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Harvard Extension School EXPO E34: Business Rhetoric Section 1 (5:30PM-7:30PM). Instructor: Julie Anne McNary Please check your Elluminate Audio Wizard ; We will begin at 5:30PM. Harvard University Extension School Spring Semester 2011. Expo E34: Business Rhetoric.
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Harvard Extension SchoolEXPO E34: Business Rhetoric Section 1 (5:30PM-7:30PM) Instructor: Julie Anne McNary Please check your Elluminate Audio Wizard; We will begin at 5:30PM.
Harvard University Extension SchoolSpring Semester 2011 Expo E34: Business Rhetoric
Section 1; Monday evenings, 5:30PM – 7:30PM Online WebConference Via Elluminate Software Website:http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k78794 Elluminate Room: https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?password=M.65B4AE7294DC8656F141580FCCB3C8&sid=2007009
Your Instructor: Julie Anne McNary B.A., Wellesley College, 1994 English Literature M.Ed., Harvard Graduate School of Education, 1995 Language and Literacy MA/M.F.A, University of Utah, 1998 British & American Literature and Creative WritingCell Phone: (617) 233-7532 – no calls after 10PM – Voicemail during business hoursjmcnary@post.harvard.edu
Class Schedule • New Syllabusand schedule • Final Drafts of CEO report due Wednesday night, 3/7, at midnight. Unless absolutely necessary, I will not be able to comment on second drafts, so please stay after class if you were one of the very few people to whom I suggested this as an option… • Introduction to the Second Graded Assignment – The Proposal – to be worked on during our upcoming break. • New Assignments: Proposal Cover Letter, due next Monday, 3/12, at midnight and Proposal Executive Summary and outline, due Monday, 3/12. • Sample Proposals Exercise • Sign up for conferences with your instructor next week, 3/12-3/13.
Second Graded Assignment - Proposal • 7-10 pages • A proposal is a document written to persuade readers that what is proposed will benefit them by fulfilling a need, or solving a problem; • In this assignment, your job is to outline the specific need or problem in question, and convince your readers that you have the answer thereto; • Your proposal most likely will include a cover letter to a specific audience, title page, table of contents, executive summary, introduction, background information, body sections, and conclusion; • It may also include a cost analysis, delivery schedule or work plan, staffing chart, appendix, glossary, and bibliography. It may also include chart(s), graph(s), workflow diagram(s), photograph(s)and/or other visual aid(s).
A proposal arguing that flexible hours, telecommuting, or employee daycare facilities at your place of work would improve productivity and morale; A proposal arguing for that an additional FTE in your department is justified for three specific reasons; A proposal arguing that your institution should purchase new fundraising software to improve the tracking of donor behavior; A proposal arguing that after school activities should be extended at your child’s school; A proposal arguing that your gym should stock more treadmills; A proposal arguing that your neighborhood watch should be able to request police backup at certain hours of the day, or at certain events, etc. A proposal to your family that you should switch cell phone service from ATT to Verizon… A proposal to your Town Hall that they pay for recycling to be picked up at your condominium complex. A proposal to the City of Mumbai’s Transit Authority that a implementing a bicycle renting program will be a benefit to all. Examples of Potential Proposals
Key Parts of Your Proposal • Engaging and rhetorically astute cover letter to the most specific audience you can find. • Attractive, but conservative, title page • Well-formatted table of contents • Executive summary – MOST IMPORTANT part! • Body sections that are appropriate, and not repetitive • Conclusion that looks at the bigger picture • Appropriate appendices and attachments
Cover Letter • Make sure to choose the most specific audience you can; • Very briefly summarize proposal; • Cite the three key benefits thereto; • Cite any key objections that might arise, and then refute them • Ask the recipient to approve, fund, clear, etc. your proposal • Provide contact information for follow-up.
A Word About Executive Summaries • A clear, direct, audience-specific, “elevator pitch” summary of the proposal and thesis (why we should care); • Free of jargon, complicated explanations, etc.; • Should be clear and understandable by those who will not read the whole proposal.
Sample Proposals Exercise – 30 min. • Please go to our iSite and download the three samples I have provided in the file entitled “Sample Proposals” • Please read the samples, rate them on a scale of A-E, and come back prepared to discuss. • When you return to the room, please enter your rating for Sample 1 to start.
At Home Writing Assignment – Proposal – 20 minutes – at home • Consider the various discourse communities in which you play a role: work, school, civic, home, etc.; • Determine which one you would like to address in your proposal; • Brainstorm about the most compelling, but also realistic, problem or need that you would like to address in that discourse community; • Consider ALL discourse community members, but then focus on one person to whom you will directly address this proposal; • Write a very brief, 3-5 line paragraph in which you present the subject of your preliminary proposal. I will choose a small group to share with the class.
Writing Exercise – Proposal Cover letter, Executive Summary, and Outline – Due in the Dropbox on 3/12 Read WtW Chapter 13 – Proposals; Unless you are committed to writing a sales or grant proposal, please feel free to consider this a general persuasive proposal focused on a problem or need at your place of work, or in the discourse community (social, charitable, familial, etc.) of your choice; Using the example on WtW p. 323, please write a brief cover letter introducing your proposal to the appropriate audience; Then, to the best of your ability, write a brief, but content-rich, executive summary. Then, outline your proposal from your brief executive summary through to your conclusion. Remember to consider counter arguments, and how you might answer them. Finally, please prepare a 30-second verbal pitch of your proposal to be shared with the class next week.
Sign up for Conferences • Monday, 3/13 • 6:00PM • 6:30PM • 7:00PM • 7:30PM • 8:00PM • 8:30PM • 9:00PM • Tuesday, 3/14 • 7:00AM • 7:30AM • 8:00AM • 8:30AM • Tuesday, 3/14 • 6:00PM • 6:30PM • 7:00PM • 7:30PM • 8:00PM • 8:30PM • 9:00PM As before, please enter three different and specific times – don’t forget AM/PM – that work for you into the chat box, and I will schedule as I can…if you are unable to meet at these times, I will find a few alternatives.