Course Syllabus

Course Information

NATS 4310.001:
Advanced Writing in the Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Fall 2007
Wednesday, 4:00-6:45 P. M.
Room: CB 1.122

Professor Contact Information

Professor: Rich Reed

Phone: 972-883-6465; 214-587-4959 (Emergency only)
E-Mail: Please use WebCT internal e-mail only
Office: FO 2.902
Office Hours: Tuesday, 2:00-4:00 P. M. and by appointment
Course Pre-requisites, Co-requisites, and/or Other Restrictions

This course fulfills the Core Curriculum requirement for Natural Sciences and
Mathematics

Course Description

Welcome to Advanced Writing in the Natural Sciences and Mathematics! Often,

students leaving the University for their first professional positions are not experienced
with the different types of writing that they will need to do. For example, a lab assistant
might be asked to write a technical report about a research project. A marketing
specialist may be required to write a functional description and operating instructions for
a new product. Or, a new professional might be writing a letter to the president of his
company detailing the aspects of his department that need to be analyzed for change.
Finally, graduate and professional students will write proposals to obtain funding for their
research. The purpose of this class is to provide an environment in which graduating
seniors in science can learn about their writing, understand the kinds of writing they will
do in their careers, and develop further their skills in these types of writing.

Course Syllabus Page 1

Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes

At the end of this course, you should have achieved these objectives:

 Be able to apply theories of communication and writing to your own writing.

 Know about and be able to adapt to different types of professional writing.
 Be able to write about scientific ideas clearly and effectively.
 Be able to write a research proposal.
 Be able to write and work with colleagues.
 Be able to analyze audiences and write about scientific concepts to them.
 Be able to ask colleagues and experts for feedback and to use that feedback to edit
your own writing.
 Understand the principles of ethical written communication.

Required Textbooks and Materials

Strunk, W., & White, E. B. (1979). The elements of style. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
(Accessible for free at http://www.bartleby.com/141/)

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th Edition). (2001).

Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association. (Partially accessible at
http://www.apastyle.org/, or in the library reference section)

Schamber, L. (2005). Tips for coursework.

Kinneavy’s “Seven Deadly Sins” (handout).

Website readings as listed in the course calendar.

Every effort has been made to use texts that will reduce your financial burden for
this course. However, please take the web-based reading assignments seriously
because these assignments are the keys to your success in this course.

Other Good Resources for Writing

Howard, V. A., & Barton, J. H. (1986). Thinking on paper. New York: Quill.

Moriarty, M. F. (1997). Writing science through critical thinking. Sudbury, MA: Jones
and Bartlett Publishers.

VanAlstyne, J. S. (2005). Professional and technical writing strategies. Upper Saddle

River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.

Note: If you find any books that help you with your own writing, please let me know so I
can recommend them to the class.

Course Syllabus Page 2

Assignments & Academic Calendar
(Topics, Reading Assignments, Due Dates, Exam Dates)

DATE TOPICS READINGS ASSIGNMENTS DUE

Week 1 Course
Aug 22 Introduction
Thinking and
Writing Science
Team Writing
Week 2 Research Process NSF Grant Go to the National Science Foundation
Aug 29 Proposal (NSF) Web site and become familiar with
Writing Proposals
Guide Ch. 1; its organization and content. Find at least
Ch. 2 (A-C) three places on the website where you can
get ideas about research in your discipline.
Access and download NSF Grant Proposal
Guide
Week 3 Library Research “Explanation Introductory Writing Assignment
Sep 5 Susie Kutchi, of Criteria Individual assignment due by 4:00 p.m.
Reference for Writing”
Librarian;
“Criteria for
Plagiarism Writing”
Susan McKee,
Advice
Judicial Affairs
About NSF
Officer
Proposals
Week 4 The Language of Kinneavy’s Plagiarism Tutorial Memo
Sep 12 Science “Seven Team assignment due by 4:00 p. m.
Deadly
Analyzing
Sins”
Audiences
Schamber
(pp. 1-6, 17-
25)
Strunk and
White
(skim)
Week 5 Independent NSF Grant
Sep 19 Writing Proposal
Guide Ch. 2
(Pt. D,
Exhibits);
Ch. 3; Ch. 4

Course Syllabus Page 3

 DATE TOPICS READINGS ASSIGNMENTS DUE

Week 6 Process Analysis VanAlstyne NSF Proposal Memo

Sep 26 and Description (2005) Individual assignment due by 4:00 p.m.
handouts
Mechanism
Analysis and
Description
Week 7 Independent Description of a Process
Oct 3 Writing Team assignment due by 4:00 p.m.
NSF Proposal Progress Report Memo #1
Individual assignment due by 7:00 p.m.
Week 8 Organizing Schamber, Description of a Mechanism
Oct 10 Information pp. 7-16 Team assignment due by 4:00 p.m.
Style Manuals APA 5th
(skim)
Document Design
Presenting Data
in Charts, Tables,
and Diagrams
Week 9 Independent NSF Proposal Progress Report Memo #2
Oct 17 Writing Individual assignment due by 7:00 p.m.
Individual Proposal Project Status
Meeting
Scheduled 10/15-10/19 for 30 minutes each.
Week 10 Independent NSF Proposal Progress Report Memo #3
Oct 24 Writing Individual assignment due by 7:00 p.m.

Week 11 Employment
Oct 31 Writing: Resumes
and Cover Letters
Week 12 Independent NSF Proposal Rough Draft
Nov 7 Writing Individual assignment due by 5:00 p.m.

Week 13 Brief Project Schamber,

Nov 14 Presentations pp. 26-27

Week 14 Independent NSF Proposal Final Version

Nov 21 Writing Individual assignment due by 5:00 p.m.

Course Syllabus Page 4

Grading Policy
(Including percentages for assignments, grade scale, etc.)

There are 100 possible points in the class. The following assignments will contribute to
your grade:

Assignment Due Date Points Instructions

Introductory
9/5
Writing 7.5 Individual writing assignment.
4:00 PM
Assignment
Plagiarism 9/12
7.5 Team writing assignment.
Memo 4:00 PM
NSF Proposal 9/26
15 Individual writing assignment.
Project Memo 4:00 PM
Description of a 10/3
10 Team writing assignment.
Process 4:00 PM
Description of a 10/10
10 Team writing assignment.
Mechanism 4:00 PM
10/3
NSF Proposal 10/17
15 Individual writing assignment.
Progress Reports 10/24
7:00 PM (all)
NSF Proposal 11/7
15 Individual writing assignment.
(Rough Draft) 5:00 PM
NSF Proposal 11/21
20 Individual writing assignment.
(Final) 5:00 PM
Brief Proposal
11/14 Individual oral presentation. Failure to present
Project
4:00 PM results in a (-) class participation.
Presentation
Class (+) raises final (+) High degree of class participation with
Participation course grade by little or no prompting, evidence of critical
½ grade thought and significant contribution to
class discussions.
(=) maintains (=) Average level of participation, often
final course requiring some prompting; satisfactory
grade contribution to class discussions.
(-) Little to no class participation and/or input
(-) lowers final is irrelevant or disrespectful; no
course grade by significant contribution to class
½ grade discussions.

Grades will be assigned according to the following scale:

Points Grade Points Grade Points Grade

98 – 100 A+ 77 – 79 C+ >= 59 F
94 – 97 A 73 – 76 C
90 – 93 A- 70 – 72 C-
87 – 89 B+ 67 – 69 D+
83 – 86 B 63 – 66 D
80 – 82 B- 60 -- 62 D-

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At the end of the course, you will be given a grade for your participation in class
throughout the semester. It will take the value of (+), (=), or (-) and will serve to either
raise your course grade by one increment (B to B+), lower your grade by one increment
(B to B-), or maintain it as is.

Grading Criteria
Grades for any individual assignment will be based on specifications of criteria for that
project. You will receive these specifications well in advance of the assignment due
date. Be aware that assignments are progressively more difficult in this class. This
means that the specifications for assignments at the end of the course will be more
stringent than those at the beginning of the course.

If you do not understand the reason you received a specific grade on any assignment, I
definitely want to talk with you about it. If you believe that a grade should be
reconsidered, take time to review my comments about your work and follow these
instructions:

1. You must wait at least 24 hours after you received the grade but no more than
one week to talk to me about it.
2. Write a memo specifying the grade you think you deserve and your reasons for
asking me to change the grade you received. Address this memo to me.
3. Include your original evaluation and paper with your memo.

If you are taking this course CR/NCR, you must complete ALL parts of all
assignments at a "B" level to receive credit.

Feedback on Your Writing

You will receive intensive feedback on all written assignments in several ways. First,
you will receive written feedback from me. Second, I will be available to meet with you
to discuss any assignment and give you helpful feedback on your writing. Third, you will
work with other students on some assignments so you will learn how to write as a team.
Finally, you can take advantage of the LRC Writing Lab where you can receive
individual assistance with your course assignments
(http://www.utdallas.edu/dept/ugraddean/lrcwrit.html).

DO take advantage of the full range of support to help you in this course. It is not
often that writers have so many opportunities to improve and get feedback.

Late Work
Because you are completing many progressively challenging assignments for this course,
it will be difficult for you to keep up with the work if your assignments are late. An
assignment is considered late if it is submitted AFTER the due date and time specified in
the Academic Calendar and Assignments and Grading Policy sections. An assignment
will be penalized with a 50% grade deduction if you turn it in late up to 24 hours after the
deadline, and penalized with a 75% grade deduction if you exceed the deadline by more

Course Syllabus Page 6

than 24 hours. The only exception to this rule is you must have made arrangements with
me no less than 48 hours prior to the assignment due date.

I do not accept the excuse that a printer was not working or that a computer crashed.
Make proper arrangements to have your papers finished and prepared ahead of time so
you do not experience such emergencies.

All assignments are to be submitted as a file attachment to an e-mail message using

WebCT mail. You also have the option of additionally giving me a hard copy of
your writing assignment at the beginning of class on the due date (if we are
meeting).

Any time you believe that you might be falling behind in the course, it is best to contact
me to discuss your situation.

Please be aware that no assignment can be accepted after the last day of regular
classes (November 26).

This policy might seem harsh at first but consider that we cover a lot of material this
semester. Since most assignments build upon prior weeks' learning, it is important that
you keep up with your work.

Course & Instructor Policies

Guidelines for All Written Assignments

Based on the current NSF proposal guidelines (NSF-04-23, July 2004, p. 17):

PIs are advised that readability is of paramount importance and should take precedence in
selection of an appropriate font for use in the proposal. Small type size makes it difficult for
reviewers to read the proposal; consequently, the use of small type not in compliance with the
above guidelines may be grounds for NSF to return the proposal without review. Adherence to
type size and line spacing requirements also is necessary to ensure that no proposer will have an
unfair advantage, by using smaller type or line spacing to provide more text in the proposal.

1. All margins need to be 1 inch.

2. The font size should be 12-point type. The font type can be your choice but
should be easy to read.

3. Your papers should be double-spaced.

4. You should follow APA (American Psychological Association) guidelines for

pagination, headings, and other format issues.

5. Your graphics, tables, and illustrations need to be clearly identified and explained
(See APA guidelines).

Course Syllabus Page 7

 6. Your writing should be free of spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors.

7. All sources should be documented and/or quoted appropriately in the text as well
as in the References section at the end of the document.

* Failure to meet these basic requirements will result in a grade deduction of 25%.

Teaching Techniques
During class sessions we will have group discussions, writing exercises, and time to
write. In addition, we might have guest speakers. Sometimes we will end a class session
early to allow you time to complete brief assignments during class time. Other times, we
will not meet as a class but will have individual writing consultations. Be sure to check
the calendar in this syllabus regularly so that you will be aware of what we will be doing
in class on any given day.

Classroom Citizenship
I expect all students to behave professionally and as upper-level university learners. This
means contributing to a positive learning environment in the following ways:

Please DO NOT:
 Forget to turn OFF your cell phones or pagers.
 Answer your cell phone in class.
 Read newspapers, magazines, other textbooks, etc.
 Study for another class or do other work during our class time.
 Surf the Internet, engage in any form of video games, text messaging, etc.
 Talk to your neighbor while someone is speaking.
 Come in late and walk around the room--sit near the door you entered.

Please DO:
 Get plenty of SLEEP BEFORE class (if you snore out loud, we will laugh out
loud at you).
 Review your notes from our previous class session prior to class.
 SKIM or READ the assigned reading.
 READ or RE-READ the assignments after class.
 Prepare your written assignments a LITTLE EACH DAY.

Tips for Success after class:

 REWRITE your notes in a final neat format…this allows you to review the
information, elaborate on it, and fill in blank spots while the information is fresh.
 Look up any terms, definitions, etc that you struggled with in class.
 Practice EXPLAINING the concepts from lecture to someone else.
 Study with your team…I suggest creating your own “test bank” file a little each
class period; then you have a great study tool for exams.
 Remember: The secret to success in this class is simple: keep up.
 Ask me to clarify anything you do not understand.


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REMEMBER
As a courtesy to both your classmates and me, please turn off cell phones and put them
away; laptops should be used for taking class notes only. I will ask you publicly to leave
class if you are doing activities unrelated to class.

We will be using WebCT throughout the semester. Updates, documents, and answers to
frequently asked questions will be posted on WebCT. You are responsible for any
information posted on WebCT.

Rules for Teams

Your participation on teams several writing assignments is designed to help you learn
about working with others to accomplish a writing project, a situation you will experience
many times over during your professional life. There are various ways work teams are
structured for projects and various levels of control that team members have over their
working situations. In this class, the following rules apply to your writing teams:

1. You may fire any group member who is not contributing to your project. If you
decide to fire a group member, there is a procedure for doing so:

a. First, meet as a team and discuss with the member your dissatisfaction
with his/her level/quality of work. Give that person one chance to recover
the team's confidence.
b. After the one chance, meet with me to discuss the best way to approach
the situation.
c. Have a full team meeting and give effective and constructive feedback to
the member you are firing. Make sure that all members, including the one
you fired, sign a statement of understanding that the person is no longer on
your team. Submit the statement to me no later than one week after it is
signed.

2. With your team's permission and the permission of a new team, you may switch
teams. Each team must have at least 3, but no more than 4 members.

3. If you are fired, you may submit an individual project for 1/2 credit.

4. No individual papers for full credit will be accepted. That means is it to your
advantage to make sure you stay on a team.

5. All members of your team will receive the same number of points UNLESS
your teammates’ or self-evaluations suggest that you did not contribute to the
team effort in writing the paper. I reserve the right to deduct points as
appropriate for team members who do not contribute to the assignment. In
addition, realize that submitting a paper with the name of a teammate who did
not contribute is a form of academic dishonesty which will be reported to the
Dean of Students for appropriate academic penalties.

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Incompletes/Drops
According to the Undergraduate Catalog, “a grade of Incomplete may be given at the
discretion of the instructor of record for a course” (italics added). Consequently, in
exercising this discretion, I will not grant a grade of Incomplete in this course.

If your circumstances are such that you anticipate not being able complete the work
assigned, please make sure you drop the course. I will not do this for you—it is your
responsibility to drop the course if your circumstances require you to do so. Failure to
drop this course could result in a failing grade.

Class Attendance
It is fundamental to your success in this class that you attend regularly. Our time in class
will give you the opportunity to work through important topics with me and your peers
and help you to meet the objectives of the course.

Extra Credit
I do not give extra credit because there is already a lot of work to do in this course.
Therefore, do not ask me if you can do additional work to get extra points, make up for a
low grade, or make up for a missed assignment. If you focus on doing the assignments to
the best of your ability and effectively managing your non-class time, you will not need
or have time available for extra credit.

If You Have Problems or Questions

I hope you enjoy participating in this course as much as I enjoy teaching it. If you are
having any problems, questions, or just want to talk, I encourage you to see me before
class, during my office hours, or call me. In any case, I WANT TO TALK TO YOU!!!
Don't let small problems during the semester grow to a crisis at the end. It's always easier
to fix anticipated difficulties than to untangle a mess; please see me beforehand.

Course Syllabus Page 10

Student Conduct & Discipline

The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and regulations
for the orderly and efficient conduct of their business. It is the responsibility of each student and
each student organization to be knowledgeable about the rules and regulations which govern
student conduct and activities. General information on student conduct and discipline is contained
in the UTD publication, A to Z Guide, which is provided to all registered students each academic
year.

The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures of
recognized and established due process. Procedures are defined and described in the Rules and
Regulations, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Part 1, Chapter VI, Section 3, and
in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities of the university’s Handbook of Operating
Procedures. Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the
Dean of Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and
regulations (SU 1.602, 972/883-6391).

A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of citizenship.
He or she is expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the Regents’ Rules,
university regulations, and administrative rules. Students are subject to discipline for violating the
standards of conduct whether such conduct takes place on or off campus, or whether civil or
criminal penalties are also imposed for such conduct.

Academic Integrity

The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty. Because
the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work done by the
student for that degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrate a high standard of individual
honor in his or her scholastic work.

Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related to
applications for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s own work or
material that is not one’s own. As a general rule, scholastic dishonesty involves one of the
following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion and/or falsifying academic records. Students
suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary proceedings.

Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from any other
source is unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university’s policy on plagiarism (see
general catalog for details). This course will use the resources of turnitin.com, which searches the
web for possible plagiarism and is over 90% effective.

Email Use

We are communicating in this class via WebCT e-mail only. However, the
following policy applies to any other regular e-mail you send to faculty and
students on campus:

The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication between
faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises some issues
concerning security and the identity of each individual in an email exchange. The university
encourages all official student email correspondence be sent only to a student’s U.T. Dallas email

Course Syllabus Page 11

 address and that faculty and staff consider email from students official only if it originates from a
UTD student account. This allows the university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the
identity of all individual corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. UTD
furnishes each student with a free email account that is to be used in all communication with
university personnel. The Department of Information Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method
for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail forwarded to other accounts.

Withdrawal from Class

The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-level courses.
These dates and times are published in that semester's course catalog. Administration procedures
must be followed. It is the student's responsibility to handle withdrawal requirements from any
class. In other words, I cannot drop or withdraw any student. You must do the proper paperwork
to ensure that you will not receive a final grade of "F" in a course if you choose not to attend the
class once you are enrolled.

Student Grievance Procedures

Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities,
of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures.

In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or other fulfillments
of academic responsibility, it is the obligation of the student first to make a serious effort to
resolve the matter with the instructor, supervisor, administrator, or committee with whom the
grievance originates (hereafter called “the respondent”). Individual faculty members retain
primary responsibility for assigning grades and evaluations. If the matter cannot be resolved at
that level, the grievance must be submitted in writing to the respondent with a copy of the
respondent’s School Dean. If the matter is not resolved by the written response provided by the
respondent, the student may submit a written appeal to the School Dean. If the grievance is not
resolved by the School Dean’s decision, the student may make a written appeal to the Dean of
Graduate or Undergraduate Education, and the deal will appoint and convene an Academic
Appeals Panel. The decision of the Academic Appeals Panel is final. The results of the academic
appeals process will be distributed to all involved parties.

Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of
Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and
regulations.

Incomplete Grade Policy

As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work unavoidably missed at
the semester’s end and only if 70% of the course work has been completed. An incomplete grade
must be resolved within eight (8) weeks from the first day of the subsequent long semester. If the
required work to complete the course and to remove the incomplete grade is not submitted by the
specified deadline, the incomplete grade is changed automatically to a grade of F.

Disability Services

The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational opportunities
equal to those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in room 1.610 in the
Student Union. Office hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and
Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Course Syllabus Page 12

 The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is:
The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22
PO Box 830688
Richardson, Texas 75083-0688
(972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)

Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable adjustments
necessary to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability. For example, it may be necessary
to remove classroom prohibitions against tape recorders or animals (in the case of dog guides) for
students who are blind. Occasionally an assignment requirement may be substituted (for example,
a research paper versus an oral presentation for a student who is hearing impaired). Classes
enrolled students with mobility impairments may have to be rescheduled in accessible facilities.
The college or university may need to provide special services such as registration, note-taking, or
mobility assistance.

It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an
accommodation. Disability Services provides students with letters to present to faculty members
to verify that the student has a disability and needs accommodations. Individuals requiring special
accommodation should contact the professor after class or during office hours.

Religious Holy Days

The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required activities for
the travel to and observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose places of worship are
exempt from property tax under Section 11.20, Tax Code, Texas Code Annotated.

The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possible regarding
the absence, preferably in advance of the assignment. The student, so excused, will be allowed to
take the exam or complete the assignment within a reasonable time after the absence: a period
equal to the length of the absence, up to a maximum of one week. A student who notifies the
instructor and completes any missed exam or assignment may not be penalized for the absence. A
student who fails to complete the exam or assignment within the prescribed period may receive a
failing grade for that exam or assignment.

If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the purpose of
observing a religious holy day] or if there is similar disagreement about whether the student has
been given a reasonable time to complete any missed assignments or examinations, either the
student or the instructor may request a ruling from the chief executive officer of the institution, or
his or her designee. The chief executive officer or designee must take into account the legislative
intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the student and instructor will abide by the decision of the chief
executive officer or designee.

These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the Professor.

Course Syllabus Page 13