This document outlines the syllabus for an English course on professional writing. It provides information on the instructor, texts, graded projects, course objectives, policies on professionalism, attendance, plagiarism, and cancellations. The main assignments include an autobiography, profile, interview, instructions, review, feature, presentation on Montrealites, and a final portfolio. Students will be graded on individual projects, quizzes, participation, and professionalism. The course aims to help students develop their ability to write effectively for professional purposes.

1. Course Outline for English 396
Instructor: Jeannette Novakovich, Department of English, Concordia University
Email: jeannettenovakovich@gmail.com
Office: English- S-LB 644.03
Office Hours: Thursday 4-6:00 pm by appointment
Office Phone: 848-2424 ext 2393
Texts
Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace, 11th Edition. Joseph M. Williams & Joseph Bizup.
Boston: Longman P, 2010.
white space is not your enemy: a beginner's guide to communicating visually through
graphic, web & multimedia design. kim golombisky & rebecca hagen. Oxford: Focal Press,
2013, 2nd Edition.
Textbooks can be purchased at ARGOS Bookstore on St. Catherine near the university.
Graded Projects
Autobiography 100
Profile 100
Interview 100
Instructions 100
Review 100
Feature 100
Montrealites 100
Presentation 100
Quizzes 200
Portfolio 200
Professionalism 200
Project points will be divided in the following manner:

2.  Written projects: 20 Draft workshop/10 Memo/10 Reflection/10 Analytics/50
Quality of work for a total of 100 points
 Professionalism grade is a reflection of your participation in all aspects of the
course.
 Montrealites grade is a reflection of how effectively you develop the content in
your area of expertise and engage the community.
 Portfolio is graded holistically in terms of content and design.
Course Description and Objectives
English 396 is intended for students already in control of the essentials of composition
who wish to develop their ability to write effectively for professional purposes. Emphasis
is placed on writing for specific audiences within a variety of rhetorical situations and on
peer revision and editing in a workshop format. Please visit our course Schedule for
weekly meeting details and deadlines.
Students can expect to:
 Identify their readers and describe the characteristics of their readers in a way that
forms a sound basis for deciding how to address them.
 Arrange material to raise and satisfy readers' expectations, using both
conventional and rhetorical patterns of organization.
 Reveal the organization of their communications by using forecasting and
transitional statements, and headings.
 Collaborate effectively with their peers in a community of writers who provide
feedback on each other's work.
 Employ technology effectively
 Communicate in an ethically responsible manner.
Professionalism
In this course, I will try to hold you to the professional standards.
Promptness. In this course, as in the working world, you must turn in your work on time.
All projects are due on the dates indicated on the syllabus. Assignments turned in late will
be penalized one letter grade unless you have made other arrangements with me in
advance. I will not accept late papers after a week has passed the due date.
Appearance. All work should be neatly prepared, using margins and spacing and design
techniques that are conventional for the genre. Whether it is a resume, memo, or report,
your communication should exhibit complete and appropriate format.

3. Grammar, Spelling, and Proofreading. At work, even a single error in spelling,
grammar, or proofreading can jeopardize the effectiveness of some communications
(depending on the rhetorical situation). Grading will reflect the great seriousness with
which these matters are frequently viewed in the working world. If you would like special
assistance with any of these skills, I can recommend sources for extra help.
Revisions. You will receive feedback on your writing at various stages of the writing
process. You should try to apply the comments to improve not only the particular
assignment you are working on at the time but also your strategies for writing in general.
Appropriateness. When publishing text on the World Wide Web, you will need to
consider the broad spectrum of possible audiences your writing may reach. The blogging
platform allows you a high level of personal control, and you should be creative in your
design of that space; you should also be aware, however, of the public nature of Web
texts. Possible audiences for your blogging sites include, but are not limited to: potential
or future employers, professors, and University administration. Please restrict the content
of your site accordingly.
Behavior. In addition to the requirements outlined above, you are expected to work until
the class period has ended; to complete all reading assignments on time; to help your
classmates learn by your responses to their writing; to choose projects that require
significant research and analysis; to spend at least six hours per week out of class for
writing and class preparation; and to be courteous and considerate.
Attendance
You are expected to attend class every meeting and to have your work with you. Regular
attendance is required, because course instruction depends on your active participation.
Two absences will probably not affect your performance too much (unless you miss a
rough draft session--a major problem); but try to limit it to that.
Excused absences are appropriate, of course, but beyond that, let me repeat course
policy: A student whose absences are excessive "may run the risk of receiving a lower
grade or a failing grade," whether some of those absences are considered "excused" or
not. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to complete missed work.
It is particularly important for you to attend--and be prepared to participate in class
workshops. The more you have written before peer-review sessions, the more you will
benefit from them. Although your drafts need not be "polished," in general, they should
be complete enough for you to receive substantial help from your peers.

4. See me when you have questions about an assignment, when you would like to try out
some ideas before a document is due, or when you have questions about a comment.
You should also see me to get help with particular writing problems, to resolve
differences about grades, or to suggest ways to improve the course.
Grades
A superior; the work is of near professional quality. The document meets or exceeds all
the objectives of the assignment. The content is mature, thorough, and well-suited for the
audience; the style is clear, accurate, and forceful; the information is well-organized and
designed so that it is accessible and attractive; the mechanics and grammar are correct
B good; the document meets the objectives of the assignment, but it needs improvement
in style, or it contains easily correctable errors in grammar, format, or content, or its
content is superficial.
C competent; the document needs significant improvement in concept, details,
development, organization, grammar, or format. It may be formally correct but superficial
in content.
D marginally acceptable; the document meets some of the objectives but ignores others;
the content is inadequately developed; or it contains numerous or major errors.
F unacceptable; the document does not have enough information, does something other
than the assignment required, or it contains major errors or excessive errors.
When grading your papers, I will also consider your participation during the unit,
including the completion of the planning worksheet and participation in the draft
workshop.
Note: It will be difficult to get an "A" for the course if you miss more than four classes or
turn your work in late. Unless you make arrangements ahead of time, late work will be
docked one letter grade per day that it is late. Work without drafts or peer review
participation will be not be graded.
GRADING SCALE
A+ 90-100
A 85-89
A- 80-84

5. B+ 77-79
B 73-76
B- 70-72
C+ 67-69
C 63-66
C- 60-62
D+ 57-59
D 53-56
D- 50-52
F Below 50
Plagiarism
Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest and responsible
manner. All students should act with personal integrity, respect other students' dignity,
rights and property, and help create and maintain an environment in which all can
succeed through the fruits of their efforts.
Dishonesty of any kind will not be tolerated in this course. Dishonesty includes, but is not
limited to, cheating, plagiarizing, fabricating information or citations, facilitating acts of
academic dishonesty by others, having unauthorized possession of examinations,
submitting work of another person or work previously used without informing the
instructor, or tampering with the academic work of other students. Students who are
found to be dishonest will receive academic sanctions and will be reported to the
University for possible further disciplinary sanction.
Talking over your ideas and getting comments on your writing from friends are NOT
plagiarism. Taking someone's published or unpublished words and calling them your own
IS plagiarism: a synonym is academic dishonesty. When plagiarism amounts to an
attempt to deceive, it has dire consequences, as spelled out in the English department
regulations.
Class Cancellations
In the event that the instructor cancels class, an email will be sent directly to students at
least one-hour prior to the start of class. Be sure to check your email before each class.
Information concerning University-initiated cancellations can be secured through the
usual channels.