Assignment #1 Routine Messages

Due date: You must deliver your completed assignment via the Turnitin function available on UR Courses
This assignment requires you to draft and assess professional messages. Formatting requirements are provided below.
* A title page is not required, simply indicate the following information at the top of the first page of your document:
Name and student number
Abbreviated course title (ENGG 123)
Name and number of the assignment (Assignment #1 Routine Messages)
* Number each of your answers according to task number and present them in numerical order. Do not repeat the questions, that would be

redundant.
* Use single spacing, since we want our memos to conform to a real world format.
* Do not invent facts that are not included in the scenarios provided unless such facts can be reasonably assumed as compatible with

the scenario from the perspective of a conventional professional setting.
* You may use a brief “Note to reader” to provide a brief explanation of your style and formatting choices.
None of your answers, including any Note to reader you might include, should be longer then 1.5 pages.
Tasks 1 and 2 scenario
Tasks 1 and 2, request memos, require you to write emails based on the following scenario.
You are a student in Professor Bill Jones’s Chemistry 303. There is a midterm exam worth 20% of the term grade scheduled for February

9. You are taking five classes and are swamped with work, and are feeling the stress. You have two additional midterms during the same

week. You know you would have a better chance of obtaining good grades on all three exams if they were spread out over two weeks.
You are aware of the following conditions:
* Professor Jones does not allow additional sittings for his midterms;
* unless an exception is made, if you miss the midterm you lose 20% of the grade;
* the university has been stressing the importance of managing student stress and appears to be anxious to reduce anxiety levels, and;
* scheduling an additional exam and exam sitting will cause the professor to perform a non-routine task.
Task 1 Direct request
Use a direct email message format to request a one week deferral for the Chem. 303 midterm exam.
Be sure to include all of the components of a standard email memo (e.g., coordinates, subject line, valediction, etc.).

Task 2 Indirect Request
Use an indirect email message format to request a one week deferral for the Chem. 303 midterm. In your message provide a reasonable

suggestion for how any extra effort required by the Professor could be minimized, should the request be granted.
Task 3 Scenario Request Rejection
For this task assume you are a third-year engineering student with an excellent academic record. The Dean of Engineering, Professor

Helen Smith, has written you a memo inviting you to participate in a prestigious Canadian engineering students’ team competition; The

Canadian Innovation Challenge is an annual competition. This year’s event will be held in Toronto. According to the Dean’s message, the

U of R team will consist of ten students who have demonstrated academic ability and an aptitude for innovation. Unfortunately, your

brother Jason is getting married over the same weekend as the competition. You would like to be involved in the competition but will

not miss the wedding.
Task 3
Your task is to draft an email message informing Dean Smith of your situation and decision. One of your principal purposes is to retain

the goodwill of the dean.
Task 4 Scenario
You are a first year engineering student and are somewhat troubled by the fact that you have never actually met a professional engineer

and are not really sure what a career in engineering entails. You would like to find out. To that end you have decided to compose an

email letter and send it to the manager of a professional engineering firm with an office located in Regina. Finding a firm and

identifying its manager will require you to do a bit of research. The purpose of this letter is to get a personal (face-to-face)

meeting with a professional engineer at which you hope to garner the sort of information you require.
Task 4 External request letter
Draft an external message making the request described in the scenario. Provide a note to reader indicating why you chose the format

and vehicle you selected for the message.
Task 5 Editing scenario
For this task you are required to proofread and rewrite an email message. The message was drafted to meet the objectives described in

the following scenario. The Engineering Students Society has sent out invitations to students for a welcome week event at the start of

the semester. The event will be held at the Owl on the evening of Friday January 15. There will be free snacks and one free bar ticket.

The Students’ Society asked for an RSVP so they can anticipate how much snack food to order. The student who wrote the message, Alex

Smith, is a friend of yours and has asked you to take a look at the “in your face” response she has produced. You have determined that

the message is not very professional and could damage Alex’s goodwill status within the faculty. You have composed an alternative

message for Alex. You have told her, “If you really don’t want to go to the event and feel compelled to say so, this is what you should

say.”
Task 5 editing
For this task you are required to rewrite Alex’s message using the principles of effective professional communications. Remember

building and maintaining goodwill are important professional goals. You are free to retain or remove any or all of Alex’s original

copy.

January 11, 2015
From: Alex Smith
To: Engineering Students Society
CC: Dean of Engineering
Subject: Waste of my time and money
Dear Student Society,
Unlike some students, I take my studies seriously. I don’t waste time drinking and partying on Friday nights because I am busy

studying. Some of us recognize the importance of grades and are striving to be quality professionals.
Furthermore, I do not approve of money I have been forced to contribute to student fees being wasted on frivolous social events. I

don’t recall giving permission to use my fees to buy people booze. I thoroughly disapprove of this event and have copied this message

to the Dean of Engineering in the hope that this sort of activity is prevented in the future.
So, regarding your question, NO, I won’t be wasting my time by attending your event. You won’t have to blow student funds purchasing

snacks for me.
Sincerely,
Alex Smith
Student
University of Regina Faculty of Engineering.

Grading system for communications assignments
Percentages Thematic categories
30 Effective structure/format: Effective use of the structures, format models and concepts presented in the course. Were all of

the assigned tasks performed? Were the required formatting parameters followed? Were course concepts properly employed? Is appropriate

referencing employed? Is the paper organized in a usefully systematic fashion (e.g., appropriate use of headings and subheadings)?
30 Effective reasoning: Logical application of course concepts to the task at hand. Cogent well-structured, logical argumentation.

Effective use and analysis of evidence. The capacity to think critically about course related issues and problems and arrive at logical

conclusions. Special notice for thinking outside the box (useful novelty).
40 Effective writing: Concise, coherent writing with the appropriate tone and style; clean error-free copy; Significant penalties

will be incurred for incoherent, ambiguous, or extremely awkward sentences which affect meaning and readability.
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