ENGLISH 301: WRITING FOR THE PROFESSIONS
Instructor: Bruce Matsunaga
Class Line # 58498
Meets daily @ 7:40-9:20, ECG G319
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Memo Assignment #1
Assignment Description
A memorandum (memo) is a short, informative piece of writing which succinctly conveys
important information to one or more colleagues. For this assignment, write a brief memo
to your instructors describing the field of study whose writing practices you wish to
explore in this class. You might choose your major field of study, or you might opt to
study another field or profession that interests you.
Purpose
The purpose of the memo assignment is two-fold: to help you practice this common form of
professional writing, and to encourage you to start thinking about your topic for your
final project.
Format
Follow the email and memo format guidelines on pages 74-79 & 494-498 in TC.
Your memo should not be longer than one page.
Content
In the text of the memo, identify and describe the field of study you will explore during
this class. Explain how much you know about the writing practices of this field already,
and try to identify what you will need to learn. As you write, you might consider the
following questions: What are the major publications in this field? What types of writing
are being done in the field? What writing strategies will you need to practice as you
prepare to enter this field? What aspect of your field are you interested in
professionally (For example, if you are interested in business, are you interested in
Accounting? Management? Marketing?)?