ENG 301: Writing as a Job

Fall 2024 | Sec 001 | M/W/F 3:35-4:25
Location: M/F, Ross 0285. W, Ross 1240

Dr. Marc C. Santos
www.marccsantos.com
marc dot santos at unco.edu
Office Location: Ross 1140B
Student Hours: Fridays 10:00 to 12:30 (in the foyer of the Michener Library). I am available by appointment on Thursdays (email me to schedule).

Course Introduction

This course covers the genres, technologies, and skills you will likely encounter and/or need as professional writers. I designed this course as a vehicle to expose you to both the wide range of skills writers might need and the wide range of job opportunities available to them. Beyond copy editing (which you probably don’t want to do given their typical salary), writers work as content editors, grant experts, social media managers, marketing consultants, content producers, researchers, UX (user experience/usability) experts, project managers, and human resource specialists. One of the trickiest elements of a writer’s job search is knowing all of the weird titles their jobs can have (see the table in the Brumberger and Lauer reading). All of these jobs require different technological, professional, and personal competencies. If you are a part of our writing major, then you will see that the various options the major offers intend to help you specialize in particular areas.

Our first project aims to help you get a better sense of what the job market for writers looks like. We will collect a corpus of job advertisements and “code” (qualitatively analyze) them to identify skills different jobs (social media, writer, editor, etc) require. We will then develop a professional report to communicate your findings to various audiences.

But I want to do more than just inform you on what you need to be successful on the job market–I want to provide a space in which you can learn some of those things. I want you to produce work that could be highlighted in a cover letter or included in a portfolio. So, in our second project, you will set about learning a proficiency you identified in the first project. I have put together a group of modules you can follow: one focuses on document/web/visual design, one focuses on grant research and writing, one focuses on social media writing and management. At the heart of the course is a community engagement project in which we work with a local non-profit organization. During this project, you will practice your newfound specialization while working with a community partner to produce one or two team deliverables, along with any requisite documentation (instructions on how the client can best implement/use what you have provided them, a kind of professional debrief). In previous semesters, we have worked with the Santa Cops of Weld County, Arc Charities, The Rock Found, the Holocaust Memorial Observances of Greeley and Northern Colorado, the Loveland Community Kitchen, the Poudre Heritage Alliance, Poudre Trails and Corridors, Inc, the Immigrant Refugee Center of Northern Colorado, and Lifestories. I am still pinning down our clients for this semester.

Our final project prepares you to *rhetorically* read job ads and prepare application materials. To read rhetorically means to go beyond mere semantic meaning and identify motives, attitudes, desires, and concerns. It is a critical form of attuned engagement meant to help facilitate and amplify action. In other words, we’ll learn how to better craft a resume and cover letter to fit a specific position. You will also have the opportunity to craft an online portfolio site (likely using Google Sites) and/or develop a personal brand on Linkedin. Giving the rapid rise of artificial intelligence over the past year, I want to spend a bit more time on this project. I hope we can identify how AI can help better prepare you for the job market (I am particularly interested in its ability to conduct mock interviews).

In addition to this professionalization work, this class exposes you to some of the fundamental scholarship in rhetoric and writing studies. Professional writing is itself a specialization in that larger field. I want to explore the kinds of research and scholarship happening in those fields. I hope to show you the intellectual underpinnings of the professional work we do, and how such theory can both inform professional practice and make you better human beings (potentially–this requires we address “The Q Question,” which is more a topic for ENG 319, which, conveniently, I am teaching in spring 2024). As the Carolyn Miller article we will read indicates, professional writing has always had an awkward place in Universities. It isn’t a science, although it often (technical writing) works with the sciences. And it sometimes doesn’t seem to be a Humanity to our fellow humanitarians (just take the over concern with capitalistic employment running through this syllabus). But writing of any kind offers us the opportunity to be ethical. It requires us to be ethical, if to be ethical means imagining the position, the needs, the concerns, of others, of anticipating their affective and logical responses to our claims, and attempting through writing to craft a space in which many can find a place. This is our method (what it means to be rhetorical), whatever our purpose, our context, our task.

On Mondays and Fridays we will meet in Ross 0285. Mondays will be (mostly) reserved for discussing theoretical readings. Fridays will be dedicated to exploring assignments, reviewing drafts, and/or collaborating on ideas. On Wednesdays (starting week 2) we will meet in the Ross 1240 computer lab. Sometimes I will present tutorials on using a particular kind of technology or working within a particular genre. Sometimes we will work on drafting copy or focusing on a stylistic strategy (I have a thing for active sentence syntax–so, don’t write “There are conditions in which fights might take place,” rather write “I will fight you”). Other times I will leave you to get work done (whether individually or collaboratively).

I offer this class at the 301 level with the hopes that most of you are sophomores or juniors–that you are deep enough in your career to produce high quality work but also early enough in your career that you can still productively shape your resume: through a minor, through elective courses, through extra-curricular activities (big hint #1–if you want to be a writer or an editor and are not part of the Crucible staff then you are doing this wrong), through an internship (big hint #2, I am the internship director for the English department and will do everything I can to make you complete an internship before you graduate). That said, the emphasized portion above aptly describes what I am trying to do in this class. I’m trying to create an opportunity for you to do work that you can highlight in a job letter, discuss in an interview, or use in a portfolio. In a year, or two, or maybe three, you won’t be students anymore. Jobs don’t come with lectures. Those who do more get rewarded. You will always be working in teams. Consider this a practice run.

Course Objectives

Students will:

• Gain proficiency with a wide variety of professional genres, including documentation, memos, email, grants, usability reports, recommendation reports, resumes, and cover letters
• Develop their composing skills with a focus on meaningful revision based on user/audience feedback and concision
• Develop their rhetorical awareness by revising documents for specific purposes and audiences
• Use a wide variety of contemporary writing technologies, including collaborative writing software and social media
• Learn to participate as part of a team and to chart and track team responsibilities
• Familiarize themselves with the range of disciplinary scholarship in the field

Text and Materials

Readings will be distributed electronically as .pdfs.

I expect you to print out and annotate all assigned scholarship. Studies show that our brains work harder when we interact with paper rather than with screens. Bring a printed copy of the article, with margin comments, to class. I’ve uploaded pdfs of course readings into the Canvas Files section for you to download and print out. I will talk about how to read academic scholarship and research in class. You get $10 of free printing at University computers every semester and I plan on cutting into that pool.

You will need a Gmail / Google Drive Account (I’ll be sharing a lot of documents via Google Drive, and will ask that you share documents with me). I generally do not accept Microsoft Word documents in this class; you need to learn to work in collaborative, online writing environments and, in my opinion, Google handles this better than Microsoft. Do not send me a .pdf. Do not submit a .pdf to Canvas. I do not deserve such treatment.

If you do need to send me a .docx, for the love of the gods, please change the file name to something specific, rhetorical, and meaningful. For instance, I generally name all my files santos-titleofthing-semesterandyear, for instance, santos-kairos-book-review-sp2021. I will judge you on this (which is only kinda sorta a joke), because as you begin applying for jobs and graduate programs, people will judge you (consciously or unconsciously) on how you name your files. It speaks to your organization and disciplinary awareness, which are often products of mentoring. So consider this some mentoring. Name your files something meaningful. “my-paper” or “301 paper” is not meaningful. /rant

Major Projects

Below is a list of this semester’s major projects

Project One: Job Ad Analysis
Weeks 1-6

The first project asks you to craft a report on skills required for a particular set of jobs. Our research will use Brumberger and Lauer’s article as a guide; we will first collect a corpus of around 100 jobs and then code them using a modified version of B&L’s scheme that I developed. After we complete this collaborative, primary research, you will craft a professional report communicating it to either University Administrators, High School Seniors, or parents of first-year writing majors and minors.

Project Two: Community Engagement Project
Weeks 7-12
The community engagement project is typically divided into 3-4 teams.

• Grant Writing
• Social Media
• Writing/Research/Editing
• Document Design / Promotional or Instructional Materials

Project Four: Job Materials

Weeks 13-16
For our final project, you will develop a rhetorically-specific job application, including resume and cover letter. You will also potentially develop an online presence and portfolio.

Labor-Based Grading

Following contemporary research on assessment and student learning, this course eschews a traditional evaluative grading system (one in which I use a rubric in order to judge the quality of your work) in favor of a labor-based system (one in which you earn a grade through the consistency and quantity of your effort). Research on traditional grading shows that it often rewards students from more affluent backgrounds and penalizes students from marginalized backgrounds and/or those who enter a class without foundational prior knowledge (if you would like to read more on antiracist assessment and labor-based grading then you are in luck, because I published a much longer thing on those very topics). Given the myriad (and often insufficient) ways writing gets taught in many secondary schools, and the wide range of literate experiences y’all might have/not had growing up, I want to provide an environment that let’s everyone succeed regardless of their previous preparation. My understanding of “success” is built around individual growth and development–this course is successful if you leave it a more proficient and confident writer. Let’s watch something.

Research on writing studies also tells us that the most important component of learning to write is consistent effort and investment. Thus, assessment in this class aims to measure how hard you try more than whether your writing is “good.” If you pass in all assignments (relatively) on-time (and they address the basic concerns of the project’s rubric), maintain solid attendance, and receive positive assessments from group mates on Project 3, then you are assured a “B” in the course. If I believe your effort is insufficient and doesn’t reflect basic concerns, I will let you know via Canvas comments or email. I’ve primarily been grading effort for the past 5 years and no one has ever accused me of being unfair or pedantic. I want to reward investment and effort. Show it, and you will do fine.

To earn an “A,” you will have to invest extra effort. This includes:

• For Project 1, submitting revisions until they reach a 90% on the rubric and/or address instructor comments Note: this is required Extra Labor for anyone who wants to earn an A for the semester.
• Bringing drafts of Project 1 and Project 4 to the Writing Center
• Making consistent and meaningful contributions to class discussions (especially when we are reviewing scholarship or are grade-norming)
• Showing leadership and responsibility in group projects
• Going above and beyond during our Community Engagement Project (noting what extra work you did in your self-reflection)
• Developing a professional portfolio and/or online presence in the Job Materials project
• Joining The Crucible staff in September (and attending meetings etc etc)
• Completing a HubSpot course (see list in Canvas)

The gambit I am playing here, backed by contemporary scholarship, is that your writing will improve if you aren’t concerned about your grade. I trust you to care about improving as a writer. Do the things that we know tend to make you better writers and your grade will take care of itself. All of the things in my Extra Labor section are things that will help you grow and learn as students and writers. Do the things! You will complete a Google form in the final week of class that includes a self-evaluation.

I am trying to set up an environment that rewards you for your labor. Writing studies scholarship consistently shows that the most significant factor in learning to write is simply investment. The more writing you do, the better writer you will become. I believe that moving to a labor-based system makes writing classes less stressful, since you do not need to be overly concerned that your lack of expertise or experience will doom you to a poor grade.

However, effort alone will not necessarily make you better–we need to focus that effort. Class assignments will often come with rubrics that identify key concepts, genre conventions, strategies, or content that has to be included in a project. If you miss something, you will have the opportunity to revise and resubmit until you get it down. We will familiarize ourselves with project rubrics by grading past projects together as a class.

How this Will Work in Canvas

All minor and major assignments turned into Canvas will be awarded an 8.5, so long as they are turned in (relatively) on-time. Assignments turned in more than 7 days after the initial due date will receive a 7.5 and will not receive a rubric score or detailed feedback. I will not accept minor assignments after their corresponding major assignment’s completion. This means that, assuming you are keeping up with things, your Canvas grade will always be an 85%.

There’s another section in Canvas called Extra Labor (to earn an “A”). As of this writing, there’s nine activities in that section that offer a total of 14 points. To earn an A, you have to earn 10 points and you have to revise the Job Ads project until it earns an “A” on my rubric.

Assessment

The course will be evaluated based on the following scale:

A+: 97-100% A: 93-96% A-: 90-92% B+: 87-89% B: 83-86% B-: 80-82% C+: 77-79% C: 73-76% C-: 70-72% D+: 67-69% D: 63-66% D-: 60-62% F: 0-59%

Student/Office Hours

Student hours are on Fridays from 10:00am until 12:30pm in the foyer of the Michener Library. Additionally, I am available on Thursday mornings by email appointment.

What’s the point of student hours? Mostly preparation or review.

• If we are starting a project, then you can come in and just brainstorm. Most of my best ideas come from just talking to people–ideas just emerge. The dialectic process (fancy speak for asking “what about” kinds of questions) has been around for a few millennia because it works.
• If I’ve handed back a project, then office hours are a great way to ask questions about my feedback. I try to put meaningful comments in the margins of your work. I also recognize that you might not understand my comments. Likewise, you might not understand why you got a lower score on a rubric grade. If you pop into office hours, we can review your work before you revise it. I can highlight what revisions should take priority and make sure you are working efficiently
• Also, if you are interested in becoming a Writing Minor, a WEP Major, or a 4+1 graduate student, then I am more than willing to provide an overview of the programs and answer any questions you might have. If you are looking for an internship, then I can help walk you through that process; ENG 492 is a 3.0 credit course that counts as a capstone experience for the WEP major (and can count toward a Writing minor).
• Just talking. Much of the University experience involves being exposed to difference. Different ideas, disciplines, terminologies, people, attitudes. It is natural to have questions. “Hey, you mentioned this thing in class.” Or, hey, this idea came up in another class–but it seems to contradict what you said the other day. Or, hey God of War is a pretty great video game, but why do you think they made Atreus such a jerk in the middle? Or, hey, have you seen/read/played [insert name of television show, movie, book, graphic novel, video game]? It seems like you’d be into it because [reasons]?

You are not bothering me when you come to student hours. I do not offer them simply because the University orders me to (and, um, pays me to). I authentically enjoy helping people develop ideas, explore the strange and unfamiliar, and share cool stuff. I’m a talker.

Attendance

First, this is a “hands-on” course, and much of the learning you will do in here comes from trying (and failing) to do things in class. I don’t lecture much, but class discussions are meant to explicate how to think like a professional writer. Essentially, there is no way to “teach” writing; writing is learned through trial, disequilibrium, struggle, failure, breakthrough, and perseverance. Class is a way for me to attempt to structure these experiences. And, as I’ve already pointed out, much writing studies scholarship emphasizes the importance of effort and labor; you need to be here and be working.

Students are expected to attend all scheduled class meetings. That said, things happen. You may miss up to 4 classes this semester without penalty. Consider these sick days–you do not have to explain to me why you missed them nor do you have to provide me any kind of doctor’s note.

• If you miss 5 days of class, then the highest grade you can receive in the class is an A-
• If you miss 6 days of class, then the highest grade you can receive in the class is a B
• If you miss 7 days of class, then the highest grade you can receive in the class is a C
• If you miss 8 days of class, then you will fail the course

If you develop an illness or have a family situation that requires you to miss more than one class session, then please contact me as soon as possible to see if we can work something out. I will do my best to accommodate you. Also, if you have a documented situation that requires you miss class, I am also will to work with you on attendance issues.

Writing Center

The Writing Center offers three kinds of sessions to meet your writing needs: In-Person, Email, and Zoom Sessions. Trained Writing Center Consultants can assist you with writing assignments from any course or subject. Even if you think your writing is pretty good, it’s always nice to have another reader look over your work. To guarantee a session time, make an appointment using our online scheduling system by visiting our website.

If your instructor requires you to visit the Writing Center, make sure to alert your Consultant, and/or check the box on the appointment form, and we will send an email confirmation of your session to your instructor.

Student Code of Conduct and Academic Integrity

All members of the University of Northern Colorado community are entrusted with the responsibility to uphold and promote five fundamental values: Honesty, Trust, Respect, Fairness, and Responsibility. These core elements foster an atmosphere, inside and outside of the classroom, which serves as a foundation and guides the UNC community’s academic, professional, and personal growth. Endorsement of these core elements by students, faculty, staff, administration, and trustees strengthens the integrity and value of our academic climate.

The Department of English at UNC has adopted the following policy regarding plagiarism. Pretending that another¹s work is one¹s own is a serious scholarly offense known as plagiarism. For a thorough discussion of plagiarism, see the Dean of Students website:
http://www.unco.edu/dos/academicIntegrity/students/definingPagiarism.html

Students who are caught plagiarizing will receive a final grade of “F” in the course. In addition, they will be reported to the Chair of the Department of English and the Dean of Students office for possible further disciplinary action. If you need help with understanding documentation systems and avoiding plagiarism beyond the instruction given in class and as seen in the UNC Code of Conduct, speak with the instructor or visit the UNC Writing Center’s web site for a series of PowerPoint tutorials at http://www.unco.edu/english/wcenter/academicintegrityindex.html. Instructors use experience and a plagiarism detection service, Safe Assignment, sponsored by the University, to aid in spotting cases of plagiarism. Plagiarism will not be tolerated.

Some but not all UNC instructors regard double or repeat submissions of one¹s own work as a form of plagiarism. If you intend to use in this course written material that you produced for another course, please meet with me first. Otherwise, you may be guilty of cheating. I am open to remediating and expanding previously completed work in this class.

Disability Accommodations

Revision material: working to make the class more accessible to folks who are neurodivergent. Recognition that ND folks might not be able to afford or navigate institutional systems that trigger ADA accommodations. I recognize that most disabilities are not visible. I will try not to assume what you are or are not capable of. I don’t want to force you to perform in ways that might make you feel like shit. I recognize that these conversations can be difficult and that it can be intimidating to disclose. I’m still learning how to navigate these discussions. But please understand that I want to work with you, I want to help you, and I want you to succeed.

Difficult paragraph to write: postpedagogy. High context vs low context communication. Creative Space vs Detailed assignment sheet. “Productively confused vs. hopefully lost.” Learning involves disequilibrium. Disequilibrium feel bad. Uncomfortable.

Student Success Resource Center (Academic Coaching Sessions and Accountability Meetings). Account-a-bil-a-buddy (meetings bi or tri weekly). SSRC can also help you learn how to navigate the University–the Registrar, LAC transfer, Financial Aid.

Any student requesting disability accommodation for this class must inform the instructor giving appropriate notice. Students are encouraged to contact Disability Support Services (www.unco.edu/dss ) at (970) 351-2289 to certify documentation of disability and to ensure appropriate accommodations are implemented in a timely manner.

Parental Accommodations

As a parent, I understand that life can come at you fast. If you would miss a class session due to babysitting issues, please don’t. Feel free to bring your child to class.

I also realize that parenting can put additional stress on time management, intellectual focus, and energy levels. You certainly don’t have to disclose to me if you are a parent, but please recognize that, if you do, then I can work with you to help negotiate time management.

Title IX Resources

The University of Northern Colorado is committed to providing a safe learning environment for all students that is free of all forms of discrimination and sexual harassment, including sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. Students who have experienced (or who know someone who has experienced) any of these incidents should know that they are not alone. UNC has staff members trained to support students to navigate campus life, to access health and counseling services, to provide academic and housing accommodations, to help with legal protective orders, and more.

Please be aware all UNC instructors and most staff members are required to report their awareness of sexual violence to the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance (OIEC). This means that if students tell an instructor about a situation involving sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, or stalking, the instructor must share that information with the Title IX Coordinator, Larry Loften. Larry or a trained staff member in OIEC will contact the reporting students to let them know about accommodations and support services at UNC as well as their options to pursue a process to hold accountable the person who caused the harm to them. Students who have experienced these situations are not required to speak with OIEC staff regarding the incident. Students’ participation in OIEC processes are entirely voluntary.

If students do not want the Title IX Coordinator notified, instead of disclosing this information to the instructor, students can speak confidentially with the following people on campus and in the community. They can connect you with support services and help explore options now, or in the future.

• UNC’s Assault Survivors Advocacy Program (ASAP): 24 Hr. Hotline 970-351-4040 or http://www.unco.edu/asap
• UNC Counseling Center: 970-351-2496 or http://www.unco.edu/counseling
• UNC Psychological Services: 970-351-1645 or http://www.unco.edu/cebs/psych_clinic

Students who are survivors, who are concerned about someone who is a survivor, or who would like to learn more about sexual misconduct or report an incident, can visit www.unco.edu/sexual-misconduct. Students may also contact OIEC at 970-351-4899 or email titleix@unco.edu.

Equity Inclusion

The University of Northern Colorado (UNC) embraces the diversity of students, faculty, and staff. UNC honors the inherent dignity of each individual, and welcomes their unique perspectives, behaviors, and world views. People of all races, religions, national origins, sexual orientations, ethnicities, genders and gender identities, cognitive, physical, and behavioral abilities, socioeconomic backgrounds, regions, immigrant statuses, military or veteran statuses, sizes and/or shapes are strongly encouraged to share their rich array of perspectives and experiences. Course content and campus discussions will heighten your awareness of others’ individual and intersecting identities.

For information or resources, contact Chief Diversity Officer, Dr. Tobias Guzman, at 970-351-1944. If students want to report an incident related to identity-based discrimination/harassment, please visit www.unco.edu/institutional-equity-compliance.

Food Insecurity

Research shows that college students experience food insecurity at higher rates than the American household rate and that food insecurity can negatively impact academic performance and persistence. In recognition of this problem, UNC offers assistance to students facing food insecurity through an on- campus food pantry. The Bear Pantry is located in University Center 2166A and is open for regular hours throughout the semester. Please visit www.unco.edu/bear-pantry for more information.

Students who face challenges securing their food or housing and believe this may affect their performance in this course are also urged to contact Student Outreach and Support (SOS), which is part of the Dean of Students Office. SOS can assist students during difficult circumstances, which may include medical, mental health, personal or family crisis, illness, or injury. The Dean of Students Office/SOS can be reached at dos@unco.edu or via phone at 970-351-2001.

Name in Use/Pronoun in Use/Name Change

Some students may have changed their names to better reflect their gender identity or for other reasons. The process to request that the University change the name that appears on Canvas and on the course roster is available here: https://www.unco.edu/registrar/name-change.aspx