November4,2016

ExplanationofWhoYouAre

PleaseimaginethatyouareamemberoftheOfficeoftheRegistraratIowaStateUniversity.Thisofficeis
responsibleforapprovingtermcalendarsandcourselists,aswellasprovidinginformationregardinguniversity
policies,tuition&fees,enrollmentstatisticsandmore.

ThoseinchargeoftheOfficeoftheRegistraratIowaStateUniversityapproveexperimentalcoursestobeaddedto
thelistofofferedcourses.Theymustworkwithotherboards,suchastheIowaStateBoardofEducationtoconfirm
thesechangestothecurriculumatIowaStateUniversity.

MEMORANDUM

TO:Dr.BobCorey
FROM:OliveMcLean

DATE:November4,2016

RE:ProposaltoImplementaRequiredAmericanGovernmentCourseforIowaStateStudents

ThefollowingisaproposaltoimplementarequiredAmericanGovernmentcourseforIowaStateUniversity
undergraduatestudents.ThisproposalwilloutlinethereasonsthatIbelievethatIowaStateneedstoimplementa
requiredAmericanGovernmentcourse,thebenefitsfrommyplan,myqualifications,aschedule,anticipatedcosts
ofmyresearch,andadraftedoutlineofmyreport.Ibelievethisplanisfeasibleandthattheimplementationofthe
coursewillbenefitIowaStateUniversitystudentswhileincollegeandbeyond.Ilookforwardtohearingyour
feedbackregardingthisproposal.

NeedforaRequiredAmericanGovernmentCourse
Asitstands,IowaStateUniversitystudentsaresufferingfromaseriouslackofknowledgeregardingtheAmerican
government,theirrightsasAmericancitizens,andtheroleofpolicyinthiscountryandabroad.Thegeneral
awarenessandstancesstudentstakeregardinggovernmentandpoliticsistypicallygainedthroughtheirfamiliesand
communities;thatinformationhasthepotentialtobebiased,anddoesnotallowstudentstoformtheirownthoughts,
opinionsandbeliefs.TheonlyothertimestudentsaretypicallyrequiredtotakeanAmericanGovernmentcourseis
inMiddleSchool,whilemoststudentshavelittleinterestinthehappeningsofgovernment,andcannotyetfully
appreciatetheinformationtheyarebeingtaught.
Universitiesingeneralfocusmoreonscience,mathematicsandcompositionstudies,thanothercoresubjects.
AccordingtoastudydonebyTheAmericanCouncilofTrusteesandAlumni,only18.3percentofcollegesand
universitiesrequireundergraduatestudentstocompleteaU.S.governmentorhistoryclass.
Furthermore,theUnitedStatescensusreportshowsthatsince1978,thepercentageofpeoplewhovoteduringan
electioncontinuestofall.Morestatisticsshowthatvotersingeneralareuninformedormisinformedwhentheygoto
votingbooths;anissuethatmustberemediedforthesakeofourcountry.

BenefitsofaRequiredAmericanGovernmentCourse
TherearenumerousbenefitstotheimplementationofarequiredAmericangovernmentcourseinuniversities.Some
ofthesebenefitsinclude:
AnincreasedknowledgeregardingtheworkingsoftheAmericanGovernment.
 Potentialforstudentstobemorelikelytoexercisetheirrighttovote.
o Studentswillbemoreinformedvotersif/whentheydovote.
Theabilityforstudentstobecomebettercontributorstosociety.

Theseareonlysomeofthebenefits,andIwillmorefullydetailtheextentoftheseandotherbenefitsinmyreport.

ReportAudience
ThereportwillbeaddressingtheOfficeoftheRegistraratIowaStateUniversity,astheyboardmustmakethefinal
decisiontogether.

MyQualifications
IamasenioratIowaStateUniversity,andIhavealwaysbeenpassionateaboutpolitics.Furthermore,Ihavedone
myownresearchinordertobettereducatemyselfregardingourcountriesgovernmentandpoliticalpolicies,
includingforeignpolicy.Fromobservationsofmyfellowstudents,aswellasnumerousconversationsIhavehad
withthem,Ibelievethatourstudentbodywouldbenefitfrombeingmoreinformedregardingourgovernment.From
myconversations,IhavegatheredthatallthestudentsIhavespokentoexpressagreatinterestinagovernment
coursethatwouldhelpthemtobemoreknowledgeable.

PlanforFeasibilityReport
IwilldeliverthereporttoyourofficeonDecember14,2016.Myplanforcompletingtheprojectisasfollows:

1.Research throughNovember9
2.Correspondence/Survey throughNovember9
3.Reviewcorrespondence/surveyresponses finishNovember11
4.Conductinterviews finishNovember18
5.Writepreliminarydraft finishNovember23
6.Createvisualsandgraphics finishNovember28
7.Finalizepreliminarydraft finishNovember30
8.Deliverpreliminarydraft onDecember5

Costs
Therearenoanticipatedcoststhatwillbeaccumulatedfromthisresearch.

TentativeOutline
I.Introduction
A.Definingtherequirement
B.Currentrequiredcourses
II.NeedforaRequiredAmericanGovernmentCourse
A.Minimalcurrentknowledge
1.Family/community
2.Middleschool
B.Government/Historyistheonlynonrequiredcoresubjectincollege
1.18.3%ofcollegesrequireaHistoryorgovernmentcourse
2.Voterturnout
III.BenefitsofaRequiredAmericanGovernmentCourse
A.Increasedknowledge
B.Increasedvoterturnout
C.Moreinformedvoters
D.Bettersocietalcontributors
IV.InstitutingaRequiredAmericanGovernmentCourse
A.IowaStaterequiresanumberofgeneraleducationcourses
B.Replaceonehumanitiescoursewithsuggestedcourse
C.Cost
V.Conclusion
A.Summarizeneed
B.Summarizebenefit
C.Recommendaction

TENTATIVEBIBLIOGRAPHY
Altbach,PhilipG.,RobertO.Berdahl,andPatriciaJ.Gumport.AmericanHigherEducationintheTwentyfirst
Century:Social,Political,andEconomicChallenges.Baltimore:JohnsHopkinsUP,1999.Print.
Belkin,Douglas."StudyFindsManyCollegesDon'tRequireCoreSubjectsLikeHistory,Government."WSJ.
Wsj.com,15Oct.2014.Web.01Nov.2016.
File,Thomas."WhoVotes?CongressionalElectionsandtheAmericanElectorate:19782014."(n.d.):n.pag.
UnitedStatesCensusBureau.UnitedStatesCensusBureau,July2015.Web.
"WelcometotheOfficeoftheRegistrar|TheOfficeoftheRegistrar."WelcometotheOfficeoftheRegistrar|The
OfficeoftheRegistrar.N.p.,n.d.Web.01Nov.2016.