WRTG 394, Sec. 4025

Spring 2015 -- 3 Credits

January 12, 2015 to March 8, 2015

FACULTY CONTACT

Carol Cron carol.cron@faculty.umuc.edu

COURSE DESCRIPTION

(Fulfills the general education requirement in upper-level advanced writing). Prerequisite: WRTG 101 or WRTG 101S. A comprehensive, project-based study of applied business writing. The aim is to develop documents appropriate to audience and purpose that are well argued and conform to standards to business writing. Topics include context, purpose, audience, style, organization, format, results, technologies, and strategies for persuasion in typical workplace messages. In addition to shorter assignments, a substantial formal report that incorporates research and support for conclusions or recommendations is required. Students may receive credit for only one of the following courses: COMM 394/394X, ENGL 394/394X, or WRTG 394/394X

COURSE INTRODUCTION

This course is titled Advanced Business Writing, but it deals with all kinds of workplace and professional writing—not just the writing produced in business corporations. As you will discover when you take a detailed look at the class resources, there are hundreds of workplace writing situations—many more than the few writing assignments in this course will prepare you for. No individual textbook chapter or writing assignment will be relevant to all students' present and future employment.

How can you make the course content relevant to your particular situation?

The basic purposes of the course are reflected in its goals, general objectives, and specific subject matter, not in the individual writing assignments. For example, although you might be asked to write a claim adjustment letter, the purpose of the assignment is not to explicitly teach you how to write claim adjustment letters. The broader purpose of this assignment is to give you practice with decisions about purpose, audience, organization, style, and word choice. These are the kinds of decisions that need to be made when you produce any workplace and professional writing, regardless of the type of document. Your goal as a student should be to transfer the skills needed to produce the course-assigned tasks to real-life workplace writing tasks.

COURSE OUTCOMES

analyze target audience and purpose select information appropriate to audience and purpose develop explanations and arguments appropriate to audience and document create documents tailored to a variety of workplace audiences and purposes conform to standards of business writing

CLASS GUIDELINES

Contacting your Instructor You can use the Pager feature within the classroom to send a message to Professor Cron. Click the Classroom Walkthrough Videos link below, and then click The Pager link, to view a how-to video on how to use the Pager function within the classroom.

You may contact Professor Cron via e-mail at carol.cron@faculty.umuc.edu. Alternatively, you may e-mail Professor Cron at her University of Maryland e-mail, which is ccron@rhsmith.umd.edu. If you feel you need to speak with her via phone, you may call her Monday-Friday, 9-5 at 301-405-8149.

Preparation Please log into the class several times each week to acquire updates on the class, peruse reading material, engage in discussions, and complete writing assignments.

Weekly Discussions There will be weekly discussion topics based on readings both in the e-textbook and the modules. Class participation (CP) is required and is worth 20% of the final grade. For full CP points, students must post an initial response to two of the four weekly discussion topics, and post replies to two of your classmates. Weeks will begin on Monday and end on Sunday at midnight, giving you the weekend to complete weekly discussions. The discussions will open on Sunday in the event you need to post early in the week, and will close the following Sunday at 12:00 midnight.

Please plan to post at least one of your two posts no later than Wednesday night or Thursday noon at the latest. It does no one any good if everyone makes all their discussion posts on Sunday!

See the weekly discussion topics for more guidelines on your discussion posts in terms of length, content and changing the subject line.

Assignments This class will have five assignments:

1. A persuasive message (A-1) 2. An employment package (A-2) 3. A request to do research (A-3, and related to A-5) 4. A bad news letter (A-4) 5. A final research report identifying a problem and recommending a solution (A-5).

Quizzes Three quizzes will be assigned which will cover material covered in our weekly discussions and our e-textbook.

Supplemental Resources UMUC's Effective Writing Center (EWC) is an excellent resource for writing questions. You may use the EWC to submit drafts of you work for confidential review by an EWC writing advisor. Be sure to visit the EWC website, which is: http://www.umuc.edu/writingcenter/.

The Purdue Online Writing Lab (https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/) is also an excellent resource for grammar and other writing-related questions.

Within the Content section of your classroom, view the Start Here section or Additional Course Informationsection within the Syllabus to learn how this course will be structured.

GRADING INFORMATION

Assignment/Task %

Assignment 1: Persuasive Message (A-1)

You will prepare a short, persuasive piece of writing that makes a recommendation for improvement.

10

Assignment 2: Employment Package (A-2)

You will prepare a résumé and cover letter (application letter) for a position in which you are interested and for which you are qualified. Assuming you have been offered the position, you will also write a follow-up letter either accepting the position and confirming the offer details (start date, position title, salary, etc.) OR a letter stating you need more time to consider accepting it because you are awaiting the results of other interviews.

15

Assignment 3: Request to Do Research (A-3)

You will write a document requesting permission to conduct research in support of your topic choice for the formal research-based persuasive report, assignment 5. This will be either a letter or a memo, depending on the type of research you are proposing. You will also include an annotated bibliography with the memo to demonstrate you have done some research on your topic and will be able to find material to use in your report.

10

Assignment 4: Bad News Letter (A-4)

You will write a brief business message delivering bad news. We will study both the direct and the indirect approach. This assignment must use the indirect approach.

10

Assignment 5: Final Research Report/ Recommendation (A-5)

You will complete a formal persuasive report that incorporates research. The report will identify a problem and propose a solution to a problem. This is the final report based on the request to do research in A-3.

20

Quizzes

There will be three quizzes during the course to determine the comprehension of the written material in both the e-textbook and the modules. The quizzes will be worth 15% of the final grade.

15

Class Participation in Weekly Discussions 20

Participation is required in the weekly discussion topics. You will select two of the four topics and post substantive replies in the appropriate thread. You will respond to two classmates' posts with a message. See the individual weekly lecture/discussion topics for guidelines in terms of number of words and content.

100

A full description of the writing projects is below. You may also refer to the file Full Description of Writing Assignments posted in LEO for detailed, complete descriptions of each assignment which may be easier to print and keep as a reference.

Grading rubrics will also be used to evaluate assignments consistently and with pre-determined criteria.

Late Submission of Assignments

It is very important that assignments be submitted by the time and date stated, which generally will be Sunday at 12:00 midnight of the week the assignment is due. If you contact the professor via e-mail a minimum of 24 hours in advance requesting an extension, with the reason why the assignment cannot be completed on time, an extension of two days will likely be granted. No further extensions will be given without a reduction in the grade. Generally, 5 points will be deducted for each day the assignment is late beyond the initial extension. If you do not request an extension and you submit the assignment late, 5 points will be deducted for each day the assignment is late, starting with Monday. No late submissions will be accepted after a full week.

Grading Scale:

A 90 - 100

B 80 - 89

C 70 - 79

D 61 - 69

F 60 and below

PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS

A grading rubric will be used to consistently and fairly grade all assignments. The rubrics will be available before assignments are due so students can see exactly how their work will be evaluated. At this time these rubrics are not linked to the assignment/grading option in LEO. The completed rubric will be uploaded to the student's assignment folder.

Assignment #1: Persuasive Message (A-1)

Worth 10% of final grade; due at end of Week 1

Instructions Prepare a short, persuasive piece of writing that makes a recommendation for improvement. This will be formatted as a memo or a letter. Your memo should be no more than one page, single spaced.

Choose a minor issue that causes difficulties or problems in your life—at school, where you work, in an organization in your community, or at your child’s daycare. Explain the problem to the person who can solve it (teacher? dean? fellow student? manager? organization’s leader?). Make a brief and practical recommendation for solving this problem.

Save and Submit Save it as YourNameMemo.docx and submit it in the assignment folder.

Grading Criteria for an “A” Assignment: Persuasive Message

Follows the appropriate format for a memo or letter as outlined in textbook and discussions

Accommodates specific audience needs Appropriate uses of persuasive techniques Accurately and clearly depicts knowledge of the problem situation Demonstrates some research into similar problems and possible solutions for the problem and

how the organization or company will benefit from the proposed solution Tone and diction are positive and cordial Words are precise, accurate, and appropriate for the situation There are minimal or no errors in writing and formatting

Assignment #2: Employment Package (A-2) Worth 15% of final grade; due at end of week 3

Instructions After reviewing the material in the e-textbook, the modules, and the information in the weekly lecture/discussion topics, begin the process of planning and drafting your resume. Choose a chronological or functional resume, and follow the guidelines discussed for readability, clarity, and conciseness.

Be sure to keep the number of pages to one or a maximum of two (if you have a lot of experience). Do not let the content spill over onto the next page unless it takes up the entire page. If it goes onto a second page, reformat, rearrange and edit the resume to reduce the number of lines. REMEMBER: When writing your resume, every line is precious. Bullet points should not spill over to the next line with just a few words. If it does, edit the content to reduce the words so you “get that line back.”

Compose your resume and your cover letter. Then, assume you have been offered the position, and write a follow-up letter to the person who offered you the job with either a formal acceptance, which will include a polite thank you for the offer, confirming the title, starting date, salary, and other critical details. OR, write a follow-up letter to the person who offered you the position and request a short extension of time to make a decision, providing the reason. The reason could be that you have committed to additional interviews and you do not want to cancel them, or you are waiting to hear from other companies following an interview. Be sure to state when you will be able to provide a definite decision.

Keep in mind that a single typographical error or misspelling on a resume or cover letter can cause it to be thrown out and for you to lose that job opportunity.

Save and Submit Even though you would clearly not typically submit a letter, resume and follow-up letter in the same document, for this assignment please put all your items into one single document: Cover letter (1 page), resume (2 pages maximum), follow-up letter (1 page). Save the document as YourNameEmployment.docx and submit to the assignment folder.

Grading Criteria for an “A” Assignment: Employment Package

Cover letter, resume and follow-up letter meet assignment criteria and style Includes all relevant contact information in an accessible manner Is addressed to and names a specific person and office Appropriate use of persuasive techniques in the cover letter Clearly describes knowledge and skills appropriate for the job Demonstrates applicant’s research into the company’s mission and how applicant will fit into the

organization Tone and words are precise, accurate, and appropriate for business There are NO TYPOGRAPHICAL OR SERIOUS GRAMMATICAL ERRORS!

Assignment #3: Request to do Research (A-3) Worth 10% of final grade; due at the end of week 5

Instructions Prepare a 500 to 750-word letter or memo to your proposal decision-maker requesting permission to pursue research to develop your proposal idea. In your correspondence, provide your decision-maker with justification for the research project. Include a description of the benefits you believe the proposed idea will bring to the organization. Your document must make it clear you are contacting the decision-maker to request permission to move forward with your research.

Following are some potential scenarios. Use these as a starting point to come up with a situation and expand on it based on your own knowledge and experience. You are encouraged to create your own scenario. The examples below are only for ideas or if you are unable to think of a suitable problem to research and solve.

Crowding in your place of employment results in shared office space and limited resources. A proposed solution could be implementation of a telecommuting program to permit some employees in suitable occupations to work from home on a full- or part-time basis. Think about how employees will communicate and how the company can support communication.

Your child's elementary school does not have an effective communication process with parents and the community. You can develop a strategy to facilitate a streamlined communication. Your report may be directed to the school's principal or even the PTA.

Rising health care costs are a concern nationwide. To address your company's issues, you are proposing implementation of a wellness program. The benefits of implementing a program like this are many, ranging from lowering health care costs to boosting morale. Think about how communication within the workplace would help with this implementation.

Communication among members of a local church is difficult to facilitate and the leaders are seeking a solution to the communication issues. You could propose establishing a website or other social media for congregation members to read updates, participate in discussion, contact other members, and so on.

Communication among different offices within your own organization may be difficult. Propose some interoffice communication strategies to facilitate communication and show how these might affect the organization's bottom line.

Social media is now an important aspect of doing business. You could write a report recommending that your company set up an interactive customer blog or use social media to improve customer service.

Note: You use a letter format when the recipient is outside your organization. You use a memo format when the recipient is in the same organization as you are.

Follow guidelines for setting up a letter or a memo. Including a logo as part of your letterhead (if you are writing as a company) adds credibility to your letter. Your memo or letter must be persuasive, identify and justify the problem you are researching and for which you are making recommendations. You also want to show how these problems are lowering productivity or costing the company money.

You need to include three to five annotated bibliographic entries to demonstrate that you understand how to do this type of research. This means researching your proposed topic in the UMUC Library and finding some articles, relevant published material or current websites that will support your proposal. You must list the citations in proper APA format and write a two to three sentence description about the material in the source you identified.

Save and Submit Save it as YourNameRequest.docx and submit it in the assignment folder.

Grading Criteria for an “A” Assignment: Request to do Research

Meets assignment criteria, style, and format No fewer than 500 words; no more than 750 Correct choice of memo or letter format Describes the problem or project you want to work on and explains its significance Summarizes research you are already aware of, citing its sources Tells where additional information may be obtained and how much you need Provides relevant facts and evidence, including a timeline Recommends specific action in the closing Uses APA style correctly in references Describes the benefits of your research to your organization Shows a "you" attitude (but does not use the “you” point of view) Maintains friendly, positive, confident, and professional diction and tone Uses emphatic, concise, fluent sentences; sentences are effective and varied in structure There are minimal or no errors in writing and formatting

Assignment # 4: "Bad News" Message (A-4) Worth 10% of final grade; due at the end of week 6

Instructions You will write a brief business message delivering bad news. A bad news message can be written in either a direct approach or an indirect approach. For this assignment, please use the indirect approach, and include an appropriate buffer. At the beginning or end, you need to include a short bulleted list of the reasons why the bad news letter needs to be written.

This is an example scenario only – do not use this one for your letter. Your list of reasons for writing the bad news letter should resemble this one.

Mr. John Peterson, an employee in your company, has asked you to write a letter of recommendation for a promotion and salary increase. You determine you cannot write the letter for the following reasons:

Mr. Peterson’s last two performance reviews were only “meets requirements” and areas of improvement were identified.

It was pointed out that Mr. Peterson’s writing skills are not high quality, based on memos and letters he has written. It was suggested he find a solution to improve his writing skills – whether it be through an external college-level writing class, signing up for an online business writing workshop, or identifying a peer (or supervisor) in the company who would be willing to work with him to review his work and help him improve his writing skills.

Mr. Peterson has not taken steps to do any of the recommendations to improve his writing, and

has not improved his performance-related issues.

Save and Submit Save the documents as YourNameBadNewsLetter.docx and submit in the assignment folder.

Grading Criteria for an “A” Assignment: "Bad News" Message

Letter meets assignment criteria and style, using the indirect approach Letter is addressed to and names a specific person The writer and the problem are clearly identified Decision is clearly stated, but a well-written buffer is included in the letter Provides relevant facts and evidence; refers to and gives brief explanations Suggests specific action in the closing, if appropriate Tone and diction are positive, business-like, and professional Words and sentences are precise, accurate, and appropriate for business There are minimal or no errors in writing and formatting

Assignment #5: Final Research Report/Recommendation (A-5) Worth 20% of final grade; due week 8

This assignment is related to the proposal seeking approval for doing this research (A-3). Be sure that you tie these two assignments together!

In Assignment 3 you identified and requested permission to write about a problem and deliver a solution. Assignment 5 is the research report proposing a recommended solution. You need to explain the problem, provide evidence of the problem, and support the solution. You need to include three to five references to support your statements and your recommendations for the solution. Your report must discuss resources (i.e., funding) necessary to implement the solution, the estimated timeline to implement the solution, and the benefits of doing so. The report must have the following components in this order:

Attractive cover page Transmittal letter or memo Table of contents Executive summary (no more than one page) Body of the report to include:

o Headings and subheadings o In-text citations in proper APA format o Conclusion stated as a recommendation to implement the solution o At least one well-placed graphic, preferably an original graph or chart based on data in

your report (see discussion below on the graphic) Reference page in proper APA format, with at least three references

The complete report should be no fewer than (approximately) 1,500 words and no more than 2,500 words. The word count includes all components except the reference list. The purpose of establishing a word count is to ensure the topic chosen is neither too big nor too small.

In addition to these requirements, you are required to produce at least one graphic – preferably something you create, that relates specifically to your information. This graphic, like all graphical elements in business writing, must reflect the best ways to present the information. In other words,

use graphics where the picture tells the story even better than the words. It could be an image, a photo, a simple table, a simple chart, or other visual element. Be sure to consult your textbook for the conventions about graphic elements in a report.

You may submit a draft of your report to your instructor, but you are not required to do this. The draft will not receive a grade – only helpful feedback which you may use on the final version of the report.

Save and Submit Save the documents as YourNameReport.docx and submit in the assignment folder.

Grading Criteria for an “A” Assignment: Final Research Report

Meets minimum requirements – between (approximately) 1,500 – 2,500 words Shows skillful application of persuasive strategies

o audience is appealed to appropriately o argument is developed well; relevant evidence supports your claims o image of credibility is established o objections are anticipated and addressed

Executive summary is one page and is a mini-version of the entire report Purpose of each section is clear and supported well Organization is clear

o Report contains all the required elements and is in the proper order according to assignment instructions

o separate ideas are in separate paragraphs o contains meaningful, relevant headings

There are helpful transitions between paragraphs Sentences are well-written: emphatic, condensed, varied in structure, fluent Words are specific, precise, concrete, and accurate Voice is consistent and appropriate for audience Graphics are well designed and appropriately displayed Sources are cited in APA style within the report and on the reference page

o good selection of reliable material to support research issue o a reasonable number of direct quotes that are appropriately cited o accurate paraphrasing and summarizing o correct in-text citation in APA style o correct reference format in APA style

There are minimal or no errors in writing and formatting

Academic Policies and Guidelines

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

As a member of the University of Maryland University College (UMUC) academic community that honors integrity and respect for others you are expected to maintain a high level of personal integrity in your academic work at all times. Your work should be original and must not be reused in other courses.

CLASSROOM CIVILITY Students are expected to work together cooperatively, and treat fellow students and faculty with respect, showing professionalism and courtesy in all interactions. Please review the Code of Civility for more guidance on interacting in UMUC classrooms: http://www.umuc.edu/students/support/studentlife/conduct/code.cfm.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

UMUC is committed to ensuring that all individuals are treated equally according to Policy 040.30 Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity, and Sexual Harassment.

Students with disabilities who need accommodations in a course are encouraged to contact the Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) at accessibilityservices@umuc.edu, or call 800-888-UMUC (8682) or 240-684-2287.

The following academic policies and procedures apply to this course and your studies at UMUC.

150.25 Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism – UMUC defines academic dishonesty as the failure to maintain academic integrity. All charges of academic dishonesty will be brought in accordance with this Policy.

Note: Your instructor may use Turnitin.com, an educational tool that helps identify and prevent plagiarism from Internet resources, by requiring you to submit assignments electronically. To learn more about the tool and options regarding the storage of your assignment in the Turnitin database go to: http://www.umuc.edu/library/libresources/turnitin.cfm.

170.40

170.41

170.42

The following policies describe the requirements for the award of each degree:

Degree Completion Requirements for the Graduate School

Degree Completion Requirements for a Bachelor’s Degree

Degree Completion Requirements for an Associate’s Degree

170.71 Policy on Grade of Incomplete - The grade of I is exceptional and only considered for students who have completed 60% of their coursework with a grade of B or better for graduate courses or C or better for undergraduate courses and request an I before the end of the term.

170.72 Course Withdrawal Policy - Students must follow drop and withdrawal procedures and deadlines available at http://www.umuc.edu/ under Academic Calendar.

130.80 Procedures for Review of Alleged Arbitrary and Capricious Grading – appeals may be made on final course grades as described herein.

205.06 Calculation Of Grade-Point Average (GPA) for Inclusion on Transcripts and Transcript Requests – Note: Undergraduate and Graduate Schools have different Grading Policies (i.e. The Graduate School does not award the grade of D). See Course Syllabus for Grading Policies.

COURSE EVALUATION SURVEY

UMUC values its students' feedback. You will be asked to complete an online evaluation toward the end of the term. The primary purpose of this evaluation process is to assess the effectiveness of classroom instruction in order to provide the best learning experience possible and make continuous improvements to every class. Responses are kept confidential. Please take full advantage of this opportunity to provide your feedback.

LIBRARY SUPPORT

Extensive library resources and services are available online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week at http://www.umuc.edu/library/index.cfm to support you in your studies. The UMUC Library provides research assistance in creating search strategies, selecting relevant databases, and evaluating and citing resources in a variety of formats via its Ask a Librarian service at https://www.umuc.edu/library/libask/index.cfm, which includes 24/7 chat and e-mail.

LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM SUPPORT

To successfully navigate the online classroom new students are encouraged to view the Classroom Walkthrough under Help in the upper right menu of the LEO classroom. Those requiring technical assistance can access Help@UMUC Support directly in LEO under the Help menu. Additional technical support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week via self-help and live chat at http://www.umuc.edu/help or by phone toll-free at 888-360-UMUC (8682).

SYLLABUS CHANGES

All items on this syllabus are subject to change at the discretion of the Instructor and the Office of Academic Affairs.

CLASS & ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE

Assignment/Task Weekly Dates

Week 1 January 12 – 18

Topics: Effective communication; Contexts of business writing; Planning and completing business messages; Persuasive messages Read: Chapters 1, 2, 14 Read article in e-reserves by Jack Appleman entitled Persuasive Writing. Module 1 Do: Attend class on Thursday, January 15 – 7 p.m. Participate in Welcome Discussion Participate in week 1 discussion topics Complete and submit Assignment A-1: Persuasive Message

Week 2 January 19 – 25

Topics: Employment messages; Writing resumes and cover letters

Read: Chapters 7, 9.5 (Resumes) Module 4 Review: Chapter from Andrea Geffner's book in the e-reserves entitled Business English: A Complete Guide to Developing an Effective Business Writing Style (Employment Correspondence) Do: Attend class on Thursday, January 22 – 7 p.m. Participate in discussion topics Work on Assignment A-2: Employment Package (due at the end of week 3) Quiz: Take quiz #1 (of 3) in LEO and submit by Sunday at 11:59 p.m. Quiz will cover material presented in weeks 1 and 2 in e-textbook readings, modules and weekly lectures.

Week 3 January 26 – February 1

Topics: Planning, writing and revising business messages

Read: Chapters 4.3 – 4.6 and Chapters 5.1, 5.2, 6 and 7 Chapter from Janis Fisher Chan's book in the e-reserves: Communication Skills for Managers (On the Page: How to Write Well). Module 2 Do: Attend class on Thursday, January 29 – 7 p.m. Participate in discussion topics Complete Assignment A-2: Employment Package (due Sunday at 11:59 p.m.)

Week 4 February 2 – 8

Topic: Electronic Messages

Read/Review: Chapter 9.1 (Text Messages, E-Mail) Module 3 Module 5 Chapter 9.4 (Reports)

Do: Attend class on Thursday, February 5 – 7 p.m. Participate in discussion topics Quiz: Take quiz #2 (of 3) in LEO and submit by Sunday at 11:59 p.m. Quiz will cover material presented in weeks 3 and 4 in e-textbook readings, modules and weekly lectures.

Week 5 February 9 – 15

Topic: Bad News Messages Read: Chapter 17 in e-book Article in e-reserves by Sam DeKay from Business Communication Quarterly entitled "Where is the research on negative messages"? Short article in e-reserves by Michael Feuer from SmartBusiness Houston entitled "Sometimes it's not what you say but how you say it." Do: Attend class on Thursday, February 12 – 7 p.m. Participate in discussion topics Assignment A-3: Request to Do Research (due Sunday at 11:59 p.m.)

Week 6 February 16 – 22

Topics: Planning and writing reports and proposals; Designing visual communication Read/Review: Sections 5.3, 5.4 and 5.5 in chapter 5 and section 9.4 in chapter 9 Module 5 (this was listed as "review" for week 4) This December 2013 blog by Jamie Cartright: "11 Simple Tips to Make Your PowerPoint Presentations More Effective." Chapters 6 and 7 Do: Attend class on Thursday, February 19 – 7 p.m. Participate in discussion topics Participate in the EWC Workshop with at least two substantive posts asking a question of the EWC Advisor, posting a portion of a draft of your A-5, or responding to the Advisor's instructions in one of the discussion threads. Assignment A-4: Bad News Message (due Sunday at 11:59 p.m.) Think about/plan your Assignment A-5: Final Research Report/Recommendation Guest Lecturer from UMUC's Effective Writing Center (EWC) will be present in our class during weeks 6 and 7 to assist students with their final research report/recommendation.

Week 7 February 23 – March 1

Topics: Ethics and integrity Ethical presentation of information

Read: Module 6: Ethics and Integrity Review: Chapter 5.4 on ethics Do: Attend class on Thursday, February 26 – 7 p.m Participate in discussion topics

Participate in the EWC Workshop with at least two substantive posts asking a question of the EWC Advisor, posting a portion of a draft of your A-5, or responding to the Advisor's instructions in one of the discussion threads.

Quiz: Take quiz #3 (of 3) in LEO and submit by Sunday at 11:59 p.m. Quiz will cover material presented in weeks 5, 6 and 7 in e-textbook readings, modules and weekly lectures. Work on your Assignment A-5: Final Research Report/Recommendation. Guest Lecturer from UMUC's Effective Writing Center (EWC) will be present in our class during weeks 6 and 7 to assist students with their final research report/recommendation.

Week 8 March 2 – 8

Do: Participate in discussion topic with a message TO your classmates or Professor Cron Participate in discussion topic with a message ABOUT WRTG 394, LEO, the curriculum, or any topic related to your studies. Complete your Assignment A-5: Final Research Report/Recommendation and submit by Sunday, March 8 at 11:59 p.m. Extra points will be added to your A-5 grade for reports turned in by Thursday, March 5! Plan ahead! Complete any extra credit opportunities offered to you, especially if you need to improve your grade.