- organize your message for different audience and purpose
- format a professional memo
- achieve you-attitude and positive emphasis in your message
You are the Chairperson of the Advisory Board of Student Programs and Activities Office at University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. One of your board members, Ann Perkins, proposes more funding for one of the student organizations. This organization, Tax Advisors for the Champaign Society (TACS), is planning to expand its tax filing service by recruiting/training more student tax advisors. You fully support the volunteer activities that TACS does for the community and believe that they need to be recognized for their achievement. However, you have to reject this proposal because there is lack of state funding and budget cut (which was stated several times in a massmail from the President of University of Illinois, Tim Kileen). Furthermore, the training materials that students would need to pass VITA certification are mostly free or inexpensive, and recruitment and advertisement are done via social media at no cost. Write a memo to Ann explaining your rejection.
Common Areas of Improvement
1. Specific (but Concise) Subject Line
- Use a noun phrase with all the content words capitalized (just the initial letters)
- Use an action word that includes the main purpose of the memo (e.g., "Employee Technology Disaster Preparedness Training" -> "Implementation of Employee Technology Disaster Preparedness Training")
- Describe potential benefits from your reader's point of view (benefits for both primary and secondary audience). How does TACS' service benefit the members themselves, the campus, local community? What impact would an additional funding have on your organization (advisory board of student program and activities office) and the campus as a whole as well as TACS?
- Predict potential obstacles and propose ways to overcome them
- Intro: No need to include all the background information about the organization (include only the details that you need to persuade your audience) here
- Conclusion: Re-emphasize the purpose of your memo without repeating it verbatim. Discuss future possibilities and specific actions you expect from your reader. You can remind your reader about a deadline if necessary (but be sure to state why you need his/her response by a certain date).
Give the reader(s) more clear mental pictures (definite possibilities instead of vague possibilities) to show them that you have "thought it all through"
5. Conciseness - Beware of redundant, wordy expressions
Examples: look at my comments in your draft.
Note 1: No greeting or signature is needed in a memo.
Note 2: Avoid phrases like “I think”, “In my opinion” because the reader already knows that it’s your idea and these phrases make your writing less concise.
6. Formatting
- Use full names with initials
- Put extra space/line between paragraphs
- Introduction and conclusion typically appear in separate paragraphs from the body
- No need to use rigid transition words (e.g., "First", "Lastly") in a memo as you do in an essay
Incorrect spelling or grammar reduces the credibility of your writing
Grading Rubric
Deadline: Please refer to "Daily Schedule"
