In addition to activities listed here, we will have a number of guest speakers coming in to discuss their experiences as writers in a professional scene. Their presentations will be TBA as fits their schedule throughout the term.
Here is the calendar you received in your syllabus. On the next page, Day-to-Day Homework, are links to the details of each day, including readings and exercises. Fair warning: because of the flexibility of the schedule, THINGS CHANGE. This is a rough sense of the calendar now.
Week 1 INTRODUCTIONS—to class, to professional writing
- Product: draft an “about me” statement
Week 2 WRITING WELL: practice professional editing on drafts
- Product: create a website
Week 3 ALL WRITING IS ABOUT ME: ethos & audience, critiquing websites
Product: Completed Website #1, with all elements
9/6 Guest Speaker (moving from student to intern): a former intern
Week 4 SOME WRITING BASICS: professional emails; professional introductions; the basic press release
- Product: write up a one-page article on some piece of campus news, including an interview with someone for the facts
9/13 Guest Speaker (telling the story): Cheri Russo, Director, OSUN Office of Public Relations
Week 5 TECHNICAL WRITING: how to write about “hard” topics; working in teams
- Product: news article final draft due
9/20 Guest Speaker: Misti Crane, technical writer
Week 6 BEYOND ARTICLES: using social media for professional purposes
- Product: first campus tweets; first draft of tech article due
PROFILE WRITING: Basic interviewing; practice interviewing a classmate
- Product: write up a short classmate profile; continue working together on tech article. Article due at end of week.
9/27 Guest Speaker (using social media): Suzanne Bressoud, Communications Coordinator, The Works
Week 7 INTERVIEWING AND WRITING A PROFILE
10/4 Guest Speaker (producing profiles): Seth Roy, Public Information Officer at Newark City Schools
- Product: Brainstorm questions, practice a faculty interview, write it up
Week 8 WORK WEEK (& Break)
- Product: Set up the faculty interview for immediately following Break;
10/11 Guest Speaker: John Wetzel (juggling projects; the website project)
Week 9 DIVERSITY TRAINING & INTRO TO DEVELOPMENT WORK: introduction to NPO’S, introduction to grantwriting; check-in on interviews Website Draft #2 Due
Week 10 DEVELOPMENT WORK: choose an organization to interview; send a query to your contact; read each others’ faculty drafts
- Product: Interview for grant set up, pairs faculty profile text due 10/27
10/25 Guest Speaker (working in the non-profit world): Jill Goddard, Mental Health America
Week 11: GRANTWRITING: writing a grant proposal; doing the research; putting the profiles on the webiste
- Product: Conduct the interview; draft the proposal
11/1 Guest Speaker (writing for NPO’s, beyond development): Amy Dell, Licking County Foundation
Week 12: PROFILES BEYOND THE PAGE: designing a campaign poster or video; proposals critiqued
- Product: Interview with a student set up; questions brainstormed together; 10 copies of proposal made
11/8 Guest Speaker (the campaign): Vorley Taylor, Office of Multicultural Affairs
Week 13: MEETING OF THE FOUNDATION: All grant proposals due; we choose who will receive the 4150 grant this year
- Product: Student interview conducted; press release on winning grant drafted; APPLICATION FOR A SPECIFIC INTERNSHIP DUE.
Week 14: Résumé workshop
- Product: Interview into poster/video; Résumé drafted
11/22 Guest Speaker: Derek Thatcher
Week 15: Other kinds of writing; Critique/edit posters and résumés
11/29 Guest Speaker(s): Class choice
Week 16: Wrap-up and preparation for internships
- Product: Résumé submitted; poster/video submitted for grades
12/6 Guest Speaker (moving from internship to professional): Former intern
Finals Week Website (now a professional portfolio of the semester’s edited work, plus) submitted for a grade and to send to internship sites