Weekly outline

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  • 11 January - 17 January

    Week 1—Tuesday (Ross 120)
    Topic: Introduction to course; review syllabus and policy document; discuss Diagnostic Memo.

    Week 1—Thursday (Ross 37)
    Topic: Introduction to the computer lab; the genre of proposals; identifying problems and opportunities; discuss Unit #1: Individual Report and Proposal. Read: Chapters 1 and 2. Assignment: The Diagnostic Memo is due on Friday night before midnight.

  • 18 January - 24 January

    Week 2—Tuesday (Ross 120)
    Topic: The rhetorical situation. Read: Chapter 3. (Please review the ongoing scenarios about the Cool Campus Project and Overture Designs in chapters 1–3. We will be discussing them in class.) Assignment: Before class on Tuesday, contact your potential client to get approval to conduct this project in his/her organization.

    Week 2—Thursday (Ross 37)
    Topic: Describing the current situation; conducting primary research; Unit #1 drafting workshop. Read: Chapter 4. Assignment: Complete the Unit #1 Invention Exercise before class and bring an electronic copy of the file to the lab.

  • 25 January - 31 January

    Week 3—Tuesday (Ross 120)
    Topic: Developing a plan; review details of Unit #1 Situation Report. Read: Chapter 5.

    Week 3—Thursday (Ross 37)
    Topic: Describing qualifications; situation report peer critique workshop. Read: Chapter 6. Assignment: Unit #1 Situation Report due at the beginning of class. Please bring an electronic version of your completed Situation Report for use in our workshop.

  • 1 February - 7 February

    Week 4—Tuesday (Ross 120)
    Topic: Qualifications, costs, and benefits; discuss Unit #1 Rough Draft assignment Read: Chapter 7. Assignment: Finish reviewing the suggestions made by your classmates on your Unit #1 Situation Report, and update that document; begin developing the Plan/Methods section of your Unit #1 proposal.

    Week 4—Thursday (Ross 37)
    Topic: Document layout and design; analyzing visual documents; document design workshop. Read: Chapters 10. Assignment: Bring an electronic copy of your in-progress Unit #1 proposal, which should include a Current Situation section and a Plan/Methods section.

  • 8 February - 14 February

    Week 5—Tuesday (Ross 120)
    Topic: Writing with style; analyzing visual documents Read: Chapter 9 Assignment: Briefly review the Unit #1 Example Proposals linked below. (You don't need to print these out or bring them to class.)

    Week 5—Thursday (Ross 37)
    Topic: Charts, tables, and graphics; document design workshop Read: Chapter 11 Assignment: Unit #1 Rough Draft (including all sections, introduction, and conclusion) due.

  • 15 February - 21 February

    Week 6—Tuesday (Ross 120)
    Topic: Revising and polishing proposals; review for midterm test (given next Tuesday) Read: Chapter 12, plus both Example Proposals (starting on page 235)

    Week 6—Thursday (Ross 37)
    Topic: Finishing touches workshop; peer review exercise Assignment: Bring an electronic copy AND a print copy of your proposal to the lab.

  • 22 February - 28 February

    Week 7—Tuesday (Ross 120)
    Topic: Midterm exam. Assignment: Prepare for the test using the Midterm Review Document we created in class; complete the Teaming Inventory Worksheet and bring the summary page of that document with you to class.

    Week 7—Thursday (Ross 37)
    Topic: Discuss Unit #2: Grant Proposal, Unit #3: Presentation of Grant Proposal, and Funder Research Report Assignment: Unit #1 final draft due at the beginning of class. Bring a paper copy of the final proposal (including all primary research materials) and upload an electronic copy of the proposal using the Unit #1: Individual Report and Proposal link.

  • 1 March - 7 March

    Week 8—Tuesday (Ross 120)
    Topic: Business proposals vs. grant proposals; finding the right funding source; team meetings. Read: CFDA Grant Guide and CPB Grant Writing Tips (both linked below) Assignment: Begin working on your Funder Research Report; team contracts (signed by all members of your team) are due at the beginning of class.

    Week 8—Thursday (Ross 37)
    Topic: Collaborative writing tools; staying organized; Funder Research Report workshop; team meetings.

  • 8 March - 14 March

    Week 9—Tuesday (Ross 120, or a more convenient location for your team)
    Topic: Review all Funder Research Reports with your team, then work to select a specific RFP for your Unit #2 proposal. Assignment: Upload your Funder Research Report (and a copy to the Funder Research Report Forum) by 10:00 a.m. Important: Your graded Unit #1 proposals will be distributed at 11:00 a.m. in Ross 120; after you pick up your proposal, your team can move to a more convenient location.

    Week 9—Thursday (Team Meetings as Needed)
    Topic: Quinn will be at a conference this day, so your team has the discretion about when/whether to meet. Assignment: Before you leave for spring break, make specific assignments to each member of your team. Remember, your team must submit a specific RFP for approval as soon as we return from spring break.

  • 15 March - 21 March

    SPRING BREAK — NO CLASSES

  • 22 March - 28 March

    Week 11—Tuesday (Ross 120)
    Topic: Interpreting RFPs; outlining and drafting the grant proposal; developing budgets. Read: Chapter 8. Assignment: Select a specific RFP for your team's Unit #2 project and bring a printed copy of the RFP to class.

    Week 11—Thursday (Ross 37)
    Topic: Team workshop; team meetings with Quinn. Assignment: The first draft of the situation section will be due at the end of class. (TRANSLATION: bring whatever your team has written so far and have it accessible in electronic format.)

  • 29 March - 4 April

    Week 12—Tuesday (Ross 120)
    Topic: PowerPoint and oral presentations. Read: The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint (print and bring to class) and the two Presentation Zen articles (you don't need to print these).

    Week 12—Thursday (Ross 37)
    Topic: Green Team, Red Team review exercise; drafting workshop; team conferences with Quinn. Assignment: Unit #2 rough draft due at the end of class. (This draft should include a complete situation and plan section. Shoot for approximately 10 double-spaced pages.)

  • 5 April - 11 April

    Week 13—Tuesday (Ross 120)
    Topic: PowerPoint strategies; developing PowerPoint storyboards; team meetings with Quinn to discuss Unit #1 rough drafts.

    Week 13—Thursday (Ross 37)
    Topic: Translating storyboards into PowerPoint slides; PowerPoint workshop; Assignment: Unit #2 second draft (complete draft) due at the end of class.

  • 12 April - 18 April

    Week 14—Tuesday (Ross 420)
    Topic: Team workshops in the 4th floor lab; conferences with Quinn in Ross 120 (Team 2 at 11:00; Team 4 at 11:40). Assignment: If your conference is today, come prepared to review your Unit #3 storyboards and discuss your Unit #2 proposal. Otherwise, spend the time in Ross 420 working on your PowerPoint presentation and/or finalizing your Word document.

    Week 14—Thursday (Ross 420)
    Topic: Team workshops in the 4th floor lab; conferences with Quinn in Ross 37 (Team 1 at 11:00; Team 3 at 11:40). Assignment: If your conference is today, come prepared to review your Unit #3 storyboards and discuss your Unit #2 proposal. Otherwise, spend the time in Ross 420 working on your PowerPoint presentation and/or finalizing your Word document.

  • 19 April - 25 April

    Week 15—Tuesday (Ross 120)
    Topic: Unit #2 finishing touches workshop; discuss final memo assignment. Assignment: Bring one printed copy of your Unit #2 proposal to class.

    Week 15—Thursday (Ross 37)
    Topic: PowerPoint finishing touches workshop. Assignment: Unit #2 final draft is due at the beginning of class. Be prepared to submit print and electronic versions. (If you have multiple documents—forms, appendices, etc.—bring electronic versions of them to class and we will combine them in class using Acrobat Professional.)

  • 26 April - 2 May

    Week 16—Tuesday (Ross 120)
    Topic: Oral presentations by Team 1 and Team 4.

    Week 16—Thursday (Ross 37)
    Topic: Oral presentations by Team 2 and Team 3. Course wrap-up; instructor evaluations. Assignment: Unit #3 final draft is due for all teams at the end of class. If your PowerPoint file it too big to upload, please bring it on a flash drive.

  • 3 May - 9 May

    Week 17: Finals Week
    Assignment: Submit your final memo online before our scheduled course final. We will not meet as a class during the final time period. Important: The final memo is due no later than 11:45 a.m. on Tuesday, May 5. Memos received after this deadline will not be graded.