Seminar in Professional Writing Theory and Pedagogy
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Spring 07)

English 706-001
Mondays ~ 5:30-8:10 pm
Curtin Hall 321




A primary goal of this course is to enable students to design and teach a theoretically informed and coherent undergraduate course in business and technical writing. To accomplish this goal, students will study theoretical and pedagogical strategies, critically examine textbooks, and research issues in professional writing. Graduate students and faculty from other departments and institutions often attend, so students are not expected to come to the course with extensive prior knowledge of the issues or scholarship in professional writing. English 706 is the primary qualification to teach English 205 or 206.




INSTRUCTOR ~ Professor Gerald J. Alred

Office ~ Curtin Hall 566
Hours ~ 2:00-4:00 Mondays (and by appointment)
Mailbox ~ Curtin Hall, Fourth Floor (follow signs)

Email ~ alred@uwm.edu (best way to make contact)
Phones ~ Office (229-4569) or Home (262-512-3639) ~ fax and voice mail)
Home Page ~ www.uwm.edu/People/alred

Attendance
Since this class meets only once per week, attendance is crucial. Use the "buddy" system. Students are subject to failure if they miss three weeks of classes.

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Course Assignments*

Textbook Evaluation Memo
Bibliography for Teaching
Course Syllabus and Assignment
Pedagogical Research Paper

*See Course Outline for due dates.

Primary Course Resources
Download course readings in PDF ~
Textbooks and other works on reserve under "Alred" ~ UWM Library Reserve
Alred personal library in Curtin Hall 566 [some good resources]


Complimentary Resources from Bedford/St. Martin's

Alred, Gerald J. The St. Martin's Bibliography of Business and Technical Communication. New York: St. Martin's, 1997.
Alred, Gerald J., Charles T. Brusaw and Walter E. Oliu. The Business Writer's Companion. 4th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2005.
Alred, Gerald J., Charles T. Brusaw and Walter E. Oliu. The Business Writer's Handbook. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2006.
Alred, Gerald J., Charles T. Brusaw and Walter E. Oliu. Handbook of Technical Writing. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2006.
Alred, Gerald J., Walter E. Oliu, and Charles T. Brusaw. The Professional Writer: A Guide for Advanced Technical Writing. New York: St. Martin's, 1991.
Dubinsky, James M., ed. Teaching Technical Communication: Critical Issues for the Classroom. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2004.
Oliu, Walter E., Gerald J. Alred, and Charles T. Brusaw. Writing That Works: How to Write Effectively on the Job. 9th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2007.


Business Writing Syllabus

Link to my own syllabus for Business Writing (English 205): take anything you want!
Program policies for teaching Business Writing at UWM (Word document)


Primary Journals in Theory and Pedagogy

Business Communication Quarterly (ABC) [HF 5718.A23x] <> BCQ
IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication (PCS) [T11.I2] <> IEEE
Intercom (STC) [T11 .I58x] <> Intercom

Journal of Business and Technical Communication (Sage) [HF 5717.I58x] <> JBTC
Journal of Business Communication (ABC) [HF 5718.J6] <> JBC
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (Baywood) [T11.J66] <> JTWC

TC Forum (Europe Based Online Publication) <> Forum
Technical Communication (STC) [T11.S2] (any missing issues in my office) <> TC
Technical Communication Quarterly (ATTW) [T11.T336] <> TCQ

See links to these and other journals as well as important resources at professional resources