Instructions
1. Today, we will discuss how to fill out our project budget template:
https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/acwspring2015sece280/files/2015/05/Project-Budgets.xlsx
2. Make-up work: Several of you have not yet turned in your Letter of Inquiry assignments. Click here for instructions on that assignment.
Instructions
Today, you will be working in your groups on your proposals.
1) Blog Assignment—Proposal Outline (Due @ end of class today): Each group should talk through their proposals together and aim to have a detailed outline completed by the end of class. Please Categorize this blog post as “Proposal Outline.”
In your outline, please be as detailed as possible. Make sure to note where you need research, where you need to get quotes, what kind of images/graphics you may wish to include, and of course who is completing each portion.
Schedule of Final Days
M, 5/4: Â Studio time; outlines due
W, 5/6: Studio time; research emphasis
M, 5/11: Studio time; writing emphasis
W, 5/13: Studio time
M, 5/18: Rough Drafts due for Peer Review
W, 5/20: Final Draft Due via Assignment Uploader
Following the example of proposals we review in class, you will collaboratively create a proposal for your project. Please include the following elements in your proposal:
A. Executive Summary: Briefly summarize the project–including short paraphrases of each of the proposal components. Must not exceed 250 words/half page.
B. Statement of Need/Problem: Briefly explain the problem you are addressing, with research demonstrating the severity of the problem. You should include statistics from City Tech, quotes from fellow students and/or admin/staff, as well as research/stats from other colleges/universities in NYC and beyond. (3/4 – 1.5 pages)
C. Population to be Served: What population will be impacted by your project? Why did you choose this population to serve? What is the size of this population? (1/2 page)
D. Project Overview and Strategy: Â Provide a clear and concise description of the project, as well as the strategy that you will use to achieve your goals. Include details about any potential partnerships (IE, contractors) or collaborations necessary for completing the project. Also include comparison with other potential solutions for the problem your project is addressing, and an explanation of why your solution is the best choice. (1-2 pages)
E. Expected Barriers / Challenges: Please name the obstacles to your project’s success as well as your strategies to overcome those obstacles. (1/2 page)
F. Project Outcomes: Be specific in describing measurable and verifiable outcomes that you expect to achieve. Be reasonable here—but don’t be afraid to shoot for ambitious goals. (1/2 page)
G. Project Budget: Details TBD – I will post an Excel template for your team’s use. This will be a very rough estimate.
Note: The first example adheres closely to our format, while the second has a few more/different requirements. Both are excellent.
Proposal from Southeast Community College to Community Health Endowment of Lincoln
Today, we will work in groups to a) identify the top two potential projects for your proposal, and b) to develop a brief, 5-minute “Pitch” to present in class this Wednesday.
Meeting Minutes: From now through the end of this project, each and every time your group meets I will ask one member of your group to write down meeting minutes, covering what was discussed in your meeting, what decisions were made, and what are the next action items to be taken by each group member. Please post Meeting Minutes as a blog entry (categorize as “Meeting Minutes”).
After 15 minutes of group discussion, we will take a moment for each group to announce their top project ideas, making sure that no groups choose the same idea.
Crafting the Pitch: This will be your first component to the project. After brainstorming and choosing a problems that needs to be addressed around campus, you must decide on a solution to that problem. Obviously, you might not be able to carry out this solution on your own–the project–and your task–is to persuade your classmates and our administration that your proposed project is both necessary and  likely to succeed.Â
The pitch is simply a 5-minute presentation that your group will deliver in front of the class, explaining the the problem and your proposed solution. Only one team member is required to speak, but all team members must join the presenter in front of the class. The deliverables for this component include a script or outline and your PowerPoint file. (Please either email me the Powerpoint file or bring it to class on a flash drive).
Note: The Powerpoint presentation should consist of three slides:
Title Slide—include group member name, date, and draft title for your project
Problem Slide—A slide that highlights the problem you are addressing. Include some facts, perhaps a quote, and anything else that will illustrate the dire nature of your chosen issue.
Solution Slide—How do your propose solving this problem? What will be the main components of your solution (IE, parking lot–where would it go? Do you propose we build a new building or repurpose another space?)
The Pitch is due this Wednesday, April 22.
A — Sam, Shrehyar, Michael, Juan Lu
B — Amelia, Yishi, Vivian
C — Francisco, Marlon, Harold, Cynthia
D — Nestor, Chris M., Pratik, Juan
E — Catherine, Meredith, Carla, Luis
Networks
Parking
Elevators
Academic Advising
Availability in Core Classes — Summer
Lack of Communication / Financial Aid
Support for Full-time students
Support for Commuting
Gym / Pool
Sports
Career Services
Computer workstations — graphic design
Evening Tutoring Services
Library Resources — keep up to date
Residential Services
Software up to date & available to students at home
Social Opportunities
Class Sizes
Class Offerings
Quality of Instruction
Book Store — book $
Quality of Instruction / Teacher Evaluation — students should create questionnaires
In-Class Assignment, Monday & Wednesday: While your classmates meet with me, I will ask you to launch in on a business letter assignment—a letter of inquiry requesting permission to submit a full request for funding from a NYC non-profit based on web research.
Today and Wednesday, we will split up into small groups (of 3 or 4) to research and deliver brief presentations & one page reports on NYC-based tech and media companies.
Led by a group leader (I will choose this person randomly), each group must choose one company to focus on. Â The group leader’s responsibility is to ensure all work is done by the end of day Thursday, and that all group members share this work equally.
A — Sam, Shrehyar, Michael, Juan Lu
B — Amelia, Yishi, Vivian
C — Francisco, Marlon, Harold, Cynthia
D — Nestor, Chris M., Pratik, Juan
E — Catherine, Meredith, Carla, Luis
If your group already has a company in mind, great! But, to further research NYC-based tech firms, visit these sites & articles:
Your reports must be posted as a blog by the end of class on Wednesday.
Your reports should include the following information about the company:
Founder/Co-Founders: Who founded the company? Are they still involved in day to day operations?
Office/Headquarters: Where is the company located? Do they have a single headquarters, or do they have locations throughout the country/world?
Investors: Who invested in the company when it was in its start up phase?
Products/Services: Â What does the company offer its users/subscribers? Services, products, consumer goods?
Method of Making Money: Â How does your company make money? Through advertising, subscribers, royalties, affiliate purchases, lead generation, selling data, or freemium payment models? Describe in detail.
Revenue: How much revenue did company earn in 2014? (Find the most recently available data. This might be difficult.)
Target Customers: Â Who are the target customers for this company?
How many current users/customers, etc: How many customers do they currently have?
How does the company advertise its product/services?
Competitors/Competitive Advantage: What companies offer services/products that compete with your chosen company? What sets your chosen company apart from its competitors?
Works Cited: You must document all the websites and articles you use to find the above information. Simply include a list of websites at the end of the blog post.
6:00 – 6:40: Â Group Work
6:40: Â Team members submit work to group leaders
7:15: Â Group leaders submit blog post, categorized as “Group Reports on NYC Tech Companies”
Today, we will review one another’s Cover Letters in class.
We will have two rounds of review—in other words, each of your letters will be reviewed at least twice in class today.
Round 1 (6:00 – 6:25) — Find your first peer review partner & their cover letter blog post.
Round 2 (6:25 – 6:50) — Find another peer review partner & their cover letter blog post.
End of Class: Discussion
For each round, follow these steps:
1. Find your partner, and locate their post on the Open Lab.
2. You’ll be writing your review comments as a reply to their post. Being “nice” is important in this process, but being critical is important too. So without being heartless and cruel, make your comments as honest and as detailed as you can so that your comments are useful for revision.
3. Respond to these questions about the cover letter you are reviewing.
HW for Wednesday: Read: Project Management and Organizing Teams (from the Professional and Technical Writing WikiBook)
NOTE: I’ll have your resumes & cover letter comments to you on Wednesday. Your final drafts of cover letters and resumes will now be due next Monday, 3/16, via our Assignment Uploader.
Reading Focus: Which items on the checklist seem most important to you?
Interview Schedule:
6:25 to 6:40—B’s interview A’s (B’s: First take a moment to review the job listing as well as your partner’s resume)
6:40—B’s provide A’s with feedback based on checklist
6:45 to 7:00—A’s interview B’s (A’s: First take a moment to review the job listing as well as your partner’s resume)
7:00—A’s provide B’s with feedback based on checklist
4. Â Wrap Up: What were your strengths and weaknesses in this interview process? How can you improve? Are there items on the Evaluation Checklist and Job Interview Tips that you could focus on?
1. Reply to this post with a comment:Â Begin by reviewing this guide to the 31 most common interview questions:Â https://www.themuse.com/advice/how-to-answer-the-31-most-common-interview-questions
Then, respond to this blog post with a comment. Please identify which question you think would have most difficulty answering (and why) and which question you would be most confident in answering (and why).
Note: On Wednesday, we will conduct an interview exercise in class. Come prepared to speak aloud, and ready to answer some questions in front of your peers!
2. You will have most of our class time to work on your cover letters, which are due this Wednesdsay, March 4 (before class). You may enter this cover letter as a blog entry.
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