English 302—Business Writing

Spring 2021
Line# 19730; 12012

Instructor: Thomas Bonfiglio

Email Address: [email protected]

*If you need to reach me away from class, email is the fastest route. If you email me in the
evening or on weekends, I will respond on the next school day. (Page 3 of this syllabus includes
guidelines as to how to appropriately email me).

Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 12:00 -1:15; 3:00-3:45; and by appointment. (All times
are Mountain Time).

My physical office is RBH-202 AA though until further notice all Office Hours will take place over
Zoom. If you would like a Zoom meeting outside of these times simply email me and we will
arrange a time.

My Zoom address is: https://asu.zoom.us/j/3672850047 This is the link to our class.

Course Description: English 302, Business Writing, is an advanced, interdisciplinary writing

course designed to improve the workplace writing competence of W.P. Carey School of
Business professional and pre-professional students. The course focuses on the practice and
study of selected types of discourse employed in professional business situations and helps
prepare students for different kinds of writing they will encounter in their professional lives.
Much of the course is conducted in a workshop format. Prerequisites for the course are English
101 and 102 or English 105, and pre-business or business major standing.

Course Goals
The purpose of this course is for students to:
● Transition from academic to professional/business writing
● Significantly improve their ability to write effective business/professional
communication
● Critically investigate and incorporate a variety of research sources
● Recognize and avoid plagiarism
● Demonstrate mastery of standard grammar and writing mechanics
● Utilize various strategies and organizational techniques in the writing process
● Develop interpersonal communication skills
● Exhibit visual presentation skills through document design
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, all students should be able to:
● Analyze and evaluate audience/purpose/situation as they apply to business writing
contexts and genres
● Produce clear, concise, effective audience- and purpose-specific business rhetoric
● Incorporate process (research, invention, writing, revision, and editing) into all writing
tasks and, through multiple drafts, create document fluency
● Analyze multiple writing examples from appropriate business professions
● Adapt tone and style for appropriate rhetorical business purposes
● Conduct primary and secondary research relevant to topic; integrate appropriate
sources using APA/MLA style
● Incorporate analytical /technical data in the form of charts, graphs, etc.
● Provide and apply constructive peer criticism
● Design accurate and visually appealing documents
● Develop strategies to facilitate communication across ethnic and/or business cultures
NOTE: If you are a student who requires special accommodation, please contact Disability
Resources for Students at 480-965-1234. Please feel free to discuss the special
accommodations with me.

Textbooks, Materials, and Resources

Required Text and Materials:

 Business and Professional Writing, A Basic Guide; 2nd Edition; Paul MacRae
 Internet access
 An ASU email account
Recommended Texts and Links:
 The ASU Writing Programs website: https://live-english.ws.asu.edu/about/writing-
programs
Grading Percentages:

Personal/Professional Introduction: 10%

Letters of Complaint 15%
Bad News Memo: 10%
Proposal: 20%
Final Project: 15%
Homework: 25%
Attendance: 5% Attendance is calculated thusly: You will lose zero points for each of your first
two absences; you will lose two points for a third absence, and three additional points for a 4 th
absence. A 5th absence and you will fail this class. Be aware that if you do not complete the
online assignment on our hybrid day, you will not only lose credit for that assignment but you
will also be marked absent.

This course will be conducted via ASU Sync only. This means I will deliver instruction to you at
the regularly scheduled meeting day/time via Zoom, and you will be expected to attend class
during the regularly scheduled meeting day/time via Zoom. Everyone will attend class and
participate remotely in synchronous learning opportunities, and everyone will have access
to course materials (e.g., the syllabus, the course outline, instructions and links for
assignments) via Canvas. The term synchronous indicates that class will be conducted live
during its scheduled meeting day and time.

If you are on campus, you might like to know that almost all buildings and some courtyards
have good wireless coverage. For instance, there are access points in the courtyard between
Ross-Blakley Hall and Armstrong Hall, in the area between the Memorial Union (MU) and the
Student Pavilion, and around all ASU libraries. If needed, laptop and hotspot checkout is
available through the library:  https://askalibrarian.asu.edu/faq/295077

Contacting me via email: Email: Email is the best way to contact m. Please note that while I
check my email frequently, I generally do not reply to emails after the work day is over (after
5pm) and I may not reply to emails sent after 5pm on Friday until Monday morning. Please
exchange emails with classmates so you can ask them routine questions. When you do email
me, please observe email etiquette. Open with a correct salutation: Dear Professor Bonfiglio.
Then make sure you identify yourself. I am xxxxx (full name) and I am in your 9 am 302 class. I
have 5 classes so it is helpful if you supply the class time as well. Make sure that your question
is not one that could be answered by reading the syllabus.

Standard Writing Programs Policies

1. Policy on class attendance

Students are expected to attend all class sessions. Because Writing Programs courses
incorporate frequent small- and large-group activities into lessons, students who are absent
affect not only their own learning, but that of their fellow students. Therefore, only two
weeks’ worth of absences (see below) will be allowed for the semester, regardless of reason,
including documented illness or emergency. Students who exceed two weeks’ worth of
classes will fail the course, unless they withdraw (see http://students.asu.edu/drop-add).
 For Fall and Spring semesters, classes that meet three days a week (MWF, for example),
the maximum number of allowed absences is six (6); for classes that meet two days a
week, the maximum number is four (4); for classes that meet once a week, the
maximum number is two (2). For classes that meet on other schedules, the number of
absences allowed should reflect a similar ratio (two weeks’ worth of class meetings).
 Hybrid classes: In hybrid courses, which meet in person once a week, a student who
misses more than four (4) classes – either face-to-face, online, or a combination – will
fail the course with a grade of E.
o Definition of attendance for hybrid class days: A student who fails to post an
acceptable assignment to the class website during the assigned "window" of
time will be counted absent for that class day.
o Technical problems online: While these do occur either at home or from an on-
campus connection, they are usually not valid reasons for failing to fulfill the
requirements for attendance on that day. Students are responsible for allocating
 enough time to complete online assignments, and they should include the
possibility of technical "glitches." Thus students need to allow enough time to
try again later or to travel to a campus computer lab or alternative location to
complete the assignment and therefore avoid an absence for the missed
deadline. Exceptions may be made by the instructor in the event of widespread
computer viruses or some other large-scale event affecting ASU's computer
network, but exceptions will not be made for routine computer problems.

 Note: Students who participate in university-sanctioned activities and/or who will be

unable to meet the attendance requirements for a particular section should, if possible,
move to another section where their activity schedules will not interfere with their
classroom obligations (students can switch sections during the first week of the
semester). To accommodate students who participate in university-sanctioned
activities, ASU Writing Programs offers sections of many courses online and at various
times of the day and week. We have asked advisors across campus to help students
enroll in appropriate sections. If you think that this course may conflict with a
university-sanctioned activity in which you are involved—athletics or the debate team
or another—please see me immediately.
 Note: Writing Programs is sensitive to the religious practices of the various religious faiths
represented in the student body of the university community. Writing Programs’
standard attendance policy listed here provides reasonable accommodation for
individual religious practices. Students who anticipate absences due to religious reasons
should plan their absences in the course accordingly. To accommodate students’
religious practices, ASU Writing Programs offers sections of many courses online and at
various times of the day and week. We have asked advisors across campus to help
students enroll in appropriate sections. If you think this course may conflict with your
religious practices, please see me immediately.

2. Attendance: first week of classes

According to university policy, students who are registered but do not attend any of the first
week of classes may be dropped.
 Students enrolled in hybrid/online courses must make every reasonable attempt to
attend class or contact the instructor during the first week. After the first week, those
who do not show up either in person or by calling or e-mailing the instructor may be
dropped.

3. If I am absent
If I need to cancel class for any reason, I will contact you via e-mail. However, if you sign-in to
class and I have not arrived by the time 15 minutes have elapsed (from when class is to start),
please assume that class is cancelled, and check e-mail frequently afterwards for further
instructions.

4. Grading
Grading is based on specific assignment criteria, and will follow English Department standards
for content, organization, expression, and mechanics. To compute final course grades, the
following values are assigned to the standard letter grades of A through E:
[

o A = 4.0
o B = 3.0
o C = 2.0
o D = 1.0
o E = 0.3
o No paper = 0.0

5. The public nature of writing and discussions

Please consider every piece of writing you do for this class to be "public property." Remember
that you will often be expected to share your writing with others, so avoid writing about things
that you may not be prepared to subject to public scrutiny, or things you feel so strongly about
that you are unwilling to listen to perspectives other than your own. This does not mean that
you are not entitled to an opinion but that you adopt positions responsibly, contemplating the
possible effect on others. This course may contain content (assigned readings, in-class
discussions, etc.) deemed offensive by some students. If you have concerns about any course
content, please bring these concerns to the attention of your instructor.

6. Technological Distractions

Please refrain from any unauthorized usages of technology during our class sessions. In this
usage, ‘unauthorized’ means unrelated to the tangible learning activity or activities taking place
during the class period.

7. Late Writing Projects

Late projects will be penalized 10% for every class period late. I do not accept late homework

8. All writing for this class must be written for this class
To pass this class, all major writing assignments must be submitted, and note that all writing for
this class must be written for this class. Resubmitting a paper from another class or elsewhere
constitutes academic dishonesty. If you wish to further pursue a project begun in another class
or develop ideas you have written about in another class, please discuss your plans with me
first.

9. Academic Dishonesty
Academic honesty is expected of all students in all examinations, papers, laboratory work,
academic transactions and records. The possible sanctions include, but are not limited to,
appropriate grade penalties, course failure (indicated on the transcript as a grade of E), course
failure due to academic dishonesty (indicated on the transcript as a grade of XE), loss of
registration privileges, disqualification and dismissal. For more information, see
http://provost.asu.edu/academicintegrity.

10. Expectations for Teacher and Student Conduct 

ASU Writing Programs expects teachers to follow the Academic Affairs Manual and students to
follow the Student Code of Conduct. Writing Programs does not condone threatening behavior
against any of its teachers or students for any reason. ASU’s definition of threatening behavior
can be found here: https://eoss.asu.edu/dos/safety/ThreateningBehavior. If aggressive
behavior occurs in the classroom, a teacher or student should immediately contact the Director
of Writing Programs, Dr. Kyle Jensen: [email protected]. Dr. Jensen will initiate the
appropriate process and, if necessary, inform the Dean of Students, who will then follow the
procedures outlined in The Student Code of Conduct:
https://eoss.asu.edu/sites/default/files/Student_Code_of_Conduct_Procedures.pdf.
11. Sexual Violence and Harassment Based on Sex
Title IX is a federal law that provides that no person be excluded on the basis of sex from
participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education
program or activity.  Both Title IX and university policy make clear that sexual violence and
harassment based on sex is prohibited.  An individual who believes they have been subjected to
sexual violence or harassed on the basis of sex can seek support, including counseling and
academic support, from the university.  If you or someone you know has been harassed on the
basis of sex or sexually assaulted, you can find information and resources at
https://eoss.asu.edu/wellness/sexualassault. Instructors are mandated reporters and therefore
obligated to report any information regarding alleged acts of sexual discrimination.

12. Copyrighted Material

Students must refrain from uploading to any course shell, discussion board, or website used by
the course instructor or other course forum, material that is not the student’s original work,
unless the students first comply with all applicable copyright laws; faculty members reserve the
right to delete materials on the grounds of suspected copyright infringement.

The course content, including lectures and other instructional materials, are copyrighted
materials. Students may not share these materials outside of the class, including uploading,
selling, or distributing course content or notes taken during the conduct of the course. Any
recording of class sessions by students is prohibited, except as part of an accommodation
approved by Student Accessibility and Inclusive Learning Services.

Any recordings instructors make available to their students (such as lectures or Zoom
discussions) are authorized only for the use of students enrolled in this course during their
enrollment in this course. Recordings and excerpts of recordings may not be distributed to
others.

13. Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Qualified students with disabilities who will require disability accommodations in this class are
encouraged to make their requests to me at the beginning of the semester either during office
hours or by appointment. Note: Prior to receiving disability accommodations, verification of
eligibility from Student Accessibility and Inclusive Learning Services is required. Disability
information is confidential. 

Establishing Eligibility for Disability Accommodations: Students who feel they will need
disability accommodations in this class but have not registered with Student Accessibility and
Inclusive Learning Services should contact their office immediately. It is located on the first
floor of the Matthews Center Building.  Student Accessibility and Inclusive Learning Services
staff can also be reached at: 480-965-1234 (V), 480-965-9000 (TTY).  For additional
information, visit https://eoss.asu.edu/drc. Their hours are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through
Friday.

14. End-of-Semester Portfolio Collection

All students will submit a portfolio of their work at the end the semester.  This portfolio will
consist of the final drafts of all major writing projects, an “About Me” section, a rationale, and a
final course reflection.  This portfolio will be submitted as a digital portfolio. Additional
information and instructions for submission will be provided before the end of the semester. 

15. Disposition of Papers/Grade Appeals

Students should keep all graded assignments for this course until the term is officially over and
final grades are posted. If students believe their final grade is inaccurate or unfair, they must
present all graded work in order for the grievance committee to review their case. Students
should not solely rely on the documents remaining electronically available on Canvas, if
submitted there, but should also maintain their own digital copies.

16. Student Grievances

The Writing Programs administration cares about students’ experiences in their Writing
Programs courses and takes all student grievances seriously, while at the same time being
supportive of instructors. We strive for mutually beneficent outcomes while maintaining the
integrity of the program.
To effectively voice their concerns or grievances and bring them to the attention of the Writing
Programs administration, students are expected to adhere to the following protocol: (1) The
student first discusses their concerns with their teacher, (2) If this discussion did not lead to a
resolution of the concern or if the student feels uncomfortable approaching their teacher, they
contact the Writing Programs office at [email protected] and ask the Writing Programs
representative to forward a message to the Associate Director of Writing Programs. (3) In this
message, which is a formal email addressed to the Associate Director of Writing Programs, the
student will list their concerns, include evidence, and (if possible) provide documentation.
The Writing Programs Associate Director of Writing Programs will review the email, (if
applicable) solicit more detailed information from both the student and the teacher, respond to
the student and the teacher in a timely manner via email, and/or offer a meeting via phone or
Zoom. If a solution cannot be achieved on this level, the Associate Director of Writing Programs
will assist the student and teacher in advancing the concern to the Senior Director for
Curriculum and Student Affairs in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
For materials required in a formal grade appeal, students need to follow the process outlined in
the “Can I dispute a Grade?” section at https://english.asu.edu/admission/first-year-
composition-courses/faqs. More information about Academic Grievances, Academic Integrity
Resources, and Disruptive Behavior is available on the Resources page of The College of Liberal
Arts and Sciences at https://thecollege.asu.edu/resources.

Notes: All work will be submitted through Canvas. Day to day assignments are located under
Assignments tab on Canvas and this is where you should check daily to see what it is that is
due.

Your final grade will be based on the following:

Personal/Professional Introduction: 10%

Letters of Complaint 15%
Bad News Memo: 10%
Proposal: 20%
Final Project: 15%
Homework: 25%
Attendance: 5% Attendance is calculated thusly: You will lose zero points for each of your first
two absences; you will lose two points for a third absence, and three additional points for a 4 th
absence. A 5th absence and you will fail this class. Be aware that if you do not complete the
online assignment on our hybrid day, you will not only lose credit for that assignment but you
will also be marked absent.

All work is due by 11:59 pm on the due date. Since this is a hybrid class, homework, will be
due on a Sunday. I do not accept late homework. I have set Canvas so it will be impossible for
you to submit homework late. Please do not email me your homework as A) you will not
receive credit for it and B) it will annoy me.

All Major Unit Assignments are due by 11:59 pm on the due dates. Any late unit submissions
will be docked by 10% for each class day late (Unit submissions are defined as being one of
your five major assignments). As stated above, homework will not be accepted late.

All of your work this semester, with the exception of your Final Project, MUST be in Block
Format. On the first day of class we will go over Block Format extensively. To get a head start,
see this: http://rasmussen.libanswers.com/faq/33178
All of your homework assignments, as well as your Personal Introduction (Unit #1) and Bad
News Memo (Unit #3), MUST be in memo Format. A memo always includes the following
components:

To:
From:
Date:
Subject:

A single paragraph is not sufficient for any of our assignments.

If the assignment requires a summation of an article, you MUST include the title of the article,
the author, and the name of the publication in the first paragraph. Titles should be in quotation
marks, the name of the publication italicized.

Letters of Complaint (Unit #2) and Unsolicited Proposal (Unit #4) must be in either memo or
letter format (look at the link above to see letter format). Be sure to note, all correspondence
must be dated.

Your Final Unit will be a Report, the formatting of which we will go over in class.

*The complete prompt for these assignments can be found under Assignments on Canvas.

Schedule of Assignments

*NOTE: If there is a conflict between the dates below and the dates on Canvas, defer to
Canvas. The dates on Canvas are the actual due dates for all work. Simply go to the
Assignment tab on Canvas and you will see what work is due and when:

Due Dates:

Note: We meet Via ASU Sync on Thursdays; All Hybrid work will be completed online via the
Assignment portal on Canvas:

Th, 1/14: Introduction; Course Rules, Block/Memo Format

S, 1/17: Read the Syllabus; Read Chapter 1 in the textbook (pages 25 to 32); Read
https://hbr.org/2009/03/4-tips-for-better-business-wri and
https://www.instructionalsolutions.com/blog/business-writing-tips and
http://rasmussen.libanswers.com/faq/33178

Th, 1/21: In-class writing: Group letter to parents/dress code

S, 1/24: : Homework: Read https://classroom.synonym.com/write-summary-bullet-points-
5711.html Summarize the article in a memo to me (Hint: Use the advice given in the article
when summarizing it; this means to utilize bullet points in the summary).

Th, 1/28: In-Class, Dress Code Memo cont’d; Read Chapters 6 and 7 in the textbook. Send me a
memo summarizing what you see as the main points.

S, 1/31: Open

Th, 2/4: Business Correspondence: Letters of Complaint; Read Chapter 2 in the textbook; Do
your best to memorize the Seven C’s. Apply them to your work. Read the following article and
send me a memo, summarizing the main points. https://hbr.org/2016/09/bad-writing-is-
destroying-your-companys-productivity

S, 2/7: Read Chapter 9 in the textbook; Unit #1 Due

Th, 2/11: Letters of Complaint cont’d

S, 2/14: Graded Homework: Homework: Read the following link and write me a memo
summarizing the main points and also rewrite the lengthy sentence into a sentence of less than
four words. You must complete BOTH parts of this assignment to receive credit, those parts
being the Summary and the rewritten sentence in less than four words (hint: less than four
words can be translated as “three or fewer words.”
https://hbr.org/2016/10/stop-trying-to-sound-smart-when-youre-writing  “It is the opinion of
the group assembled for the purpose of determining a probability of the likelihood of the
meteorological-related results and outcome for the period encompassing the next working
day that the odds of precipitation in the near-term are positive and reasonably expected.”

Th, 2/18: Bad News

S, 2/21: Read Chapter 8 in the textbook; Read and summarize the following:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/danafeldman/2018/11/19/just-how-bleak-is-the-future-of-
traditional-tv/#5ef656b735b6

Th, 2/25: Bad News Cont’d

S, 2/28: Unit #2 Due; Read Chapter 17 in textbook

Th, 3/4: Proposals: Coffee Flour

S, 3/7: Coffee Flour

Th, 3/11: Coffee Flour

S, 3/14: Read Chapters 16 and 17; Send me a memo summarizing the key points.

Th 3/18: Final project Intro

S, 3/21: Unit #3 Due

Th, 3/25: Final Project prep

S, 3/28: Final Project prep; Graded Homework: Read and summarize

https://singularityhub.com/2018/08/23/the-future-of-cars-is-electric-autonomous-and-shared-
heres-how-well-get-there/#sm.00001wr6vehzy3fjksypzbfll6d92

Th, 4/1: Final Project prep

S, 4/4: Final Project Prep

Th, 4/8: Final Project Prep

S, 4/11: Final project prep

Th, 4/15: Final Project Presentations

S, 4/18: Read Chapter 18, Unit #4 Due

Th, 4/22: Final Project Presentations