Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Grant and Technical Writing (Face-to-Face)

ENGL 3120-01

Course: ENGL 3120-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: ENGL
CRN: 32267

Course Description

This course is open to all students who want to learn about technical writing, including grant and proposal writing. Students will use time-tested rhetorical strategies to identify new opportunities and solve problems. They will develop plans for action, organize ideas, improve the clarity of their writing, and communicate information in a way that a general audience can understand. Students will work with a community partner in a project-based technical writing experience.

This type of writing requires consistent writing, revision, and attention to detail. The biggest problem with most writing is not a lack of skill, but rather a tendency to procrastinate. In this class, you will complete a substantial writing project. It requires diligent project management. It requires revision and readers. An important part of your job is to serve as a reader for your classmates and to help each other succeed, so peer reviews are important.

I will match your efforts in this class. I will read and review your work. I am available for office visits, and I encourage you to come by my office whenever you have a question or need another set of eyes to look over your project. In this class, you will be writing for a real audience: a community partner. The main objective at the end of this semester is to have a happy community partner. To that end, I am a facilitator and will work with you, rather than simply grade your project. If you have questions or concerns at any time, please let me know.

Required Texts

Johnson-Sheehan, Richard. (2008*) Writing Proposals, New York: Pearson. ISBN 0-13-978-0-205-58314.0

Assigned readings posted on Canvas and/or class wiki

Learning Outcomes

Rhetorical Knowledge

  • Understand the role of rhetoric in producing efficient written and oral communication skills.
  • Analyze rhetorical elements of audience, purpose, and context to effectively communicate technical information in written, oral, and visual forms.
  • Successfully apply the technical writing skills requisite for treating scientific subjects for a professional audience, as well as for general readership.
  • Acquire critical thinking skills essential to discovering the best available means of persuasion in both written and oral communication

Written communication

Improve writing style by focusing on clarity, conciseness and accessibility. Articulate a well-developed personal assessment of your writing process including strengths and weaknesses.

Workplace Communication. Experience the function of technical communication within a professional, “real world” setting.

Integrative learning

Use language and format in a way that enhances meaning, making clear the interdependence of language and meaning, thought, and expression.

Make connections between ideas and experiences; synthesize and transfer learning to new complex situations within and beyond the campus

Course Requirements

Calculating Grades

Please see Canvas for details about each project. Let me know if you have questions.

Grades will be determined on a percentage basis. Major assignments will be graded on the standard letter-grade scale with plusses and minuses. Your overall grade and project grades are based on the following percentages:

ProjectsComponentsOverall %Points
Contract Letter,
Progress Report Memo,
Dissemination Letter
Evaluation Material
  • Final draft of Contract Letter (4)
  • Progress Report Memo/Email (2)
  • final draft of Evaluation/Dissemination (4)
10%10.00
Community PartnerCommunity Partner evaluation10%10.00
Grant Proposal
  • Project Development Assigns (1-4, 6-9)
  • Writing Assignment 5
  • Final draft Grant Proposal (with reflection)
10%
50%
Comp/Incom
10.00
50.00
Project
  • Project Development Assigns (1-4, 6-9)
  • Writing Assignment 5
  • Final draft Grant Proposal (with reflection)
10%
50%
Comp/Incom
10.00
50.00
Class participationParticipation, attendance, in-class peer reviews, and student meetings10%10.00
QuizzesQuizzes
No Final Exam
10%10.00
Totals100%100.00
A = 100 – 93 %A- = 92 – 90 %B+ = 89 – 88 %B = 87 – 83 %B- = 82 – 80 %
C+ = 79 – 78 %C = 77 – 72 %C- = 71 – 70 %D+ = 69 – 68 %D = 67 – 62 %
D- = 61 – 60 %F = 0 %

Course Outline

Calendar This calendar is subject to change. Items listed on the calendar are due at the beginning of class. For example, everything listed as “due” on Sept 4 is due at the beginning of class on Sept 4.

DateClass DiscussionAssignments Due
Thur | Aug 28Intro to course
Week 2 | Tue | Sept 2Rhetoric and Writing GrantsDue: Intro Assign & Read Chapter 1
Due: Quiz 1
Week 2 | Thur | Sept 4Choosing a Community PartnerDue: Read Chapter 2
Due: Quiz 2
Week 3 | Tue | Sept 9Writing the Current Situation sectionDue: WA 1 Organizational Planning
Week 3 | Thur | Sept 11Research & the Current SituationDue: Read Chapter 3
Week 4 | Tue | Sept 16No Class / Student MeetingsDue: Read Chapter 4
Due: Quiz 3 Chapter 4
Week 4 | Thur | Sept 18Writing the Contract LetterDue: WA 2 Current Situation
Week 5 | Tue | Sept 23Meet at the LibraryDue: Draft of Contract Letter to Prof.
Week 5 | Thur | Sept 25Developing the Project PlanDue: WA 3 Funding
Week 6 | Tue | Sept 30Revising the Project Plan & Current SituationDue: Contract Letter to Partner
Due: Read Chapter 5
Due: Quiz 4 The Project Plan
Week 6 | Thur | Oct 2No Class / Student MeetingsDue: WA 4 Preliminary Project Plan
No Class / Student meetings
Week 7 | Tue | Oct 7No Class / Student MeetingsNo Class / Student Meetings
Week 7 | Thur | Oct 9Revising for the CS and Project PlanDue: Peer Reviews of CS and ProjPlan
Week 8 | Tue | Oct 14No Class / Fall BreakDue: WA 5 Project Plan
Week 8 | Thur | Oct 16Dissemination/Evaluation/SustainabilityDue: Progress Memo to Partner
Due: Quiz 5 Dessem/eval/sustain
Week 9 | Tue | Oct 21The Qualifications SectionDue: WA 6 Dissemination, Evaluation, Sustainability
Week 9 | Thur | Oct 23Due: Quiz 6 Qualifications
Week 10 | Tue | Oct 28Writing the Budget SectionDue: WA 7 Qualifications
Week 10 | Thur | Oct 30No Class Budget Workshop timeDue: Quiz 7 Budget
Week 11 | Tue | Nov 4Front & Back MatterDue: WA 8 Budget
Week 11 | Thur | Nov 6Read Chapters 7 and 12Due: Quiz 8 Front & Back Matter
Week 12 | Tue | Nov 11Read Chapter 8 and Chapter 11Due: WA 9 Front & Back Matter
Week 12 | Thur | Nov 13Read Chapter 9Due: Quiz 9 STYLE
Due: Draft of Project
Week 13 | Tue | Nov 18Student Meetings / No classNo Class / Student Meetings
Week 13 | Thur | Nov 20Panel Review InformationDue: Draft of Project
Week 14 | Tue | Nov 25Thanksgiving BreakNo Class
Week 14 | Thur | Nov 27Thanksgiving BreakNo Class
Week 15 | Tue | Dec 2Complete individual reviews before classDue: WA 10 Review Panels (in class)
Week 15 | Thur | Dec 4Global Revision (layout)
Read Chapter 10
Group work
Due: Evaluation material to professor
Thur | Dec 8-11 finalsFinal Exam weekDue: Final Project
Due: Final Exam & course reflection
Community Partner Evals (Dec 16)

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Assignments are due at the beginning of class. In fairness to students who meet deadlines, late papers will be penalized by a full grade drop for each class day that they are late. Acceptable late work will not be graded until the end of the semester. Assignments that are more than ONE WEEK late will not be graded. Documents that are not labeled correctly or not in a format that can be easily accessed through Canvas will be returned and may be submitted for a late grade. Label all documents as follows: last name, first initial, assignment title. (LastNameFirstInitia_AssignmentName.docx)

Attendance Policy

Your attendance is essential for success in this class. We are a learning “community” with shared objectives; as such, your presence matters. Participation points are based on your active participation in class.

Course Fees

no additional fees

Writing Center

The Writing Center is open to SUU students seeking free consultations Spring Semester 8 am -9 pm and Saturdays. You may make appointments at . The Writing Center accommodates walk-in appointments if there is an open slot.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.