Proposal Letter/Draft

KSL News
113 S 100 E
STE 123
Salt Lake City, UT
84555

Proposal Letter

The department of Journalism at Utah State University seeks $10,000 in new computers and multimedia equipment to give their high achieving students a leap forward into an ever advancing technology world. For many years, graduates from Utah State have been known for their great research skills, integrity and hard work boosting them to the top of the industry, but we wish to give them the technology skills necessary for the future of media. This is why we have come to KSL News to ask them to be a part of this cause to help USU get the needed media tools into the classrooms and into hands of our students. Once these students have this technology they can begin the training that will keep them the leaders in the industry.

USU Department of Journalism has come to KSL News to because of your dedication to journalistic integrity and we know that your assistance will only continue this pride. We know KSL-TV has accepted many of our student interns in the past based on these same principles. Just as you know, the technology in the communication field is ever changing and good journalists have to be able to adapt quickly to those changes. We come to KSL-TV now in a cooperative effort to help our students get the advanced media skills they will need to remain the top journalism students in Utah and in their profession after graduation.

Right now the department is based on the third floor of a building on campus that is has been around for a century. With a situation like this, the future employees of your company might not be as qualified or ready to take on their tasks when newly employed. Many of the other programs on campus are getting building renovations, new building donations, and multimillion dollar donations. If our program is to compete, it needs the tools to compete. Sometimes, the people out there do not realize the importance of the media in their everyday lives, even on a local basis. With computers approaching a decade of age, they need to be replaced with newer, updated versions so the information that the students will be learning will be up to date.

That is why we must progress forward. KSL-TV has been a leader in the media for this state appealing to a wide variety of viewers over the years. With this donation, KSL would not only be remembered by the students in the department, but by all the citizens in the valley. KSL would have the edge over its competition. Not only that, the students would be better equipped and they will be ready to enter the media field.

The USU Journalism Department has a nationally recognized and respected faculty, who have worked as scholars and professionals in all forms of mass media. Our 500+ undergraduate students focus their hands-on experience and courses from across the curriculum on real-world jobs, gaining the professional skills and intellectual flexibility they will need to survive and thrive among the fittest in today's fast-changing communications environment. Our plan is to make all of our JCOM classrooms qualified technologically to prepare our students. With a group of veteran JCOM students teaming up with faculty, our project will effectively and efficiently solve the problem.

The proposed $10,000 will provide computers, and overhead digital projectors for classrooms. Some of our teachers must require each student to buy a laptop for classes held in rooms where the instructor has no computer or a digital projector to explain things to the class. Updates in our over five year old computer system will increase our new media learning. Given the wholesale cost of new capable computers for our lab and classrooms and of two new digital projectors for classrooms, the proposed amount, if used efficiently, will provide for our needs.

Your contribution will be greatly appreciated.


Mike Sweeney
USU Journalism Department Head

Contact:
Danny Robinson
USU Public Relation
435-770-5071
djrob@cc.usu.edu