This assignment has 2 parts.  Part 1 will be completed in Unit 3 and Part 2 will be completed in Unit 5.  The scenario will stay the same for both assignments.

You and your colleagues, who teach business communication at Oscoda County Community College, are interested in setting up a business writer’s hotline (a telephone and e-mail service) that will provide answers to grammar, mechanics, and format questions for people who call in or write. You see it as a way of providing a much-needed service to local businesspeople as well as a way of providing positive public relations for your institution.

Each faculty member is willing to donate time to answer the phones and e-mails, but you will need funds for telephone lines, answering machines, reference books, advertising, and more. You decide to apply for a grant from the H. M. Luce Foundation to fund the project for 1 year. After that, if the hotline is successful, you will either reapply for funds or ask Oscoda County Community College administration to fund the continuing costs. For requests less than $3,000, the foundation requests a simple narrative report explaining and justifying the request.

Part 1 (2 pages):

In your paper, answer the following information-gathering questions:

• What is the background of the problem?
• What will be the outcome of the project?
• Describe the audience for this report and the implications for structuring your report.
• Describe how the hotline will work.
• What are the advantages of this project?
• What will the project cost? What are the qualifications of those involved?