You will write a proposal and/or report in which you pick a topic (i.e. parking on campus) and imagine that you are working in a group with a specific solution in mind for the proposed “problem” (See below for topics). Write a report about the status of a specific solution you have set out for the “problem” that is your topic. Provide specific details about why your solution is/is not working, what you are doing to fix the situation, anticipated completion date, etc. The most important element of this report is your ARGUMENT about why your solution is a good one.

Audience: Imagine that your specific audience is the higher up in an organization hierarchy, but also keep in mind that in many ways your argument is to the larger audience of all of your coworkers.  Yes, you need to convince the organization to make the change, but you also need to convince them that they will be able to “sell” this to everyone else once they make the decision.  While they have the power, decisions are never “about” a single person.  You need to think of things from the company’s perspective, it is not just about convincing them you are right, it is about convincing them that they can convince everyone else too.

Proposal/Report Topics

Decide which of these topics you would like to focus on. Then narrow it down to a specific issue or problem.

1)    A proposal for a change in your community that will address a problem or issue that impacts the quality of life in your community.

2)    A proposal for a change in your work place (the fictitious business your group created) that will improve the morale, productivity, or safety of the employees.

3)    A proposal for a change in your specific department (at Nicholls) that will improve the quality of education for students in your major.

Development/Organization: Short Report

Since this is a section of the book we have NOT covered, you are responsible for making yourself aware of what type of report style and formatting you want to use. Most importantly, because this “problem” is one you’ve invented, you cannot simply “brag” about how well you are getting along in your solution. Rather, your report needs to address WHY and HOW your solution is proving effective for the stated problem.