Writing and Editing for Compliance

1. Writing and Editing for Compliance Carol Burton, Director of the SACS Review Western Carolina University burton@email.wcu.edu Brian Gastle, Associate Professor of English Western Carolina University bgastle@email.wcu.edu http://www.wcu.edu/sacs/

2. Overview:Form Follows Function • Focus on the Writing Issues involved in preparing SACS reports • Recognize that Form is not separate from Content • Overview of Writing Process • Preparing to Write Reports • Writing and Editing Reports • Final Report Preparation

3. Before You Begin Composing • Envision a final format • Allows you to set a goal • May change as you develop product • Take a technology inventory • Will inform both print and online decisions • Will inform who will be working on the project (especially writers/editors) • What method of composition will allow you to reach that goal

4. Our Goal

5. Before You Begin Composing • Determine who will be working on what part and when (schedule) • Buy-In and Input: • Authors • Editors • Reviewers • Tech/IT • Importance of budget, release time, and/or “count towards”

6. Writing Issues • Style Sheet • Format • Rhetorical Strategies • Training Session • For writers and editors • Online vs. Print • Document Preparation

7. Style Sheet • Defines Formatting and Writing (style) issues • Can start with a common style (MLA, APA, etc.) but should modify for these reports • Terms and Abbreviations • Make widely available • Organize a training session for writers and editors

8. Style Sheet – Common Issues • Names, Titles, and Programs • List Item Syntax • Illustration Refs • Document Design/layout • Headings • Subordination/indentation

9. Training Writers, Editors, and Reviewers • Conduct a brief writing workshop for writers, editors, and reviewers • Reviewers can provide good editorial feedback as well as content feedback • Discuss Style Sheet • This can be an “excuse” so it doesn’t look like you are trying to teach them how to write (which you are) • Use Style Sheet as excuse to talk about some basic rhetorical strategies

10. Basic Training: Professional Rhetoric Clear Accurate Concise Accessible (CACA!?!?)

11. Active and Passive Voice Active voice: subject does the verb; the subject performs the action expressed in the verb; the subject acts. • Passive voice: verb does the subject; the subject receives the action expressed in the verb; the subject is acted upon. • Prefer Active • Shorter (therefore clearer) sentences • Implies authority and forcefulness

12. Active/Passive Examples • Periodic surveys of students have been conducted by the University to assess student learning. • The University conducts periodic surveys of students to assess student learning. • Al curriculum changes are approved by the faculty. • The faculty approve all curriculum changes. • Since the last review was performed by SACS, not all of the procedures required were implemented by the Provost. • The Provost did not implement all of the procedures SACS required during the last review

13. Expletive construction • Expletive sentences use “filler” words that don’t add meaning • Makes sentences needlessly longer • Usually begins • “There is/are . . .” • “It is . . .” • Focus on the “real” subject of the sentence

14. Expletive Examples • There are several programs designed to provide academic support to students. • Several programs provide academic support to students. • It is common for over twenty faculty to attend these training seminars. • Over twenty faculty commonly attend these training seminars. • There has been a decrease in the number of students enrolled in our training sessions • The number of students enrolled in our training sessions has decreased. • The use of in-class demonstrations has resulted in a dramatic increase in enrollment. • In-class demonstrations have increased enrollment dramatically.

15. Nominalizations • Turning a verb or an adjective into a noun • Nominalizations increase sentence length (therefore decreasing readability) • Focus on the “real” verb in the sentence

16. Nominalization Examples • Budget cuts constitute a threat to faculty development programs. • Budget cuts threaten faculty development programs. • The University conducts periodic surveys of students to assess student learning. • The University periodically surveys students to assess student learning.

17. Other Rhetorical Issues • Report Length • Jargon • Brevity/conciseness • Online and print versions • Must be the same • Online rhetoric similar to technical documentation rhetoric • Importance of Formatting and Layout • This IS a rhetorical issue • Use SACS standard as a guide for sections within a report

18. Back To School

19. Document Preparation:Putting it all together • Making print = online • Preparing prefatory material • Final checking of print version • The impotence of proofreading • Making it look good • Printing issues importance

20. Thank You Brian Gastle Associate Professor, English Western Carolina University bgastle@email.wcu.edu Carol Burton Director of the SACS Review Western Carolina University burton@email.wcu.edu http://www.wcu.edu/sacs/