Brooklyn College TW113 Business Communications: Schedule

TW113 Business Communications
Schedule Page

Although most of the links have been removed, the following course schedule gives you an idea of what we'll cover in this course. (Remember that this is an 8-week course.) When you are ready, return to the Brooklyn College Technical Writing Certificate Program course listing.

This is your main working page for TW113 Business Communications in Brooklyn College's Technical Writing Certificate program. Use this page to find out what to name your files, see when projects are due, go to the online textbook and resources for this course. See the syllabus links following the schedule for information about objectives, required and recommended books, grades, and other resources. (Exact units and sequence of units may vary slightly from instructor to instructor and semester to semester.)

On all quizzes, please select Brooklyn College as instructor.

This course starts mmddyy.

Your instructor is instructor_name at instructor_email.

Click the units you've completed and then press Send at the top or bottom of this page. Remember that this tracking chart is for your convenience; the instructor uses other information to determine whether you've done adequate study to pass this course. If you mistakenly mark a unit as completed, contact your instructor (or just wait until you've actually completed it.)

Check	Project (Use these links to see project details.)	Due date	File names/comments	Completed
	Business communications: overview. Learn about about the importance of business communications skills in careers and in the workplace in general, about the new workplace, about the communication process and barriers to it, and about communicating in organizations.	mmddyy	Take the online quizzes for this unit.
	Cross-cultural communication. See what an American academician thinks about the different communication styles used around the world.	mmddyy	g
	Planning business communications. In this unit, take a look at some strategies for preparing to write business messages.	mmddyy
	Organizing and writing business messages. Take a look at some strategies for drafting business letters, memos, and e-mail.	mmddyy
	Finalizing business messages. Take a look at the third phase of developing business messages—revising, editing, and proofing business messages.	mmddyy
	Routine, good-news, goodwill messages. Practice using business correspondence to reuest and provide information, make claims, explain procedures, and confirm receipt of information.	mmddyy
	Persuasive and sales messages. Explore what it is to write business correspondence that is essentially persuasive. In class, let's decide whether we want to address sales letters—either in terms of concepts or projects.	mmddyy
	Negative messages. Let's learn how to say "no"—specifically, refusing requests and claims and handling disappointed customers and employees.	mmddyy
Note: All work in this course must be complete no later than mmddyy.

Syllabus

Objectives

Explain the importance of communications in the business world.
Learn the standard design, format, and style of business letters, memos, and e-mail.
Know the new influences affecting the modern workplace and their impact on business communications.
Be aware of difference in international communication styles, and be able to cite specific examples.
Understand and use a reliable, effective method for planning, writing, and revising business communications.
Understand and use strategies for writing routine, goodwill, persuasive, and negative business communications.

Books

This course is based on the very expensive book listed below. Any recent edition will work—used, older editions are likely to be much less expensive.

Courtland L. Bovee, John Thill, Business Communication Today (8th ed). Prentice-Hall, ISBN 0131478451.

Grades

A: All projects completed and approved by your instructor.
B: All projects completed and approved by your instructor except for the presentational-software and portable-document software projects.
C: All projects completed and approved by your instructor, except for the presentational-software and portable-document software projects and the progress-report project or the recommendation-report project.

Contact your instructor concerning credit for projects you have completed but are still not approved by the time the course is over.

Resources

Business-communication resource page. Books, articles, examples, advice, and more.
Go to Google.com and search on business correspondence. While you'll find a lot of advertisements, you will also see some useful online information.
TECHWR-L articles. Lots of articles on all aspects of the field.
Technical Writing, Help Authoring Tools, Jobs, and More. Good general collection of links and articles.
Writer Write. Plenty of good articles!
computerjobs.com: Technical Writer Jobs. Good resource links also.
EServer TC Library. Super collection of links related to all aspects of this field.

Table of contents for the Online Textbook.
Policies for courses in the Brooklyn College Technical Writing Certificate program.
Online Technical Documentation site search facility.

Course Evaluation

Use the course evaluation form to give your opinions on the effectiveness of the study materials and organization of this course. (This evaluation is strictly optional, strictly voluntary.)

Information and programs provided by hcexres@io.com.