Rhetoric 5/4304 Technical Style and Editing
Course Requirements/Policies Fall 2002

Class Times/Days/Locations: 1:40-2:55 TR Dickinson Hall 105 (Little Rock)
Westark College (Ft. Smith)

Professor: Cindy Nahrwold <canahrwold@ualr.edu>
Office: UALR SUB100-B, phone 569-3316 (office), -3160 (dept.)
Office Hours: 12:15-1:30 TR, 3:15-4:30 TR, and by appointment (afternoons)

Required Textbook:

Technical Editing 3rd ed. by Rude (2002)

The Chicago Manual of Style 14th ed. by Chicago Editorial Staff (1993)

Recommended Textbooks:

Handbook of Technical Writing 6th ed. by Alred, Brusaw, and Oliu (2000)

Online! A Reference Guide to Using Internet Sources 3rd ed. by Harnack and Kleppinger (2001) - also available at the following URL: <http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/citex.html>

The style manual for your field (MLA, APA, CBE, etc.)

A recent edition of a desk-size dictionary

Additional Supplies:
Light blue or light yellow unlined 8 ½ x 11" paper
8 ½ x 11" piece of cardboard
Fine-line felt-tip pens

Use these for exercises, etc. that you want to show/edit on the document camera.

Prerequisites:

4304: Rhetoric 3316 or consent of instructor; 5304: graduate standing

Course Objectives:

• To develop an understanding of editing and its role in document development, publication, and use.
• To learn how to edit effectively on a range of editing tasks and documents (which includes both technical mastery of the English language and the ability to justify editing decisions).
• To develop skill at analyzing your own writing and that of others for organization and presentation (which includes graphics and document design).
• To develop productive attitudes and habits: respect for writers, realization of your own strengths and limitations, respect for collaboration (attitudes); inquiry, checking; multi-pass editing (habits).
• To prepare for your role as a professional and for ongoing learning once the course is completed.
• To develop portfolio materials.
  

Course Description:
Rhetoric 5/4304 emphasizes the editing process of technical materials, which includes the following: knowing different levels of editing, copyediting and proofreading, editing for organization and content, editing graphics, editing for effective document design, and learning how to work effectively and efficiently as a team member. We'll do hands-on editing to give you necessary knowledge/practice and to develop your editing skills.

This class will link Ft. Smith with the Little Rock campus through distance technology-primarily two-way compressed video classroom connections. We'll treat the class as an experiment in distance education and see what's possible for people who want to learn together and work on their editing together.

Course Work and Class Structure:
All reading assignments are found in the required texts as well as in any handouts I provide. You'll have to study these assignments, not just read them. Studying these assignments means consciously thinking about what you're reading, annotating your text, marking anything you don't understand, writing down pertinent questions to raise in class, preparing for class by responding to assigned "Discussion and Application" activities (which I may collect periodically at unannounced times), and completing assignments. In short, we'll be doing editing, which is the only way to "get it." You may want to set up "study/work groups" with some of your classmates-a wise decision, given that

when researchers in California set out to find the reason for Asian-American students' disproportionally high achievement in math and science, they discovered only one like answer: study groups. Unlike their peers who studied on their own, the Asian-American students shared their strengths by studying together, so that the strengths of each were taught to all. (Gloria Steinem, Revolution from Within, 182)

In class, we'll be discussing the readings, going over exercises, and working on any additional writing activities. Whatever the assignment, come to class fully prepared to respond to it; this class will work only if you're actively involved and regularly contribute.

All cell phones, beepers, pagers, and wristwatch alarms must be turned off during class.

Exams:
You'll be taking one in-class exam around midterm. Be sure to keep your exam, all exercises we've gone over in class, and all out-of-class assignments; you may find them helpful references as you edit your own and others' work.

In-House Style Manual/Cover Piece:
You'll also be creating an in-house style manual for a real organization: the place you work, an organization you belong to, the church you attend, etc. After e-mailing me your proposal for this project and getting approval, you can begin your work. In addition to the actual manual, you'll also be writing a four-page (4304 students) or a six-page (5304 students) double-spaced, 12-pt. type "cover piece" that explains the rhetorical choices you made in the decisions showing up in the manual.

On the due date, each manual/cover piece will be randomly assigned to another student for editing. As an editor, you'll write the author(s) an assessment as well as correct errors and suggest changes. You'll have one week to review the manual/cover piece and return it to the writer(s). When you return your work to the author(s), you'll also be giving me a copy of your editing work. As writer(s), you'll have one week to revise and edit your work before submitting it to me.

Graduate students will present their manuals/cover pieces to the class in a brief oral report (10-15 minutes). Think of these reports as practice for conferences and professional presentations.

You may collaborate with each other on these manuals/cover pieces; in fact, I encourage you to do so. (Preferably, those enrolled in 4304 should work together, as should those in 5304; if undergraduate and graduate students work together, the cover piece will need to be six pages.) In the workplace, you'll be expected to know how to work (and work well) with others on projects of all sorts. If two or more of you work together, put both or all your names on the paper.

Attendance and Deadlines:
Your being on time is the first (and easiest) step you can take to help yourself do well in this class. We're covering a lot of material, looking at words, sentences, and documents closely and in ways that may be new to you. Missing class will result in your being more than a bit confused and lost at the next class meeting, a state of mind that won't be pleasant for you, for your classmates, or for me.

In short, regular attendance is required in this class and will be considered in your final grade. If you, for any reason, miss three class meetings before the last day to drop an individual course, I'll ask you to drop. Missing more than three classes over the course of the entire semester will result in points being subtracted from your final point total for each class missed over three. Late arrival may be counted as an absence, and missed in-class work can't be made up. As in the workplace, absences and tardiness can lead to loss of employment.

Keeping deadlines is an important part of a professional writer's life. Each assignment will have a specific due day. Your work is to be on time, all the time. In other words, late work won't be accepted-except in cases of serious illness or personal emergency (documentation required). Be sure to notify me immediately of such problems.

Incompletes:
An incomplete may be given only if you've passed the first half of the course and are unable to successfully complete the course because of a documented illness or family crisis that I believe genuinely prevents you from finishing the course. You'll have 90 days from the end of the semester to complete your work and submit it to me.

Students with Disabilities:
It's the policy of UALR to accommodate students with disabilities, in accordance with federal and state law. Any student with a disability who needs accommodation-for example, in seating placement or in arrangements for examinations-should inform me at the beginning of the course. The chair of the department offering this course (Dr. Richard C. Raymond) is also available to assist with accommodations. Students with disabilities are also encouraged to contact the Office of Disability Support Services, which is located in the Donaghey Student Center, Room 103, phone 569-3143 (Little Rock), and on the Web <http://www.ualr.edu/~dssdept/index.html>.

Plagiarism:
Consult the Handbook of Technical Writing, Online!, and/or the UALR Student Handbook for further information on plagiarism.

Grades:
In order to earn a passing grade in Rhetoric 5/4304, you must attend, participate, and successfully complete all assignments. Your final grade for the course will be mathematically computed from the point total for all evaluated assignments:

+ typed responses to "Discussion and Application" activities
+ assignments
+ mid-term exam
+ in-house style manual/cover piece
+ editing work on classmate's/classmates' in-house style manual/cover piece
+ in-house style manual/cover piece oral report (5304 students)
- absences/late arrivals over three during the course of the semester

A: 90-100%
B: 80-89%
C: 70-79%
D: 60-69%
F: Below 60%

Office Hours:
I expect you to take advantage of my office hours for one-on-one conferences. You can either schedule an appointment or drop in during my hours. If my office hours conflict with your class or work schedule, I'll try my utmost to meet with you at different times. You have my office and department phone numbers and my e-mail address, so you should always be able to reach me or get a message to me.

And One Final Note:

If you have problems relating to assignments, attendance, health, or any other class-related factor, please talk to me. If I don't know you have a problem, I can't help you with it.