Evaluating the CS Program at VT 

The Situation

You have graduated and gone out into the world to work.  After some months, your manager asks you to make recommendations about which universities should be visited this year to help recruit new hires. 

Your manager turns to you and says “We have a limited budget.  You went to VT. What do you think?”  He asks you to write a memo to him containing an honest critique, detailing the strengths and weaknesses of VT’s computer science program. 

Since this will be in writing, consider that you do not know all the people that would potentially read this.  Indeed, one real audience for this turns out to be the CS department, which will use this memo (without your name on it) in assessing student thought about the undergraduate program.

Your Task

Write a properly formatted business memo from yourself to the instructor  (Dr. Dunlap) explaining the good and bad points of VT’s C.S. undergraduate program.   Be clear, concise, honest, and professional.  Make a clear recommendation to recruit here or not.

Please start with an extra cover page describing the company you are imagining -- just as you did in your cover letter assignment -- and their concerns (hardware, software, service or products, etc.)

Considerations

        Work:

                    By yourself

Format:
  • 12 pt font, may use either 10 or 12 point font.
  • As long as it takes, BUT remember that your manager has a short attention span. 
  • Use proper memo format (From:/To:/Date:/In Re:/).
  • Attach a separate page with the company description.
  • Filename = <yourname>.doc
  • Email to (TA) and submit hardcopy

Grading criteria:
  1. Writing (Clear, Concise)
  2. Imagination of what an employer would want to hear about a program/ be informative
  3. Make a clear recommendation
  4. Provide specific evidence or examples for points
  5.  Be thoughtful.

Grading

Criteria 1 (Writing)

__Important information comes first

__Clear and concise

__Answers question posed

Criteria 2 & 5 (Imagination, Thoughtfulness)

__Targets primary and secondary (possibly unknown) audiences

__Understands audience viewpoint

__Memo makes sense when stopping 1/4 and 1/2 of the way through

Criteria 3 & 4 (Recommendation, Evidence)

__Makes a clear recommendation

__Points out strengths OR makes the case that there are none

__Points out weaknesses OR makes the case that there are none

__Justifies strengths, weaknesses with evidence

Cost of Entry

__Has both parts

__10/12 pt font

__Memo format

__Spelling

__Grammar

__Usage