Intermediate Composition (205-DL-20)

Topic

Business Communication

Instructors

Leslie A Fischer
555 Clark St., 240
With 35+ years of experience teaching English, Business Writing and Communication at Northwestern University and SPS, Fischer is an experienced mentor in writing, communication and team work. Experienced as both a student and teacher of online courses, she understands how students learn online and the particular challenges for adult students. Since 1998, Fischer has worked in Northwestern University's Writing Program, in a collaborative program with the McCormick School of Engineering and Segal Design Institute, Design Thinking and Communication. A life-long learner, she recently completed an MS in Information Design and Strategy at SPS. In addition to her work in higher education, she has significant professional experience as a career consultant, as a writer and trainer, and as an editor for publications. When she is not teaching, you'll find her hiking, cooking, going to the theatre or volunteering at the Butterfly House at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Meeting Info

Online: TBA

Overview of class

This course is designed for those who have experience with college-level writing but who want to sharpen their writing and communication skills for business and professional environments. Students learn to apply measures of excellence in business writing and communication. Assignments relate to business environments, including audience analysis, persuasive writing, verbal and interpersonal communication, and document design and graphics. Communicators will complete a project that solves a real-world challenge via business communication. Additionally, writers will understand the capabilities of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI), as well as the limits of GAI for communicating with emotional intelligence and authenticity. Students produce multiple drafts and receive feedback from their peers and the instructor.

Registration Requirements

Note: This course is limited to School of Professional Studies students only. Undergraduate students in other schools at Northwestern are not permitted to enroll in this course.
Prerequisites: none

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

● Identify and leverage the components of communication; recognize and implement the standards of excellence in business communication;

● Comprehend the distinction between persuasive and informational business communication;

● Strategize interpersonal communication and other soft communication skills;

● Distinguish between primary and secondary research, and create appropriate research strategies to address a challenge;

● Apply principles of good visual communication to documents;

● Reflect on the ethics, capabilities, and limits of using artificial intelligence to ease communication tasks.

● Develop a communication document or event that addresses a real-world professional communication challenge.

Class Attributes

Asynchronous:Remote class-no scheduled mtg time