ENG 1020: Problem Solution Email in Professional Setting (Group Project)
Identify a problem in a current or former job, something you see as a problem on campus, or a problem that needs to be addressed in the Bridge Program.
Together with your partner, brainstorm a list of issues in these areas that need a solution.
Next for each problem, generate potential solutions. For example, perhaps the cafeteria is too crowded at lunchtime. A possible solution might be to have staggered lunch hours.
Look over your list and choose the problem that your group finds most important/compelling. Who would be the person who could affect change?
Draft an email to that person that establishes the problem, describes the need for change, makes an argument for a solution, acknowledges any obstacles, and includes an implementation plan. Make sure to include specific details/evidence to support your ideas.
Compose the email in a Word document and include the header (From, To, Subject). Remember to polish (revise, edit, and proofread) your draft before submitting it.
Together you will write one email that addresses all of the requirements below:
Purpose
The purpose of your email is to identify a problem and propose the solution. Convince the person that you are emailing that the problem exists and that your proposed solution will work.
Audience
You are writing to other professionals in a business/formal setting. The content and language of your email should reflect this.
NOTE: THE IDEAS PRESENTED IN YOUR PAPER MUST BE YOUR OWN. DO NOT USE OUTSIDE SOURCES. YOU ARE TO FORM YOUR OWN ARGUMENT USING YOUR OWN INTERPRETATIONS, NOT RELY OWN SOMEONE ELSE'S.
RULES FOR COLLABORATIVE WORK
Everyone in the group must make a significant contribution to the final product. You will create one email as a group.
Each student is required to use Google drive over the course of this project to work collaboratively online with the other students in your group. This will require everyone to have an active Google/Gmail account.
Do not write individual sections of the email and try to piece it together as one coherent message. This is a bad idea! Follow the scenario I mentioned in class.
At the end of the project, everyone within the group will grade one another anonymously.
Format
Compose the email in a Word document and include the header (From, To, Subject). Remember to polish (revise, edit, and proofread) your draft before submitting it.
While there is no "minimum page count," your argument must be fully developed and all steps of the problem/solution approach must be clearly and adequately explained.
Your email should also be typed, double spaced, with one-inch margins all around, Times New Roman Font, & 12 pt. (See MLA format).
Your grade for this essay will be determined as follows:
Total Possible Points: 50
Individual Scoring (15 points):
Score for individual score for contribution to in-class drafting/invention and overall contribution to project (graded by group members).
Group Scoring (35 points )
Final Draft, evaluated on the following criteria:
Focus 10 points): Does essay have a clear purpose? Provide the reader with a deeper understanding of the photograph/painting and its most important symbols? Present s clear meaning/interpretation?
Development (10 points): Are there detailed descriptions of the painting/photo? Does the writer avoid giving detail without illustrating importance? Does the writer break the work down into individual components and discuss their importance to the work as a whole? Does the writer make use of the strategies for understanding visual representations? Does the writer use this knowledge to create a basis for breakdown with the purpose and audience squarely in mind? Help others understand the image as they do?
Organization (10 points): Do ideas and paragraphs proceed in logical and apparent sequence or pattern? Does writer use sufficient audience cues to let the reader know what has been discussed, what is being discussed, or what will be discussed? Does writer use attention-getting title and lead-in, paragraph hooks, transitional words and phrases? Does writer guide the reader from beginning to end?
Style (3 points): Is language clear direct and readable? Are sentences clear, concise, and easily read by intended audience? Is word choice appropriate for audience? Do sentences reveal and sustain appropriate voice and tone?
Mechanics (2 points): Are there obvious errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar? Are there patterns of error?
NO INVENTION WORK (-4 POINTS)
NO 1ST DRAFT ON DUE DATE (-4 POINTS)
NO REFLECTION (-4 POINTS)
NO PROCESS=NO GRADE
Grading scale:
A 45-50
B 40-44
C 35-39
D 30-34
F 0-33
