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ENGL& 235 - Technical Writing Syllabus Sum17

1080 HYA R201 1088 ODS Online

Dr. Craig Hurd-McKenney Please use the Canvas Messaging system to contact me. Do not use my BC email address, as it will mix your concerns in with campus business and could potentially get lost amongst the numerous daily BC emails I receive.

CANVAS Canvas is the campus-wide online course management system. For those of you who have little to no experience with it, please let me know ASAP. All course assignments, readings and deadlines are found there. It is the way you will turn in assignments as well. I do not accept assignments by email or by hand, unless there is an emergency such as weather, etc.

OFFICE HOURS Office hours are to help answer any questions you might have, address concerns about an assignment/ classmate, or just visit.

If you miss a class, I expect you to schedule an appointment with me to get caught up. I will not take time out of class to catch you up, and I will not reteach the class by email.

Office hours for Summer will be conducted via Canvas chat BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. If you miss a scheduled meeting, I will deduct your final course score by .5.

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MY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY 1) Affirmation of Inclusion

Bellevue College is committed to maintaining an environment in which every member of the campus community feels welcome to participate in the life of the college, free from harassment and discrimination. We value our different backgrounds at Bellevue College, and students, faculty, staff members, and administrators are to treat one another with dignity and respect. Please see the College’s Anti-Discrimination policy in COURSE ADDENDUM at the end of the syllabus. The college's "Affirmation of Inclusion” is posted in each classroom and sets forth the expectation that we will all treat one another with respect and dignity regardless of whether or not we agree philosophically. This expectation is in line with the principle of free speech in a free society: we have the right to express unpopular ideas as long as we don't show disrespect for reasonable people who might believe otherwise.

In an on-line course, you will be expressing ideas through the medium of the course site rather than face to face in the classroom. In that case, these expectations refer to the courtesy with which you communicate with one another through e-mails and e-discussions. Part of this respect involves professional behavior toward the instructor, colleagues, and the class itself. Disruptive behavior is disrespectful behavior.

2) Active, Experiential Learning CLASSROOM MATERIALS:

Students are responsible for consulting the course syllabus daily and bringing to class the appropriate texts and materials. Failure to do so does not constitute an exception from the daily work.

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3) Learning & Difference of Values

Essential to learning and a liberal arts education is an open-minded tolerance for ideas and modes of expression, which might conflict with one’s personal values. By being exposed to such ideas or expressions, students are not expected to endorse or adopt them but rather to understand that they are part of the free flow of information upon which higher education depends.

TO THIS END, you may find that class requirements may include engaging certain materials, such as books, films, and art work which may, in whole or in part, offend your values. These materials are equivalent to required texts and are essential to the course content. If you decline to engage the required material by not reading, viewing, or performing material you consider offensive, you will still be required to meet class requirements in order to earn credit. This may require responding to the content of the material, and you may not be able to fully participate in required class discussions, exams, or assignments. Please discuss such issues with the instructor, but also know that I do not offer alternate assignments.

Confidentiality and Mandatory Reporting

As an instructor, one of my responsibilities is to help create a safe learning environment on our campus. It is my goal that you feel able to share information related to your life experiences in classroom discussions, in your written work, and in our one-on-one meetings. I will seek to keep information you share private to the greatest extent possible. However, I am required to share with the Title IX Coordinator any and all information regarding sexual assault and other forms of sexual misconduct (e.g. dating violence, domestic violence, stalking) that may have occurred on campus or that impacts someone on campus. Students may speak to someone confidentially by contacting the BC Counseling Center at (425) 564-2212. The Title IX Office can be contacted at 425-564-2441 and more information can be found at www.bellevuecollege.edu/titleix/.

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COURSE OUTCOMES

What am I getting out of this course? Where will the course take me? What skills am I developing? How am I being evaluated?

After completing this class, students should be able to:

• Write documents such as summaries, instruction manuals, analyses, proposals, and research reports, using accepted professional formats

• Design a research strategy to solve a specific problem for a specific client

• Conduct secondary and primary research • Propose a clearly reasoned, convincingly supported solution to a

client's problem • Paraphrase, summarize, and quote information with integrity and

document sources accurately, following the accepted form for the field of inquiry

• Design visually effective documents and presentations • Revise and edit to improve clarity, economy, and rhetorical

effectiveness

Skills include genre elements, problem solving, and community engagement. Rubrics will be provided with every assignment and elements of the rubric are drawn from these outcomes. Late Work

I do not accept late work.

Individual instructors make their own rules on accepting or grading late work. The Arts and Humanities Division believes strongly that honoring deadlines is essential for student success. The extent to which late work affects grades is up to the instructor. Instructors may also elect not to give feedback to works in progress if required drafts or plans are not turned in on time. Failure to attend class on the day a paper is due does not constitute an excuse for lateness. Similarly, missing an exam does not oblige the instructor to give a make-up.

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All lateness or absence on due days or exam days should be arranged with the instructor well in advance.

Grade scale Please see the college’s grade scale here: http://www.bellevuecollege.edu/policies/id-3000/ STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY FOR GRADES: It is the student’s responsibility to verify that all assignments are actually received by the instructor, whether they are submitted in person or electronically. DO NOT email me every assignment to ask if I have received it. You can see in Canvas if the assignment has been submitted or not. It is the student's responsibility, not the instructor's, to initiate communication about progress or concerns with the course. Instructors are under no obligation to inform students that work is overdue, to nag students to complete assignments, or to call students who fail to attend class. Similarly, students need to keep themselves informed about syllabus changes that may have been made in class. We suggest finding a partner the first week of classes and keeping each other up to date if one is absent.

CALENDAR/ COURSE ROAD MAP Week 1 (June 26/ 28): What is Technical Communication? Week 2 (July 3/ 5): Graphic & Document Design Week 3 (July 10/ 12): Stakeholders, Readability, Accessibility Week 4 (July 17/ 19): Report + Fact Sheet Week 5 (July 24/ 26): Form Development and Research Week 6 (July 31/ Aug 2): Grant Report Week 7 (Aug 7/ 9): Final Exam

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COLLEGE & DIVISION POLICIES ADDENDUM Items already covered are highlighted in green.

College Anti-Discrimination Statement Bellevue College does not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity; color; creed; national origin; sex; marital status; sexual orientation; age; religion; genetic information; the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability; gender identity or veteran status in educational programs and activities which it operates.

For further information and contacts, please consult College Anti-Discrimination Statements.

Technology

I cannot help you with your college login or email, so should you run into trouble, please consulte the following:

Internet, Hardware, or Email Help for Students

Acceess to Campus Technology

BC offers a wide variety of computer and learning labs to enhance learning and student success. Find current campus locations for all student labs by visiting the Technology Help Desk or visit A109. I will gladly walk you over there if you are unsure of the location.

Help with Canvas, BC’s Online Course Management System The following places are helpful for Students .

Bellevue College E-mail and access to MyBC

All students registered for classes at Bellevue College are entitled to a network and e-mail account. Your student network account can be used to access your student e-mail, log in to computers in labs and classrooms, connect to the BC wireless network and log in to MyBC. To create your account, go to: Create Email

BC offers a wide variety of computer and learning labs to enhance learning and student success. Find current campus locations for all student labs by visiting the Technology Help Desk or visit A109. I will gladly walk you over there if you are unsure of the location.

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Academic Success Center

If you need free tutorial help, please visit them in D204.

Counseling Center For more information about the Counseling Center or to seek help for personal issues or learning assistance, please visit here. I am also happy to walk you over and help you get set up with an appointment.

Disability Resource Center (DRC)

The Disability Resource Center serves students with disabilities. A disability includes any physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Common disabilities include physical, neurological (e.g. Autism, ADD), and mental health (e.g. depression, anxiety). If you are a student who has a disability or if you think you may need accommodations in order to have equal access to programs, activities, and services, please contact the DRC.

If you require assistance in an emergency, please meet with your individual instructors to develop a safety plan for while in class and contact the DRC to develop a safety plan for while you are elsewhere on campus.

If you are a student with a documented autism spectrum disorder, there is an additional access program available to you. Contact Autism Spectrum Navigators (ASN). Email and phone number is on the web page. ASN is located in the Library Media Center in D125.

The DRC office is located in building B Room 132. You can contact the DRC by stopping by B132, calling our desk at 425-564-2498, emailing drc@bellevuecollege.edu, and Deaf students can reach us by Skype (account name DRCatBC). For more information about the services we offer, including our Initial Access Application, visit our website at www.bellevuecollege.edu/drc.

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Related Accessibility Issues

The online elements of this course are designed to be welcoming to, accessible to, and usable by everyone, including students who are English-language learners, have a variety of learning styles, have disabilities, or are new to online learning. Be sure to let me know immediately if you encounter a required element or resource in the course that is not accessible to you. Also, let me know of changes I can make to the course so that it is more welcoming to, accessible to, or usable by students who take this course in the future.

LGBTQ Resource Center

The LGBTQ Resource Center can be found on the second floor of the C Building in Student Programs. You can also visit their Facebook page here.

Public Safety and Emergencies

Public Safety is located in the D building (D171) and can be reached at 425-564-2400 (easy to remember because it’s the only office on campus open 24 hours a day—2400). Among other things, Public Safety serves as our Parking Permits, Lost and Found, and Emergency Notification center. Please ensure you are signed up to receive alerts through our campus alerting system by registering at RAVE Alert Registration

If you work late and are uneasy about going to your car, Public Safety will escort you to your vehicle. To coordinate this, please phone ahead and let Public Safety know when and where you will need an escort.

Please familiarize yourself with the emergency postings by the door of every classroom and know where to go in the event of an evacuation. Your instructor will be asked if anyone might still be in the building, so check in before you do anything else. Emergency responders will search for anyone unaccounted for.

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If a major emergency occurs, please follow these three rules: 1) Take directions from those in charge of the response -We all need to be working together. 2) Do not get in your car and leave campus (unless directed to) - Doing so will clog streets and prevent emergency vehicles from entering the scene. Instead, follow directions from those in charge. 3) In an emergency, call 911 first, then Public Safety.

Please do not hesitate to call Public Safety if you have safety questions or concerns at any time. You may also visit the Public Safety web page for answers to your questions.

Report Concerns If you feel threatened or see something that may indicate trouble, please report it right away We all need to help keep our campus safe for everyone.

Final Exam Schedule

In case of an emergency during finals: 1. Students might receive an “I” (incomplete grade) until such time

as they are able to take the exam. (This may be a hardship on some students receiving financial aid.)

OR 2. The exam or final project will be turned in via Canvas.

Academic Calendar

The Bellevue College Academic Calendar is separated into two calendars. They provide information about holidays, closures and important enrollment dates such as the finals schedule. • Enrollment Calendar

On this calendar you will find admissions and registration dates and important dates for withdrawing and receiving tuition refunds.

• College Calendar This calendar gives you the year at a glance and includes college holidays, scheduled closures, quarter end and start dates, and final exam dates.

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A&H DIVISION POLICIES (revised: March 22, 2016)

ATTENDANCE/ PARTICIPATION EXPECTATIONS FOR HYBRID/ IN-PERSON CLASSES:

Students are expected to attend all scheduled class meetings whenever possible. While attendance requirements are up to individual faculty members in the Arts & Humanities Division, active participation and regular attendance are essential to students’ success. Unless students have accommodations regarding attendance that have been approved through the Disability Resource Center, they should not be absent more than 20% of the total class time scheduled. When absences go beyond 20%, instructors’ policies may result in one of the following: • Students may earn a grade of "F" for the course. • Students may earn a lower final grade. Students should carefully review each instructor’s syllabus to make sure they understand the attendance policy and the consequences for missing class. In some classes, even a small number of absences (less than 20%) can affect students’ grades, undermine their progress, and make it difficult to catch up. In cases of legitimate hardship, students may also request that instructors grant a “HW” (hardship withdrawal), which is a non-credit grade. Students with accommodations regarding attendance must actively communicate with the instructor (and consult with the DRC) about each absence to determine if the accommodation applies.

FOR ONLINE COURSES:

Students taking online courses should carefully review each instructor’s syllabus regarding expectations for course participation. Most online courses require regular, meaningful participation from students, starting on the first day of each quarter.

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ABSENCE DUE TO OBSERVANCE OF RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS:

Students who expect to miss classes, examinations, or any other assignments as a consequence of their religious observance should be provided with a reasonable alternative opportunity to complete such academic responsibilities. It is the obligation of students to provide faculty with reasonable notice of the dates of religious holidays on which they will be absent, preferably at the beginning of the term. Students who are absent on days of examinations or class assignments should be offered an opportunity to make up the work without penalty (if they have previously arranged to be absent), unless it can be demonstrated that a makeup opportunity would constitute an unreasonable burden on a member of the faculty. Should disagreement arise over what constitutes an unreasonable burden or any element of this policy, parties involved should consult the department chair, or Dean.

CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR

The Arts and Humanities Division honors the right of its faculty to define "disruptive behavior," which often involves such things as arriving late, leaving early, leaving class and then returning, talking while others are trying to hear the instructor or their group members, doing other homework in class, wearing earphones in class, bringing activated beepers, alarm watches, or cellular phones into class, inappropriate comments or gestures, etc. In on-line courses, “flaming’ anyone in the class is also considered disruptive behavior. Such behavior interrupts the educational process.

When you are in doubt about any behavior, consult your instructor during office hours: we recognize the judgment of the instructor as the final authority in these matters. When disruptive behavior occurs, instructors will speak to or e-mail the students concerned. Those students are then responsible for ending the disruptions at once. Failure to do so may result in removal of the students from class. My personal approach: I will not tolerate unacceptable behavior that makes the learning environment aggressive, toxic or unsafe. Examples of unacceptable behavior include, but are not limited to, talking out of turn, arriving late or leaving early without a valid reason, allowing cell phones/pagers to ring, and inappropriate

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behavior toward the instructor or classmates. The instructor can refer any violation of the Student Code of Conduct to the Dean of Student Success for investigation. I will most certainly do this.

Specific student rights, responsibilities, and appeal procedures are listed in the Student Code of Conduct at: Student Code

THE FIRST WEEK OF CLASSES:

It is important to attend classes from the very beginning. If you cannot do so, you are responsible for notifying your instructor. Your instructor is in no way responsible for re-teaching material that you missed because of your failure to attend the first classes. Indeed, missing crucial introductory material may affect your performance during the remainder of the course.

AUDITING:

Auditing a course does not excuse students from doing the work of the course. All auditors need to meet with the instructor during the first week to sign a contract specifying the level of participation that is expected.

WAITING LISTS:

Bellevue College uses an automated waitlist process that offers students a fair and consistent method of being enrolled in a full class if openings occur. If a class is full, you can choose to be put on the waitlist; you will automatically be enrolled in the class when a space becomes available and you are first on the list. Students move up on the list as others are enrolled. It is your responsibility to check your schedule daily to find out if you have been enrolled into the class. After the open enrollment period ends, instructors may admit students using blue “Special Permit to Enroll” cards, at their sole discretion.

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DROPPING A COURSE:

If you decide to drop a course, a) Please do so immediately. You are holding a

seat. This is especially important early in the term when other students are trying to get classes they need.

b) you are responsible for doing the required paperwork at the Student Services Center. Should you fail to do so, your name will appear on the final roster and your instructor will be required to assign a grade for you—in most cases, that will be an "F." Many instructors, in fact, feel strongly that students who take up seats in this unproductive way are keeping more serious students from getting an education, so they use "F" grades for "phantom students."

ACADEMIC HONESTY/ PLAGIARISM:

The principle of academic honesty underlies all that we do and applies to all courses at Bellevue College. One kind of academic dishonesty is plagiarism, which may take many forms, including, but not limited to, using a paper written by someone else, using printed sources word-for-word without proper documentation, and paraphrasing or summarizing the ideas of others without acknowledging the source. Plagiarism can also occur when non-written ideas are taken without documentation--using someone else's design or performance idea, for example. In short, plagiarism is passing off someone else's ideas, words, or images as your own; it amounts to intellectual theft--whether or not it was your intention to steal. Bellevue College instructors have access to commercial plagiarism detection software, so please be advised that any work you submit may be tested for plagiarism. Participating in academic dishonesty in any way, including writing a paper or taking a test for someone else, may result in severe penalties. Dishonestly produced papers automatically receive a grade of "F" without the possibility of make-up. The Dean of Student Services will also be notified of such conduct, and repetition of the behavior will result in progressively more serious

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disciplinary action (for example, an instructor may recommend that the student fail the course for a second offense or even that a student be expelled for a serious offense, such as stealing an exam). Grades lowered for plagiarism or other forms of dishonesty may be appealed through the regular channels, and any further disciplinary action taken by the Dean may also be appealed through existing processes. For more information on Grade Appeals, please visit here.

Any act of academic dishonesty, including cheating, plagiarism (using the ideas or words of another as one’s own without crediting the source), and fabrication and inappropriate/disruptive classroom behavior are violations of the Student Code of Conduct at Bellevue College.

Information about Bellevue College's copyright guidelines can be found at: College Copyright Policy

This link provides a good, short summary of how to avoid plagiarism: Avoiding Plagiarism

WRITING LEVEL : Writing skills are equally essential for your success in any college program. The following writing levels are recommended for our courses. most 100 level courses: ENGL& 101 placement 200 level courses: ENGL& 101 completion Our experience shows that students writing below the level of a course text can expect to work much harder than prepared students and may even still perform poorly on exams and papers. RETAINING STUDENT WORK:

I do not retain your work. If you need it for a future portfolio or job interview, you need to keep copies somewhere.

Your instructor is free to destroy any student work not picked up during the first week of the quarter immediately after your course was offered. If you want work held longer for pick up, you must make arrangements in advance with your instructor.