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General Information

Develop the writing and information design skills employers most value; learn to advocate for diverse stakeholders in professional contexts. (Lec. 3/Online) (B1) (B2)

Prerequisites

Pre: Open to Business majors with sophomore or higher standing. Open to a limited number of writing majors.

Essential Questions Exploring Core Concepts and Practices

This course focuses on the writing and communication that take place in business and industry settings. It is designed to help you develop professional communication skills and to practice those skills in a variety of contexts, considering the following essential questions:

How will you explore these six concepts central to professional writing?

Rhetoric
Genre
Situated learning
Collaboration
Diversity, Equity, & Advocacy
User-centered design

How will you connect theoretical concepts in rhetoric and professional writing to complete a variety of individual and group writing projects, just as workers in business and industry do?

How will you explore best practices for writing, from ideation (invention) to publication?

How will you analyze organizations and individuals within those organizations to understand, evaluate, and shape communication practices?

General Education Learning Outcomes

B1: Write effective and precise texts that fulfill their communicative purposes and address various audiences

B2: Communicate effectively via listening, delivering oral presentations, and actively participating in group work

Class Policies

The first day of classes is considered the first day of instruction for anytime (asynchronous) online classes.
If you miss more than one week of engagement, you will be at risk of failing the course. We can sometimes accommodate students under extraordinary circumstances, but you must request accommodation and provide requested supporting documentation. Absences may not be excused unless both of the following criteria are met:
- Extenuating circumstance
- notification before absence
Regular online participation and engagement are expected for your success in online courses. Online participation is shown through posting and responding to discussion boards, attending virtual office hours, asking questions, submitting drafts according to deadlines and logging into the Brightspace page regularly.
Late work is not accepted unless prior arrangements have been made. You must contact me in advance of a due date to request an extension. Plan ahead and use this option sparingly as professionals are held accountable for meeting deadlines.
If there is a discrepancy regarding due dates on Brightspace (i.e. different dates on the calendar, to-do lists, or weekly overview), reach out to me immediately for clarification. Likewise, if a web link is broken or a course file or discussion forum is missing or inaccessible, reach out to me immediately to correct the problem. Otherwise, you are responsible.
All assignments must be submitted following the instructions for that assignment. No email submissions are accepted.

Anti-Bias Statement

We respect the rights and dignity of each individual and group. We reject prejudice and intolerance, and we work to understand differences. We believe that equity and inclusion are critical components for campus community members to thrive. If you are a target or a witness of a bias incident, you are encouraged to submit a report to the URI Bias Response Team at www.uri.edu/brt. There you will also find people and resources to help.

Academic Honesty

You are expected to be honest in all academic work. Your name on any written work, quiz or exam shall be regarded as assurance that the work is the result of your own independent thought and study. Work should be stated in your own words, properly attributed to its source. You have an obligation to know how to quote, paraphrase, summarize, cite and reference the work of others with integrity. Here are some things to be sure to avoid:

Using material, directly or paraphrasing, from published sources (print or electronic) without appropriate citation
Claiming disproportionate credit for work not done independently
Unauthorized use of another’s work or preparing work for another student
Taking an exam for another student
Altering or attempting to alter grades
Fabricating or falsifying facts, data or references
Facilitating or aiding another’s academic dishonesty
Submitting the same paper for more than one course without prior approval from the instructors
Using AI writers

How will you practice citation methods common to business contexts during the course and gain a better understanding of plagiarism and its consequences?

You can consult the URI Student Handbook about academic honest and related issues,. You may also wish to review URI's Report of Cheating or Plagiarism.

If you need more help understanding when to cite something or how to make clear your references, it is your obligation to ask. My rule of thumb is simple:

When in doubt cite your reference in whatever way you can. It's better to be wrong about format and get corrected than to fail or be expelled. Sometimes doing something the wrong way is the best way to learn how to do it the right way.

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI)

While generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) has been with us for some time, it has become much more usable and available with the launch of ChatGPT in November 2023. Since then, it has continued to evolve, and we have explored its benefits and liabilities as a writing and learning tool. The policy for using GAI in WRT227 is as follows:

Be aware of the university honor code. The honor code should always be taken seriously. You can fail a class, be suspended, or be expelled for academic dishonesty. Please make sure you are using GAI only to create outlines and drafts but NEVER the final copies of an essay. In addition, NEVER use ChatGPT or other GAI models to complete quizzes or discussion posts within the LMS program.
Be aware of GAI "Hallucinations." If a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT can't find an answer, it will make one up. This is called a "hallucination." GAI will hallucinate "facts" in your paper and references. If you need to know what you are writing about, do not use GAI.
Start with a strong claim. For any writing project, you must begin with a claim. The claim should be specific and arguable. If you need help drafting a solid claim, ask your friendly neighborhood chatbot to help you make it stronger. Remember, when you write this paper, you are arguing for how you see the material. To make a great outline or draft for your essay using GAI, you must begin with your own firm, clear, and arguable claim.
Use well-crafted prompts. "Prompt engineering" refers to entering the prompt into a GAI model. Prompts must identify the task you want the GAI to perform, how you want the GAI to perform the task, and what output you want.
Carefully read the draft. You may have to ask the GAI model to revise the draft several times before getting anything you consider plausible or usable. You can also ask ChatGPT how to improve your draft.
Revise, revise, revise! Please do NOT leave the draft as it is. You need to revise it carefully, often adding detail and clarity to what the GAI model has given you. Since most GAI models cannot add accurate citations in the proper format, you must add in-text citations and a reference page (in MLA or APA format).
Check your work. Grammarly has become expensive, but there are some great GAI alternatives. Try Quillbot or Wordtune to check your work, especially in Google Docs.
Use GAI as a tutor. Here is a prompt you might consider using (revise as needed) to improve your writing:
I want you to act as a GAI writing tutor. I will provide you with an essay that I need help improving, and your task is to use artificial intelligence tools, such as natural language processing, to give me feedback on how I can improve the composition. You should also be able to use your rhetorical knowledge and experience of effective writing techniques to suggest ways that I can better express my thoughts and ideas in written form. Write, "Please paste your essay in the text box," and wait for me to paste my essay into the text box. When you have completed your analysis of the essay, end with the prompt, "Please paste your essay in the text box," so that I can paste my next essay.
Never use GAI to write for you.
Please always show any work you have done with GAI, and you should be able to defend your ideas when asked.

Methods of Evaluation

Grades and Points

Final evaluation of your performance in WRT 227 is done by standard letter grade.

In professional contexts, grades are rare. You may be graded on a performance review, but not when assigned a project to complete for your job. Instead, the finished project would, roughly, meet the criteria for one of the three categories below:

Satisfactory - 93-100 points

Teammates and supervisors would be satisfied, if not impressed, and would remember the work when considering promotions and raises

Revise - 75 points

Teammates and supervisors would not be satisfied and require you to revise or rewrite sections before sharing the work publicly

Unsatisfactory - 50 points or less

Teammates and supervisors would be troubled by the poor quality of the work. Probation would be likely and dismissal possible

Projects

Projects that earns a Satisfactory rating will be considered an A grade (93-100).

Projects that earns a Revise rating will be considered a C grade (75-77). You will receive feedback on how to revise your project to a Satisfactory rating. If time allows, you can re-submit the revised work to replace the grade with an A grade (95-100)

Projects that earn an unsatisfactory rating considered a 50 or less and cannot be revised and resubmitted, So make sure to put in appropriate time, effort, and ability for each project.

Discussion Post Grading

Discussion post will be scored as follows:

50 points for your initial discussion post
25 points for each of two responses to classmates' posts*
1 extra credit point for each response beyond the two required

Quality in Disuccussion posts: Remember, high quality discussion posts will contribute to a strong overall grade in the course. Strive to provide thoughtful and insightful contributions to the conversation.

________________________

* Choose a post that has less than two answers already whenever possible

Our Commitment to Anti-Racist Policies and Practices

We gather as the University of Rhode Island on the traditional land of the Niantic and Narragansett people in past and present. We honor with gratitude of the land itself and the people who have stewarded it throughout the generations. We commit to learning how to better continue that stewardship and ally with indigenous communities in pursuit of sovereignty, equity, and justice.

We have watched with sadness and outrage the ongoing, state-sanctioned oppression and violences perpetrated on the Black community. These events have shaken our community and compel us to redouble our efforts in support of the anti-racist activism embodied in the Black Lives Matter movement. We actively denounce White supremacism in all its pernicious forms and its corrosive impact upon our research, teaching, and service mission.

Our faculty members are committed to cultural and linguistic justice. This includes honoring and supporting diverse Englishes; fostering a welcoming learning community in which BIPOC students feel connected with, listened to, and valued; promoting and celebrating student and faculty participation all forms of anti-racist work in and outside of the academy.

We view these resolutions as the beginning, not the end, of our work to seek true understanding and care for the community of color and to hold ourselves and others accountable. How can you help us to become part of the solution? Do you have other ideas? Or just want to be involved? Please email Genoa Shepley, chair of WRT at genoa_shepley@uri.edu.

URI Department of Writing & Rhetoric

Academic Support Services

American Disabilities Act (ADA)

Any personal learning accommodations that may be needed by a student covered by the “Americans with Disabilities Act” must be made known to the university as soon as possible. This is the student's responsibility. Information about services, academic modifications and documentation requirements can be obtained from The Office of Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity and Diversity (AAEOD).

Affirmative Action

Any student with a documented disability is encouraged to contact your professor early in the semester so that we may work out reasonable accommodations to support your success in this course. Students should also contact Disability Services for Students, Office of Student Life, 330 Memorial Union, 401-874-2098.

From the University Manual: 6.40.10 and 6.40.11 Accommodations for Qualified Students With Disabilities:

Students are expected to notify faculty at the onset of the semester if any special considerations are required in the classroom. If any special considerations are required for examinations, it is expected the student will notify the faculty a week before the examination with the appropriate paperwork.

In addition to mandated accommodations, we want to ensure that all students are given the tools and resources necessary to be successful within our courses. Therefore, we work to accommodate all students, regardless of their abilities or needs. We attempt to accomplish this by providing an inclusive course design and teaching strategies to equip each student with the tools and resources to successfully navigate and complete the course. We are more than willing to work with DSS to provide whatever a student requires or needs. In addition, we encourage all students to approach instructors with suggestions and requests regarding accessibility of information, accommodation, etc. We are interested in suggestions that will not only meet an individual student’s needs but also suggestions to make the overall class more accessible and inclusive of all students.

... from the University Manual: 6.40.10 and 6.40.11 Accommodations for Qualified Students With Disabilities:

Bias Response Team

Equity and inclusion are critical components for campus community members to thrive. The Bias Resource Team (BRT) is an interdisciplinary group of URI staff and faculty. The BRT reviews information about reported bias incidents and refers campus resources to those who have witnessed or experienced an act of bias. The Bias Resource Team also tracks trends and shares information with appropriate departments to address these concerns. The Bias Response Team does not adjudicate student conduct code violations, affirmative action cases, or issues of state or federal law.

If you experience or witness an incident of discrimination based on your age, gender, gender identity and/or gender expression, physical or mental disability, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status at the University of Rhode Island, you may submit a Bias Report Form here. If you would like direct communication from the BRT, you are encouraged to provide your contact information. Note that your name and contact information are not required to submit the form.

BRT members will review your case and inform appropriate parties to address your concern. When contact information is provided, the BRT will review your options and connect you with campus resources that best suit your needs. Any member of the BRT can answer questions regarding the bias report form and campus resources. For more information, visit https://web.uri.edu/brt/

Writing Center

The Undergraduate Writing Center provides free writing support to students in any class, at any stage of the writing process: from understanding an assignment and brainstorming ideas, to developing, organizing, and revising a draft. Synchronous appointments are video-based, with audio, chat, codument-sharing, and live captioning capabilities, to meet a range of accessibility needs. View the synchronus and asynchronout shedules and book onlin. Visit https://web.uri.edu/aec/writing/.

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