Proposal Assignment

Overview

For this assignment you will write and design a formal proposal (see your textbook, Chapter 16) on a topic of your choice. Your proposal will be written and designed for a particular purpose and for a specific audience. You will propose something that needs to be improved or changed, a new product or technology that should exist, and/or a new community or campus event.

Special Note: This project has the optional opportunity to collaborate with a classmate (or a group of classmates, up to 4) and write the proposal as a pair or a team. If you choose to do so, make sure you include all group members' names on the assignment when you turn it in.

If you choose to work in a group, you are responsible for choosing your own group mates and participating in all group-related writing, researching, and designing responsibilities together. (That is: be sure to pull your weight.) Any quarrels or disputes will be the responsibility of the students, and must be worked out as a team. Note: All group members will receive the same grade.

Choosing a Topic

The topic you choose is up to you; however, it is required that you participate in the classroom and online workshops to get feedback from your classmates and your instructor before moving ahead with your proposal. (If you'd like to work ahead, please email your instructor to get special permission.)

Writing the Proposal

There is no required minimum page length for this project. However, you must be sure that your proposal includes all of the following sections, at a minimum:

A heading and/or cover page that has been thoughtfully designed. (A Table of Contents is optional but recommended if your proposal exceeds five pages.)

An introduction to the proposal, which clearly and concisely describes what I (your reader) should expect when reading your proposal.

A clear description of the problem, including any background or context I (as your audience) would need to understand why and how this is a problem that needs to be addressed.

A clear discussion of your solution(s), including specific steps that would be needed to implement your ideas.

A complete explanation of the types of resources needed to implement your changes. This includes people (even volunteers), supplies, marketing, equipment, office materials, and so on.

A schedule for how long it would take you to complete such an endeavor. (This should be based on some amount of research you've done and/or personal experience.)

The overall benefits you expect to occur based on the changes you're proposing, and who, specifically, such changes would benefit or affect in any way. (That is, be sure to also identify your stakeholders: Who will care? Who will be impacted, good or bad?)

A conclusion to your proposal that wraps up your final thoughts and provides a final opportunity for persuading your reader to accept your proposed ideas/solutions.

In addition, you are required to use a minimum of two images or graphics (charts, graphs, photos, drawings, and so on) to help illustrate your points.

Designing and Formatting the Proposal

Your proposal should be single-spaced and formatted according to the guidelines from Chapter 16 of your textbook. The most common way to write an internal proposal is via a transmittal memo (see p. 479 for details). However, you have the optional opportunity to also design a cover page and/or a Table of Contents, should you so desire. Although not required, the pros of doing so may include adding visual impact to your presentation.

The design of your proposal should be professional and thoughtful. If you choose to use aMicrosoft template - and that's okay if you do - make some purposeful and thoughtful changes to it so it looks a bit different than what you might see straight out of the box. That is, create your design with intent. The same goes for font selection, use of white space, and so on. Refer back to Unit 3 (design) if you need additional help with this.

Images should have captions beneath them that label the image (e.g., Figure 1) and a shortdescription (e.g., Figure 1: An image of a similar event done at the University of Idaho). Then, when you refer to the image in your text, you can use that callout to help your readers understand to what you're referring. (Example: "As you can see from Figure 1, a similar event occurred in the Spring of 2014 at the University of Idaho.")

Remember to Cite Your Sources

If you have gotten any information from outside sources (e.g., research, quotes, paraphrases or summaries, images, or other graphics), be sure that you cite them within your proposal, as well as provide a references page, either in APA (preferred) or MLA format.