For this assignment, my partner, Jennie Garman, and I drafted a hypothetical proposal asking the Dean of the English Department to consider using part of a $250,000 grant to update the College of Charleston's lounge for English majors. Through this assignment, I learned more about adjusting tone for audiences and thoroughly explaining the costs and benefits of a proposed project.
To: Dr. Myra Seaman
From: Jennie Garman and Claire Delano
Date: January 23rd, 2020
Subject: Proposal for Renovation of the English Lounge
Dear Dr. Seaman,
With the recent grant from the State Department of Education for program development, we are excited for new opportunities to improve resources for students and faculty of the English Department. The English Lounge has great potential to be an asset for students and faculty alike, however, the lounge has become outdated. With the grant’s funds, we propose that the English Lounge be renovated to be more useful.
The current lounge lacks a welcoming presence for students and is not an ideal environment for studying. It currently has a couch as well as a table with chairs, however, the furniture is old and needs to be replaced. The lounge also lacks potential resources for studying and research, such as books, coffee, paper, etc. Without enticing features, students do not want to spend time in the lounge when they could visit the library, Stern Center, or other study locations on campus.
Updating the lounge will make students excited to use the space. This can be a place for students of like minds who are working on similar projects to collaborate, which will strengthen a sense of community among English students.
To achieve these benefits, we propose a full renovation of the lounge. This would include fresh paint in a calming, neutral color, updated flooring (such as hard-wood floors with rugs or new carpet), and new lighting. Studies show that students work best in study spaces with areas to work alone or together and with various seating options. The furniture in the room would need to be completely replaced with new couches, soft chairs, and tables with desk chairs. The coffee bar would need a Keurig or other automatic coffee machine, as well as supplies such as cups, coffee fixings, etc. A final touch would be to add a table and chairs to the outdoor courtyard for when the weather permits outdoor seating.
This project will be fairly low cost for the English department, which will leave the majority of the grant money open to more projects. The needed funds will go towards paint ($30), furniture ($2,500), a coffee station ($300), lighting ($150), and labor. In total, the project should cost around $3,300.
Overall, the English Lounge has lots of potential to be a valuable resource for the department. It could be a calming place to study, collaborate, and foster community among students, but changes need to be made for this to happen. For a relatively low cost, all the necessary renovations could make the English Lounge more appealing to everyone. We hope that the faculty review committee will consider our idea and value student spaces on campus.
Respectfully,
Jennie Garman and Claire Delano