Course Outcomes

In this course, you will learn to do the following:

1. Understand how to craft writing to fit the needs of various audiences.
2. Apply critical thinking skills to the writing process.
3. Gain fundamental skills in composition, editing, and rhetoric.
4. Demonstrate coherent, clear, and cogent business writing in a variety of genres.
5. Produce quality writing and explain what makes it effective.

Course Description

Advanced Writing in Professional Contexts introduces you to the fundamentals of rhetorical principles and writing practices using a number of typical business situations. During the course, you will produce effective business letters, reports, and employment packages. This will prepare you for the demands of careers that require significant time reading, drafting, and revising written communication.

Prerequisites

• ENG 150
• 22 credits completed

Required Materials

• Access to a computer with an internet connection and appropriate technical setup.
  • Test your setup by following the instructions in the Technical Setup section of the Orientation to Online Learning page found in Week 01 of the course.
  • Microsoft Word and PowerPoint software
    • If you do not already have access to this software, you may download it for free from the BYU-I University Store.

Required Accounts

• You will be required to have a LinkedIn account and create content for that account. LinkedIn is a business-oriented social network.
• You will be required to create a NoRedInk account for your weekly grammar quiz.
• Instructions for creating both accounts are located within the course.

Course Structure

• Navigate each weekly module from the top down.
  • Pay attention to due dates and schedule your study time throughout the week accordingly.
• Each week contains the following:
  • NoRedInk includes a lesson, optional practice, and a required graded quiz. NoRedInk is set up by your instructor, who will provide you with a password for his or her NoRedInk classroom. Your quiz grades in NoRedInk will be imported into I-Learn by your instructor at the end of the semester.
• Study materials
  • Contain readings, videos, and optional resources that introduce the week.
• Weekly writing assignments
  • These assignments, along with the peer-review assignments, are designed to teach you basic and foundational writing skills for the business world.
• Portfolio Assignments
  • These assignments, along with the peer-review assignments, will help you understand and complete your personal business portfolio.
• Quizzes
  • Each week you will complete a NoRedInk unit.

BYU-Idaho Learning Model

As in all BYU-Idaho courses, the framework of this course is founded on the BYU-I Learning Model. It utilizes the following elements: Prepare, Teach One Another, and Ponder and Prove. Those elements will be implemented in the following ways:

Prepare

You prepare as you study resources and create drafts of written assignments.

Teach One Another

Interacting with others to discuss course content provides an opportunity to deepen your understanding of writing principles. In each week of the course, you will teach one another by reviewing your peers' writing. As you conscientiously provide and receive feedback, your writing skills will also improve.

Ponder and Prove

You will demonstrate writing proficiency in the course in the following ways:

• Grammar quizzes
• Weekly writing assignments
• Weekly portfolio writing assignments

Course Expectations

The following are recommendations for success in this class:

• The BYU-Idaho standard for the student workload in courses is 3–4 hours per week per credit hour. Thus, you should plan to spend at least nine hours per week on this course.
  • You may need to spend more, depending upon your own learning style and skill set.
• Read all material on every course page and all announcements from your instructor.
• Plan your time so that you work consistently throughout each week.
• One of the advantages of taking a professional writing course is that the world around you is your laboratory. As you learn concepts in the course, you should apply them to course assignments, in other courses in the College of Business and Communication, and in all of your professional communication with faculty and potential employers.
• This course also builds on itself; that is, you will be required to use previous principles and concepts in successive assignments and applications.
• Be aware that this course uses Turnitin on most writing assignments to check your work for originality. By submitting course assignments you are implying the following:
  • You are using your own work and not plagiarizing the work of others.
  • After submitting your work, you will review the Turnitin score to ensure that any match is justified and that your assignment represents your own work.
  • If you are not comfortable with the Turnitin results, edit and resubmit your work before the due date. (Use the Help menu to obtain assistance, if needed.)

Grading Policies

You will be graded on a linear scale (not curved). An "A" requires dedication and mastery of subject matter. Just completing the minimum expectations does not denote "A" effort. You will need to take the time to study, apply, and understand these topics (such that you could teach a section of this course on your own) in order to get an "A."

Grading Scale

This course will use the following standard BYU-Idaho grading scale:

Letter Grade	Percentage Range
A	100% – 93%
A-	92% – 90%
B+	89% – 87%
B	86% – 83%
B-	82% – 80%
C+	79% – 77%
C	76% – 73%
C-	72% – 70%
D+	69% – 67%
D	66% – 63%
D-	62% – 60%
F	59% – 00%

Grade Breakdown

Gradebook Item	Percentage
Grammar Quizzes (NoRedInk)	about 17%
Portfolio Writing Assignments	about 39%
Weekly Writing Assignments	about 30%
Peer Review Assignments	about 14%

Late Work Policy

Late work will not be accepted. Visit the course Calendar and notice the due date patterns for this course.

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage

Generative AI will continue to influence academic and professional experiences. The Applied Business Management program encourages the appropriate use of AI in courses. However, this doesn’t mean you can submit AI-generated content as your own, without consequences. 

When using AI, remember the following:

• AI content frequently uses internet sources without attribution, which will be flagged by BYU-Idaho plagiarism software
• AI-generated content tends to be broad and not specific—this will not satisfy most assignment requirements  
• It is often easier to complete an assignment without adapting AI-generated content
• You are responsible for your content

AI assistance can be used in the following ways without acknowledgment:

• Asking or answering questions to check your understanding
• Assisting you with language learning
• Generating a practice quiz based on course content
• Helping to examine a concept in a different way
• Helping you develop a weekly study plan based on your life
• Translating content into another language to understand the material

AI assistance can be used in the following ways with acknowledgment:

• Brainstorming and idea expansion
• Improving grammar, spelling, sentence structure, word choice, or readability
• Revision assistance, such as suggesting new phrasing or content organization
• Summarizing or paraphrasing content for an assignment
• Using AI to generate feedback on an assignment

If you use AI in these ways, you must acknowledge this assistance by placing the following text at the top of your submission. “[Name of AI tool] was used to [how it was used]. I reviewed, edited, and revised the content to fit the audience. I am ultimately responsible for this assignment.”

Penalty for Unauthorized AI Use

Unauthorized use of AI in a single assignment will result in a zero on the assignment. If there is a pattern of use, you may fail the course. Remember it is your responsibility to ensure your use of AI aligns with the stated policy.

Tutoring

Tutoring options for online students are available through the Academic Support Centers. You can arrange to receive help from the BYU-Idaho Writing Center tutors using a variety of means: email, chat, and live conferencing. Receiving one-on-one feedback and guidance about your writing will significantly improve your ability. Tutors can help you with specific questions about a paper or a frequent problem or issue you may be encountering in your writing.

Teacher's Assistant (TA)

This course has a TA. The TA's primary responsibility will be grading the weekly writing assignments and participation in the Peer Review. You can expect to receive communication and feedback from the course TA on a regular basis. It is possible that the course instructors might give the TA additional responsibilities.  

University Policies

Students with Disabilities

Brigham Young University-Idaho is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere that accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. If you have a disability and require accommodations, please contact the Disability Services Office at (208) 496-9210 or visit their website and follow the Steps for Receiving Accommodations. Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified documented disabilities. Services are coordinated with students and instructors by the Disability Services Office.

This course includes required synchronous meetings. If you are currently registered with the Disability Services Office and need an interpreter or transcriber for these meetings, please contact the deaf and hard of hearing coordinator at (208) 496-9219.

Other University Policies

Student Honor and Other Policies

Please read through the document called University Policies. It gives important information about the following topics:

• Student Honor
  • Academic Honesty
  • Student Conduct
    • Sexual Harassment
• Student with Disabilities
• Complaints and Grievances
• Copyright Notice

Go to the Student Resources module to review further resources and information.