WELCOME TO TECHNICAL WRITING FOR COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING - CSE 185E/S

Course Description:

Writing by engineers and computer scientists to technical audiences. Writing exercises include: cover letter and resume for job application, tutorial writing, grant proposal, document specification, literature review, and a final technical report. Two oral presentations are also required, an in-class presentation and a poster presentation. Students also receive instruction in the use of UC library and journal database resources, and in the writing of a statement of purpose for graduate school application.

Contacts, Lecture/Section times, and Office Hours:

• Instructor: Gerald Moulds
• Office hours: Wednesdays 1pm-3pm (or by appointment)
• Office Location: Engineering-2 #237A
• e-mail: gmoulds@soe.ucsc.edu

• Section 01A - Monday 2:40-3:45pm, Soc Sci 2 #167
  
  • Teaching Assistant: Aaron Hunter
  • Office hours: Thurs 1:30-3:00pm in E2 #316
  • Email: aamuhunt@ucsc.edu
• Section 01B - Thursday 11:40am-12:45pm, Soc Sci 2 #167
  • Teaching Assistant: Brad Thompson
  • Office hours: Mon 5:30-7:00pm in E2 #553
  • Email: bradt@soe.ucsc.edu
• Section 01C - Wednesday 9:20am-10:25am, Soc Sci 2 #165
• Teaching Assistant: Adam Ames
• Office Hours: Wed 10:30am-12:00pm - Baskin Engineering by Perk's Coffee
• Email: adrames@ucsc.edu

• Section 01D - Wednesday 2:40-3:45pm, Soc Sci 2 #165
• Teaching Assistant: Harsh Bhakta
• Office Hours: Mon 2:00-3:30pm - Baskin Engineering by Perk's Coffee
• Email: habhakta@ucsc.edu
• Section 01E - Thursday 8:30-9:35am, Soc Sci 1 #145
  • Teaching Assistant: Max Belman
  • Office hours: Tues 8:00-9:30am - Baskin Engineering, Jack's Lounge
  • Email: maxbelm@ucsc.edu
• Section 01F - Thursday 7:10-8:15pm, Soc Sci  1 #145
• Teaching Assistant: Meghna Burli
• Office Hours: Fri 5:00-6:30pm - McHenry 2359
• Email: mburli@ucsc.edu

• Class meetings
• Location: Humanities Lecture Hall
• Time: Tuesday and Thursday, 3:20-4:55pm

• Assignments:

• Lecture notes and useful links:
• Library Guide for CSE 185 Technical Writing
• Journal Submission
• latex_185.zip
• Statement of Purpose
• Plagiarism and Citation
• Informal Communication
• Editing Notes
• Resume templates in LaTeX
  • (These templates aren't required for the Resume assignment, they're just useful if you know LaTeX)
• Cover letter Examples
• SCCSEC Grant Proposal Application (Google docs version)
• IEEE Document Template for Microsoft Word
• Final Portfolio instructions

• Recommended texts:
• The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition by William Strunk and E.B. White.
• One style guide of your choosing - preferably whichever is most often used in your field.

 Submitting papers:

• All papers must be peer edited before they are submitted.
• Papers should be signed "Peer edited by [insert name]"
• Any paper not peer edited will be returned ungraded.

• Late papers are subject to a reduction in grade.
• Grade reduction applies to rewrites, affecting the maximum possible grade for the assignment.

• Portfolios: At the end of the quarter, you will hand in a portfolio of all your work for the quarter, including rough drafts and any rewrites.

 Grades:

Grades will be mostly based on the total portfolio of work you turn in at the end of the class.  This consists of five major writing projects (including your final project).  Failure to complete a major writing assignment or give a presentation constitutes grounds for failing the course.  Major writing assignments are each worth 15% of your grade, except the final project which is worth 25% of your grade.  Oral presenations are, together, worth 15% of your grade.  Your grade is also subject to adjustment dependant on your minor writing assignments and active participation in class and section.

Academic Integrity:

Academic integrity is the cornerstone of a university education. Academic dishonesty diminishes the university as an institution and all members of the university community. It tarnishes the value of a UCSC degree. All members of the UCSC community have an explicit responsibility to foster an environment of trust, honesty, fairness, respect, and responsibility. All members of the university community are expected to present as their original work only that which is truly their own. Plagiarism of any kind is unacceptable. All members of the community are expected to report observed instances of cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty in order to ensure that the integrity of scholarship is valued and preserved at UCSC. Any student found in violation of the UCSC Academic Integrity policy may face both academic sanctions imposed by the instructor of record and disciplinary sanctions imposed by the graduate division. Violations of the Academic Integrity policy can result in dismissal from the university and a permanent notation on a student's transcript. For the full policy and disciplinary procedures on academic dishonesty, students and instructors should refer to the Academic Integrity page at the Division of Undergraduate Education or Graduate Division.

POSTERS: On March 3 and 5, meet in the Courtyard between Baskin Engineering and Engineering-2.

Poster Information:

• You can get your poster printed for 33.00-83.00 (see below) at BELS if it meets the standard size of 48"x36"
• The cost of your poster depends on how early you submit it.  Cost is 33.00 if submitted 5 business days before pickup and 83.00 for one-day turnaround, and a sliding scale in-between.   See the BELS page for details, and plan accordingly.
• BELS has suggestions and requirements for making a good poster.  Go to their pages on poster printing and poster guidelines.
• BELS also lists some excellent poster resources at Cornell and Swarthmore.

CSE 185E Prerequisite(s): Satisfaction of Entry Level Writing and Composition requirements; and CSE 12 or CSE 15 or BME 160 or by permission of the instructor. Enrollment is restricted to computer engineering, bioengineering, bioinformatics, biomolecular engineering and bioinformatics, robotics engineering, or network and digital technology majors.

CSE 185S Prerequisite(s): CSE 101, one additional upper-division CSE course, and satisfaction of the Entry Level Writing and Composition requirements. Enrollment is restricted to computer science majors, or by permission of the instructor.

Disability Accommodations and Support:

UC Santa Cruz is committed to creating an academic environment that supports its diverse student body. If you are a student with a disability who requires accommodations to achieve equal access in this course, please submit your Accommodation Authorization Letter from the Disability Resource Center (DRC) to me privately during my office hours or by appointment, preferably within the first two weeks of the quarter. At this time, I would also like us to discuss ways we can ensure your full participation in the course. I encourage all students who may benefit from learning more about DRC services to contact DRC by phone at 831-459-2089, or by email at drc@ucsc.edu.

Title IX reporting disclosure:

Title IX prohibits gender discrimination, including sexual harassment, domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. If you have experienced sexual harassment or sexual violence, you can receive confidential support and advocacy at the Campus Advocacy Resources and Education (CARE) Office by calling (831) 502-2273. In addition, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) can provide confidential, counseling support, (831) 459-2628. You can also report gender discrimination directly to the University’s Title IX Office, (831) 459-2462. Reports to law enforcement can be made to UCPD, (831) 459-2231 ext. 1. For emergencies call 911. Faculty and Teaching Assistants are required under the UC Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment to inform the Title IX Office should they become aware that you or any other student has experienced sexual violence or sexual harassment. If you prefer to speak to someone confidentially, please contact UC Care (see above).