REVISED SYLLABUS TO REFLECT COVID-19 RESPONSE

CIV 300: Technical Communication – Spring 2020

Stony Brook University

Department of Civil Engineering
College of Engineering and Applied Sciences
CIV 300 – Technical Communication
Section: 01
Credits: 1 credit hour

Instructor Contact Info

Course Instructor: Anil Yazici
Office: 2425 Computer Science
Phone: (631) 632-9349
Email: Anil.Yazici@stonybrook.edu

ZOOM Synchronous Online Class Info:

Meeting ID: 482-960-295
Meeting Password: 220802
URL: https://stonybrook.zoom.us/meeting/register/uZwvfu-orDIvOoVSWyofOJp7lfrycRjvjw
(Note: You will need to register each time to join. Registration records will serve as your attendance)

ZOOM Office Hours Info:

Meeting ID: 372-350-245
Meeting Password: 536343
URL: https://stonybrook.zoom.us/j/372350245?pwd=a2Y1czRCODh5WHRma1Y3VjUxNXg5Zz09

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON ONLINE INSTRUCTION

General Class Communications:
 Following the same protocol prior to COVID-19 precautions, important class information will be communicated
through Blackboard announcements. Please pay extra attention to the Blackboard messages and visit the CIV 300
Blackboard page regularly to stay updated about the class contents, assignments, and other class related activities.
 You are expected to have access to a laptop or mobile phone with camera capabilities that you use to access online
lectures (please see below for details). In addition, you will need cameras to take the pictures of your assignments,
and upload/attach them for submission (please see below for details).
 Please communicate with me immediately if you have any technical difficulties/challenges, so that we can figure
out some alternative solutions. Some example issues: Not having access to a laptop or a smartphone; Not having a
camera to take the pictures of the assignments; Not having reliable/fast internet connection to join/stream the online
classes.
 As the case before the COVID19, you can always send an email to Anil.Yazici@stonybrook.edu if you have specific
questions or concerns.
Office Hours:
 The office hours will be hold online through ZOOM, at the originally scheduled day and time (Thursday, 8:30AM-
10:30AM), or by appointment.
 You will be provided the ZOOM office hour meeting link for Thursday, 8:30AM-10:30AM to join the session.
Otherwise, you can email Anil.Yazici@stonybrook.edu to arrange an online meeting at a commonly agreed time.
Lectures:
 The lectures will be hold synchronously (i.e., in real time) via ZOOM, at the originally scheduled time and day for

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 the class: Wed 12:00-1:00PM. You will receive invitation links to join ZOOM lecture sessions.
 You will need to register each time to join the ZOOM class. The registration records will serve as your attendance
record.
 Please get yourself accustomed to the ZOOM by visiting the SBU DoIT page for ZOOM (available at:
https://it.stonybrook.edu/services/zoom)
 The lecture slides (if any) will be uploaded at Blackboard before the synchronous lecture to help increase the
efficiency of the instruction.
 The ZOOM lectures will be recorded and shared via shared google drive, in case the students experience internet
connection or other IT problems.
 The workshops will be facilitated through ZOOM breakout room feature. Breakout room is a build-in capability in
ZOOM. So, other than joining to the ZOOM lecture, there is no additional step for the students.
Assignments:
 As the case before the COVID-19, the homeworks will be posted on Blackboard. You will submit your
assignments via email to Anil.Yazici@stonybrook.edu.
 PDF submissions are preferred, if possible.
o If you type your assignment response in word or any word processor, you can easily convert it to PDF
through “save as” option.
o If you hand-write your assignment response, you can take the photos of your responses, and convert it to
PDF via available apps (e.g., CamScanner). Alternatively, you can paste the photos onto empty word pages,
and convert to PDF through “save as”. Please make sure that the submitted assignments are readable.

Return of Submitted Assignments:

 For the ungraded and/or unreturned assignments that were submitted before Spring Break, I will scan the graded
versions and return them to you via email.
 For the future assignments, I will do the grading on the submitted online version, and return them to you via email.
Final Presentations:
 The final presentations will be held online through ZOOM at the originally scheduled data and time (i.e.,
Monday, May 18th 2020, 11:15AM-1:45PM).

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course aims to ensure proficiency in the types of communication necessary for success in the engineering profession.
Activities provide students with the ability to apply their knowledge of correct written and spoken English to the diverse modes of
communication encountered and used by engineers in the professional workplace.

Course Pre/co-requisite: WRT 102; CIV major

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. effectively advocate a political position in writing via a formal letter,

2. communicate engineering concepts using visual aids,
3. write an effective summary,
4. communicate information, concepts, and ideas in an oral presentation,
5. communicate information, concepts, and ideas effectively in a formal written report, and
6. identify, retrieve, and organize new information using the peer-reviewed literature.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Writing proficiency
The purpose of this course is to learn to communicate effectively in the context of the engineering profession. To this end, you will
be exposed to different forms of written and oral communication utilized in engineering. It is expected that you are a proficient
writer and have a satisfactory grasp of basic grammar and syntax. You should be able to construct a sentence and use proper word
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choice and punctuation. At a minimum, you should be able to use language that conveys meaning to readers with clarity, with few
errors in sentence construction and word choice. It is your responsibility to demonstrate this basic competency in the assignments
required to complete the course. If you feel you do not possess these skills, even though you passed WRT 102, then there are a
number of resources available to you, including:

Stony Brook University Writing Center. From their website, “the Stony Brook University Writing Center, located in Humanities
2009, aims to support writing at Stony Brook University. We are trained undergraduate and graduate writing tutors who believe
that all writers can improve their writing through dedication, practice, and collaboration. We are committed to helping writers
through one-on-one tutoring sessions that focus on each individual writer's needs.” This resource is free to Stony Brook students.
To learn more about the Writing Center, please visit their website:
http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/writrhet/writing_center/aboutus.html.

Purdue OWL Writing Lab. The OWL writing lab provides a number of on-line tutorials to improve spelling, sentence structure,
style, grammar, punctuation, and other skills. This resources is available free on-line. Tutorials and other resources can be found
here: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/1/.

Core Grammar for College. From their website, “Core Grammar for College (CGC) will teach you the grammar that your new
reading audience expects to see and is able to understand. Over 90% of students who have used CGC tell us that it is "helpful" or
"very helpful" to them. There is a small fee for the tutorials, but it is highly recommended if you struggle with basic grammar.
CGC resources can be found here: http://coregrammarforcollege.com/.
I highly encourage all students in the course to utilize at least one of these resources early in the semester.

Attendance and Make-Up Policy

This course will utilize active learning pedagogies in the class room and therefore attendance in class is required. Students may be
excused from class with a valid reason. Valid reasons include illness (with note from physician), family emergencies, weddings,
university sanctioned events (e.g., athletic events for student athletes), or other with permission of instructor. Tardiness in excess
of 10 minutes will be considered as an absence.

Late homework and other assignments will be accepted at a loss of 33.3% of the total points per day.

Textbook(s)

No textbook is required for this course.

Selected Readings and Videos

Selected readings will be provided on Blackboard, as appropriate.

GRADING

Grades in the course will be based on performance on the assignments listed below. Final letter grades for the course will be assigned
based on a standard curve, with the class average equal to a B-. In the event the class average is above a B-, a standard absolute scale
will be used.

Attendance 10%
Biographical Sketch 10%
Memorandum 5%
Letter to Legislator 10%
Visual Aid 5%
Proposal 20% [team project]
Research Report 25% [team project]
Presentation 15%

MEETING SCHEDULE

Week Topic(s)
1 Introduction and overview of technical communication; guidelines for good
engineering writing
2 Resumes and biographical statements
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 3 “Biographical statement” workshop
4 Basic formal letters, memos, and email; ASCE issues and advocacy
5 “Letter to legislator” workshop
6 Reports: types and formats, Graphical communication and visual aids
7 “Visual aid” workshop
Spring Break – No class
8 COVID19 Transition
9 Proposals
10 Proposal workshop
11 Public meetings, Oral reports
12 “Research report” workshop
13 “Oral report” workshop
14 Research report group presentations
15 Finals Week

CLASS PROTOCOL

Cell Phones
Cell phones and smart phones and other electronic devices should not be used in class. If you must be contacted during class time,
please put your phone on “vibrate” and leave the class as quietly as possible when you receive a call.

CLASS RESOURCES

Readings and any additional course material will be provided on Blackboard.

DISABILITY SUPPORT SERVICES (DSS) STATEMENT

If you have a physical, psychological, medical or learning disability that may impact your course work, please contact Disability
Support Services, ECC (Educational Communications Center) Building, room128, (631) 632-6748. They will determine with you
what accommodations, if any, are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation is confidential.

Students who require assistance during emergency evacuation are encouraged to discuss their needs with their professors and
Disability Support Services. For procedures and information go to the following website:
http://www.stonybrook.edu/ehs/fire/disabilities ]

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY STATEMENT:

Each student must pursue his or her academic goals honestly and be personally accountable for all submitted work. Representing
another person's work as your own is always wrong. Faculty are required to report any suspected instances of academic dishonesty
to the Academic Judiciary. Faculty in the Health Sciences Center (School of Health Technology & Management, Nursing, Social
Welfare, Dental Medicine) and School of Medicine are required to follow their school-specific procedures. For more
comprehensive information on academic integrity, including categories of academic dishonesty, please refer to the academic
judiciary website at http://www.stonybrook.edu/uaa/academicjudiciary/

CRITICAL INCIDENT MANAGEMENT:

Stony Brook University expects students to respect the rights, privileges, and property of other people. Faculty are required to
report to the Office of Judicial Affairs any disruptive behavior that interrupts their ability to teach, compromises the safety of the
learning environment, or inhibits students' ability to learn. Faculty in the HSC Schools and the School of Medicine are required to
follow their school-specific procedures.

ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION STATEMENT:

Email and especially email sent via Blackboard (http://blackboard.stonybrook.edu) is one of the ways the faculty officially
communicates with you for this course. It is your responsibility to make sure that you read your email in your official University
email account. For most students that is Google Apps for Education (http://www.stonybrook.edu/mycloud), but you may verify
your official Electronic Post Office (EPO) address athttp://it.stonybrook.edu/help/kb/checking-or-changing-your-mail-forwarding-

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address-in-the-epo. If you choose to forward your official University email to another off-campus account, faculty are not
responsible for any undeliverable messages to your alternative personal accounts. You can set up Google Mail forwarding using
these DoIT-provided instructions found at http://it.stonybrook.edu/help/kb/setting-up-mail-forwarding-in-google-mail.
If you need technical assistance, please contact Client Support at (631) 632-9800 orsupportteam@stonybrook.edu.