Assignment Description:
Write an essay to help resolve a problem or issue here on campus or in the community where you live. Write as if this essay/proposal will be ‘published’ in the campus newsletter, which is circulated throughout the university community (if an on-campus issue), or ‘published’ in your community’s newsletter (if a community issue).
Persuasive Proposal
In the text, The Call to Write, John Trimbur states that “Proposals put forth plans of action and seek to persuade readers that those plans should be implemented. Like commentary, proposals involve analyzing issues, taking a position, and making an argument. However, proposals go beyond commentaries by defining problems that need attention and proposing a solution.”
A Proposal that is both capable of solving the problem and suitable for doing so is said to be feasible. To have a chance of being implemented, a Proposal needs to establish that its solution will have the intended effects and that it fits the situation.
Proposals typically require research and need to convince readers. Proposals are a form of persuasive writing, and clear statements of problems and solutions, demonstrations of feasibility, documentation through research, and careful organization can all help make a Proposal persuasive to readers.
Assignment Guidelines:
Word Count: 700 – 900
In preparing your proposal for submission, make sure that it does the following:
Addresses a problem that is of consequence and of a manageable scale, including the problem’s causes and effects.
Provides evidence for the seriousness of the problem and for ways to solve it, justifying these solutions over alternative solutions. You can draw on your experience but also use outside sources.
Is appropriate in both form and content for your purpose and audience.
Priorities for this assignment:
Identify a problem and propose realistic solutions to address it.
Appeal to your audience in terms of ethos, logos, and pathos.
Use rhetorical devices to persuade your audience to action.