Letter Assignment

You’ll complete this assignment on your own word processor and save it, and then upload the completed file in the correct place on Canvas.

Objectives of the assignment

This assignment will give you practice in meeting the following course outcomes:

• Develop a sense of how purposes, audiences, situations, technologies, and methods affect writers’ and users’ perceptions of written documents.
• Implement and demonstrate theories of document design (e.g. format, layout, graphics) in course projects.
• Understand the recursive nature of writing process in terms of researching, drafting, reviewing/testing, editing, and revising.
• Create effective arguments in professional documents using discursive and visual information.
• Use and adapt various technologies, including MS Word, to produce attractive, persuasive, professional documents.

The task

You will be writing a polite and respectful business letter to a [fictional] Highline College administrator explaining the need for specific improvements in some aspect of the program you are enrolled in (perhaps you’d like requirements changed, a course added or dropped from the requirements, etc.). If you’re not enrolled a program, you may write about the availability or function of distance learning courses or some other issue you feel needs attention. No, you’re not actually going to send this letter; you’re just going to submit it to me for grading and feedback.

The specifications

In order to earn higher grades, make sure your document meets the following specifications:

• For the purposes of this assignment, address your letter to [the fictional] Dr. Leopold Bilgewaters, Vice President of Frivolous Affairs here at Highline College.
• Look up HC’s mailing address on the college website, along with any other information you need. 
• You need to have a specific goal in your letter; try to persuade Dr. Bilgewaters to make the change you desire. In order to do this, you will need to explain to him why your change benefits other students and/or the whole school and not just you personally.
• The length will be between about 1 full page to 2 full pages in length. Follow the formatting requirements in the next section.

The format

Follow these formatting requirements:

• Use FULL BLOCK FORMAT (that means that everything is over to the left margin and paragraphs are not indented). 
• Use an appropriate font.
• Use headings if they will help. 
• Make this a professional business letter, including your address, the address of the recipient, the date, a salutation, a body section, a complimentary close, room for a signature [since you will submit this to me electronically, no actual signature is needed], and any notations for enclosures, copies, etc.