To: Dr. Erika Paterson
From Eric Zhang
Date: Feb 15, 2022
Subject: Proposal to Reduce Cost of Expenses at the UBC Vancouver Campus During the Pandemic
Audience Description
The intended audience for my proposal are UBC students, staff who work on campus and store owners or managers. By gathering students’ opinions, the managers can gain a sense of knowledge on the current state of the situation and what majority of the students think. Ultimately, the managers have the authority to act on the reactions from the students.
Introduction
“Things on campus are so expensive” is a common phrase that is shared between UBC students. Many have voiced their frustrations over the years, but no actions have been taken. The university is reluctant to change and back down from their current stand.
During the pandemic, the price of the products on campus will make the life of students even more difficult. Aside from the necessity of food and water, students must squish on a crowded bus to get to campus. One reason is because the price of parking on campus is tripled the amount off-campus. A question I would like to ask is: Why is the cost of certain goods or products doubled when it is on-campus?
Statement of Problem
Tuition have been increasing multiple times for the past ten years, but the cost of studying on-campus have stayed the same. Many of these expenses are a necessity when studying on campus and the students are forced to spend on overpriced products. Therefore, the major problem is that the cost of food, water, parking, and educational supplies are overpriced for majority of the students.
Proposed Solution
One possible solution to this problem is to simply reduce the cost of these products to their average cost in the market. Especially when the university is transitioning back to in-person lectures, more action is needed from the university to protect and help the students. From a marketing point of view, it is understandable that the university do not want to reduce the cost, but at this point in the pandemic, some action is needed to show that the university care for its students. Perhaps, lowering the cost by a small margin can satisfy many frustrated voices.
Scope
For this proposal, I plan to research further in the following areas:
1) How much does each student spend on campus daily?
2) How many students are on campus?
3) How much money is the university making, based on the current system?
4) What is the average price in the world for certain products that are sold on campus?
5) How much would the students be willing to spend on certain products.
Methods
My Primary consultants will be several store managers at UBC. Which includes restaurants, bookstore and UBC Parking. I will study the process of how they market their products, and I will end my research with a survey to UBC students and seek their opinions on this matter.
MY secondary sources will include stores outside of UBC and the price of their product compared to the same product at UBC.
My Qualifications
I have been an UBC student many years now and I have the firsthand experience in overpaying for certain products. Due to the difficulty of landing a part time job, many students do not have a stable income. As a student, I know the struggle of students financially, especially during this pandemic.
Conclusion
With the purpose to help the students transition to in-person lectures, the university need to act and show that they want to improve the in-person experience on campus. This can be done simply by adjusting the price of certain overpriced items. With your approval, I would like to begin my research.
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