Proposal Paper

Purpose: This paper acts as the bridge between ENGY 101 (or your previous writing class) and ENGY 102. ENGY 101 focuses on argumentation, claims, and evidence. Proposals are common arguments in both the academic and professional worlds. You will demonstrate the core competencies from your previous classes through this paper. If you are unfamiliar with the basic concept of proposals, this assignment gives you the opportunity to catch up. Assignment: You must propose a solution to an existing local, state, or national problem. You may not use global issues. Assume you are writing to an academic general audience living in the Quad City area. Your proposal must deal with the following issues: 1. Problem a. Existence: Is your problem real? Can you prove that your problem is currently happening or likely to happen? b. Significance: Is this problem important? Does it matter to a broad enough spectrum of our audience (e.g. Something that only affects 18-21 year olds might not hit a broad spectrum of people)? 2. Solution a. Solvency: Does your solution fix or reduce the problem? Does your solution address the actual causes of a problem? b. Cost/Benefits: Is your solution the best available option? Does the proposed solution provide benefits that outweigh the cost? Does your solution offer additional benefits beyond solving the problem? Requirements: This paper must be in APA format You must use at least THREE academic, peer-reviewed sources This paper counts toward your overall 5,000 requirement Once you submit a proposal to the Submissions folder, you may not change topics

Grading: Thesis/Focus (15 Points): Does this paper have an adequate thesis statement? What is the quality and specificity of this thesis statement? Audience/Purpose (15 Points): Is this paper written for the correct audience and purpose? How does the paper address the academic general audience? Organization of Paragraphs (15 Points): Does the paper flow in a coherent fashion? Are paragraphs about a single topic? Are points of transition clear? Development of Research (15 Points): Are your sources credible? Do you have enough resources to make your argument?

Relationship between Claims and Evidence(15 Points): Does each claim you make have sufficient evidence? Are relationships between your evidence and claims warranted? Is your reasoning sound? Overall Content (15 Points): Is your writing clear and concise? How novel is your argument? Formatting (10 Points): Is this in the correct (APA) format? Are in-text citations followed? You may revise your proposal for a maximum of an additional ten points. Any paper receiving less than a 60 may be revised up to a 70. A paper receiving less than 70 is not passing. Any paper with significant and frequent errors in grammar, mechanics, syntax, spelling, word choice, or sentence structure will fail automatically. Any paper that is not a proposal with a clear problem and solution will fail automatically. Submissions Like the Essay Assignments, you have three types of submissions: Drafts: These are ungraded and reviewed by me. You will be allowed to submit a paper for ungraded evaluation by me ONE TIME for the proposal. You will receive feedback on how to improve your paper. It is your responsibility to make those changes. Submissions: These papers will be graded. You will receive feedback on your paper. This will anchor your grade, but you may revise this proposal for a later grade. Once you submit a paper here, you may not change topics. Final Submissions: These papers will be your final grade for the assignment. These papers will go through SafeAssignment, our plagiarism detection software. You may not revise your proposal after your Final Submissions.

NOTE: I attempt to give the best, most-focused feedback possible. This means not every error will be discussed or highlighted. Proofreading is your responsibility. I may indicate errors, but that doesnt mean I indicate all of the errors. Due Dates: You must submit your Final Submission of your proposal before 11:59 on March 18. It is your responsibility to submit your Final Submission before that date to the correct dropbox. You will receive feedback from me within three days. For example, if you submit your paper on Monday, January 21, expect feedback/grades by January 24. You may not receive feedback sooner than that, so plan accordingly.

Hints:

This paper requires your ENGY 101 skills. You should have the basic skills to begin this paper immediately. Starting early will allow you to draft, revise, and find research more easily. Going to tutoring early will eliminate problems early. Plan wisely. Poor planning on your part doesnt constitute a crisis on my part. NEVER submit something without having a second, skilled reader look it over. Explore the Cline Librarys resources and help for research advice on topics such as: o Citation o Evaluating Sources o Writing Assistance o Basic Searching in Databases