Dr. Mark Jordan ~ ENGL 2311: Technical Writing First Letter Assignment: An Inquiry This is the first of various letters you will write; as described in my list of course requirements, these letters, when averaged together, will make up 15% of your course grade. You will probably be asked to compose roughly half a dozen or so, total, so each one is fairly important to this portion of your course grade. Normally, I want you to submit these letters by actually mailing them to me. However, if you are a local student, you may drop the letter off--complete with addressed envelope but no stamp--at my office, Wilkerson Hall 220. For this first letter assignment, first you should read my Chapter Summary for Chapter Nineteen, and then you should read the chapter itself, at least the parts concerning letters in general and concerning inquiry letters in particular. My chapter summaries can be useful study aids, especially for a distance student who may be slow in acquiring the text, but the summaries should not be seen as substitutes for the chapters themselves. For this specific assignment, you will compose an unsolicited inquiry letter, addressed to me, stating that you are considering pursuing an advanced degree in technical writing and are curious about what career opportunities this might open for you. As you can see, this is an imaginary situation. We will further the imaginary context by assuming that you do not have my email address but do have the college's street address, which is why you are writing rather than emailing me. When writing, remember that in this imaginary context, I have not met you, so you will need to introduce yourself. Try to imagine yourself as actually writing in this situation. I also caution you against taking for granted that however you are accustomed to writing a letter will do fine for this assignment. It may; on the other hand, it may not. Do not just "crash out" this assignment; read the material first. After all, a cardinal underlying rule behind all technical communication is to follow your organization's customary ways of doing things, including formats of documents. In this case, your organization is this class! Your textbook has this to say about inquiry letters which are unsolicited: Such inquiries are ". . . asking an unsuspecting recipient to spend time reading your letter, considering your request, collecting the information, and responding. Always apologize for the imposition, express appreciation, and state a reasonable request clearly and briefly. Long, involved inquiries usually go unanswered." Lannon also notes that "A vague request is likely to be ignored." Requirements Typed in 12-point font (Times New Roman is good; other choices are possible) on white paper. Ragbond is not necessary, but you should not write on a company letterhead of any sort since you are writing on personal business No more than one page Written with the above situation in mind Written in either block or modified block style Must show familiarity (spacing, punctuation, and wording) with the basic seven parts of a letter (date, return address, inside address, salutation, text of letter, closing, and name--both signed and typed) Text of letter should use three-part style: intro, body, conclusion Envelope must include full return address, accurate mailing address to me, and preferably should be typed, but if your computer makes this very difficult (as some do), I will not penalize for a handwritten envelope On the more subtle level, your letter should strive for the desired tone: respectful, clear, and concise. In other words, a letter whose entire text says only "Why should I take this course?" is not one I will consider adequate. Grading Criteria Satisfies the above requirements Properly uses either block or modified block letter style, and the customary seven elements All parts well proofed for any errors Uses the standard second-person form of address ("you," either stated or understood, as needed) Letter text shows awareness of the various aspects of this writing situation (need to introduce yourself, need for clear request, and so on) Method of Submission You must actually mail your letter to me, or (for local students) drop it by my office, in its envelope; see above requirements for the envelope. Mail your letter to Dr. Mark Jordan, c/o Odessa College, 201 W. University Blvd., Odessa, TX, 79764. ("c/o" means "in care of."). I will not accept faxed or emailed letters. Due Date If you mail: Your letter must be postmarked by no later than Wednesday, September 8th, to receive full credit. Further, you need to email me the day you send it, and let me know it is on its way. Obviously it will reach me later than the 8th, but I will count it on time so long as it is postmarked by the 8th. If you drop off: Your letter must be to my office by the due date, Wednesday September 8th.

markwjordan@earthlink.net work: 432.335.6549 home: 432.332.5847 fax: 432.335.6559 surface mail c/o Odessa College, 201 W. University, Odessa TX 79764