CV
ECS
3390.

005:
Professional
and
Technical
Communication

Fall
2009
• 
JO
4.502
• 
MW
4:00‐5:15




Instructor:
Lisa
Bell
 Office
hours:
T
2:00‐4:00

Email:
lisa.bell@utdallas.edu
 and
by
appointment.


IM:
LBellVOH
(Google1)
 Virtual
(IM)
office
hours:
ping
me.

Office:
972.883.2052
∙
JO
5.608E
 Course
website:
www.ecs3390.com







There
is
no
satisfactory
explanation
of
style,
no
infallible
guide
to
good
writing,

no
assurance
that
a
person
who
thinks
clearly
will
be
able
to
write
clearly,
no

key
that
unlocks
a
door,
no
inflexible
rules
by
which
the
young
writer
may

shape
his
course.
He
will
often
find
himself
steering
by
stars
that
are

disturbingly
in
motion.


–
William
Strunk,
Jr.
and
E.B.
White,
The
Elements
of
Style



General
Course
Information

ECS
3390
requires
you
to
have
credit
for
RHET
1302.

As
an
upper‐level
class,
you
should

Pre‐ have
at
least
college‐level
writing
skills
and
both
written
and
oral
proficiency
in
English.


requisites,
 The
course
moves
at
a
fast
pace
and
assumes
that
you
begin
the
course
understanding

Co‐ basic
skills,
such
as
language
mechanics
or
Microsoft
Office
functions.

The
course
instead

requisites,
 emphasizes
developing
a
sense
of
professionalism
and
responsibility
to
produce
high‐
&
other
 quality
documents
and
presentations
both
individually
and
in
teams.

However,
you
also

restrictions need
sufficient
technical
knowledge
to
contribute
to
project
design
and
to
write
and
speak

knowingly
about
technical
content.



Technical
 and
 professional
 communication
 skills
 are
 critical
 tools
 for
 success
 in
 the
 “real

world”
 of
 engineering
 and
 computer
 science
 professions.
 
 Therefore,
 Professional
 and

Technical
 Communication
 will
 help
 you
 develop
 skills
 and
 competency
 in
 both
 oral
 and

written
 communication
 as
 they
 occur
 in
 engineering
 and
 technology
 work
 environments.

You
 will
 have
 opportunities
 to
 determine
 audiences’
 information
 needs,
 assess
 what

information
is
correct,
reliable
and
responsive
to
those
needs,
and
present
that
information

in
a
form
that
helps
the
audience
process
and
use
it.

You
will
work
with
industry‐specific

projects,
 determine
 technical
 communication
 needs,
 develop
 professional‐quality

Course
 documents,
 and
 make
 formal
 presentations
 on
 technical
 topics
 to
 technical
 and
 non‐
Description technical
audiences.



Engineering
and
programming
are
collaborative
activities;
therefore,
this
course
uses
a

collaborative‐learning
environment
where
you
will
work
in
teams
to
practice
the

fundamentals
of
collaborative
decision‐making
and
communication
in
professional

contexts.

Course
activities
also
raise
related
professional
issues,
such
as
meeting
deadlines,

carrying
out
instructions
as
specified,
organizing
your
time
so
that
you
can
work

productively
on
more
than
one
activity
at
a
time,
and
developing
an
increased
commitment

to
doing
accurate
work.



1

I
do
not
monitor
the
associated
Gmail
address.

Send
all
email
to
lisa.bell@utdallas.edu.


CV ECS 3390.005 Syllabus, Rev. 8.20.2009 1

 Using
 team
 and
 individual
 technical
 writing
 and
 presentation
 assignments,
 this
 course

meets
the
following
SACS
and
ABET
Objectives:


SACS ABET
• Students
will
be
able
to
write
effectively
 d:
An
ability
to
function
on

using
appropriate
organization,
 multidisciplinary
teams

mechanics,
and
style.

f:
An
understanding
of
professional
and

• Students
will
be
able
to
construct
 ethical
responsibility

effective
written
arguments.

g:
An
ability
to
communicate
effectively

• Students
will
be
able
to
gather,

j:
A
knowledge
of
contemporary
issues
incorporate,
and
interpret
source

material
in
their
writing.

• Students
will
be
able
to
write
in

Learning
 different
ways
for
different
audiences.
Outcomes Students
who
successfully
master
these
objectives
will
develop
the
ability
to:




• Enhance
credibility
through
communication
that
adheres
to
professional
and

ethical
norms



• Adapt
to
different
purposes,
constraints,
and
audiences



• Develop
arguments
with
frontloaded
claims
and
appropriate
evidence


• Use
visual
rhetoric
to
enhance
message
effectiveness


• Collaborate
in
a
team
to
research,
plan,
and
present
information


• Research,
draft,
and
edit
documents
that
adhere
to
technical
and
professional

standards



• Prepare
organized
speeches
and
present
them
with
appropriate
verbal
and

nonverbal
delivery


This
course
requires
two
textbooks,
which
you
may
purchase
at
the
campus
bookstore
and

both
off‐campus
bookstores:



L.
Finkelstein,
Pocket
Book
of
Technical
Writing
for
Engineers
and
Scientists,
3e.


McGraw‐Hill,
2007.

ISBN:
9780073191591

Sun
Technical
Publications,
Read
Me
First!:
A
Style
Guide
for
the
Computer

Industry.

Pearson
Custom
Publishing,
2010.
ISBN:
9780558324759



I
will
place
these
books
on
reserve
at
the
library.

You
may
also
consult
the
full
text
of
Read

Required
 Me
First!
as
an
e‐book
through
the
library
catalog.

Texts
&

Materials I
have
arranged
readings
so
they
support
the
work
required
for
particular
projects
and

activities.
The
readings
introduce
communication
issues
and
help
you
think
about

approaching
and
constructing
your
assignments.
You
should
complete
the
assigned
reading

before
coming
to
class
to
benefit
from
class
activities.

We
will
not
use
class
time
to
reiterate

what
you
can
learn
from
the
text
–
to
do
so
would
waste
your
time
and
money.

Class
time
will

be
devoted
to
your
learning
related
material
through
a
variety
of
learning
exercises
that

depend
on
your
comprehending
and
remembering
what
you
have
read.

Although
I
may

occasionally
have
you
respond
to
the
readings
in
class
exercises,
I
will
assign
regular,

graded
written
responses
if
I
sense
you
are
not
reading.




CV ECS 3390.005 Syllabus, Rev. 8.20.2009 2

 Finkelstein
has
also
written
a
book
that
focuses
on
grammar
and
mechanics:

L.
Finkelstein,
Pocket
Book
of
Grammar
for
Engineers
and
Scientists.

McGraw‐
Suggested

Hill,
2005.

ISBN:
9780073529462

Text
You
may
want
to
consult
this
book
if
you
struggle
with
writing
mechanics.

You
may
buy
it

at
the
campus
bookstore
or
either
off‐campus
bookstore.








Assignments
&
Academic
Calendar



The
following
table
lists
course
assignments
and
their
due
dates.

You
can
find
a
more
detailed
course

schedule,
including
reading
assignments
and
daily
class
topics,
on
the
course
website.



ASSIGNMENT VALUE DUE
DATE
Process
Description
 50
 October
2

Project/Research
Proposal
 100
 October
16

Team
Presentation
 125
 November
9
and
11

Team
Report
 125
 November
20

Team
Collaboration
 75
 November
30

Individual
Presentations
 150
 November
30,
December
2
and
7

White
Paper
 150
 December
11

Final
Writing
Assignment
 100
 December
11

Low‐Impact
Assignments
 75
 As
scheduled

Communication
Competency
 50
 Daily

TOTAL
POINTS 1000


Minor
and
Low
Impact
Assignments
allow
me
to
give
you
brief
feedback
as
you
master
concepts
and

practice
communication
skills
as
we
introduce
them
throughout
the
semester;
therefore,
you
will
not

receive
credit
for
any
of
these
assignments
that
you
fail
to
submit
them
punctually
or
properly.

I
generally

only
assign
full/half/no
credit
for
Low
Impact
Assignments
(such
as
in‐class
exercises
or
process
checks).



At
the
end
of
the
semester,
I
will
reallocate
any
unused
Minor/Low
Impact
Assignment
points
to
the

Communication
Competency
grade.



Course
Policies

All
work
should
demonstrate
the
same
professional
and
ethical
standards
expected
of

you
in
the
workplace,
including
proofreading
and
editing
carefully
all
work
you
submit
in

this
class.

Professionalism
also
means
that
you
use
appropriate
source
citation

wherever
and
whenever
necessary
so
that
you
avoid
violations
of
copyright
–
even
if
you

make
those
violations
inadvertently.
Remember:
your
work
reflects
upon
you
and/or

Grading
Criteria your
group
as
a
member
or
members
of
technical
professions.

I
use
a
criteria‐based
rather
than
norm‐based
(curved)
grading
system
and
do
not
award

extra
points
at
the
end
of
the
semester
to
raise
final
grades.

Each
assignment
includes

specific
criteria,
but
I
generally
assess
your
work
according
to
the
resourcefulness
with

which
it:



CV ECS 3390.005 Syllabus, Rev. 8.20.2009 3

 • fulfills
the
criteria
set
out
in
the
assignment
specifications,

• accomplishes
its
multiple
purposes,

• responds
to
its
audience's
needs
and
orientations,

• uses
the
opportunities
and
adapts
to
the
constraints
of
its
professional
and

technical
environment,

• employs
rhetorical
strategies
that
develop
logical
arguments,
strong
claims,
and

adequate
supporting
evidence,
and


• meets
the
usage
conventions
and
uses
the
expressive
range
of
the
verbal,

visual,
and
technical
language.



I
will
assign
final
grades
according
to
the
2008‐2010
UTD
Undergraduate
Catalog
scale:

B+
 870‐899 C+
 770‐799 D+
 670‐699
A
 930‐1000 B
 830‐869 C
 730‐769 D
 630‐669 F
 0‐599
A‐
 900‐929 B‐
 800‐829 C‐
 700‐729 D‐
 600‐629


The
following
descriptions
may
help
you
understand
how
I
view
the
different
grade

levels.





A
–
Outstanding
work.

Your
supervisor
or
manager
would
be
impressed
with
your

superior
work
and
remember
it
when
discussing
performance
evaluations
and
promotions.

These
impressive
qualities
include
a
sense
that
the
work:

• Shows
a
superior
completion
of
the
assignment.



• Exhibits
a
fluent,
polished
style
that
strengthens
the
message’s
impact.



• Fits
the
rhetorical
needs
of
the
particular
situation.



• Has
few,
if
any,
mechanical
errors.



• Makes
skilled
use
of
professional
visual
elements.



• Shows
insight,
perceptiveness,
originality
and
thought.





B
–
Good
work.

Your
manager
would
be
satisfied
with
the
work
but
not
impressed.

If

asked
to
describe
your
work,
your
manager
might
say
the
assignment
rises
above
the

minimum
requirements
but
contains
minor
problems
that
a
superior
assignment
would

not
have.
However,
it
remains
strong
work
because
it
is
prepared
skillfully
enough
that
it

does
not
detract
attention
from
the
intended
message.

Good
work:

• Shows
judgment
and
tact
in
the
presentation
of
material
appropriate
for
the

intended
audience
and
purpose.



• Has
a
thorough,
well‐organized
analysis
of
the
assignment.



• Supports
ideas
well
with
concrete
details.



• Has
an
interesting,
precise
and
clear
style.



• Is
free
of
major
mechanical
errors.


• Includes
visual
aspects
in
the
document
design
but
not
as
effectively
as

outstanding
work.




C
–
Meets
all
basic
requirements.

Your
manager
would
be
disappointed
in
your
work
and

would
ask
you
to
revise
sections
before
allowing
anyone
outside
of
the
department
or
the

organization
to
see
the
work.

This
work
product
shows
reasonable
competence
in
style,

but
it
contains
repeated
problems
that
detract
from
the
assignment’s
effectiveness

although
they
don’t
constitute
serious
errors.

Adequate
work
meets
the
minimal

assignment
requirements
and
also:

• Demonstrates
a
satisfactory
analysis
of
the
task,
subject
and
audience.




CV ECS 3390.005 Syllabus, Rev. 8.20.2009 4

 • Accomplishes
its
purpose
with
adequate
content
but
supporting
evidence
may

lack
sufficient
detail.



• Contains
repeated
mechanical
or
grammatical
errors.


• Uses
visual
elements
that
meet
basic
requirements
but
may
have
minor

problems.



• Demonstrates
an
understanding
of
concepts
discussed
in
readings
and
class

discussions
but
fails
to
implement
them
effectively.



D
–
Meets
the
assignment
but
is
weak
in
one
of
the
major
areas.

Your
manager
would
be

seriously
troubled
by
the
poor
quality
of
your
work
because
it
contains
significant

problems
in
content,
organization,
style
or
mechanics.

Your
work
could
trouble
your

manager
if
it:

• Lacks
a
strong
sense
of
the
rhetorical
situation,
often
from
a
vague
sense
of

audience
or
purpose.

• Seems
generally
substandard
but
has
some
redeeming
features.




• Contains
major
stylistic
or
argumentation
problems
that
distract
the
audience

and/or
interfere
with
its
reception
of
the
intended
message.




F
–
Unacceptable
work
in
one
or
more
of
the
major
areas.

Your
manager
would
start

looking
for
someone
to
replace
you.

The
assignment’s
style
and/or
content
detract
from

its
effectiveness
and
undermine
your
attempts
to
present
yourself
as
a
credible

professional.

Work
may
be
considered
unacceptable
if
it:

• Fails
to
meet
one
or
more
of
the
basic
assignment
requirements.


• Lacks
adequate
organization
or
shows
confusion
or
misunderstanding
of

rhetorical
context.


• Uses
an
inappropriate
tone,
poor
word
choice,
excessive
repetition
or
awkward

sentence
structure.



• Contains
frequent
and
distracting
mechanical
or
grammatical
errors.

• Fails
to
develop
and
support
strong
arguments.

• Fails
to
cover
essential
points,
or
may
digress
to
nonessential
material.



There
are
no
exams
in
this
class.

However,
we
do
substantial
in‐class
work
for
“low

impact
assignments”
and
homework
assignments.

You
may
not
make‐up
any
of
these

assignments
except
in
university‐specified
circumstances.




Make‐up
Exams Because
of
scheduling
constraints
and
the
logistical
problem
of
creating
an
audience,

presentations
cannot
be
rescheduled,
extended
or
made
up.

You
must
deliver
your

presentations
on
the
day
when
you
are
scheduled
to
speak.

If
you
do
not
present
on
your

scheduled
day,
you
will
receive
a
zero
for
that
assignment.

If
your
scheduled
day

presents
a
problem,
you
should
contact
classmates
to
ask
them
to
switch
days
with
you.



I
do
not
curve
individual
items,
nor
do
I
offer
“extra
credit”
work
or
“special

consideration”
to
allow
students
a
chance
to
raise
their
grade.

If
a
personal
situation

arises
during
the
semester
that
may
affect
your
classroom
performance,
please
talk
to

Extra
Credit
me
sooner
rather
than
later.
If
you
wait
until
the
end
of
the
semester,
I
won’t
be
able
to

help
you.
I
can
work
with
you
more
easily
if
you
speak
to
me
when
the
situation
arises.

I

can’t
help
you
if
I
don’t
know
you
need
help.

Late
or
incomplete
work
is
not
acceptable
in
this
course.

Deadlines
in
the
professional

Late
Work world
are
a
serious
matter.
Missed
deadlines
mean
lost
contracts,
delayed
product

releases,
skyrocketing
expenses,
and,
in
some
cases,
the
loss,
quite
literally,
of
millions


CV ECS 3390.005 Syllabus, Rev. 8.20.2009 5

 of
dollars
in
revenue.
Missed
deadlines
also
compromise
professional
reputations
and

careers.



Work
that
does
not
meet
the
assignment’s
constraints
(including
file
naming

conventions
and
single‐spacing)
appears
unprofessional
and
creates
administrative

headaches.

Technological
problems
do
not
excuse
late
work,
so
plan
accordingly.
Late

submissions
of
major
written
assignments
will
lose
25%
of
the
possible
assignment

points
each
day
the
assignment
is
late,
tolled
as
the
24
hour
period
following
the

submission
deadline.

You
should
attend
class
regularly,
prepare
the
assigned
readings,
and
actively
participate

in
class.
Work
assigned
for
this
class
carries
no
less
priority
than
work
you
may
have
to

complete
for
any
other
class
or
job.

You
will
receive
material
and
information
in
the

classroom
that
you
cannot
replicate
outside
the
classroom
or
make
up
at
a
later
date.


Moreover,
based
on
past
experience,
it
will
be
very
difficult
to
do
well
in
this
course
if

you
fail
to
attend
class
regularly
and
participate
actively.
Please
see
the
“Communication

Competency”
section
for
further
explanation
of
my
expectations
in
terms
of
class

Class
Attendance participation.


Excessive
absences,
including
repeated
absences
that
affect
your
group’s
ability
to
take

full
advantage
of
in‐class
work,
may
result
in
penalties
to
your
final
course
grade.
Notice

that
no
adjectives
modify
“absences.”

I
make
no
distinction
between
“excused”
and

“unexcused”
absences.

Unless
you
have
a
disability
or
other
university‐specified

accommodation,
the
excellence
of
your
excuse
is
not
a
factor
–
you
either
attend
class
or

do
not.



In
keeping
with
this
course's
professional
communication
mandate,
students
are

expected
to
use
every
opportunity
in
the
course
to
practice
communicating
in
a
civil
and

professional
manner.
Civility
in
all
course
communication
and
behavior
is
explicitly
part

of
our
Communication
Competency
assignment,
and
civil
and
professional

communication
underlies
many
of
the
policies
on
this
page
and
of
the
course's

assignments.



I
assess
your
communication
competency
based
on
how
well
you
played
the
role
of
an

employee.

Two
general
questions
frame
the
communication
competency
grade:
Would

I
hire
you?

If
so,
how
would
I
rate
your
ability
to
function
in
a
professional

environment?


In
this
definition,
professionalism
includes
respecting
others’
opinions,

working
together
in
a
spirit
of
cooperation,
and
actively
listening
to
those
who
are

Communication
 speaking.

I
expect
you
to
be
considerate
and
demonstrate
integrity.

Some
of
the
ways

Competency you
can
demonstrate
your
skills
in
this
area
include
(but
certainly
are
not
limited
to):


• Keeping
the
class
in
the
“foreground”
of
your
attention.

Multitasking
inhibits

focused
concentration,
disrupts
communication,
and
may
distract
your
peers.


Therefore,
while
you
may
bring
technical
devices
to
class,
you
should
only
use

them
to
facilitate
course
goals.

If
you
relegate
class
to
the
“background,”

your
communication
competency
grade
will
suffer,
and
you
will
receive
an

absence
for
the
day
if
I
find
the
backgrounding
activity
excessive
or
distracting

to
your
fellow
students.

Backgrounding
activity
may
include
sleeping,
texting

or
IMing,
social
networking,
listening
to
headphones,
or
attending
to
material

not
related
to
class
content
–
including
working
on
assignments
for
other

classes.


CV ECS 3390.005 Syllabus, Rev. 8.20.2009 6

 • Showing
respect
to
your
peers
and
to
the
instructor
in
your
listening
and

communicating
behaviors.



• Participating
actively
in
class
rather
than
simply
waiting
to
be
called
on.

In
the

work
place,
it
is
the
assertive,
strong,
and
appropriate
communicators
who

get
noticed
and
promoted.

If
this
is
in
conflict
with
your
natural
style,
this
is

the
time
to
begin
to
practice
speaking
up.

• Bringing
interesting,
topical
information
to
share
with
the
class
(e.g.
attend

campus
lectures
and
provide
a
review
of
the
speakers
strengths,
weaknesses,

and
personality
type;
topical
articles;
or
relevant
real
world
examples).

• Taking
responsibility
for
the
consequences
of
your
choices
(the
employee
who

“always
has
an
excuse”
as
to
why
something
did
not
get
done
is
not
a

welcome
addition
to
any
office).



• Honoring
your
commitments
to
your
teammates.


• Completing
your
peer
evaluations
honestly
and
constructively.

• Taking
the
time
to
develop
a
relationship
with
me
and
your
teammates.


Evaluate
your
contacts
with
me
–
do
you
only
talk
to
me
to
complain
about
an

assignment
or
to
give
me
an
excuse
for
an
absence?

Is
this
the
way
you
want

me
to
remember
you?



By
participating
actively
in
class,
asking
thoughtful
questions,
and
demonstrating
your

commitment
to
success,
you
will
make
a
much
better
impression
on
me
and
on
your

future
boss.

In
addition,
the
most
successful
team
projects
are
developed
by
teams
that

take
the
time
to
get
to
know
each
other
outside
of
class.

By
investing
in
these

relationships,
the
work
is
completed
more
efficiently
and
effectively.

Invariably,
the

reports
and
presentations
reflect
the
strength
of
the
team
relationships.

Reliable
and
frequent
internet
connectivity
is
indispensable
for
this
course
–
not
having

internet
access
will
make
your
group
projects
more
difficult
and
will
not
serve
as
a
valid

Technology
 excuse
for
shortcomings.

You
should
make
a
habit
of
checking
WebCT
for

Requirements announcements,
assignments,
grades,
and
helpful
references.
Additionally,
to
protect

your
privacy
rights,
I
will
only
send
email
through
your
official
UTD
email
address.



• Do
 not
 tamper
 with
 or
 destroy
 any
 of
 the
 computers,
 printers,
 Smart
 Board,

white
 boards,
 networks
 or
 wiring
 in
 the
 classroom.
 Violations
 will
 result
 in
 a

disciplinary
referral
to
the
Dean
of
Students’
office.

Classroom
and
 • Silence
 electronic
 device
 notification
 settings
 before
 class
 begins
 and
 refrain

Equipment
Use
 from
accepting
calls
in
class.


Policies
• Use
 the
 classroom
 and
 equipment
 only
 for
 ECS
 3390‐related
 activities.

Violations
will
result
in
a
disciplinary
referral
to
the
Dean
of
Students’
office.


• Do
not
consume
food
and
drink
in
the
classroom.


The
University
of
Texas
System
and
The
University
of
Texas
at
Dallas
have
rules
and

Student
Conduct
 regulations
for
the
orderly
and
efficient
conduct
of
their
business.

It
is
the
responsibility

and
Discipline of
each
student
and
each
student
organization
to
be
knowledgeable
about
the
rules
and

regulations
which
govern
student
conduct
and
activities.

General
information
on


CV ECS 3390.005 Syllabus, Rev. 8.20.2009 7

 student
conduct
and
discipline
is
contained
in
the
UTD
publication,
A
to
Z
Guide,
which
is

provided
to
all
registered
students
each
academic
year.

The
University
of
Texas
at
Dallas
administers
student
discipline
within
the
procedures
of

recognized
and
established
due
process.

Procedures
are
defined
and
described
in
the

Rules
and
Regulations,
Board
of
Regents,
The
University
of
Texas
System,
Part
1,
Chapter

VI,
Section
3,
and
in
Title
V,
Rules
on
Student
Services
and
Activities
of
the
university’s

Handbook
of
Operating
Procedures.

Copies
of
these
rules
and
regulations
are
available

to
students
in
the
Office
of
the
Dean
of
Students,
where
staff
members
are
available
to

assist
students
in
interpreting
the
rules
and
regulations
(SU
1.602,
972/883‐6391).

A
student
at
the
university
neither
loses
the
rights
nor
escapes
the
responsibilities
of

citizenship.

He
or
she
is
expected
to
obey
federal,
state,
and
local
laws
as
well
as
the

Regents’
Rules,
university
regulations,
and
administrative
rules.

Students
are
subject
to

discipline
for
violating
the
standards
of
conduct
whether
such
conduct
takes
place
on
or

off
campus,
or
whether
civil
or
criminal
penalties
are
also
imposed
for
such
conduct.

The
faculty
expects
from
its
students
a
high
level
of
responsibility
and
academic
honesty.


Because
the
value
of
an
academic
degree
depends
upon
the
absolute
integrity
of
the

work
done
by
the
student
for
that
degree,
it
is
imperative
that
a
student
demonstrate
a

high
standard
of
individual
honor
in
his
or
her
scholastic
work.

Scholastic
dishonesty
includes,
but
is
not
limited
to,
statements,
acts
or
omissions

related
to
applications
for
enrollment
or
the
award
of
a
degree,
and/or
the
submission

as
one’s
own
work
or
material
that
is
not
one’s
own.

As
a
general
rule,
scholastic

Academic
 dishonesty
involves
one
of
the
following
acts:

cheating,
plagiarism,
collusion
and/or

Integrity falsifying
academic
records.

Students
suspected
of
academic
dishonesty
are
subject
to

disciplinary
proceedings.

Plagiarism,
especially
from
the
web,
from
portions
of
papers
for
other
classes,
and
from

any
other
source
is
unacceptable
and
will
be
dealt
with
under
the
university’s
policy
on

plagiarism
(see
general
catalog
for
details).

This
course
will
use
the
resources
of

turnitin.com,
which
searches
the
web
for
possible
plagiarism
and
is
over
90%
effective.

Projects
submitted
for
this
course
may
not
be
submitted
for
any
other
course,
in
whole

or
in
part,
in
this
or
any
other
semester.

The
University
of
Texas
at
Dallas
recognizes
the
value
and
efficiency
of
communication

between
faculty/staff
and
students
through
electronic
mail.
At
the
same
time,
email

raises
some
issues
concerning
security
and
the
identity
of
each
individual
in
an
email

exchange.

The
university
encourages
all
official
student
email
correspondence
be
sent

only
to
a
student’s
UT
Dallas
email
address
and
that
faculty
and
staff
consider
email

Email
Use from
students
official
only
if
it
originates
from
a
UT
Dallas
student
account.
This
allows

the
university
to
maintain
a
high
degree
of
confidence
in
the
identity
of
all
individual

corresponding
and
the
security
of
the
transmitted
information.

UT
Dallas
furnishes
each

student
with
a
free
email
account
that
is
to
be
used
in
all
communication
with
university

personnel.
The
Department
of
Information
Resources
at
UT
Dallas
provides
a
method
for

students
to
have
their
UT
Dallas
mail
forwarded
to
other
accounts.

The
administration
of
this
institution
has
set
deadlines
for
withdrawal
of
any
college‐
Withdrawal
from
 level
courses.
These
dates
and
times
are
published
in
that
semester's
course
catalog.

Class Administration
procedures
must
be
followed.
It
is
the
student's
responsibility
to
handle

withdrawal
requirements
from
any
class.
In
other
words,
I
cannot
drop
or
withdraw
any


CV ECS 3390.005 Syllabus, Rev. 8.20.2009 8

 student.
You
must
do
the
proper
paperwork
to
ensure
that
you
will
not
receive
a
final

grade
of
"F"
in
a
course
if
you
choose
not
to
attend
the
class
once
you
are
enrolled.

Procedures
for
student
grievances
are
found
in
Title
V,
Rules
on
Student
Services
and

Activities,
of
the
university’s
Handbook
of
Operating
Procedures.

In
attempting
to
resolve
any
student
grievance
regarding
grades,
evaluations,
or
other

fulfillments
of
academic
responsibility,
it
is
the
obligation
of
the
student
first
to
make
a

serious
effort
to
resolve
the
matter
with
the
instructor,
supervisor,
administrator,
or

committee
with
whom
the
grievance
originates
(hereafter
called
“the
respondent”).


Individual
faculty
members
retain
primary
responsibility
for
assigning
grades
and

evaluations.

If
the
matter
cannot
be
resolved
at
that
level,
the
grievance
must
be

Student

submitted
in
writing
to
the
respondent
with
a
copy
of
the
respondent’s
School
Dean.

If

Grievance

the
matter
is
not
resolved
by
the
written
response
provided
by
the
respondent,
the

Procedures
student
may
submit
a
written
appeal
to
the
School
Dean.

If
the
grievance
is
not
resolved

by
the
School
Dean’s
decision,
the
student
may
make
a
written
appeal
to
the
Dean
of

Graduate
or
Undergraduate
Education,
and
the
deal
will
appoint
and
convene
an

Academic
Appeals
Panel.

The
decision
of
the
Academic
Appeals
Panel
is
final.

The

results
of
the
academic
appeals
process
will
be
distributed
to
all
involved
parties.

Copies
of
these
rules
and
regulations
are
available
to
students
in
the
Office
of
the
Dean

of
Students,
where
staff
members
are
available
to
assist
students
in
interpreting
the

rules
and
regulations.

As
per
university
policy,
incomplete
grades
will
be
granted
only
for
work
unavoidably

missed
at
the
semester’s
end
and
only
if
70%
of
the
course
work
has
been
completed.


Incomplete
 An
incomplete
grade
must
be
resolved
within
eight
(8)
weeks
from
the
first
day
of
the

Grades subsequent
long
semester.

If
the
required
work
to
complete
the
course
and
to
remove

the
incomplete
grade
is
not
submitted
by
the
specified
deadline,
the
incomplete
grade
is

changed
automatically
to
a
grade
of
F.

The
goal
of
Disability
Services
is
to
provide
students
with
disabilities
educational

opportunities
equal
to
those
of
their
non‐disabled
peers.

Disability
Services
is
located

in
room
1.610
in
the
Student
Union.

Office
hours
are
Monday
and
Thursday,
8:30
a.m.

to
6:30
p.m.;
Tuesday
and
Wednesday,
8:30
a.m.
to
7:30
p.m.;
and
Friday,
8:30
a.m.
to

5:30
p.m.

The
contact
information
for
the
Office
of
Disability
Services
is:

The
University
of
Texas
at
Dallas,
SU
22

PO
Box
830688

Richardson,
Texas
75083‐0688

Disability
Services (972)
883‐2098
(voice
or
TTY)

Essentially,
the
law
requires
that
colleges
and
universities
make
those
reasonable

adjustments
necessary
to
eliminate
discrimination
on
the
basis
of
disability.

For

example,
it
may
be
necessary
to
remove
classroom
prohibitions
against
tape
recorders

or
animals
(in
the
case
of
dog
guides)
for
students
who
are
blind.

Occasionally
an

assignment
requirement
may
be
substituted
(for
example,
a
research
paper
versus
an

oral
presentation
for
a
student
who
is
hearing
impaired).

Classes
enrolled
students

with
mobility
impairments
may
have
to
be
rescheduled
in
accessible
facilities.

The

college
or
university
may
need
to
provide
special
services
such
as
registration,
note‐
taking,
or
mobility
assistance.


CV ECS 3390.005 Syllabus, Rev. 8.20.2009 9

 It
is
the
student’s
responsibility
to
notify
his
or
her
professors
of
the
need
for
such
an

accommodation.

Disability
Services
provides
students
with
letters
to
present
to

faculty
members
to
verify
that
the
student
has
a
disability
and
needs

accommodations.

Individuals
requiring
special
accommodation
should
contact
the

professor
after
class
or
during
office
hours.

The
University
of
Texas
at
Dallas
will
excuse
a
student
from
class
or
other
required

activities
for
the
travel
to
and
observance
of
a
religious
holy
day
for
a
religion
whose

places
of
worship
are
exempt
from
property
tax
under
Section
11.20,
Tax
Code,
Texas

Code
Annotated.

The
student
is
encouraged
to
notify
the
instructor
or
activity
sponsor
as
soon
as

possible
regarding
the
absence,
preferably
in
advance
of
the
assignment.

The
student,

so
excused,
will
be
allowed
to
take
the
exam
or
complete
the
assignment
within
a

reasonable
time
after
the
absence:
a
period
equal
to
the
length
of
the
absence,
up
to

a
maximum
of
one
week.
A
student
who
notifies
the
instructor
and
completes
any

Religious
Holy
 missed
exam
or
assignment
may
not
be
penalized
for
the
absence.
A
student
who
fails

Days to
complete
the
exam
or
assignment
within
the
prescribed
period
may
receive
a
failing

grade
for
that
exam
or
assignment.

If
a
student
or
an
instructor
disagrees
about
the
nature
of
the
absence
[i.e.,
for
the

purpose
of
observing
a
religious
holy
day]
or
if
there
is
similar
disagreement
about

whether
the
student
has
been
given
a
reasonable
time
to
complete
any
missed

assignments
or
examinations,
either
the
student
or
the
instructor
may
request
a
ruling

from
the
chief
executive
officer
of
the
institution,
or
his
or
her
designee.
The
chief

executive
officer
or
designee
must
take
into
account
the
legislative
intent
of
TEC

51.911(b),
and
the
student
and
instructor
will
abide
by
the
decision
of
the
chief

executive
officer
or
designee.



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




CV ECS 3390.005 Syllabus, Rev. 8.20.2009 10