Missouri Western State College

Division of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Department of English, Foreign Languages, & Journalism

Desktop Publishing

I. General course information:

Course and section number: ETC/JOU 326

Meeting time and place: 8:30-12 MTWThF, JGM Room 119

Instructor: Nancy Reese-Dillon

Office location: SS/C 208, Office “T”

Office hours: 7:30-8:20 a.m. MTWThF, or by appointment only

Office telephone: 271-4239

Home telephone: 233-0386

Voice mail: 390-3146

Email: dillon@missouriwestern.edu

II. Required Texts and materials:

Parker, Roger C. Looking Good in Print. Fourth edition, Scottsdale, AZ: Coriolis, 1998.

Assadi, Barbara, and Galen Gruman. QuarkXpress 4 4 for Dummies. New York: Hungry Minds.

A zip disk or several floppy diskettes, PC format

A two-pocket folder to turn papers in and to keep portfolio materials;

III. Course description:

Desktop publishing is a workshop course involving the design and production of attractive and effective advertisements, brochures, fliers, and newsletters using desktop publishing equipment and software including QuarkXpress 4 and specialized equipment such as scanners.

IV. Basic writing requirements for Desktop Publishing:

Attendance: Due to the workshop nature of the class and because we cover a week’s work in one class period, attendance is necessary. You are expected to call me in advance if you will be missing a class, to arrange for your assignments to be in my hands at the beginning of the class period, to obtain class notes and handouts from other class members, and to make up missed workshop on your own. If you miss more than two class periods, you should drop the class because you will fail the course. Excessive tardies will also count as absences. You will be counted tardy if you are more than 10 minutes late for the beginning of class or after break.

Due Dates: All assignments, unless otherwise noted, are due at the beginning of class. Quizzes and other in-class work may not be made up. A zero will be recorded for any assigned and missed in-class work. Otherwise, late assignments will result in a rate of one lower grade per day late.

Assignments: All projects must be completed using QuarkXpress software. All assignments will be awarded points. Your course grade will be determined by your percentage of total points possible for the class.

A student who does not turn in a response to all projects and an end of the semester portfolio will not pass the course even if the grades achieved on the projects are satisfactory. Specific information on each of these projects will be given in class.

Students must keep a complete portfolio of all projects that are done in this course. It is important that students save and date all materials generated as a part of this class, including homework assignments and in-class work.

V. Grading policy:

Grading scale: 90-100% = A

80-89% = B

70-79% = C

60-69% = D

59% and below = F

Failure to attend the final exam will result in failure of the course.

There will be quizzes following each reading assignment. Quizzes may not be made up.

Student grades may also be affected by lack of attendance. This was discussed in more detail in Section IV. of the syllabus.

Project 1: Flyer: 20 points

Project 2: Flyer #2: 50 points

Project 3: Letterhead and table of contents: 50 points

Project 4: Tri-fold brochure: 100 points

Project 5: Newsletter: 100 points

Project 6: Individual brochure, newsletter, or booklet: 200 points

Final exam: 100 points

Classroom presentations and critiques: 25 points each

Quizzes: Point value will vary for each quiz.

VI. Academic Honesty:

Plagiarism or other academic dishonesty as assessed by the instructor will be the basis for a zero on any project affected. Students are expected to do their own desktop assignments. Do not recycle papers or work from any previous course. Accidental plagiarism will result in a zero on the assignment in question; intentional plagiarism, or any other form of cheating, will result in an “F” in the course.

VII. Disabled Student Policy:

If you have a documented disability, please contact me at the beginning of the semester to discuss accommodations.

VIII. Miscellaneous

Turn off all cell phones and pagers before coming to class. This is mandatory and a show of respect to your fellow classmates and the instructor.

IX. Tentative course schedule:

The following is a tentative course schedule, which includes tentative reading and writing assignments and project deadlines. A separate and detailed handout will be given for each major project.

Typical agenda for each class period:

1. Quiz over assigned readings

2. Discussion of text(s)

3. Classroom critiques and/or proposals

4. Computer techniques / training

5. Short break

6. Work on projects

7. Class wrap up

Thurs. 5/9 First day of class, “The Lingo”

Assignment: Read chapters 1, 2 in Looking Good in Print, chapters 1, 2, 3 in QuarkXpress 4

Fri. 5/10 1. Quiz chapters 1, 2 in Looking Good in Print, chapters 1, 2, 3 in QuarkXpress 4 ;

2. First flyer

Assignment: chapters 3, 4 in Looking Good in Print, chapters 4, 5 in QuarkXpress 4

Mon. 5/13 1. Quiz: chapters 3, 4 in Looking Good in Print, chapters 4, 5 in QuarkXpress 4;

2. Second flyer

Assignment: 1. Chapters 12, 13 in Looking Good in Print, chapters 6, 7 in QuarkXpress 4,

2. Project Proposals due

Tues. 5/14 1. Quiz: chapters 12, 13 in Looking Good in Print, chapters 6, 7 in QuarkXpress 4;

2. Project proposals

3. Table of Contents, Letterhead

Assignment: chapter 7 in Looking Good in Print, chapters 8, 10, and 21 in QuarkXpress 4;

Wed. 5/15 1. Quiz: chapter 7 in Looking Good in Print, chapters 8, 10, and 21 in QuarkXpress 4;

2. brochure

Assignment: chapter 8 in Looking Good in Print, chapters 11, 12, 13 and 22 in QuarkXpress 4

Thurs. 5/16 1. Quiz: chapter 8 in Looking Good in Print, chapters 11, 12, 13 and 22 in QuarkXpress 4;

2. complete brochure

Assignment: chapter 9 in Looking Good in Print, chapters 14, 16 in QuarkXpress 4

Fri. 5/17 1. Quiz: chapter 9 in Looking Good in Print, chapters 14, 16 in QuarkXpress 4;

2. newsletter project

Assignment: chapter 10 in Looking Good in Print

Mon. 5/20 1. Quiz: chapter 10 in Looking Good in Print;

2. Newsletter project, continued

Tues. 5/21 1. Newsletter presentations, conferences;

2. Individual project work

Wed. 5/22 1. PageMaker practice;

2. Project work

Thurs. 5/23 1. PageMaker practice;

2. Project work

Fri. 5/24 1. Class presentations of final project;

2. Final exam (written)

3. Final exam (computer project)