for students who have documentedtemporary or permanent disabilities.
All accommodations must be approved throughthe Center for Disability Access
and Resources located in the Bruce M. PitmanCenter, 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
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, and teaching assistants) will be respectful and civil to
one another in discussion, in action, in teaching, and in learning.
Should you feel our classroom interactions on Zoom 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 (208-885-6757), the UI
Counseling & Testing Center’s confidential services (208-885-6716), or the UI Office of
Human Rights, Access, & Inclusion (208-885-4285).
9. The Writing Center. The Writing Center, located on the third floor of the Idaho Commons
in room 323, is dedicated to providing one-on-one assistance to student writers and
other members of the campus community. Writers come to the center for help at
various stages of their writing process, from brainstorming to revision of drafted papers.
Writing tutors assist with any kind of writing, from research papers to personal
statements for applications. The Writing Center also offers online tutoring to students
who are unavailable to visit in person. To make an appointment visit
www.uidaho.edu/class/writing-center.
10.Plagiarism. Violation the University of Idaho Student Code of Conduct will be reported to
the Dean of Students office and may result in a course grade of ‘F'.
11.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.