http://www.utexas.edu/ogs/grs/GRS389W.html

GRS 389W: The Culture of Academic Writing:
A Systematic Approach to Academic and Professional Writing
Course Rationale

Starting in spring 2004, the Culture of Academic Writing will be open to ALL graduate students and will no longer be restricted to international graduate students. In this course, you will have the opportunity to understand and master a systematic procedure for organizing and writing graduate-level papers of all kinds: research papers, conference papers, dissertations, masters reports, publication submissions, literature reviews, and other written documents required of students in their own disciplines. You will apply your new understanding of the writing system as you integrate your writing with your academic reading, listening, speaking, and thinking.

In today’s world, research is often conducted globally, and research and corporate teams may include members from several different countries and cultures. The clear communication of your knowledge and of your scholarly contributions can determine your success in your chosen career. Familiarity with culturally based academic writing can be as important to your success as expertise in the discipline itself. For example, a new professional or a new assistant professor will need to be able to perform an array of writing tasks that are culturally appropriate for different kinds of audiences (e.g., the readers of your research proposals, technical reports, team reports, grant proposals, abstracts, conference papers, memos, critical reviews).

This course provides an opportunity to systematically learn about, practice, and master the writing conventions of American academics and professionals in various disciplines. Students will write in a variety of genres, analyze the structure and discourse conventions of numerous written "products," and learn strategies to produce acceptable texts of your own. Students will apply your new understanding of audience expectations in a customized, full-semester individual writing project. The systematic approach you learn in this course will be applicable to any future professional or academic writing task.

Students' writing will be analyzed to diagnose strengths and weaknesses, and to prioritize needs and strategies for long-term learning. Students will be helped to improve your skills in producing, clear, well-organized, and culturally appropriate academic writing.

Course Objectives:

* In a collaborative learning environment, students will examine their own individual training in writing, identify existing areas of expertise, and learn to manage and adapt composing processes by studying and practicing models of writing.

* Students will gather information about the academic writing conventions in their departments.

* Students will study and practice writing for a variety of academic audiences according to style sheets, writing manuals, reference books, exemplary journal articles, exemplary research reports, and other forms of "best practices" in their fields.

* Students will use culturally appropriate organizational patterns and rhetorical components of academic discourse genres (e.g., construct and evaluate scholarly arguments, use appropriate supporting evidence, organize the layout of a paper according to disciplinary conventions).

* Students will explore writing and writing resources (including computer software resources) in their particular disciplines in conversations with other graduate students, faculty, editors, publishers, and administrators.

* Students will apply their new knowledge of genre conventions to writing, reading, and interaction with texts (including self-editing and peer-editing exercises, and collaborative team writing exercises).

* Students will develop a long term plan to continue improving academic writing skills.

Writing activities include responding to essay questions, collaborative writing for group projects, outlining, a formal research report, reporting on individual writing projects, organization exercises, among other activities. A minimum of 1-hour per week of grammar practice is expected outside of class – 15 hours total. Attendance is required.

For additional information, please contact Dr. Leslie Jarmon.
ljarmon@mail.utexas.edu