Chapter . Case 1: Using the Measures of Excellence in Evaluating a Résumé

As the president of the Civil Engineering Student Association on campus, you work closely with the Department of Civil Engineering. One of the department’s initiatives this year is to focus on teaching quality. The department chair, Dr. Elizabeth Carstens, has asked you if you would like to participate in the initiative.

“What I’d like you to help with,” she tells you, “is collating the information from last year’s student evaluations for CE 100.” CE 100 is Introduction to Civil Engineering, the first course taken by new CE majors. Approximately 100 students took CE 100 last year; five instructors taught a section of the course.

Last year, the university adopted an online system for students to evaluate their professors and courses. The form, which is identical for all courses across all departments, consists of 10 short-answer questions and one essay question: “Please provide any additional comments you would like us to read about the course or the professor.” Because the evaluations are filled out online, all the information they contain is digital and easy to capture.

Dr. Carstens explains that she would like you to write a brief report—no more than a thousand words—that summarizes the responses to the essay question in the CE 100 classes.

“I’m happy to help,” you say. “Can you give me an idea of the audience and purpose?”

“Sure,” Dr. Carstens says. “This report will go to the nine members of the department and to the Civil Engineering Student Association. With all the emphasis on publishing and grants, it’s easy for us to lose sight of our mission as teachers. I want to get a clearer idea of what we’re doing well—and what we’re not doing so well.”

“Could I send you a brief outline of the report before I get too far into it, just to see if I’m on the right track?” you ask.

“Absolutely,” Dr. Carstens says. “That’s a great idea.”

Three days later, after you have had a chance to study the responses to the essay question from the CE 100 evaluations, you email Dr. Carstens (Document 7.1). Two days later, you receive a reply from her (Document 7.2).

Download the documents below, and then begin your assignment.

Download a copy of Document 7.1. Download a copy of Document 7.2.

Your Assignment

Once you’ve familiarized yourself with the case background and documents, complete the assignment below. Your instructor will tell you how he or she would like you to submit your work.

1. Write an email to Dr. Carstens, thanking her for her advice and describing a revised approach to the report. Explain how your new approach to the audience and purpose of the report will guide your thinking about its content and organization.

2. Using or adapting one or more of the organizational patterns presented in this chapter, revise your outline for Dr. Carstens. To help her understand your approach to writing the report, include samples of text that you would write. For instance, you might include text (or excerpts of text) for one complete section of the report, a section that consists of a first-level and several second-level headings.

Reflecting on Your Work

Once you’ve completed your assignment, write a reflection about your work using the prompt below.

Question