CMN 279 011 Introduction to Professional Communications

Winter 2023 | The Creative School | Prof. Matt Jones

Assignment 1: Direct Message (10%)

Due February 8, 11:59 PM on D2L

Instructions
Write an e-mail addressing the following scenario using correct format, grammar and spelling and a tone
appropriate for the situation and the audience. Make up contact information or titles as needed. You may
consult your textbook. Do not copy from the text below. Instead, write it in your own words, addressing
the employees directly, deciding what information is critical and what can be omitted. Make the
document look like an e-mail with the appropriate TO:, FROM:, DATE:, and SUBJECT: headings. Include
line breaks or cluster information as appropriate. Include contact information if needed.

Scenario
You are the president of a small company called Snowboard Heaven, which manufactures snowboards
and other winter sports accessories. Earth Day is coming up on Saturday April 22. On Earth Day, people
are invited to reflect on the climate catastrophe and show support for environmental protection. On April
22, the Snowboard Heaven headquarters will be closed. Instead, employees will be asked to go to the
local Bonsai ski hill to participate in a community clean-up beginning at 8am followed by a BBQ and live
entertainment after 4pm with a lineup of local bands. The event seeks to raise awareness of
environmental issues and to raise funds for the World Healthy Outdoors Association (WHOA), a charity
that promotes environmental research and works to clean up the outdoors. You are hoping that the
event will build teamwork and raise your company’s profile in the community. You are also personally
concerned about the state of the skill hill and the surrounding area since a dirty planet is bad for the
snowboard industry.

The event begins at 8am and runs until 8pm. There will be a booth for Snowboard Heaven staff at the
foot of the hill and employees should check in at the booth when they arrive and check out at 4pm. Since
employees will be paid for this time, attendance at this portion is expected. Families of employees are
invited to volunteer or come to the BBQ afterwards. T-shirts will be available at the booth for both
employees and volunteers. Employees are encouraged to post to social media updates with the hashtags
#SNOWSUP and #WHOA. If employees have questions, you want them to contact your assistant, Rudolph
Miasma.

Employees should dress for the weather – it goes ahead regardless of the weather. Employees are
advised to bring a hat and sunscreen if concerned about sun protection. If it snows, employees should
bring snow gear and boots. They should dress comfortably and appropriately for the skill hill. Gloves will
be provided for the cleanup.

Submission instructions
Submit the email as a Word document or PDF to the A1: Direct Message folder on D2L.
 CMN279 S011 Winter 2023
The Creative School

Grading Rubric
A B C D
Opening and
Appropriate, Opening and Opening and The message
closing
professional signoff are clear signoff are abrupt, features no clear
opening and but lack overly directive, or opening and
signoff professionalism unprofessional closing techniques
Explanation and
Clear, accessible Main instructions Key information is Unclear or
instructions
outline of what are explained but missing, distorted, inaccurate
must be done and difficult for an or lacking explanation;
why unfamiliar reader specificity missing
to grasp instructions
Tone
Tone is polite and Tone is mostly Tone is too pushy Tone is
professional polite or too informal inappropriate
Email formatting
Appropriate email Most parts Inconsistent Incorrect
and organization
formatting, correctly formatting, formatting,
effective formatted. information feels information is
clustering of Information is disorganized random
information fairly well laid out
Spelling, grammar
Impeccable Good spelling and Inconsistent Lots of spelling
spelling and grammar spelling and and grammar
grammar grammar errors

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