WRIT 566—Scientific and Technical Writing
Spring 2009

Instructor Info

Dr. Jo Koster
Bancroft 228
803-323-4557
kosterj@winthrop.edu
http://faculty.winthrop.edu/kosterj/writ566.htm

Office Hours

TR 2-3 PM; W 10-12; and gladly by appointment.

Overview

This course is designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate students who will be writing extensively in science and technical fields. Students will explore and practice the conventions of discourse in their chosen fields, and learn to prepare the various types of reports, abstracts, reviews, research posters, proposals, and funding applications appropriate to their work. The class will also cover discipline-specific citation methods, use of electronic aids in research and writing, and ethical issues in scientific and technical communication.

Course Goals

•Establishing a realistic context (author, audience, and purpose) for each piece of writing.
•Analyzing the status, knowledge, and demands of audiences.
• Varying rhetorical strategies (voice, diction, organization, sentence structure, layout, etc.) to meet the needs of differing audiences.
•Developing visuals (charts, graphs, tables, drawings, computer-generated graphics, etc.) and incorporating them into texts.
• Developing effective oral presentation skills
• Editing for clarity and precision.
• Proofreading for style, punctuation, grammar, and mechanics.
• Following a “discipline-specific” style manual.
• Using technology to improve the content and appearance of texts.
• Goals for English Department courses are listed at http://www.winthrop.edu/english

Course Procedures

This course meets both Winthrop’s oral-intensive and writing-intensive requirements. The first two-thirds of the course will be devoted to developing and practicing effective writing and speaking skills for the sciences and technology. Classes will emphasize discussion, analysis, and practice of these skills, with frequent feedback from your peers and from the instructor. The last third of the course will be an intensive workshop in which you develop and refine one or two significant pieces of writing and a significant oral presentation in a workshop setting. Undergraduates will submit at least 4000 words of original writing in the course; graduate students will submit at least 6000 words of original writing. (These counts exclude revisions.)

Three revised short written assignments (500-1000 words each): 18% A major written assignment (1850-2500 words total): 20%
Two 5-10 minute oral presentations: 20%
Midterm take-home assignment: 12%
Final Exam: 15%
Effective preparation and participation in class & workshops: 15%

You must submit all graded assignments, both in hard copy and to turnitin.com, to pass the class.

Grading Standards

This course will be graded by the WRIT 566 Rubric for Written Assignments and the WRIT 566 Rubric for Oral Assignments. Grades:

A  94-100; A- 91-93

B+ 88-90; B  84-87; B- 81-83

C+ 78-80; C  74-77; C- 71-73

D+ 68-70; D  64-67; D- 61-63

F  0-60

. If you are S/Uing the class, your grade must be at least C- to receive an S. Undergraduates are graded on the plus/minus system.

Additional Information

The English Department’s home page is http://www.winthrop.edu/english.  Resources for many of our courses can be found at http://www.winthrop.edu/english/core.htm. The home page for our class is http://faculty.winthrop.edu/kosterj/writ566.htm.

Plagiarism Policy

Plagiarism is the use of someone else’s thoughts, words, ideas, or lines of argument in your own work without appropriate documentation (a parenthetical citation at the end and a listing in "Works Cited")–whether you use that material in a quote, paraphrase, or summary. It is a theft of intellectual property and will not be tolerated, whether intentional or not. It is also a violation of section V, "Academic Misconduct," under the Winthrop Student Conduct Code (http://www.winthrop.edu/studentaffairs/Judicial/judcode.htm). The English Department has prepared The Correct Use of Borrowed Information to explain plagiarism (see www.winthrop.edu/english/plagiarism.htm .) You will be required to print out this statement, sign the last page, and bring it to class when required by your instructor. Ignorance or failure to consult this material is no excuse.

Turnitin.com

All graded written work for this class must also be submitted to www.turnitin.com or it will not be accepted. Our class ID # is 2561710 and you'll get the password in class.  Tutorials for using turnitin.com are available at http://www.winthrop.edu/dacus/About/studentTIIinstructions.htm.

Duplicate Submission of Papers

You may not submit a paper for a grade in this class that already has been (or will be) submitted for a grade in another course, unless you obtain the explicit written permission of me and the other instructor involved in advance. This is to conform to the Student Code of Conduct, §V, which states: "Academic misconduct includes but is not limited to … presenting the same or substantially the same papers or projects in two or more courses without the explicit permission of the professors involved." (Student Code of Conduct §V: http://www.winthrop.edu/studentaffairs/Judicial/judcode.htm )

Students with Disabilities

If you have a disability and need classroom accommodations, please contact Gena Smith, Coordinator, Services for Students with Disabilities, at 323-3290 (or ext. 3290 from campus), as soon as possible. Once you have your professor notification letter, please notify me so that I am aware of your accommodations well before the first {test/paper/assignment}.

Contacting the Instructor

It’s best to reach my by e-mail, since I check it frequently; I also try to check my voicemail once a day M-R. I don’t have IM capability. You can also leave messages for me in the department mailroom, 248 Bancroft, which is open from 8:30-5:00 each day.

Safe Zones Statement

The professor considers this classroom to be a place where you will be treated with respect as a human being – regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, political beliefs, age, or ability. Additionally, diversity of thoughts is appreciated and encouraged, provided you can agree to disagree. It is the professor’s expectation that ALL students consider the classroom a safe environment.

Attendance Policy

The official Winthrop University Attendance Policy and Final Examination policies are listed in the Winthrop University Undergraduate Catalog. You are expected to abide by them.  Attendance is expected. University policy is that students who miss more than 25% of classes (8 classes on a two-night per week class) must receive a grade of F. If you miss more than two classes, expect your final grade to be lowered at least three points for every absence.

Late Paper/Assignment Policy

You may turn one of the first three short papers in one class period late if you notify me of your intent to do so at least 24 hours in advance. No other late papers will be accepted. In no case will I accept any late assignment more than 48 hours after the original due date.

Final Examination Schedule

Winthrop University policy states that travel or work schedules are not valid reasons for missing or rescheduling a final examination. Our final exam is scheduled for Monday May 3 at 6:30 p.m.

Other Policies

You are expected to purchase the texts and bring them to class as assigned. If you do not choose to purchase them from the Bookworm, please check the ISBNs for the texts so that you can get the right editions wherever you choose to shop.

The classroom is not the right place for multitasking. Cell phones and other electronic devices must be turned off during class. If yours goes off during class, you will be counted absent for the day. Texting, reading other materials, or other activities that show you are not concentrating on the class will also get you counted absent. Repeat offenses may merit a severe penalty on your class participation grade.

Graduate students will note that there are some additional course requirements for them (in number of words submitted for grading). This is required by the SACS accreditation board for joint undergraduate/graduate classes.

I'm neither your mommy nor your nanny. It's up to you to recognize when assignments are due, to turn them in on time, and to check if they are not returned to you in reasonably prompt fashion.

Daily Schedule of Readings and Assignments

See attached calendar.