Formal Report Proposal Memorandum<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Memorandum<\/p>\n To: Dr. Erika Paterson, Instructor ENGL 301 Technical Writing UBC<\/p>\n From: Danisa Rambing, ENGL 301 Technical Writing Student at the (UBC) University of British Columbia<\/p>\n Date: October 15, 2021<\/p>\n Subject: Proposal for the University of British Columbia\u2019s VP Finance & Operations (VPFO) Portfolio to Expand Financial Aid resources towards UBC Arts Undergraduate students<\/p>\n Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n The Arts faculty of the University of British Columbia (UBC) is known to be a centre for research and teaching and consistently makes up the largest faculty of undergraduate each year\u2013many of which rely on government financial aid to pay for their schooling. As one of the most biggest faculties at UBC, the tuition is consistently increasing each year for domestic Arts students while exponentially skyrocketing for international Arts students.<\/p>\n With the costs of living in Vancouver, students who come from middle-class households can be left out in many financially-dependent activities, such as going on club trips or study abroad programs. Likewise, most Arts students sacrifice the quality of their education by having to commute long hours to get to and from classes due to the high cost of living near the university\u2019s campus. In addition to the university\u2019s small amount of financial aid, government-based financial loans only cater to those who are 1) a permanent resident of the province or 2) Canadian citizens, two conditions which often eliminate international students requiring financial aid and\/or Canadian immigrants without documentation. These factors work together to create socio-economic bias in the demographic of UBC Arts students who can achieve good quality education and university experience. In this sense, the purpose of this proposal intends to attract the attention of UBC VP Finance & Operations (VPFO) Portfolio to expand financial resources for UBC Arts undergraduate students. With a concise and efficient outline of UBC’s budget structure, and the current scholarships for UBC [solely] Arts students, the purpose of this proposal is to elaborate the benefits and urgency for more equitable scholarships and re-organizing the current scholarships to make them more equitable.<\/p>\n Statement of Problem<\/strong><\/p>\n The lack of financial aid towards Arts undergraduate students at the University of British Columbia creates an economically biased and elitist environment for lower to middle class students to attend university as an Arts student. The major implications of this problem are two: first, in the face of exponentially increasing living costs in Vancouver, the lack of financial aid prevents many potentially successful students from achieving their highest potential; second the university\u2019s reputation of high tuition costs and lower financial aid systematically deters lower to middle class applicants from applying to UBC.<\/p>\n Proposed Solution<\/strong><\/p>\n One possible solution for the lack of financial aid at UBC is for the VP Finance & Operations (VPFO) Portfolio of UBC to provide more funding for students by redistributing the university\u2019s current budgeting. For example, the university provides only a select few scholarships (less than 10) that are actually given with money from the University endowment, an operation that is worth over 2 billion CAD dollar as of March 2021 (UBC 13). While scholarships like the UBC Centennial scholarship can provide a single student with a full ride scholarship to attend university, many students who fall short of the highly restrictive requirements for big scholarships miss out on financial aid.<\/p>\n Likewise, with many of the university\u2019s popular figures earning high salaries, such as the university\u2019s president, Santa Ono, who makes a whopping 600K annually, a redistribution of university\u2019s money towards increasing financial aid will quite possibility be an optimal solution to allowing more students to achieve success and in time will provide the university with a more inclusive reputation.<\/p>\n However, these solution does not come with unwarranted consequences. Due to the sheer size of UBC’s operations teams, re-orienting scholarships can take a large amount of paperwork and might not be implemented until years later. However, with the help of the VPFO portfolio, this report aims to demonstrate the urgency of this demand and expedite the processes necessary to provide more funding for Arts students.<\/p>\n Scope<\/strong><\/p>\n To assess the possibility of increasing financial aid at the University of British Columbia, I plan to pursue research in the following areas of inquiry:<\/p>\n Methods<\/strong><\/p>\n My primary data sources will include surveying current Arts students at UBC, reviewing the VPFO Portfolio\u2019s annual budget report, news reports regarding students\u2019 responses to UBC\u2019s financial assistance towards Arts students (via UBC\u2019s student newspaper, The Ubyssey), and reviews of 2020-onward council minutes of the AMS student governing board, the University\u2019s student government who voices the concerns of the student population.\u00a0 I will round out my primary research by observing direct financial\/budget reports of the VP Finance and Operations Portfolio (e.g. Consolidated Financial Statements) and the financial concerns raised in the AMS\u2019 leadership\u2019s platforms in regards to Arts undergraduate students.<\/p>\n Secondary sources will include scholarly publications of socio-economic and psychological role of financial aid in the school place, and a review of a study of Vancouver\u2019s growing inflation rate (e.g. cost of living, food).<\/p>\n My Qualifications<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019m a current student on financial loans and I have been aware of the university\u2019s lack of financial aid towards Arts undergraduate students since 2016. I\u2019m a former Arts undergraduate student, with a degree in Political Science and in addition to that, I have created numerous academic and published news reports on Vancouver and UBC\u2019s economic environments.<\/p>\n Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n Action is needed to create a more inclusive and diverse environment in UBC Arts and increasing financial aid can help with that. By addressing the six areas of inquiry mentioned earlier, I can determine the success of implementing more financial aid at the university while also proving the feasibility of implementing this goal. With approval, I will begin research at once.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Works Cited:<\/strong><\/p>\n Coonrod, Lane, \u201cThe Effects of Financial Aid Amounts on Academic Performance\u201d, The Park Place Economist, Vol. 16. Issue 1.<\/p>\n Ma, Tiffany, The AMS has submitted its budget priorities to UBC. Here’s what it’s asking for, The Ubyssey, https:\/\/www.ubyssey.ca\/news\/ams-budget-priorities-ubc-2021\/?ref=frontpage<\/p>\n Simon Fraser University, SFU Awards, Bursaries and Scholarships Database, https:\/\/awards-search.sfu.ca\/. Qualtrics Survey, https:\/\/ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com\/jfe\/form\/SV_brQ2ddkLIUz5YYm.<\/p>\n UBC Arts, A Common Ground: Arts Student Centre Opens its Doors, https:\/\/www.arts.ubc.ca\/news\/a-common-ground-arts-student-centre-opens-its-doors\/<\/p>\n UBC Faculty of Arts, Funding, https:\/\/www.arts.ubc.ca\/student-support\/funding\/.<\/p>\n UBC PAIR, Demographics by Faculty at UBC Vancouver (Undergraduate), November 15, 2021 UBC VICE-PRESIDENT FINANCE & OPERATIONS PORTFOLIO (VPFO), https:\/\/vpfo.ubc.ca\/<\/p>\n Warburton, Moira, Financial aid for domestic students: the money\u2019s there, the education\u2019s not, The Ubyssey, https:\/\/www.ubyssey.ca\/news\/financial-aid-at-ubc-for-domestics-is-pretty-good-but-students-dont-get-fina nces\/.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n Progress Report Memorandum with Surveys<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n MEMORANDUM<\/p>\n To: Dr. Erika Paterson, Instructor ENGL 301 Technical Writing UBC<\/p>\n From: Danisa Rambing, Student ENGL 301 Technical Writing UBC<\/p>\n Date: October 29, 2021<\/p>\n Subject: 301 Formal Report Progress Report: Expansion of Financial Aid resources towards UBC Arts Undergraduate students for UBC\u2019s VP Finance and Operations Portfolio (VPFO)<\/p>\n Please find this as an update to my progress on my formal report which has been posted to my writing team forum for viewing. Attached to this memo is a copy of the following document.<\/p>\n Purpose and Significance of Report<\/strong><\/p>\n The purpose of this report is to provide recommendations for increasing financial assistance for UBC Arts undergraduate students. The significance is to provide a call to action for addressing the lack of financial aid Arts students receive at UBC.<\/p>\n Intended Audience<\/strong><\/p>\n Peter Smailes, Vice-President of the UBC Finance and Operations. Mr. Smailes leads the UBC office of finance, treasury and risk management services across and will work with the VPFO portfolio to show urgency is required to increase financial assistance for Arts students.<\/p>\n Report Objectives<\/strong><\/p>\n The purposes of this report are to:<\/p>\n Methods<\/strong><\/p>\n Primary research and data collection will be done through surveying current UBC Arts undergraduate students. Here is the\u00a0link<\/a>\u00a0to the survey questions being used to research and gather data for this report.<\/p>\n Additionally, secondary sources will include surveying open source scholarly publications regarding the socio-economic implications of educational financial assistance and state-produced economic reports on inflation and poverty within Vancouver\u2019s Lower Mainland (e.g. the British Columbia Financial and Economic Review 2020<\/a>; the\u00a0Vancouver Social Indicators Profile 2020<\/a>). The report’s secondary sources also consist of literature review of student-published news reports, reports of Vancouver’s inflation rates, and the Consolidated Financial Statements<\/a>\u00a0produced by the UBC Vice President Finance and Operations Portfolio.<\/p>\n Formal Report Outline<\/strong><\/p>\n Here is the link to the outline for the formal report<\/a><\/p>\n Research Plan:<\/strong><\/p>\n To fully analyze the urgency for increased financial resources for UBC Arts students, I plan to:<\/p>\n Writing Schedule:<\/strong><\/p>\n The following is my writing schedule for the coming months:<\/p>\n Thank you for reviewing the progress of my formal report. Please let me know if you require any questions or additional feedback for the progress of this report. I look forward to hearing back from you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n LinkedIn Best practices memo<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n MEMORANDUM<\/p>\n To: Morgan Lorenz, Jordan Zhao, and Johnathan Tam, Team Members of Twirling Gold ENGL 301 Technical Writing UBC LinkedIn is a popular social media platform used to network and connect with professional colleagues and potential employers. Maintaining an updated LinkedIn profile is critical in job-searching in the modern day. Here are some best practices when using LinkedIn:<\/p>\n Works Cited:<\/p>\n Buettner, R. (2017). Getting a job via career-oriented social networking markets.\u00a0Electronic Markets<\/em>,\u00a027<\/em>(4), 371-385. doi: 10.1007\/s12525-017-0248-3<\/p>\n Davis, J., Wolff, H., Forret, M., & Sullivan, S. (2020). Networking via LinkedIn: An examination of usage and career benefits.\u00a0Journal Of Vocational Behavior<\/em>,\u00a0118<\/em>, 103396. doi: 10.1016\/j.jvb.2020.103396<\/p>\n \u201cHow to Use LinkedIn for Professional Development & Networking.\u201d LearnHowToBecome.org, 17 Nov. 2020,\u00a0https:\/\/www.learnhowtobecome.org\/career-resource-center\/linkedin-professional-development-and-networking\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n
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\nFrom: Danisa Rambing, Student ENGL 301 Technical Writing UBC
\nDate: October 22, 2021
\nSubject: LinkedIn Best Practices<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
Introduction:<\/strong> The purpose of the following assignment is to define the term and concept of User interface<\/em> to a non-technical audience through a series of definitions, such as situational , parenthetical, sentence, and expanded definitions. The assignment also utilizes graphic images to portray examples of the term’s definition and its history while maintaining a professional and informative tone.<\/p>\n Reading Situation:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The purpose of defining “user interface” is to provide non-technical readers a simple and more relatable understanding of what a user interface is, how it works and how it can be applied in a technical and non-technical setting.<\/p>\n Parenthetical Definition:<\/strong> When using a technological device, users often use a user interface<\/em> (a virtual space that visually represents users’ current interaction with their computer) to navigate social media websites.<\/p>\n Sentence Definition:<\/em><\/strong> User Interfaces (UI) are virtual spaces that create graphical representations of device’s virtual space that allows users to visually see accurate representations of the specific commands given to the device through a WYSIWYG display (what-you-see-is-what-you-get<\/em> display).<\/p>\n Expanded Definition:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n History<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n In the 1980’s, computer scientists at Xerox PARC created a graphical user interface which allowed users to interact with computers by using virtual icons. This allowed users, both technical and non-technical to enter in computer commands through virtual buttons or text-boxes as opposed to inputting commands through code. (Figure 1)<\/p>\n Over the years, as technology became more advanced in the 1990’s and early 2000’s, companies like Apple and Microsoft began creating personal computers which allowed even less experienced non-technical users to access computers. By using various forms of buttons and checkboxes, user interfaces were rapidly becoming a portal into accessing technology.<\/p>\n The community of individuals who were able to operate computers grew, and as a result, the demand for efficient user interfaces grew. This gave the user interface rapidly increasing demand, especially in the late 2000’s-late 2010’s as almost everyone began owning personal computers. As of the early 2020’s, the term user interface has become synonymous with the front-facing layout of websites and the space where users can interact with website applications, such as Facebook or Google.<\/p>\n Figure 1. 1980’s Commodore PET personal computer (Round, 100)<\/em><\/p>\n Figure 1.1 1990’s Apple computer (Friedman, 40)<\/em><\/p>\n What is needed to make it work or occur?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n User interfaces require a graphical user interfaces (GUI), a screen and a back-end operating system that transfers information from computer script language (e.g. code) to graphic images of icons, buttons or text-boxes. The backend systems that power UI spaces in computers are more commonly referred to as Mac OS in Apple or Windows for non-Apple personal computers.<\/p>\n On websites, like Facebook or Amazon, users usually encounter a user interface made up of a combined set of Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) and Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) code which primarily dictates the webpage’s layout, colour schemes, and text-box sizes, to name a few. For more advanced animations, such as drop-down menu bars or log-in text-boxes, user interfaces on modern-day websites use the JavaScript programming language to create animated functionalities.<\/p>\n How does it resemble or differ from something else?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Since user interfaces are often designed with the goal of allowing non-technical users to operate technical computers, digital UIs are often made to replicate what the user is currently doing on their device. This is done through the WYSIWYG display, where the user would navigate a device or webpage and their actions would be mirrored in the UI.<\/p>\n Although they often have a close relationship to each other, user interfaces are very different from the user experience (UX) itself, which non-technical people often think of as interchangeable terms. UIs are only the space that represent the what the user sees while UX is the users’s direct interactive experience<\/em> with the UI of a computer or website.<\/p>\n How is it used or applied?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Digital device users use a user interface everyday, whether it’s to surf the web or to use the navigation GPS (Global Position System) in their cars. Today, user interfaces are most commonly associated with personal computers or smartphones but the prevalence of UIs is wider than the most people know. TVs, smartwatches, and even tangible keyboards are user interfaces since they allow humans and computers to interact and communicate. Likewise, UIs have become very useful for many businesses trying to improve sales profits.<\/p>\n By creating a user-friendly UI, businesses like Amazon, increase sales profits by incentivizing users to purchase more items virtually than they normally would in-person. For example, Amazon’s “Customers who bought X, also bought Y….” UI feature provides users with recommendations to products that are similar to those they’ve “Added to their [shopping] cart”. (Figure 2).<\/p>\n Likewise, for the non-technical person, UIs are often a way businesses can gain user\/customer trust. For example, Google’s consistent logo-search bar placement on a web browser has remained consistent since 1998 due to its user-friendly layout (Figure and as a result Google has become the most popular search engine today.<\/p>\n Figure 2. 2021 Amazon feature “Customers also bought..” (from Amazon Canada Website)<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Figure 3. Google 1998 UI (Friedman, 85)<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Work Cited<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Friedman, Ted (2005).\u00a0“Chapter 5: 1984”<\/a>.\u00a0Electric Dreams: Computers in American Culture<\/i>.\u00a0New York University Press<\/a>.<\/p>\n Round, Mark (February 26, 2004).\u00a0“Emulating RISC OS under Windows”<\/a>.\u00a0OSnews<\/i>.\u00a0OSNews<\/a>. Retrieved\u00a0May 12,<\/span>\u00a02011<\/span>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/engl301-99a-2021wa\/files\/2021\/09\/Screen-Shot-2021-09-30-at-3.20.41-PM-300x206.png\")
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