To: Dr. Fricke
From: Krystal Hefner, Lauren Mason, Michael Vandewege (ENGL 2311 – 017)
Re: Proposal Plan Memo
Due: October 30, 2006
Date Submitted: October 30, 2006
This memo presents an overview, summary, background, solution, and plan for
developing a 15-20 page proposal that will describe a low cost, partial solution to
the Texas Tech University School of Law parking problem. It clearly defines the
problem, illustrates the dimensions of the problem, and describes a specific idea
that we will develop into a group proposal for English 2311 “Technical Writing”.
In addition to describing our proposal idea, this memo will help to guide our group
proposal effort. It therefore also includes a description of project milestones and
a breakdown for tasks and responsibilities for each group member.
OVERVIEW – The Proposal Idea
The Texas Tech University School of Law has a serious parking problem. Each
semester, hundreds of law students are forced to park far away from the law
school. This poses a serious risk for students who stay late to work or who are
forced to walk across campus to their cars.
The university has many parking lots on campus that are not full. There is also
ample space near the law school for an additional parking lot. However, the
budget may not allow for a new parking lot.
Our group has come up with a low-cost idea to increase parking available near
the law school. This idea involves utilizing the empty spaces in the dorm parking
lot across the street from the law school. This would not solve the entire
problem. However, by increasing the amount of spaces available to the
students, this will help to solve some of the problem.
This memo describes how our three-person group will create a proposal to:

Document the lack of parking available

Describe current University Parking Services efforts

Present the new idea, complete with space estimates and letters to the
Dean of the school and the TTU Parking services
SUMMARY – The Problem, Solution, and Audience
The problem that our group will deal with is the lack of parking spots available to
students at the TTU School of Law. There are many, many more students
driving than there are spaces available. As a result, students are at risk for
attacks, car accidents, and kidnappings.
The solution that our group will describe is a low-cost idea for increasing the
number of parking spots available near the law school. Texas Tech University
does not have the money for a new lot or parking garage. Our group will
therefore describe just one simple idea – using parking available at the dorm lot
across the street.
The audience that our group will appeal to is the Dean of the School of Law. We
will address our proposal to Texas Tech University School of Law Dean Huffman.
Dean Huffman will be interested in additional parking ideas. We will appeal to
our audience in four ways:
1) Demonstrating we understand the risks the students and employees face
2) Describing the idea that would help their existing efforts
3) Emphasizing the low cost, low effort, and other features of our proposed
solution that respond to parking problems
4) Packaging all this in a short proposal document
BACKGROUND – The Problem
Lack of close parking to the law school is a serious issue at Texas Tech
University. Each semester, the estimated 800 students have to wait anxiously to
see if they get one of the few parking spots available to the students in the ‘law
lot’. Even the employees believe that the parking lot is too small to compensate
for the 800 students. On “normal” days, the lot is tremendously overcrowded.
Current efforts at the university are not helping the students in their effort to have
a closer space. This poses a problem for the students who have to work late or
walk across campus from the lot they have been assigned to. This raises
concern for the possibilities of hit and run accidents, kidnappings, assaults,
rapes, and even murder. There are so few spots, despite the fact that many
students have petitioned.
SOLUTION – Many Issues, One Idea
There are many issues that make this parking problem particularly difficult. First,
Texas Tech University simply does not have the budget to build a bigger lot or a
parking facility close to the law school. Second, as the years go on, the number
of students enrolled continues to increase. This causes the issue of lack of
parking to increase in importance. Third, as more classes are offered, students
have to stay later and later at school. This causes an increase in the number of
students staying after dark.
All of these issues combine to make the parking problem very important to try to
solve. Students need more spots available. What the law school needs is some
way to increase the number of parking near the facility without spending a lot of
time or money.
Our group has one idea for accomplishing this. We will suggest using the
dormitory parking lot across the street from the law school. Even on weekdays
when students are at school, the dormitory lot is never full. With luck, just a
simple switch in lot use could increase the number of students able to park closer
to the law school.
MILESTONES – Assignment Deadlines
There are two types of deadlines that we will need to meet for this proposal
project. The first is the list of assignment deadlines given in the course syllabus.
We have decided to give each member of the group primary responsibility for
each of the four different assignment deadlines. We will all contribute to each
assignment, but on person will be in charge of coordinating these contributions.
As coordinator, this person will be responsible for making sure that the
assignment is complete by the deadline and meets all the requirements
described in the assignment description.
Assignment
Deadline
Coordinator
Proposal Plan Memo
10/30/06
Krystal Hefner
Proposal Outline Memo
11/6/06
Lauren Mason
Proposal Rough Draft
11/13/06
Proposal Report
11/20/06
Michael Vandewege
Krystal Hefner
We have not yet assigned responsibility for coordinating the presentation
requirements. We will do this as soon as we have more details on our issue.
MILESTONES – Project Deadlines
The second set of deadlines that we will have to meet include the planning,
research, writing, and editing work that a good proposal report will require. Once
again, we have decided to assign primary responsibility for each task to one
group member. Although we will all contribute to each task, the coordinator will
be responsible for managing the overall effort. This management will include:
making sure other group members carry out their individual tasks, organizing a
weekly group meeting to share contributions, and turning each set of group
contributions into a solid course assignment deliverable.
The following details each group member’s specific responsibilities:
Task & Coordinator
Planning and preliminary
Details
- Brainstorm a clear proposal
problem, solution and audience
Research
Krystal Hefner
- Do preliminary research on the
scope of the problem
-
Define proposal tasks and
assign
responsibilities
-
Organize a group meeting,
write and edit planning memo
Primary research
- Contact and interview parking
services
Michael Vandewege
- Get parking spaces estimates
and cost requirements
-
Gather additional background
information on the problem
-
Organize a group meeting,
insert research info into
proposal outline, write and
edit proposal rough draft
Writing/Editing
- Draft cover letters to law school
dean and TTU parking services
Lauren Mason
- Collect and insert additional
materials like maps and pictures
-
Incorporate rough draft
assignment comments and
edit for formatting, citation
consistency, and writing style
-
Organize a group meeting,
integrate contributions into
one final draft
COMMUNICATION – Three Methods
We will communicate as a group in three ways. First, we will use in-class time to
update each other on what we’re each doing and any problems that we’re
encountering. Since we all come to class regularly, this should keep everyone
sufficiently updated on how the overall project is coming together.
Second, we will use email to communicate. This will allow each group member
to work on their own sections of the document without having to break the
document itself into many different electronic versions. In addition, group
member will be able to download the attachments went and work on the proposal
document from any computer with an internet connection. Finally, we will be able
to send personal message to each other about questions and issue that can’t
wait until the next class meeting. Each group member already checks their email
at least once daily.
Third, we will hold an in-person group meeting each week before a proposal
assignment is due. The coordinator for the particular assignment due that week
will be in charge or organizing and managing each particular meeting. In
general, each member has committed to meeting for one hour each week for the
next four weeks.
CONCLUSION – What We’ve Done and What We Need
We think that our proposal report idea is focused, clear and appropriate for a 15page report. We also think that this report would actually be useful for our
hypothetical audience. The idea we have brainstormed could really help to
alleviate the problem and possible law suits that could come from it.
We think that this problem and solution idea will fit the assignment description
and course workload. We feel this will easily fill a 15-page report, especially
since we plan to include picture, maps, a cover letter to the TTU parking services
from the Dean, an appendix with research data, and other sections. We also
think that we can research, write and edit the report in 36 hours (12 hours per
person, or 3hrs/week over the next four weeks.
Please let us know if you think that the time we have set aside will be enough.
We think we will save time and trouble by using electronic communication, rather
than waiting for the next class meeting time to exchange materials and findings.
Please let us know if you think all of these assumptions are realistic.