College station traffic issue

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Blinn College

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write a formal report with double sided pages based on your approved proposal. include the required elements described below in the sequence they appear. please note that some of the heading below (front matter, cover, letter of transmittal, body of the report, and back matter are not to become headings in your report. I will provide the started report with the tentative outline along with the proposal and course packet if any questions. need 4 more sources. also must include visuals, captions, cross references, and list of visuals. 10 pages of writing. table of contents, preface, list of visuals and appendix don't count.

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Cover Jacob Jarvis RD1 March 6, 2018 letter ii Table of Contents Stages of Intersection transformation ............................................................................................. 2 Local Government monitors high traffic areas ........................................................................... 2 City hires consultant ................................................................................................................... 2 Funding ....................................................................................................................................... 2 Schematics- Box of design.......................................................................................................... 2 Construction phase ...................................................................................................................... 2 Improvements for intersection success ........................................................................................... 2 Eliminate unprotected left turn signal ......................................................................................... 2 Lower speed limit before intersection of FM2818 and Holleman Dr ......................................... 2 Implement turning lane mirrors .................................................................................................. 2 Reconstruction of intersection .................................................................................................... 2 Benefits ........................................................................................................................................... 3 Safety .......................................................................................................................................... 3 Reduce traffic .............................................................................................................................. 3 Difficulties ...................................................................................................................................... 3 Project Timeframe ...................................................................................................................... 3 Cost ............................................................................................................................................. 3 Appendix-A: Bibliography of Sources ........................................................................................... 4 List of Works Cited ..................................................................................................................... 4 List of Works Consulted ............................................................................................................. 4 Appendix B: Proposal ..................................................................................................................... 5 iii list of visuals and preface iv Stages of Intersection transformation Local Government monitors high traffic areas 1.1.1. Feasibility report by city or citizen 1.1.2. Board identifies needs City hires consultant 1.1.3. Look at options of what can be done to fix issue 1.1.4. Show at a public meeting with city 1.1.5. Gains public support to move forward Funding 1.1.6. Get estimate of exact estimate of the size of project 1.1.7. Present to city management 1.1.8. Funding Schematics- Box of design 1.1.9. Whole design of project is presented 1.1.10. This is what is what we are doing going forward 1.1.11. Public hearing 1.1.12. Picture of schematics Construction phase 1.1.13. How much of all materials is needed 1.1.14. Personnel 1.1.15. Start Building Improvements for intersection success Eliminate unprotected left turn signal 1.1.16. Reduces accidents 1.1.17. Increase commute time 1.1.18. Increased traffic Lower speed limit before intersection of FM2818 and Holleman Dr 1.1.19. Vehicles can now stop sooner due to the lower speed 1.1.20. Doesn’t help the overall problem of traffic, only safety 1.1.21. ill-tempered drivers Implement turning lane mirrors 1.1.22. This will decrease blind spots for drivers allowing them to see more 1.1.23. Reduces accidents but not traffic time Reconstruction of intersection 1.1.24. Incorporate some of these solutions into one 1.1.25. Make over pass for turning lane on Holleman Dr. 1.1.26. Expand from 4 lane road to 8 lanes 1.1.27. Push back the stop lights making the intersection bigger 1.1.28. Visual of intersection 2 Benefits Safety 1.1.29. First priority is always safety 1.1.30. Decrease accidents Reduce traffic 1.1.31. Decrease fuel used 1.1.32. improve commute time 1.1.33. increase efficiency 1.1.34. promote economic development Difficulties Project Timeframe 1.1.35. Timely process 1.1.36. Could take years 1.1.37. Increases traffic until complete Cost 1.1.38. Very expensive 1.1.39. New roads and congestion improvements tend to be costly 1.1.40. Between 2-10 Million per lane 3 Appendix-A: Bibliography of Sources List of Works Cited List of Works Consulted I have done the beginning research for my project and there are adequate sources for the assignment. I have access to these sources by the internet and calling local experts to answer questions I might have. 1. Mark Poage, City Engineer. Telephone. February 9th 2018. 979-778-2165. (1.1-1.5) 2. https://www.change.org/p/dear-city-council-proposed-changes-to-fm-2818-hollemanintersection. Changes Being Planned for 2818/Holleman. February 9th 2018. (2.1-2.4) 3. http://www.kagstv.com/article/news/local/traffic-a-growing-concern-in-collegestation/483850787. KAGS. February 9th 2018. (3.1) 4. https://mobility.tamu.edu/mip/strategies-pdfs/added-capacity/technical-summary/addingnew-lanes-or-roads-4-pg.pdf. Adding New Lanes or Roads. February 9th 2018. (3.2-4.1) 5. http://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/projects/studies/bryan/fm2818.html. Texas Department of Transportation. February 9th 2018. (4.2) 6. http://www.theeagle.com/news/local/college-station-residents-offer-traffic-solutions-foreast-side/article_5297e84b-3080-5a36-a916-33afeacebe6d.html. The Eagle. February 9th 2018. 4 Appendix B: Proposal 5 College Station Traffic Proposal Jacob Jarvis Table of Contents Introduction to the Subject Area and Problem ................................................................................ 2 Description of the Report ................................................................................................................ 2 Audience and Purpose................................................................................................................. 2 Tentative Outline and Contents .................................................................................................. 2 Preliminary Bibliography............................................................................................................ 4 Project Plan ..................................................................................................................................... 5 Tasks and Methods ..................................................................................................................... 5 Schedule ...................................................................................................................................... 6 Roles/Personal Qualifications ..................................................................................................... 6 Conclusions ................................................................................................................................. 6 Introduction to the Subject Area and Problem The renowned issue of traffic in College Station is becoming more of a problem every year. While College Station is a fast-growing city, Texas A&M University enrollment is booming with more than 62,000 students, and Blinn College enrollment surpassing 13,000 students. Commute time, safety, and fuel consumption would all benefit from decongesting a few areas in College Station. The intersection of Holleman Dr and Harvey Mitchell (FM2818) is a disaster and could benefit from a large intersection. The intersection saw 24 crashes in 2016 followed by 21 crashes in 2017 including one that took the life of a Texas A&M student. There has been talk to eliminate the unprotected left turn signal however that would increase commute time further. Description of the Report In this report I plan on directing city management on a better alternative to the intersection of FM 2818 and Holleman Drive. I have a good vision for the way I will present this report with knowledge of the process, factual evidence of previous scenarios and what I think I could do to improve the intersection. This report will have visuals and will have adequate information regarding the process. The outline will have information regarding the stages the process, improvements that can be made to the intersection, benefits of the implementation, and the difficulties that come with a project of this caliber. The sources I have uncovered are helpful and informative. I also have access to local city officials for help and questions I might have. Audience and Purpose The primary audience of this report on the intersection of FM 2818 and Holleman Dr is city management. City roads are the cities responsibility. The city has to keep safety and congestion in mind when considering such a project as implementing a bigger intersection. I will be persuading the City management board to implement a bigger intersection or overpass configuration. The secondary audience of this report will be the people of college station who will benefit from the project in the long run as well as the consultants working on the development of the intersection. Tentative Outline and Contents 1. Stages of Intersection transformation 1.1. Local Government monitors high traffic areas 1.1.1. Feasibility report by city or citizen 1.1.2. Board identifies needs 1.2. City hires consultant 1.2.1. Look at options of what can be done to fix issue 1.2.2. Show at a public meeting with city 2 1.2.3. Gains public support to move forward 1.3. Funding 1.3.1. Get estimate of exact estimate of the size of project 1.3.2. Present to city management 1.3.3. Funding 1.4. Schematics- Box of design 1.4.1. Whole design of project is presented 1.4.2. This is what is what we are doing going forward 1.4.3. Public hearing 1.4.4. Picture of schematics 1.5. Construction phase 1.5.1. How much of all materials is needed 1.5.2. Personnel 1.5.3. Start Building 2. Improvements for intersection success 2.1. Eliminate unprotected left turn signal 2.1.1. Reduces accidents 2.1.2. Increase commute time 2.1.3. Increased traffic 2.2. Lower speed limit before intersection of FM2818 and Holleman Dr 2.2.1. Vehicles can now stop sooner due to the lower speed 2.2.2. Doesn’t help the overall problem of traffic, only safety 2.2.3. ill-tempered drivers 2.3. Implement turning lane mirrors 2.3.1. This will decrease blind spots for drivers allowing them to see more 2.3.2. Reduces accidents but not traffic time 2.4. Reconstruction of intersection 2.4.1. Incorporate some of these solutions into one 2.4.2. Make over pass for turning lane on Holleman Dr. 2.4.3. Expand from 4 lane road to 8 lanes 2.4.4. Push back the stop lights making the intersection bigger 2.4.5. Visual of intersection 3. Benefits 3.1. Safety 3.1.1. First priority is always safety 3.1.2. Decrease accidents 3.2. Reduce traffic 3.2.1. Decrease fuel used 3.2.2. improve commute time 3.2.3. increase efficiency 3.2.4. promote economic development 4. Difficulties 4.1. Project Timeframe 4.1.1. Timely process 4.1.2. Could take years 3 4.1.3. 4.2. Cost 4.2.1. 4.2.2. 4.2.3. Increases traffic until complete Very expensive New roads and congestion improvements tend to be costly Between 2-10 Million per lane Preliminary Bibliography I have done the beginning research for my project and there are adequate sources for the assignment. I have access to these sources by the internet and calling local experts to answer questions I might have. 1. Mark Poage, City Engineer. Telephone. February 9th 2018. 979-778-2165. (1.1-1.5) My first source is an interview with a local expert on the process of how city management recognizes high traffic areas and how the process of widening an intersection begins. 2. https://www.change.org/p/dear-city-council-proposed-changes-to-fm-2818-hollemanintersection. Changes Being Planned for 2818/Holleman. February 9th 2018. (2.1-2.4) The second source I have was an article on ideas and solutions to make the intersection safer and more efficient. This source is important to my project because it helps me think about the alternatives to making the intersection practical. 3. http://www.kagstv.com/article/news/local/traffic-a-growing-concern-in-collegestation/483850787. KAGS. February 9th 2018. (3.1) The third source I chose is an article about the existing safety concerns with the intersection and in what way the intersection would be safer if the new intersection was implemented. 4. https://mobility.tamu.edu/mip/strategies-pdfs/added-capacity/technical-summary/addingnew-lanes-or-roads-4-pg.pdf. Adding New Lanes or Roads. February 9th 2018. (3.2-4.1) The fourth source I used is a document with content on recent road construction in College station. It has information on roughly how much the projects costed, timeframe and also the benefit of the construction afterwards. 5. http://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/projects/studies/bryan/fm2818.html. Texas Department of Transportation. February 9th 2018. (4.2) The fifth source I used is an article I found online about what implements would be made and what it would cost to widen a road on FM2818. This source is relevant to my project by providing another incite on the issue of traffic in the area. 6. http://www.theeagle.com/news/local/college-station-residents-offer-traffic-solutions-foreast-side/article_5297e84b-3080-5a36-a916-33afeacebe6d.html. The Eagle. February 9th 2018. 4 This source is important to my project because it gives helpful information on the traffic area and relevant facts with ways to improve the intersection. Project Plan There is more that needs to be done for this project to be wrapped up. To finish this project correctly it requires more research on the stages of the process and also more background on the implementation of an intersection. I have a busy schedule this semester but should have adequate time to work on my report and put together the most informative report I can. I am capable of being a transportation consultant for this project because I deal with the repercussions of this intersection not being efficient. This topic inspires me to reflect and also do something about the issue of traffic on FM 2818 and Holleman Drive. Tasks and Methods To finish the project, first I plan on doing more research. Calling another local official or expert could help me tie the project together. I will need to compose my rough drafts, have my piers read and give helpful insight, then edit and further my project. I plan on providing the information on how the process of widening an intersection works and what I could do to improve them. • • • • • I will need to research more about what might be the best solution for the problems regarding the intersection Visuals need to be found for the project and how/where they will tie in I will need to learn to read a schematics maps I will need to learn how to bind a document To create the physical document, I will need to print and bind the pages together. 5 Schedule This semester I have class Monday through Thursday. Monday/Wednesday I have Business Legal Environment at 5:40 P.M. Tuesday/Thursday I have Chemistry from 12:00 P.M. to 2:40 P.M. then Technical Writing from 4:15 P.M.to 5:30P.M. I do most of my homework the night after my classes and finish up left over work on Fridays. I will work on my project Monday and Wednesday mornings and should have plenty of time to put towards my project. Monday Morning Project Afternoon Calc II Night B Law Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Project Chemistry Technical Writing Calc II Friday Homework Chemistry Technical Writing Homework B Law Roles/Personal Qualifications I will be a transportation consultant for my report. I am capable of playing this role and am interested in the process. I avoid the intersection of FM2818 and Holleman Drive when I can, but a lot of the time I have to face the congestion of traffic and it is always frustrating, time consuming and dangerous. Something needs to be one to this intersection for safety and traffic concerns. Conclusions Traffic in College Station is becoming an issue in a few places. The intersection of FM 2818 and Holleman can see close to 20,000 vehicles a day. The intersection is adding way too much time to residents’ commute. I would put together a proposal of what needs to be done to the intersection to reduce congestion and how to get city management involved. This project is feasible and logical. Mr. Richard McGuire, I request that you approve this project. 6 Note: Please do not print this. ENGLISH 2311 Course Packet Version 2.2 English 2311 Course Packet Humanities Division P.O. Box 3712 Bryan, TX 77805 January 27, 2018 Blinn College Technical Writing Students Bryan, TX 77802 Dear Students: Welcome to English 2311! I hope you are ready for a challenging semester. This packet contains some lecture notes and all of the handouts you will need to complete your assignments for this course. Please refer to them throughout the semester. In addition, along with the sample reports I will show in class, this document may serve as a model for your Formal Report assignment. Understand that this packet is a work in progress—especially the Appendices. Sincerely, Richard McGuire Richard McGuire, Instructor ii Blinn College Humanities Division English 2311 Course Packet Table of Content PREFACE ..................................................................................................................................................................... IV LECTURE NOTES ..................................................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION TO TECHNICAL WRITING ............................................................................................................................1 Definition ..............................................................................................................................................................1 History ..................................................................................................................................................................1 Future ...................................................................................................................................................................1 Characteristics of Technical Writers .....................................................................................................................1 Document Types ...................................................................................................................................................2 Characteristics of a Technical Communication Document ...................................................................................2 Characteristics of the Text ....................................................................................................................................2 CHOOSING REPORT TOPICS ..............................................................................................................................................3 RESUMES AND LETTERS OF APPLICATION ............................................................................................................................3 Resumes ...............................................................................................................................................................3 Correspondence....................................................................................................................................................4 AUDIENCE ....................................................................................................................................................................5 What are some categories of readers? ................................................................................................................5 What are some characteristics of readers? ..........................................................................................................6 DEFINITION TECHNIQUES .................................................................................................................................................6 INSTRUCTIONS ...............................................................................................................................................................6 Standard Elements ...............................................................................................................................................6 Optional Elements ................................................................................................................................................7 Equipment......................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Visuals ............................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Liability and Safety Information ........................................................................................................................................ 7 FORMATTING STANDARDS FOR ALL DOCUMENTS ................................................................................................. 8 General Instructions .............................................................................................................................................8 Font Sizes, etc. ......................................................................................................................................................8 Assignment Submission ........................................................................................................................................8 ASSIGNMENT PROMPTS ........................................................................................................................................ 9 TOPIC DISCUSSION (TD)..................................................................................................................................................9 ROUGH DRAFTS .............................................................................................................................................................9 Proposal Draft (PD) ..............................................................................................................................................9 Report Draft 1 (RD1).............................................................................................................................................9 Report Draft 2 and 3 (RD2 and RD3) ..................................................................................................................10 PROPOSAL ..................................................................................................................................................................10 Introduction to the Subject Area and Problem (or Opportunity) ........................................................................10 Description of the Report ...................................................................................................................................10 Audience and Purpose .................................................................................................................................................... 10 Tentative Outline and Contents ...................................................................................................................................... 10 Preliminary Bibliography ................................................................................................................................................. 11 Project Plan ........................................................................................................................................................11 Tasks and Methods ......................................................................................................................................................... 11 Schedule .......................................................................................................................................................................... 12 Roles/Personal Qualifications ......................................................................................................................................... 12 Conclusions/Recommendation(s) .......................................................................................................................12 RESUME/LETTER OF APPLICATION ...................................................................................................................................12 AUDIENCE/DEFINITION .................................................................................................................................................13 INSTRUCTIONS .............................................................................................................................................................13 Blinn College iii English 2311 Course Packet Humanities Division FORMAL REPORT .........................................................................................................................................................14 Front Matter.......................................................................................................................................................14 Cover ............................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Letter of Transmittal ....................................................................................................................................................... 14 Table of Content(s) (TOC) and List of Visuals .................................................................................................................. 15 Preface ............................................................................................................................................................................ 15 Body of the Report .............................................................................................................................................15 Back Matter........................................................................................................................................................16 Appendix A: Bibliographies of Sources ........................................................................................................................... 16 Appendix “?”: Formal Report Proposal .......................................................................................................................... 16 PRESENTATION OF FORMAL REPORT/ORAL PRESENTATION (OP) ..........................................................................................16 APPENDIX A: MS-WORD TIPS ............................................................................................................................... 18 General ...............................................................................................................................................................19 Notes on Styles ...................................................................................................................................................19 Navigation ....................................................................................................................................................................... 19 Layout ............................................................................................................................................................................. 19 Visuals ............................................................................................................................................................................. 19 TOC.................................................................................................................................................................................. 19 Pagination ....................................................................................................................................................................... 20 APPENDIX B: INDEX ............................................................................................................................................. 21 APPENDIX C: GRADING SYMBOLS ........................................................................................................................ 23 Preface This packet has two objectives. First, I want to save paper, so I am delivering the packet electronically. Second, I want you to see the basic structure of a formal report for this class. This packet is so structured. iv Blinn College English 2311 Course Packet Lecture Notes Introduction to Technical Writing You should always include text here to at least summarize the following subsections. Definition It’s not easy to give. Is it:  writing about technical things? (design, use, repair)  writing technically (i.e., adhering to rules of grammar, punctuation, etc.)?, using imperative mood at the right time  both?  more? I use a broad definition, based on the following characteristics of technical writing. History  WWII weapons and the post-war boom: high-tech. equipment, use and repair  the computer industry: hardware and software manuals, specifications  Can you make a case for these pre-WWII phenomena? shipping records, maps—visuals too!, accounting records—other fields!, medical information, cave walls Now we are ready to see that this class is not just about writing: speaking, listening, reading, thinking, too. TW is a bad term. TC is better. And, TC depends on other fields for content? Future What else can technical writers get themselves into?  software interface design  product testing (Do products communicate with their users? What’s a dialog box?)  “soft editing:” in word processors, mind non-printing characters (¶ · → ) Soft editing is especially important when publishing documents in multiple media. Why? The little things do matter. Characteristics of Technical Writers  have good editorial skills  are degreed (often advanced) and/or specialized in some technical field (e.g., computer science, an engineering discipline, hard sciences)  are objective, methodical, painstaking Many jobs have technical communication in them. Not just technical writers do technical writing. You will, too, even if all you do is report your status on a project to your supervisor by email. 1 English 2311 Course Packet Humanities Division Document Types  Correspondence (4 functions)  textbooks, lab manuals  proposals  reports  instructions, manuals, etc.  contracts  forms  sales/promotional materials  press releases  OPs? A broad definition would include any document produced by a company, an agency, an institution, or an organization. Characteristics of a Technical Communication Document  is not fiction  is not academic (think of Service Learning projects, or stuff at work)  meets deadlines because others need info. upon which to act  has specific audience (primary and secondary?) never the general public  purpose (primary and secondary?) syllabus  context  has a life cycle  uses specialized vocabulary  defines terms using standard techniques  uses standard formats (letter should look like a letter, etc.)  has visual appeal  use visuals (graphs, pictures, charts, etc.)  use elements of page design  anticipates reader questions as they arise  is logically organized to accommodate selective reading and navigation (cross references) o front matter to disclose scope and purpose (table of content with page numbers, forewords, abstracts) o cumulative body, with headings and pagination o back matter (appendixes, indexes, glossaries, bibliographies) Not all of these elements would appear in every document; that depends on audience and purpose. Characteristics of the Text  avoid sexist language  use active voice  use standard formats for numerals, symbols, abbreviations (TX) Finally the text as a whole should be: 2 Blinn College Humanities Division    English 2311 Course Packet clear (one meaning) correct (rules of the language and context) concise (to the point) Choosing Report Topics        Subject Area Audience o Who are you speaking to? Purpose o instruct, direct, inform, or persuade Context o Professional o Civic o Scholastic Document Type Role o What is your role on this document? Sources o Books o Articles o Interviews o Surveys o Etc. Resumes and Letters of Application Resumes  Contact information o Name o Phone numbers o Addresses o E-mail  Education Information o List of schools you have attended (colleges)  Name of school and town o Major- Degree o Dates attended o Study abroad o Minor o Expenses you paid yourself for school  Ex. Paid 50% of college myself o Military or professional training Blinn College 3 English 2311 Course Packet   Humanities Division  Certificates Employment information o Name of company and town o Dates o Title o Duties and skills  Use action words and key words o Put best jobs  Ex. Like best three jobs (don’t worry about gaps in time between jobs) Optional o Goal or objective statement  Objective statement if used should be specific. o Honors, awards, patents, publications, and trademarks o Military  Security clearance, status, ranks, etc. o Involved in offices, professional organizations, or community (volunteer work)  Be careful of religious or political things (touchy) o Travels and languages you can speak o References  Available upon request. Correspondence  Memo o Internal use, within company  Letter o External use, company to company o Make sure you include in this order  Your address  Date  Name and address of recipient  Salutation  Ex. Dear John Doe:  Body paragraphs  Closing salutation  Sincerely  Your signature  Your name o When writing make sure you apply the functions of correspondence:  State the news  Detail the news 4 Blinn College Humanities Division English 2311 Course Packet   Call the audience to action Maintain a good will Audience Keep in mind that audience affects every aspect of a document: detail, language, organization, font size, font face, font style, paragraphing, vocabulary, sentence structure, and syntax, vocabulary, background information, font style and size, paragraphing, layout. Audience is one of the most important considerations of technical writers. Why do people read technical documents?  to gather information  to make a decision  to complete a task  to be persuaded So, determine your readers’ purpose and ask yourselves what you reader would need to do this. To inform  What do the readers already know about the subject?  What do they expect to learn? To direct  What information do they need to make the decision? To persuade  What facts and logical arguments can persuade them? To instruct  How much detail do they need in order to complete the task safely and efficiently? Keep in mind that documents often have different readers of different levels of sophistication (primary, secondary, and external readers), so a document may have more than one purpose. One approach is to write different parts for different readers. Develop items that readers can quickly scan (TOC, abstract, executive summary, conclusions, recommendations) and other sections they can read with more attention. Some suggest providing short follow-up features (sidebars, visuals, and chapter summaries). What are some categories of readers? It’s not so important to memorize these categories, rather to understand that there is a scale of sophistication among readers. You can say that most readers are going to fall into one of these categories—exactly which depends on the subject matter. So readers can fall into different categories when they read different materials.  Experts Blinn College 5 English 2311 Course Packet      Humanities Division Technicians and Equipment Operators Professional non-experts Students General Readers Children What are some characteristics of readers?  Education  Experience  Reading Level (just because someone’s reading level is high, does not mean that writers should complicate a subject)  Attitude/Motivation (Recommendations—good news vs. bad news) (KBSI phone training)  Attention Span?  Time  Environment/Context  Role/Rank  Language—Imagine what “Hit the road” means to an ESL student. Should you consider these characteristics as well?  Values  Socio-economic level  Age (or phase of life)  Culture  Race  Religion  Gender Definition Techniques 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. formal definition synonym/antonym visuals stipulation operational def. example analogy origin 9. division 10. analysis 11. comparison 12. distinction or contrast 13. elimination 14. cause/effect 15. scenario Instructions Standard Elements These elements are required for instructions:  a title (“How to_____” or “______ing”)  a statement of audience 6 Blinn College Humanities Division   English 2311 Course Packet numbered steps (imperative mood, no transitions, one action per step) a sense of closure (pagination, troubleshooting?, etc.) Optional Elements Other elements are not required but may be useful, as described below. Equipment In addition to this list, time/space/personnel requirements are often essential for readers. (everything you need  parts list  tools list  materials list (consumables vs. disposables) Visuals Readers may benefit from visuals of:  parts (especially hardware)  tools  materials  screenshots    product/stages what not to do locations, actions Liability and Safety Information Instructions sometimes identify intended and unintended uses of a product or process. Doing so helps prevent liability, even in cases such as this: Superhero costumes will not enable your child to fly. Maintenance information, storage information, license agreements, and warranties may be involved. Include emergency/poison control information when appropriate. For warranties and how to get service, contact information, such as telephone numbers, addresses, email addresses, and/or web addresses would be needed. Use the safety statement that corresponds to its risk.  Danger: risk of death  Warning: risk of injury  Caution: risk of property damage  Note (or Tip): risk of lost time or increased frustration. Use the following design elements to highlight safety statements:  symbols  color (bold)  indentation  space  font  location Blinn College 7 Formatting Standards for All Documents Follow these directions for everything you submit. General Instructions Ensure neatness and visual appeal; how a document looks is as important as what it says.  Single space.  Include a colon and your section number after your name.  Sign all letters (above your name); initial typed memos (beside your name).  Use one-inch (ragged right) margins. Use a larger inside margin for bound documents.  Paginate. If you use headers and footers, leave them blank on the first page.  All headings must precede normal text; all lists must follow it. (This packet, as it is a work in progress, does not always obey this rule.)  Horizontally center, caption, and number visuals.  Indent and use numbers or bullets for lists; indicate subordination in multi-level lists. Font Sizes, etc. Learn to use styles and their parameters on your word processor. Recognize headings as the outline, and use font size, character features, indentation, and spacing to indicate levels. Avoid using bold (except in headings) or underlined fonts, except (as character styles) for emphasis. Use italics for foreign terms. Do not use ALL CAPS. Use the following guidelines:  Normal—Font: 12 pt. Times New Roman; Paragraph: left aligned, 12 pt. after, single space, first line indented (if you wish), and widow/orphan control.  Heading 1—Normal + Font: 14 pt., Arial, Bold; Paragraph: left aligned, 12 pt. before, 3 pt. after, and K/N. Use appropriate specifications for Headings 2-4.  Title—Normal + Font: Bold, 16 pt., Arial; Paragraph: centered, 12 pt. after, and K/N.  Header—Normal + Font: 10 pt., italics; Paragraph: no first line indentation, no space after; Tab: right @ 6.5; Border: single solid line ½ pt. with space from text (bottom) 2 pt.  Footer—Normal + Font: 10 pt., italics; Paragraph: no first line indentation, no space after; Tab: right @ 6.5; Border: single solid line ½ pt. with space from text (top) 2 pt.  Figure—Normal + Paragraph: centered, 0 pt. after, K/N; Style to follow-Caption.  Caption—Normal + Font: Bold; Paragraph: centered, 6 pt. before and 12 pt. after. Assignment Submission Keep a back-up copy of disks and printed papers.  Type and submit all assignments to me in person. Don’t identify errors as you submit and don’t inquire about any penalty for a given error. Don’t ask if I’ve finished grading.  Double-side your Formal Report and all in-class work.  Staple all pages together, unless it is appropriate not to. No plastic covers or paper clips. 8 Humanities Division English 2311 Course Packet Assignment Prompts For each assignment, refer to the appropriate section below. Memo Requesting Excused Absences or Assignments If you have missed class and want me to excuse you, type a memo to me and apply the functions of correspondence, as listed in the Correspondence section on page 4. Attach any documentation for your absence and request to the memo. Topic Discussion (TD) Begin thinking of a topic for your proposal and formal report as soon as possible. The TD will emphasize the characteristics of a good topic as we discussed in class. A good TD is not a laundry list. Attend class on the days you do not present to receive credit for participation in the TDs of others (40% of this assignment). You must be attentive and polite to receive this credit. Any disruption (talking, leaving at break, sleeping, etc.) will eliminate your participation credit for that day. During your TD, focus on describing your topic with respect to the characteristics of a good topic I describe in class. Do not focus your TD on presumed content of your report. You must deliver a TD in order to score on this assignment. Rough Drafts Here is specific information on submission of rough drafts. Avoid a late penalty by arriving to the peer reviews on time, with a printed copy of the document that is due. Be sure to submit your draft on Turnitin.com before the deadline. Proposal Draft (PD) To earn full credit, your PD must include material in each section of the proposal. Scoring will emphasize the Tentative Outline and Preliminary Bibliography sections. PDs are due on Turnitin.com the night before the peer review in class. For more complete instructions regarding proposals, see Proposal on page 10. Report Draft 1 (RD1) Your first rough draft (RD1) must include pages for each report element, printed and doublesided. RD1 must include the Tentative Outline from your proposal, with each entry promoted to a heading in the body of the report and included in the Table of Contents of the report. RD1 Blinn College 9 English 2311 Course Packet Humanities Division must also include the Preliminary Bibliography from your proposal as the List of Works Cited. Build the structure and headings of the Formal Report as I show in class, with all page numbers. For more complete instructions, see Formal Report on page 14. Report Draft 2 and 3 (RD2 and RD3) Your second rough draft (RD2) must include properly-formatted citations and four body pages. RD2 must also include visuals, captions, cross references, and a List of Visuals. RD3 must include eight body pages and citations. These RDs are due on Turnitin.com the night before the peer review in class. For more complete instructions regarding reports, see Formal Report on page 14. Proposal When you submit your proposal, you may not change your formal report topic unless you submit a revised proposal. Write a proposal of no more than six single-sided pages to request approval for your Formal Report topic. Once you submit your proposal, continue working on your project. Let the first page include your name and the title. Include a table of content(s), with dot leaders on this page. Use the headings below. Include text in each of the following sections of your proposal: Introduction to the Subject Area and Problem (or Opportunity) Begin this section on page 2 of your proposal. Address issues such as need, background, scope, and significance. Justify your choice of topic. Description of the Report In this section, summarize the following subsections. Include major points. Audience and Purpose Identify, describe, and justify the intended primary and secondary audiences of your report. Is the purpose of your report to instruct, to direct, or to persuade? Why? Tentative Outline and Contents Identify the type of document you will create as your report and identify report’s contents. Describe and justify: the report’s format; any anticipated visuals—types, purposes; and any appendices—number, content. 10 Blinn College Humanities Division English 2311 Course Packet Create a phrase-based outline of the major sections of your report, including non-required back matter. Detail the minor sections as much as possible. Use an outline numbering scheme. This outline will become the major and minor headings in the body of your formal report. Preliminary Bibliography Indicate the state of your research and where you found each source. Demonstrate that adequate sources (at least 5 by now) are available for your project and that you have access to them. Include a representative sample of the sources you intend to use. Employ the bibliographic style described in the following list and discuss your documentation of non-standard sources. Sources with inadequate bibliographic information don’t count. Number and annotate in italics (i.e., describe the source’s content and its relevance to your project) each entry or group of entries. Tie each source to specific sections of your Tentative Outline, using the outline numbering scheme. List sources in chronological order according to the outline. Do not limit this list—or the List of Works Cited in the Formal Report—to online sources. 1. For printed sources, include the following: Author’s name. Title of the Work. Date. Publication Information. 2. For interviews, include the following: Name of Interviewee, Title of Interviewee. Title of Interview. Date(s). Contact Information. The title of interviewee must be a job title. The title of the interview shall take this form: Interview on The type of interview shall be (Email, Telephone, or Personal). The contact information shall match the type of interview. 3. For surveys, include the following: Your Name (as author). Title of the Survey. Date(s). Location of Survey. The title of the survey shall take this form: Survey of on 4. For Internet sources, include the following: Title of Web Page. Internet Home Page address. Date. The title of the web page is probably located in the title bar of your browser. The Internet address shall be the home page of the website, not a specific page address. Retain specific page addresses for citations in the Formal Report. Project Plan In this section, summarize the following subsections. Include major points. Tasks and Methods Describe the project (not the report). How do you plan to create and deliver the document you have described? Blinn College 11 English 2311 Course Packet Humanities Division List the specific primary and/or secondary research, writing, assembly, and other tasks you must perform to complete the project. Specifically describe what each task involves. You will have to begin some of these tasks as you write the proposal. Include realistic milestones for completion of each task, including any travel. Note the duration of each task. Here are some considerations:  Research what? Why? Where? What keywords for Internet searches?  Need you compile data, create charts, or locate visuals? How?  Will you need to use and/or require training on any equipment (e.g., a computer, software, a copy machine, a color printer, a scanner, etc.)?  Acknowledge risks and address your mitigation of them.  Explain how you will create the physical document. Schedule Present a schedule of a typical week for you this semester, acknowledge other demands on your time, and demonstrate when you will be able to work on your Formal Report. Format the schedule as a table. Roles/Personal Qualifications Identify a professional author (or a job title) for a report of this type. Demonstrate that you are capable of playing this role and are interested in this project. Conclusions/Recommendation(s) Summarize your proposal. Convince me that the project is feasible and request that I approve the project. Resume/Letter of Application Here are the instructions for your Resume/Letter of Application assignment. 1. Find or invent a position in your field—a full-time job that you might apply for after graduation, a summer job, an internship, a part-time job, a graduate program, an assistantship, etc. 2. Write a one-page letter of application for the position. Try to use the correct address, name, and other pertinent details. If you cannot find them, make them up or address the letter to me. Don’t forget to sign your letter. 3. Design a one-page resume to reflect your skills, your education, your experience, etc. 12 Blinn College Humanities Division English 2311 Course Packet While I read your assignment, the following should be apparent:  The audience of your resume and letter.  The position you are applying for and its duties.  Any assumptions you have made about the position and the employer.  How you have tailored your letter and resume for this particular position. Note: You may write your assignment as if you were applying upon graduation, with the appropriate classes, work experience, etc. If you do this, be realistic. Submit a letter of application and a resume (on one double-sided sheet). Audience/Definition Here are the instructions for your Audience/Definition assignment. 1. Find a passage of text. Most students choose something written for a sophisticated audience, perhaps an expert audience. 2. Re-write the original text for two specific, appropriate, and different audiences. Identify those audiences at the top of each re-write in the form of a title. Do not exceed one page total. As each new audience is different, take care to change the text, and perhaps the type of document, dramatically. 3. If required, employ at least four different definition techniques of those we discussed in class. Highlight the term and the text where you’ve used each technique. Identify each technique you use and the term it defines in a numbered footnote. For visuals, include the footnote in the caption. 4. Make a photocopy (or screenshot) of the original text and include it as the last page of your assignment. Highlight the paragraph(s) of the original text that you are using and identify the audience. Instructions Here are the instructions for your Instructions assignment. 1. Choose a topic for this assignment. Shoot for about one page. 2. Create or revise a set of instructions.  Identify a specific and appropriate audience for your assignment. Detail its characteristics. Blinn College 13 English 2311 Course Packet  Humanities Division Employ whatever elements of instructions, etc. are required and appropriate for the document you create. Give your instructions a sense of closure. Submit the instructions. If you revise a document, include a copy of the original. Refer to the examples I have shown in class and our discussion about them when you have questions about whether your idea will be adequate to meet this assignment. Formal Report General Notes and Instructions Write a Formal Report with double-sided pages based on your approved proposal. Include the required elements described below in the sequence they appear. Please note that some of the headings below (Front Matter, Cover, Letter of Transmittal, Body of the Report, and Back Matter) are not to become headings in your report. Bind your report using a finger bind and white or off-white front and back covers. Omit plastic covers. Before you submit your formal report, inform me as to whether you will require computer support for your OP. There are no excuses—not even computer failure—for late reports. I will not return the report to you. Front Matter These required elements, each a single page, will appear in the front of the document, before the body of the report. They introduce your report and assist readers in navigating the document. Cover Create an attractive cover for your report—like a book. Include relevant information (Term, ENGL ####:xx). This is the first page (i), but don’t include a page number. Tip: If you use MS-Word, and want to prevent a page number from appearing on the letter, insert a Next Page Section Break after the Cover. Letter of Transmittal Write this letter to me, using the address noted below. Keep in mind the four functions of any piece of correspondence. Also, tell me how the report/project turned out, including significant changes since the proposal. Grant or deny permission for using your report as an example in the future. Limit the letter to one page. This is the second page (ii). You may place it on the back of the cover. Your secondary audience may be my students next semester. Richard McGuire, Instructor PO BOX 3712 14 Blinn College Humanities Division English 2311 Course Packet Bryan, Texas 77805 Table of Content(s) (TOC) and List of Visuals Use dot leaders in each of these lists and label each of them. Include first, second, and third level headings of the Body of the Report at a maximum. Include entries for each element that follows the TOC. For the List of Visuals (LOV), include numbered and captioned entries for each label (e.g., table, figure, equation, etc.) as appropriate. This is the third page (iii). Preface If necessary, you can include the LOV on this page. Write about a page of text to your readers and label it as the Preface. Refer to the Introduction to the Problem or Opportunity section of your proposal. Discuss your motivation in choosing this topic. In second person, describe the audience for whom the report is intended, so that readers will know what you expect from them. Describe what readers should expect to learn from reading your report. Do not format the Preface as a letter, but consider applying the functions of correspondence. Include a credit for any visuals on the cover. This is the fourth page (iv). Limit front matter to four pages. Tip: If you use MS-Word, insert a Next Page Section Break after the Preface. Use the Page Layout tab to control margins—I recommend a 1.5" inside margin (or a 1-inch inside margin with a one-half inch gutter)—and layout parameters—different first page and different odd/even headers and footers—for each section. These controls are under Custom Margins. Use Page Numbers on the Insert tab to specify the format for the page numbers in each section. Then, insert the page numbers into the footers of each section, starting at the beginning of the document. Body of the Report Include the title of the report at the top of the first page of this section. Paginate this section— and everything that follows—with Western Arabic numerals. Include citations throughout the text (rough drafts must include citations). Cite the source of a visual at the point of cross reference for that visual. The minimum for this section is 10 single-spaced pages. Citations shall take this form: (x:y), where x is the source’s number in the List of Works Cited, and y is the page number or extension of a web page address (e.g., /faculty.html). Thus interviews and surveys have no y term. Refer to lecture notes for using TinyURL.com with long web addresses. Blinn College 15 English 2311 Course Packet Humanities Division Back Matter Include the appendices noted below. Between them, you are welcome to include appendices for other appendices (e.g., a glossary, a list of abbreviations, a list of acronyms, etc.) as you see fit. Include a divider page for each appendix, as done in this document. Refer to the divider pages in the TOC. Paginate appropriately. Appendix A: Bibliographies of Sources Create an appendix cover page labelled as above. The following mutually exclusive lists should contain at least 10 sources total. Write a paragraph to introduce your audience to each list. Refer to Preliminary Bibliography on page 11 of this packet for sample bibliographic entries. List of Works Cited Include an entry for every source you have cited (and vice versa) in your report, in the order they are cited. Include at least six sources. Your first rough draft must include the Preliminary Bibliography from your proposal. List of Works Consulted Make an entry for every source you found during your research but did not cite in your report (I expect about five). This list and the List of Works Cited will be mutually exclusive. Appendix “?”: Formal Report Proposal Create an appendix cover page labelled as above. As the last appendix, include the graded copy of your proposal. Remove its first page and the staple. If your original proposal was double sided, include a photocopy of the graded proposal, less page 1. Presentation of Formal Report/Oral Presentation (OP) Here are the instructions for your Presentation of Formal Report assignment. 1. Prepare an informal presentation/discussion of your Formal Report project. Limit the combined presentation and discussion to a maximum of 6 minutes (or else your classmates and I will, with a major penalty). The presentation must be longer than the discussion. The audience of this presentation is your classmates, so consider its level of interest. Here are some suggestions:  16 Introduce yourself and take control of the room. Allude to your Topic Discussion assignment. Help your listeners recall your project based on what you said about it earlier this semester. Summarize the project. Blinn College Humanities Division English 2311 Course Packet  Characterize the audience and purpose of your report. How did they change over the course of the project? How did the scope of the project change? Did you narrow or broaden the topic?  How did the project go? How did the report turn out? Are you satisfied with your work? Was the project any fun at all? Any tales of woe?  Consider: wearing reasonable attire, maintaining enthusiasm and eye contact (but don’t stare at me), avoiding a monotone delivery, and making distracting physical habits. Do not read from report copy. Avoid “meta-statements” such as, “I lost my train of thought” or “I’m trying to think.”  If you plan to use the screen, tell me today. I will hold you to what you say. Whatever the case, do not abuse the software: too many slides, too much text, colors, transitions, etc. Informally give credit to borrowed material on slides (no URLs). Whenever possible, use the Assertion/Evidence structure discussed in class for slides.  Give a good sense of closure to your presentation. Be ready for questions from the other students and from me. Elicit a discussion. 2. Be ready to give your presentation in class according to the syllabus. I will not schedule any presentation. Instead, I will come to class each day with a list of speakers. If you are absent on the day you are to present, you will receive no credit for this assignment (unless you have an authorized excuse for your absence). If you refuse to present when called, you will receive no credit for this assignment. 3. Attend class on the days you do not present to receive credit for participation in the presentations of others (40% of this assignment). You must be attentive and polite to receive this credit and you must also complete a presentation of your own. Any disruption (talking, leaving at break, sleeping, entering the room while others are speaking, looking at or touching your cell phone, etc.) will eliminate your participation credit for that day. 4. You must attend your home section for the OPs. Blinn College 17 English 2311 Course Packet Humanities Division Appendix A: MS-Word Tips 18 Blinn College Humanities Division English 2311 Course Packet General Students have reported that printing a Word document while it is attached to an email message will cause problems with page numbers. To avoid this problem, save the file to a hard drive and then print it. Style vs Direct Formatting discuss paragraph characteristics Notes on Styles Navigation hotkeys Use Online Layout view. Outline view Layout See Word Help Getting Results for look of a doc. Print Preview/Full page to review formatting Dummy Style No Title style Visuals Insert Figures and Tables (Captions, Label, #) Remember when pasting pictures (either from a file or the clipboard) that Word floats the picture over the text. I suggest you turn this off. TOC Use Heading Styles for the outline (section titles) Insert the TOC (Word will collect the headings) Can do the same with Captions and the LOV Blinn College 19 English 2311 Course Packet Humanities Division Pagination Page Setup margins diff 1st page To make part Roman and part Arabic page numbers 1. Insert a Section Break (next page) between the Preface and the body of the report. 2. In each section, on the Insert tab, choose Page Numbers and then Format Page Numbers. Format the page numbers appropriately--Roman in the first section, Arabic in the second. Be sure the body restarts the page numbering at page 1. 3. On the Page Layout tab, under Margins/Custom Margins, choose Different Odd and Even and Different First Page (on the Layout tab) and apply to the whole document. 4. Move the cursor to the beginning of the document. CTRL+Home is the hotkey. 5. On the Insert tab, Choose Footer/Edit Footer. IN the various footers, position the cursor at the point you want to insert page numbers. Click the Page Numbers button and choose Current Position and the first option. 20 Blinn College Humanities Division English 2311 Course Packet Appendix B: Index Blinn College 21 English 2311 Course Packet Humanities Division A M audience .................................... 2, 5, 6, 13, 14, 15, 16 Memo .........................................................................4 C O Citations ...................................................................15 Context .................................................................. 3, 6 Correspondence .................................................... 2, 4 OPs ....................................................................... 2, 17 P Definition Techniques ................................................6 Document Type .........................................................3 page numbers .......................................... 2, 10, 15, 20 Paginate ...................................................................15 Pagination ................................................................19 purpose ...................................................... 2, 5, 10, 16 F R Formal Report .............................. ii, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16 functions of correspondence .................................. 4, 9 Resumes ....................................................................3 Role ....................................................................... 3, 6 I S instructions ...................................................... 2, 6, 13 Section Break ............................................... 14, 15, 20 sources .............................................................. 11, 16 Subject Area ........................................................ 3, 10 D L Letter ................................................................... 4, 14 Letters of Application ................................................3 V Visuals ...................................................... 7, 10, 15, 19 22 Blinn College Appendix C: Grading Symbols 23 English 2311 Course Packet Humanities Division Here are some of the symbols I use when grading your assignments: format .... improve the format ¶ ............. add paragraphs SS ........... single space K/N ........ keep with next w/o.......... adjust widow/orphan H ............ modify Heading use circle ...... spelling error dic .......... word choice RO.......... run-on sentence inc .......... incomplete or inconsistent tone ........ inappropriate tone frag ........ sentence fragment C/S ......... comma splice PSV ........ avoid passive voice ref ........... pronoun reference font......... modify font sans ........ use a serif font n/p agr ... noun/pronoun agreement s/v agr .... subject/verb agreement 24 ~ .......... transpose // ............. use parallel structure tense ....... verb tense #.............. space or page numbers b/c .......... use “because” Y2K........ use Y2K dates em .......... use em dash (—) SQ .......... use smart quotes D/S ......... double side concise ... use fewer words dev.......... develop the text punc ....... punctuation error awk ........ awkward construction mood ...... change verb mood mod ........ misplaced modifier sig ........... signature ├ ............. align left case ........ use different case   ........ remove space Blinn College
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