Spring 2025 Course Syllabus
Course: ENGL-2311 (Section: 01, CRN: 11400)
Technical and Business Writing 		LSCPA Logo Image
Instructor Information
Instructor Dr. Michelle Judice
Email judicemw@lamarpa.edu
Phone (409) 984-6352
Office Student Success Center - Room: 129
Office Hours Monday-Wednesday-Friday 11:30-3:30, and by appointment if necessary  
Additional Contact Information The BEST way of contact, for most immediate response, is to email judicemw@lamarpa.edu
Course Information
Description Intensive study of and practice in professional settings. Focus on the types of documents necessary to make decisions and take action on the job, such as proposals, reports, instructions, policies and procedures, email messages, letters, and descriptions of products and services. Practice individual and collaborative processes involved in the creation of ethical and efficient documents
Required Textbooks Textbook Purchasing Statement: A student attending Lamar State College Port Arthur is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from the college-affiliated bookstore. The same textbook may also be available from an independent retailer, including an online retailer.

No textbook needed; all material provided in Blackboard folder 
Additional Materials/Resources
  • Consistent access to a computer (not just a cellphone) with the internet.
  • Sufficient familiarity with Blackboard-- everything we do will be through this platform!
  • General understanding of Microsoft Office (through your MyLSCPA), especially Word and Outlook.
Corequisites/Prerequisites TSIA2 Completion in English, Language Arts, and Reading.
Learning Outcomes
  1. Recognize, analyze, and accommodate diverse audiences.
  2. Produce documents appropriate to audience, purpose, and genre.
  3. Analyze the ethical responsibilities involved in technical communication.
  4. Locate, evaluate, and incorporate pertinent information.
  5. Develop verbal, visual, and multimedia materials as necessary, in individual and/or collaborative projects, as appropriate.
  6. Edit for appropriate style, including attention to word choice, sentence structure, punctuation, and spelling.
  7. Design and test documents for easy reading and navigation.
Core Objectives
* Communication skills: Students will demonstrate effective written, oral and/or visual communication.
* Critical Thinking Skills: Students will engage in creative and/or innovative thinking, and/or inquiry, analysis, evaluation, synthesis of information, organizing concepts and constructing solutions.
 
* Teamwork: Students will demonstrate the ability to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal and consider different points of view.
* Social Responsibility: Students will demonstrate intercultural competency and civic knowledge by engaging effectively in local, regional, national and/or global communities.
* Personal Responsibility: Students will demonstrate the ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making.

Lecture Topics Outline
  • Introduction to Technical Writing
  • Audience Analysis
  • Document Design
  • Writing Instructions
  • Writing Resumes and Cover Letters
  • Writing Emails and Letters
  • Proposals 
  • Reports
  • Policies and Procedures
  • Descriptions of Products and Services
  • Collaborative Writing
  • Verbal, Visual, and Multimedia Communication
  • Editing and Revising
  • Document Usability Testing
  • Research-Based Essay Writing
Major Assignments Schedule Week 1: Introduction to Technical Writing
Week 2: Audience Analysis
Week 3: Document Design
Week 4: Writing Instructions
Week 5: Writing Resumes and Cover Letters
Week 6: Writing Emails and Letters
Week 7: Proposals
Week 8: Midterm Project Proposal
Week 9: Reports
Week 10: Policies and Procedures
Week 11: Descriptions of Products and Services
Week 12: Collaborative Writing
Week 13: Verbal, Visual, and Multimedia Communication
Week 14: Editing and Revising
Week 15: Document Usability Testing
Week 16: Final Project Submission and Reflection

*Assignment schedule subject to change with notice. 
Final Exam Date May 6, 2025 - 8:00 AM   Through  May 6, 2025 - 9:15 AM
Grading Scale  90 - 100=A 80 - 89=B  70 - 79=C   60 - 69=D  Below 59 = F
Determination of
Final Grade

Final grades will be calculated according to the following criteria:

+ Attendance/Participation--20%

+ Weekly Assignments/Tasks--50%

+ Essay Writing/Research Project--20%

+ Final Exam Essay--10%

= Final Grade-- 100%
Course Policies
Instructor Policies
Attendance Policy Research has shown a cause and effect relationship between attendance and college success. Students with more than three absences from the course will receive an academic penalty (which is spelled out by the instructor).
Additional Information
Institutional Policies
MyLSCPA Be sure to check your campus email and Course Homepage using MyLSCPA campus web portal. You can also access your grades, transcripts, academic advisors, degree progress, and other services through MyLSCPA.
Academic Honesty Academic honesty is expected from all students, and dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Please consult the LSCPA policies (Academic Dishonesty section in the Student Handbook) for consequences of academic dishonesty.
ADA Considerations The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Disability Services Coordinator, Room 117, in the Student Sucess Center. The phone number is (409) 984-6241.
COVID 19 Information The Lamar State College Port Arthur (LSCPA) Student Code of Conduct COVID 19 Policy requires students who have been diagnosed with COVID 19 to report their condition directly to their local health department. Students should also contact their course faculty to report their quarantine status. In addition, this policy requires all students to wear face coverings when directly exposed to COVID 19 in compliance with the criteria included in the policy. For more information please refer to the COVID 19 link on the LSCPA website.
Facility Policies No food or tobacco products are allowed in the classroom. Only students enrolled in the course are allowed in the classroom, except by special instructor permission. Use of electronic devices is prohibited.
HB 2504 This syllabus is part of LSCPA's efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504.
Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect As per Texas law and LSCPA policy, all LSCPA employees, including faculty, are required to report allegations or disclosures of child abuse or neglect to the designated authorities, which may include a local or state law enforcement agency or the Texas Department of Family Protective Services. For more information about mandatory reporting requirements, see LSCPA's Policy and Procedure Manual.
Title IX and Sexual Misconduct LSCPA is committed to establishing and maintaining an environment that is free from all forms of sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, sexual violence, and other forms of sexual misconduct. All LSCPA employees, including faculty, have the responsibility to report disclosures of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment, sexual assault (including rape and acquaintance rape), domestic violence, dating violence, relationship violence, or stalking, to LSCPA's Title IX Coordinator, whose role is to coordinate the college's response to sexual misconduct. For more information about Title IX protections, faculty reporting responsibilities, options for confidential reporting, and the resources available for support visit LSCPA's Title IX website.
Clery Act Crime Reporting For more information about the Clery Act and crime reporting, see the Annual Security & Fire Safety Report and the Campus Security website.
Grievance / Complaint / Concern If you have a grievance, complaint, or concern about this course that has not been resolved through discussion with the Instructor, please consult the Department Chair.
Department Information
General Education and Developmental Studies
Chair:Dr. Steven Zani
Email:zanisj@lamarpa.edu
Phone:(409) 984-6431