R needs U

The Rutgers Needs You Foundation

This fictitious foundation has been created for students taking 355:322 Writing for Engineers.

Imagine that a very successful engineer, a graduate of Rutgers, has established a foundation for the following purpose:

Mission Statement: The RneedsU Foundation seeks to fund innovative projects that improve the quality of student life and sense of community at Rutgers University. Because engineering students can research the experts in their field and are being trained to develop solutions for complex problems, School of Engineering students are considered most qualified to apply for funding.

Requests for Proposals (RFP's) are now being announced for the following projects:

• The increasing population of students, staff and faculty at Rutgers has resulted in a significant increase in traffic congestion. Since it is too large a problem to be resolved by just one plan, select one specific problem area on one specific campus. Develop a proposal to remedy the problem.
  
  
• Consider the Busch Campus. Because of its size, students often have difficulty moving efficiently from one place to another. Housing, the School of Engineering main buildings, the Library of Science and Medicine, the Student Center and other academic, athletic, and social centers cannot typically be reached by walking. As a result, the campus lacks the the sense of community that other campuses enjoy. Develop a proposal to remedy the problem.
  
  
• Evaluate the learning facilities at Rutgers, including regular classrooms, lecture classrooms, engineering labs, and computer labs. Look for inefficiencies or ergonomic concerns that negatively impact on student learning. Select a specific site. Develop a proposal to remedy the problem.
  
  
• Enrollment increases have placed strains on student housing. Look for problems involving quality of life, personal safety, or academic success. Develop a proposal to remedy a specific problem.
  
  
• Consider an issue in a specific field of engineering that interests you and has potential application that can benefit Rutgers. The topic may have near-term application or be at the research stage, nearing the development stage. Develop a proposal to address the issue.

Requirements for Proposal Funding: To be considered for funding, the following documentation must be submitted according to time frames established by the Writing for Engineers instructor.

1. A one page letter to the foundation to introduce yourself, establish your credentials, and state the problem or issue for which you will develop the proposal
   
   
2. A five to seven page letter to the foundation which reports primary research pertaining to the problem and a review of secondary scholarly research showing your familiarity with the paradigm used by engineers to address similar problems
   
   
3. A twelve minute oral presentation before foundation representatives to highlight key elements of the problem, pertinent literature, plan of action, and budget
   
   
4. A final technical proposal that includes all elements required by your instructor

Send all correspondence to:

Margaret Gilroy (or) Jerome McGlynn
Director of Funding for Student Proposals
The Rutgers Needs You Foundation
321 Olde Queens Avenue
New Brunswick, NJ 08901

User Manuals Needed: Teams of engineering students are needed to collaboratively develop brief manuals that can assist other students with their learning. The foundation will evaluate the finished manuals and provide funding for publication. Three topics are listed and briefly described. One topic will be selected by the Writing for Engineers instructor. Class members will be assigned to teams which will compete for the funding. Students are expected to follow directions from their instructor for the development and presentation of the manual.

• PowerPoint for New Users Manual: This manual will enable students to create a slide show which might be used to complete class presentations. It is intended to assist students who have limited computer skills and no previous experience using PowerPoint.
  
  
• Transportation System Manual: After making changes in bus routes to facilitate student movement between campuses, a convenient manual is needed to enable students to efficiently utilize the transportation system.
  
  
• Rutgers Libraries Manual: This manual is intended to help students with electronic access to the Rutgers libraries. The manual must enable students to understand and use IRIS, INDEXES, and RESEARCH GATEWAY.
  
  
  

Back to Home Page