CBA Writing Expectations

Writing Expectations and Skill Development Resources

Desired Skill	which means, in practice	should be developed in	For additional help, see
Coherence and Clarity	clear syntax and organization of paragraphs	High School, Liberal Arts Core	UNI Writing Center
Organization	logical organization of thoughts to support conclusions drawn	High School, Liberal Arts Core	UNI Writing Center
Spelling, punctuation, grammar	correct Standard English usage and careful proofreading	High School, Liberal Arts Core	UNI Writing Center
Use of source material	accurate representation of others' ideas, correctly cited	High School, Liberal Arts Core	UNI Writing Center
Document formats	elements of memos, business letters, reports, websites, etc.	CBA courses, PRP, internships	CBA Writing Center
Content choices	appropriate content for document and context	CBA courses, PRP, internships	CBA Writing Center
Businesslike style	clear, direct, concise sentence structure and word choice	CBA courses, PRP, internships	CBA Writing Center

For additional assistance with one or more of these skills, students should also take advantage of
CBA Library Research Portal
CBA Business Communication Website

Liberal Arts Core Writing Requirement
All students must pass the U.N.I. General Education Writing Requirement prior to admission to the College of Business Administration. While there are some students who fulfill this requirement on the basis of test performance or transfer credits, most will take one of three writing courses:

English 62: 005 College Reading and Writing
English 62: 015 Expository Writing
English 62: 034 Critical Writing About Literature

Minimum performance to receive a C or better in any of these General Education Writing Courses requires that the student be able to

Write papers that consist of unified, fully developed paragraphs.
Write papers that are logically organized at all levels from paragraph to completed paper.
Design and efficiently conduct a library research project.
Communicate the results of a library research project in an effective written report.
Use a professional stylebook to correctly cite and document sources.
Use a writer’s handbook to prepare to deadline finished, edited, proofread manuscripts that are without errors in grammar, spelling, mechanics, usage, punctuation, or manuscript format.
Recognize and avoid all common forms of plagiarism. (U.N.I. Department of English, 1994)

It is thus expected that written work in upper-division CBA courses will conform to at least these minimum requirements. No grade better than a C should be awarded for written work that deviates substantially from the minimum requirements of UNI's freshman writing course.

Writing in CBA Coursework

As a normal part of the business curriculum, CBA students should develop business-specific writing skills that, by the time of graduation, allow them to

Prepare written documents that conform in format and style to the generally accepted practices of the student’s discipline.
Incorporate statistical, graphical and technical data appropriately in documents.
Design and effectively conduct research from electronic data sources appropriate to the discipline and communicate the results in an effective business document.

Student Development of Writing Skills

In addition to taking full advantage of classroom instruction, modeling and coaching, students in the CBA are expected to seek out opportunities to develop and practice their business writing skills. A variety of workshops are offered through the Professional Readiness Program, and students can take advantage of internships, campus activities, and work experiences to develop their writing skills. Graduating seniors should have developed a writing portfolio that includes samples of business documents typically used in their disciplines.