read Chapter 19 (Technical Definitions). You must also be familiar with memo formatting from Chapter 15

(Memos).
1) Read through the following case studies (found on pages 3-8 of this assignment prompt), and choose
the one appropriate to your major. If none of the studies apply to you, or if you do not yet have the
knowledge necessary to tackle the case study for your major, choose the Default Case Study.

2) Write a memo to your instructor (Colin Tangeman), who is not a specialist in your field. Name me in
the TO: of the header. However, the language of the memo will be written to the individual described in
your case study; for example, the grandmother, the owner of the construction company, the technical writer,
etc.

3) In the body of your memo, you will define your list of terms in the form of sentence definitions.
Sentence definitions are written as complete grammatical structures—full sentences—and they include three
parts: item, class, and distinguishing features. Examples and explanations for sentence definitions are on
pages 435-436.
When writing your definitions, DO NOT use the Internet, textbooks, dictionaries, or any outside resource of
any sort. Use your own words from your own brain. If you use a definition that is not entirely of your own
creation as part of this assignment,

DEFAULT CASE STUDY

My grandmother Mary Ellen has decided to get a computer, so she can communicate with all her grandchildren
on a more regular basis. She’s never had a computer before, but she’s a good typist. She has also taken many
Leisure Learning courses since her retirement from her career as a third-grade teacher, so she is used to
picking up new ideas quickly.

In your memo, define the following terms and concepts for her. Mary Ellen is the audience for your memo;
however, you will be addressing the memo to me in the memo header.

PC
Mac
Hardware
Software
RAM
Operating System
Internet
Webpage
Flashdrive
iPad
Email
Desktop
COMPUTER ENGINEERING AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS CASE STUDY

You have contracted with a local construction management firm to upgrade their offices to a high-speed LAN.
You need to convey the following information to help your client decide between a wireless or wired LAN.

Wireless LANs and wired LANs operate in much the same way at the physical level. That is, they both use
electrical energy to transmit data. One encodes its data upon an electrical impulse in a wire, and the other
encodes it upon a radio or light wave. With a waveform, the amount of data which can be transmitted is
theoretically, directly proportional to the frequency of the wave. For example, if a particular piece of
switching equipment in a transmitter is capable of encoding (modulating) one bit of data per cycle, then a
wavelength with a frequency of 10 kHz (ten thousand cycles per second) is going to carry ten times as much
data as a wavelength having a frequency of 1 kHz in the same period of time. This holds true for as long as
the switching equipment can match the frequency. Some modulating methods make it possible to encode up to 4
bits on a single cycle. Considering this and the high frequencies available, wireless LANs have the
potential to transmit data at very high speeds. The characteristics of a wave change with respect to the
rate of frequency change. The higher the frequency, the more the wave takes on the properties of light and
the more it is absorbed or reflected. This has a number of implications; the main one being the fact that as
the frequency increases the range of the LAN decreases due to the greater attenuation of the signal. Also,
the equipment used to transmit and receive radio waves begins to strike some physical limitations as the
frequency increases, so there is an upper limit to its practical application. There is a wide frequency
range which could potentially be used for wireless LAN communication. The range from about 200 kHz,
through the microwave range, all the way up to the top of the infrared range at around 200 THz could be
utilized.

Which terms and concepts will need to be defined for your client? List and define them in your memo. When
writing your definitions, DO NOT use the Internet, textbooks, dictionaries, or any outside resource of any
sort. Use your own words.

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT CASE STUDY

A museum in the Museum District of Houston was losing money year after year and was in danger of closing
because it lacked the ability to attract new customers. The museum had not undergone any recent capital
improvement because of its lack of funding. This museum is a publicly funded, not-for-profit organization.
After a desperate plea from the board of directors to the state government, $900,000 was allocated to cover
construction costs for an expansion project. The budget was not flexible, and no additional money was
available from other sources. Because the money came from public funding, the delivery system was restricted
to design-bid-build so that a fair competition would be held and the owner would receive a fair price.

To attract new customers, the expansion that was proposed included additional space for artwork as well as
for a cafeteria. A local designer proposed an artistically expansive addition, which contrasted with the
existing bland 30-year-old functional structure. The design specified glass, colored ceramics stone, and
large spans—exactly the opposite of what existed—with the intent of changing the image of the museum. As a
result of the design-bid-build process, the design and drawings were prepared without any involvement of the
contractor. The estimate submitted by the designer met the $900,000 budget requirement on paper, but
everyone involved up to this point focused more on the look than on the reality of cost and budget. The
design was completed and publicly bid, under state regulations. Bidders picked up drawings and submitted
bids, and the intention was that the award would go to the lowest bidder. Four bids came in, at $1.2, $1.25,
$1.4 and $1.5 million. The procurement process was successful in the sense that there was ample competition,
and the bids were relatively close for the design, but the money was not available to award the project to
the lowest bidder at $1.2 million.

At this point the owner hired an additional consultant (you) who was knowledgeable in construction to
overcome the owner’s lack of familiarity with construction. Which terms will the owner need explained? List
and define them in your memo. When writing your definitions, DO NOT use the Internet, textbooks,
dictionaries, or any outside resource of any sort. Use your own words.

MECHANICAL TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDY

You received the following email from a manager, concerning AutoCAD. You’ve asked your in-house technical
writer to respond to the email with some documentation, but he doesn’t understand some of the terms.

“After spending a lot of time creating a particular dynamic block, I realized that the order of custom
properties of this block as shown in the Properties Palette is not organized in an optimal order. For
example I have ‘Cabinet Width’ at the top of the custom properties list, and ‘Cabinet Height’ way down near
the bottom. This is going to make my Cad operators hunt around too much for the property they need to
adjust. The apparent order is by creation – first created custom property is listed first, last created is
shown last. I really don’t want to remake this dynamic block just to get the properties in a logical order.
I was wondering if it is possible to reorder the custom properties as shown in the properties palette? Any
ideas? Perhaps an AutoLisp solution?”

In your memo, list and define the terms and concepts your technical writer will need to complete the
in-house documentation. When writing your definitions, DO NOT use the Internet, textbooks, dictionaries, or
any outside resource of any sort. Use your own words.

LOGISTICS TECHNOLOGY CASE STUDY

You are consulting a small company in Houston about their logistics needs and they have requested a seminar
on Just-in-Time manufacturing. You must convey the following information to them:

“Analysis indicated that JIT: (1) improves supplier operations, (2) enhances transportation operations with
respect to inbound carriers, (3) reduces the level and improves the management of inventories, (4) does not
cause overall inbound logistics costs to increase, and (5) increases the quality and performance of inbound
logistics.”

In your memo, list and define the concepts that your client will need to understand. When writing your
definitions, DO NOT use the Internet, textbooks, dictionaries, or any outside resource of any sort. Use your
own words.

ELECTRICAL POWER CASE STUDY
You are applying for a job at a large corporation and are in an interview with a Human Resources
representative with little background in your field, who asks you about your education. You must convey to
him the information in this paragraph.

Students completing a major in Electrical Power Technology receive a strong foundation in measurement
systems, analog and digital signal conditioning, microprocessor hardware and software, industrial
electronics, and rotating machinery. Students have the opportunity to select additional coursework in
control systems, electrical power, or a combination of both. Although analog electronics remain important,
one of the newest and fastest growing areas is in the application of computers for control; this may be
control within some manufactured product or control of some manufacturing process. The manufacturers of
electrical systems and machines need electrical power technologists who are familiar with machines and
machine controls, both traditional and computer-controlled. The electrical industry provides and controls
the transformers, motors, generators, switch gear, and protection equipment required to power homes,
businesses, and industries. Electrical power technologists plan electrical systems and modifications to
existing electrical systems that generate and use large amounts of electricity required for distribution
networks that are economical, safe, and functional.

Which terms and concepts will the HR rep need defined? List and define them in your memo. When writing your
definitions, DO NOT use the Internet, textbooks, dictionaries, or any outside resource of any sort. Use your
own words.
Read chapter 18 of your textbook before you complete this three-part assignment.

1) Find a job listing that interests you and relates to your educational or employment background; this
may include an internship or a dream job at IBM or Boeing. You can find job postings through Monster.com,
the UH Career Center database, the Houston Chronicle classifieds, or any of the venues recommended by your
textbook in the section, Explore Online Resources on page 404.

When you turn in the final copy of your assignment, include the job announcement with it.

2) Write a persuasive résumé in appropriate format. Consider whether you should have a reverse
chronological, functional, or combination résumé, and organize your résumé accordingly. *Please refer to the
folder (Resume Handouts) under current links on Blackboard for samples and advice on effective strategies
for drafting your résumé.
3) Write a persuasive job application letter (cover letter) to accompany your résumé.

A successful résumé will:
Display appropriate, attractive, professional format and style.
Emphasize your strongest skills through the organization of résumé parts (career objective,
education, work experience, etc.).
Use action verbs to highlight skills and accomplishments.
Be free of errors in grammar and mechanics.
Résumés with more than 3 proof-reading errors will not be eligible for an A.
Demonstrate clarity, concision, and fluency.
Include an attached job listing.

A successful cover letter will:
Refer to the name of an employee in the company, if possible.
Refer to the source of your information (Monster.com, UH Career Center, etc.).
Refer to the job title and describe in detail how your qualifications fit the requirements.
Use the body of the letter to build interest and to persuade the employer to hire you.
Motivate action in its closing.
Demonstrate clarity, concision, and fluency.
Avoid errors in grammar, mechanics, and style.
Read Chapter 24 (Proposals) before completing this project. In addition, review the website for the
Community-Campus Partnership for Health (CCPH). http://depts.washington.edu/ccph/.
Using the background information provided below, write a grant proposal asking for a CCPH Award. The length
of the grant will be a minimum of two-pages of single-spaced text. *This does not include your structured
abstract, or any graphs, charts, or tables. The structured abstract should be included on its own separate
page, and comes immediately after the Table of Contents.

Your proposal will have these following sections, each of which is defined at the end of this assignment
sheet. 1) Cover Page/Table of Contents; 2) Structured Abstract; 3) Overview; 4) Background; 5) Statement of
Problem; 6) Plan, Method, and Schedule 7) Feasibility 8)Staffing; 9) Budget; and 10) Conclusion; 10) Works
Cited.

Use the funding proposal for the SMU Torch on p. 606 as a basic model for your own project. Remember, these
are only models and should not restrict your own creative ideas or organizational plan. In addition, I have
provided two students samples on Blackboard.

What am I doing? Summary of Grant Proposal

You will be writing a grant proposal requesting start-up funds for an original organization that you would
like to create. Your organization (imagine an original name and acronym) must meet the CCPH criteria—the
CCPH is the non-profit group that would potentially reward you with the funding. (See next page for links
to CCPH and description of its values).

1) Your organization must be based out of an academic university (probably an appropriate department in
the University of Houston) and will be addressing a problem in the local community. You must identity and
describe your community and provide compelling data (research) on the nature of the problem, and offer
methods on how it could be alleviated or resolved. As a result, you will then describe the practical service
that your organization would offer and how it is uniquely designed to offer assistance to the community.

Here is an example of an actual organization that meets the CCPH criteria and would (hypothetically) qualify
for funding: Cougars for Kids. http://www.tech.uh.edu/cougarsforkids/ .

This organization is based out of the University of Houston’s College of Technology and relies upon student
volunteers and faculty mentors to function. Its chosen community are children in Houston area hospitals who
are admitted to extended care facilities, and often fall behind in school, suffer from emotional stress, and
benefit from the attention of college-age students who visit the children at the hospital. The services our
UH students offer include academic tutoring, guided recreation, mentoring and companionship.

Background on CCPH:
The Community-Campus Partnership for Health promotes health (broadly defined) through partnerships between
communities and higher education institutions. The intent of the CCPH award is to highlight the power and
potential of community-campus partnerships as a strategy for social justice. The award recognizes
partnerships that are striving to achieve the systems and policy changes needed to overcome the root causes
of health, social and economic inequalities.

As a grant writer for your organization you will be writing a persuasive grant proposal that presents a
realistic project that’s in need of funding. You will be applying to the CCPH with the purpose of being
chosen to receive the annual CCPH Award.

? Review the criteria and principles for the CCPH Award at the following link:

http://depts.washington.edu/ccph/pdf_files/Award09guidelines.pdf

? Past award recipients:

http://depts.washington.edu/ccph/awardsrecipients.html.

The Community-Campus Partnership for Health promotes health through partnerships between communities and
higher education institutions. The intent of the CCPH award is to highlight the power and potential of
community-campus partnerships as a strategy for social justice. The award recognizes partnerships that are
striving to achieve the systems and policy changes needed to overcome the root causes of health, social and
economic inequalities.

As a grant writer for your organization you will be writing a persuasive grant proposal that presents a
realistic project that’s in need of funding. You will be applying to the CCPH with the purpose of being
chosen to receive the annual CCPH Award.

FUNDING AMOUNT: There is no exact dollar amount, but the range should include projects that range from 10s
of thousands of dollars to more substantial projects that might require a few hundred thousand (LIMIT:
under half a million). Consider the CCPH award to be start-up money for your organization for a
single-year. Don’t worry about the resources required to sustain the project—questions of sustainability
will be addressed through the application of future grants.

Write your proposal with the CCPH’s principles and intent clearly in mind:

http://depts.washington.edu/ccph/pdf_files/Award09guidelines.pdf

Be creative. You’re free to come up with any idea you can that would speak to the principles of the CCPH.
1) Cover Page and Table of Contents
a. See book sample.
2) Structured Abstract
a. Sample posted under Current Links on Blackboard
3) Overview
a. See p. 609 for the goals of the introduction. Hook the audience’s interest. An effective overview
offers a concise and persuasive statement of the key participants and problems addressed in the proposal.
Briefly identify your organization, the community you’ve chosen, and the problem afflicting the community.
4) Background and Statement of Problem
Organize these sections in any order that you find most useful,
while providing the information listed below. Use any Headers that
are useful in the organization scheme.

a. Provide details on the background of the community. You may use research and statistical or
demographic data to describe this community. Discuss the problem/s affecting this community. Again, this
would be a logical place for persuasive research.
b. Introduce your proposed organization. Argue the ways that the community would benefit from a
partnership with your organization. Remember that all business writing should be audience-oriented,
purposeful, and economical. (The practical workings of the organization will be covered in next section).
c. Describe how the CCPH award will allow you foster a partnership between the community and your
University sponsored organization.
In what way does your proposal embody the CCPH’s principles and values?
5) Plan/Method/Schedule
a. In this section, you will tell the CCPH exactly how you plan to achieve your objectives. Be specific
about your goals, and your method. A schedule OR phases of events may be useful to include. Describe the
workings of the organization and how it will function in a practical context. Is there a time-table for how
each step, stage, or phase of the project will be initiated? What goals do you hope to achieve at each
phase?

6) Feasibility
a. A paragraph that provides a persuasive synopsis that indicates the probable success for your
project; it often takes into account issues related to economics, technology, as well as social and cultural
challenges.

7) Staffing:
a. DO NOT use the sample from the SMU Torch. Your staffing section
should be more specific than what the textbook provides and therefore the “MECHA student sample” is far more
precise. Choose appropriate staff members and use titles and roles that suggest the hierarchy and scale of
your organization: Managers, Associates, Coordinators, Staff, etc. Perhaps include information on the
qualifications required for each position.
b. A table or chart may be useful for this section.

8) Budget:
a. Make up the numbers.
b. You’ll have to decide how specific to be. Is this the kind of project that needs line-by-line
budgetary information, tables, pie charts, or can you group tasks into categories and discuss how much each
category will cost?

9) Conclusion:
a. Unlike some business proposals, grant proposals should not include a deadline date for a business
offer. Rather, you should remind the reader of the key benefits of your plan and try to motivate action.
This is the last opportunity to compel your audience to action—the conclusion is typically short, concise,
and persuasive.

10) References:
a. Your proposal will have a research component that will include at least 5 outside sources to support
your argument. Online sources are allowed. Sources should be documented using correct APA format for in-text
citations and work cited page.
b. Include a works cited page at the end of your proposal. See your textbook beginning on page 697 for
APA citation format, also the Owl Purdue website provides multiple samples.
Read chapter 17 (Workplace Letters) to complete this assignment. In addition, chapters 10 and 11 also
include useful information on paragraphing, tone, audience, style, as well as editing strategies.

Write a one-page business letter introducing yourself to Mr.Tangeman (I am your recipient. Keep me in mind
as you write; who am I, what do I care about, how much information do I need, and what is the nature of our
relationship?). You may use block or modified block format. Use Times New Roman as your font. Do not use
anything below a 10pt font size, and nothing larger than 12pt. This letter should be single-spaced and will
include only one line of space between “body paragraphs.”

In the book you will find multiple examples of business letters: letters requesting an interview, arguable
claim letters, inquiry letters, and cover letters. The purpose of this assignment, however, is to introduce
yourself. Do not copy the language you find in the book, or else you run the risk of plagiarizing.

Organize your response to these questions in any order you like, but be sure to answer the following
questions in your letter:
Introduce relevant personal information.
Describe past experiences (i.e., writing experience) that prepare you for
this class; academic and professional examples would be appropriate.
Explain the role of this class in your career and educational plans, and how the skills practiced in
this course may be useful to you.
Discuss what you expect from this class. Are there are any projects or writing assignments that are
of particular interest to you? How so?

A successful Introductory Letter will:
Conform to business letter format, including addresses for writer and reader, correct date format,
correct line spacing, and correct margin justification.
Display professional tone and content.
Illustrate an awareness of target audience.
Organize its content logically.
Use adequate detail (be specific!).
Demonstrate concision.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Download and read the articles attached to the first message in this discussion topic (titled “READING
SELECTIONS”). Write a 350-500 WORD response to the reading selections, and post your response to the
discussion board. Your response should take one of the following forms:

1) an exploration of one or more of the suggested discussion questions included in this assignment,
2) an examination of a separate issue that interests you from this week’s reading or viewing selection

Regardless of what you choose to write about, be sure to support your position with specific examples and
quotes from the text. If you choose to write on a topic that another student has already written on, say
something new about the subject. If you agree with another student, provide additional reasons to support
your position. If you disagree with another student, be respectful in your response, and be clear about why
you disagree. You may complete this assignment either as one long posting or as several shorter postings.
SUGGESTED DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1) What, if anything, is problematic about accepting gifts from people who are trying to solicit your
business? Use specific examples from the attached reading to explain your answer.

2) Is it ever ethical for pharmaceutical companies to offer gifts or other perks to physicians? What are the
criteria of acceptability (or unacceptability)? Explain your answer using specific examples from the
attached reading.

3) Should the U.S. government or the American Medical Association place restrictions on the gifts and perks
drug companies are allowed to offer physicians? Why or why not? Use specific examples from the reading in
your answer.
HEALTHY CHEMICALS HYPOTHETICAL CASE STUDIES:
Case A1: Healthy Chemicals, Inc. has just received FDA approval for Calmitrol, a new anti-hypertensive
agent. Calmitrol is the first of a new class of magnesium channel blockers to obtain FDA approval, and it
promises to be an important breakthrough in the treatment of hypertension. Healthy Chemicals wants to
disseminate the news about this effective drug as rapidly as possible. They propose to sponsor two weekend
conferences on Calmitrol (one at the Hotel Radisson in Cancun and one at the Coronado Hotel in San Diego)
for physicians who are known to be hypertension specialists. These specialists will be offered a three day
all-expense-paid trip (including airfare and a $250 incidental expense voucher) to one of the two
conferences. The meetings will be purely informational in nature; attendees will not in any way be required
to commit themselves to prescribing Calmitrol. Those who are interested in participating in a post-marketing
(Phase 4) monitoring protocol will receive additional information relevant to that program.
Case A2 Healthy Chemicals, Inc. sponsors a program of scholarships (travel expenses) for a certain number of
medical students to attend the national meetings of the American Medical Student Association, the American
College of Physicians, and other medical organizations. These scholarships are awarded on a competitive
basis at each medical school, according to guidelines decided by that school. Each year Healthy Chemicals
holds open receptions at these meetings to which the company invites student scholarship recipients.
Case A3: As a method of promoting its products, Healthy Chemicals sponsors series of dinner-seminars in
various metropolitan areas. A typical program might include a dinner, followed by two speakers. One speaker
is usually a professor at a local medical school who will talk about a topic like “Control of Blood Pressure
With Magnesium Channel Blockers,” while the second is a Healthy Chemical representative who presents
information about the company’s products. Generally, a broad cross-section of relevant practitioners are
invited to these dinner-seminars. The guest receives a free dinner and usually a $200 honorarium for
attending. The medical school professor receives a customary honorarium (usually $750) for presenting his or
her talk
Case A4 Healthy Chemicals, Inc. provides its company representatives with discretionary funds to support
residency training programs in hospitals. The company will provide money to purchase lunch (pizza, hero
sandwiches, etc.) for various noon conferences. The representative usually sets up his or her display
outside the conference room. Attendees can go up and speak to the representative if they wish to do so.
Case A5 As part of its post-marketing surveillance program, Healthy Chemicals, Inc. relies on practicing
physicians to enlist some of their patients to participate in Phase 4 studies. In the case of Calmitrol,
physicians are invited to enroll middle-aged patients with moderate hypertension. Patients who consent to
participate receive a free supply of Calmitrol (retail cost $126/month) and are seen every two months (for
one year) for blood pressure checks by their physician. At each visit physicians complete Calmitrol Phase 4
data forms which include information about blood pressure control, side effects, and patient satisfaction.
Participating physicians receive $250 for each patient they enroll. While the target number of patients is
somewhat open-ended, Healthy Chemicals encourages an “n” of 10-20 patients per practice. Physicians who
participate in a second or third study receive free FAX machines for their offices. They can then FAX the
data to Healthy Chemicals, Inc.
Case A6 Each year Healthy Chemicals, Inc. gives every graduating medical student in the United States a gift
textbook. Fourth year students indicate on a questionnaire which of four standard textbooks they would
prefer, and the book is sent to them at their home address.
Case A7 Healthy Chemicals, Inc. sponsors a display at the annual American College of Physicians meeting.
Physicians who come to the display receive promotional material about various new products, and can use a
bank of computers (on-line with the National Library of Medicine) to perform medical literature searches on
topics of their choice. When physicians have completed their search, Healthy Chemicals representatives send
the information to company headquarters. The articles are then copied and a complete complimentary set sent
to the physician’s office. Also at the display, physicians can sign up for the Healthy Chemicals Continuing
Education Program. This program is designed for busy physicians who do not have the time or resources to
look up the latest information on a topic, or who are having trouble getting the answer to a medical
question. Participants can call an 800 number at any time, 24 hours a day, and tell a Healthy Chemicals Info
Whiz what their need is. The Info Whiz will then find an answer and get back to the physician within a few
hours, and will follow-up by sending appropriate written material
Descusion #2
Prior to completing this assignment you should read the “Selected Reading” that is posted as the first
discussion board. Write a 350-500 WORD response and post your response to the discussion board. Your
response should take one of the following forms:

1) An exploration of the suggested discussion questions included in this assignment.
2) An examination of any issue related to the article. In other words, use the topic as a launching point
for the writing of your own argument.
Regardless of what you choose to write about, be sure to support your position with specific examples,
quotes, facts, observations. If you choose to write on a topic that another student has already written on,
say something new about the subject. If you agree with another student, provide additional reasons to
support your position. If you disagree with another student, be respectful in your response, and be clear
about why you disagree. You may complete this assignment either as one long posting or as several shorter
postings.
SU

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