assignment link: https://canvas.iastate.edu/courses/105878/assignments/2151369
Learning Objectives Identify audiences and their needs/desires Identify purpose and elements of proposals Understand how ethical issues influence research and application Implement methods of persuasion appropriate to the rhetorical situation Purpose and Description Proposals are audience-driven documents that offer a product or service or offer to carry out research. They are usually written with the end goal of persuading a person or organization to spend money or time or other resources on something, like improving a structure or amenity or funding research. Since proposals involve asking the audience for something, successful proposals address their audience’s needs and concerns first, often using positive language to suggest that what is currently a problem is actually an opportunity. A proposal that focuses primarily on the benefits to the writer will most often be rejected.
For this assignment, respond to the following situation: Iowa State, as part of its continuous improvement effort, is actively seeking input from students on how to further improve the undergraduate experience on campus. In addition, the City of Ames is looking for ways in which they can improve services and facilities for its residents and visitors. Remember that your focus must be on how your proposal benefits either Iowa State or the city of Ames and improves the experience of students, residents, and/or visitors.
For this assignment, you will write an unsolicited proposal that addresses a campus or community problem and proposes a solution to that problem, with a specific focus on how the campus or community will benefit from accepting and funding your proposal. This assignment asks you to practice proposal argumentation and to use critical thinking and problem-solving strategies to respond effectively to your audience’s needs within the given context of the assignment. You will need to do the following when completing this project:
Be attentive to the topic you choose. Smaller, more focused topics work best for this assignment. For example, proposing a new method for teaching a certain topic in your major is much more manageable than proposing to build a new gym on campus. Suggesting the placement of additional public garbage cans in Campustown is much more realistic than pushing for the installation of a city-wide scooter rental service. Propose a solution that is realistic, narrow, and manageable. Be cognizant that you're writing to someone who has not asked for this specific proposal and may not even be aware that there is a problem to solve. Because your proposal is unsolicited, you must carefully lay out the problem and your solution. You will also need to convince your audience that the primary results of this proposal will benefit them. Be responsive to your audience. In this case, your audience is the person or persons who have the authority to approve the implementation of your proposed solution. Consider what will be persuasive to them. How will you convince them to accept your proposal? How is this an opportunity for them? This is not a “general audience” but an actual person or group of people you have identified and researched. Provide evidence that the problem you are proposing a solution to or the opportunity you are presenting to your audience exists and that your solution is cost-effective and manageable. Some of this evidence will require the use of at least 2 outside sources while some of the evidence can be gathered through observation. The proper use of evidence is a necessary and fundamental part of this assignment. This proposal assignment will provide you the opportunity to:
Analyze a specific audience to determine your rhetorical strategies Write a persuasive proposal Consider the ethics of persuasive techniques and adapt technical knowledge to a non-expert audience Build goodwill with your audience Expectations The proposal should achieve the following:
Address a clearly defined audience Follow the proposal structure outlined in Chapter 16 of your textbook Establish the existence of a problem using supporting evidence (research) Offer a reasonable solution to the problem Show that the solution can be implemented Include a few effective visuals that help the audience visualize the problem, your solution, the method, etc. Demonstrate goodwill with the proposal's recipient and use appropriate grammar, spelling, and mechanics Audience Your primary audience for this proposal is the person or persons who can approve the implementation of your proposed solution. Your secondary audience is your instructor.
Resources Chapter 3: Writing Technical Documents Chapter 5: Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose Chapter 6: Researching Your Subject Chapter 7: Organizing Your Information Chapter 8: Communicating Persuasively Chapter 9: Emphasizing Important Information Chapter 11: Designing Print and Online Documents Chapter 16: Writing Proposals Lectures and/or activities during Module 3