Assignment 3
Social Media Case Study-Related Assignment in Letter Format, Using the Indirect Pattern
Weight: 10% Length: 300-500 words Due Date: Submit to the appropriate folder by 11:59 pm, Oct. 25
SCENARIO & TASK
This assignment is based on the controversy surrounding an email Duke professor, Dr. Megan Neely sent to first and second-year students in Duke’s Master of Biostatistics program. In her email, she urges students to “commit to using English 100% of the time.” Mary E. Klotman, the Dean of Duke's School of Medicine, has already sent an email to students apologizing over the incident and informing them that Dr. Neely has been asked to step down from her position as director of graduate studies.
After the assignment’s instructions, you will find a copy of the two emails Dr. Neely sent her graduate students at two different occasions.
SCENARIO
You are a professional with 3 years of experience working as a Communication’s Specialist at Duke University. Your job has always had a strong communication component, and, in time, you have developed many connections with professionals all over the continent and the world. As you were promoted to higher positions in the companies you worked for, you developed an expertise in dealing with complicated communication issues involving aspects such as interdepartmental conflicts, policy breaches, leaked internal documents, etc.
Once the scandal involving Dr. Neely broke out, you have been contacted by Vincent Price, Duke University’s President. Dr. Price wants Duke University and the Biostatistics program to continue to appeal to international students. Price has worked with you in the past and trusts your judgment. He asks you to offer your analysis of the situation and the university’s options for moving forward. He is going to participate in a senior management meeting in order to discuss the media debacle caused by Neely’s email and the next steps the University needs to take to continue attracting international students, mitigate relations between Duke University and Chinese international students, and he would like to get your input before the meeting.
You realize that this is a great opportunity for you to demonstrate your expertise to secure future collaborations with Vincent Price, but you know that your task will not be easy. The problem has no easy solution, and the company will have to work diligently to reduce the impact of the incident and restore its reputation. You will have to help your reader to understand that there is nothing to be done to completely eliminate the effects of the incident, and that restoring the university’s reputation will take time and money. This is clearly not good news, and it will have to be delivered in a cautious, sympathetic, and persuasive way. You might want to consider Dr. Dr. Neely’s position as a junior faculty member and whether you agree with Dr. Neely being asked to step down.
Format your response as an indirect pattern letter addressed to Dr. Vincent Price. Since this is a letter, remember to include a letterhead. Control your tone carefully throughout – avoid negative phrasing as much as possible in this difficult situation and discuss Dr. Neely’s responsibility in cautious terms. (For example, avoid phrases such as “Neely’s letter has caused a media disaster”; say, instead, something objective and neutrally worded. You do not want your reader to think that you are trying to take advantage of the situation – that you are being overly critical of Dr. Neely and the Biostatics department, and you are exaggerating the seriousness of the situation to exaggerate the importance of your advice. Besides, as a senior management employee, Vincent Price might have been one of the people responsible for hiring Dr. Neely and/or promoting her. You do not want him to think that you think he made a mistake and is, in part, responsible for the current situation.
Try to come across as kind but lucid – you are not interested in demonizing Dr. Neely, but you can see that there is serious damage to be fixed. Impress your reader with your persuasiveness and sophistication. Focus on ways the University can continue to appeal to international students.
Include the following sections in your letter:
Opening: Briefly introduce the topic of the letter.
Background: In your own words, summarize the situation. Do not try to provide every detail. Rather, summarize the main aspects of the situation. Be objective and stick to the facts. Please remember to cite your sources if you use any secondary sources.
Analysis: Describe what you see to be the primary problems in the case.
Recommendations: Based on your analysis, recommend a course of action. Mention steps that need to be taken immediately, as well as any measures that should be part of a long-term plan meant to restore the university’s reputation and its retention of Chinese international students.
Remember to provide reasons to support any suggestions.
Closing: Provide a short, forward-looking closing paragraph, as appropriate for a professional letter.
EXPECTATIONS & FORMAT
Create a typical letter top and follow the block format. Use graphic highlighting as necessary. Follow all the rules of effective business writing discussed in this class so far.
GRADING
As this is a communications course, all assignments will be graded on content, organization, tone, style, and correctness. Here are some aspects I will consider as I grade your assignment:
Does your letter follow the block format and display all the formatting elements of a typical letter?
Does your letter employ the appropriate opening/ body/ closing structure?
Does your letter follow the indirect pattern, as required?
Does your letter follow the principles of effective workplace communication?
Is your letter an appropriate response to the situation outlined above?
Is your letter free of writing errors?
Does your letter demonstrate objectivity and critical thinking skills?
NEELY’S EMAILS
EMAIL 1
From: Megan Neely
Subject: Something to think about …
Hi All,
I had two separate faculty members come to my office today and ask if I had pictures of the MB students. I shared with them the head shots of the first-and second-year cohorts taken during orientation. Both faculty members picked out a small group of first-years students who they observed speaking Chinese (in their words, VERY LOUDLY) in the student lounge/study areas. I asked why they were curious about the students' names. Both faculty members replied that they wanted to write down the names so they could remember them if the students ever interviewed for an internship or asked to work with them for a master's project. They were disappointed that these students were not taking the opportunity to improve their English and were being so impolite as to have a conversation that not everyone on the floor could understand.
To international students, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE keep these unintended consequences in mind when you choose to speak in Chinese in the building. I have no idea how hard it has been and still is for you to come to the US and have to learn in a non-native language. As such, I have the upmost [sic] respect for what you are doing. That being said, I encourage you to commit to using English 100% of the time when you are in Hock or any other professional setting.
Megan Neely
Assistant Professor
Director of Graduate Studies
EMAIL 2: (Another message from Dr. Neely to students in the Master of Biostatistics program sent approximately a year earlier than the above email)
From: Megan Neely
Subject: To Speak English or To Not Speak English
Hi All,
I don't like being the language police, but I have gotten these comments enough times in the past few weeks that I feel like I should share them with you. The most recent report is from the Chair of the Department...
Many faculty have noticed international students not speaking in English in the break rooms in the department. While I completely understand the desire to speak with friends in your native language, I wanted to provide a different viewpoint on why this might not be the best choice while you are in the department. Beyond the obvious opportunity to practice and perfect your English, speaking in your native language in the department may give faculty the impression that you are not trying to improve your English skills and that you are not taking this opportunity seriously. As a result, they may be more hesitant to hire or work with international students because communication is such an important part of what we do as biostatisticians. Bottom line: Continuing this practice may make it harder for you and future international students to get research opportunities while in the program.
Please keep these potential downstream effects in mind when you choose to or choose not to speak in English outside of the classroom. That being said, I have tremendous respect for what the international students are doing by enrolling in a graduate program in a foreign country--it is a tremendous undertaking.
These same faculty also mentioned that the talking in the break rooms is at times VERY loud. Regardless of the language being used, carrying on loudly during normal business hours is just plain rude. It is especially rude when are in the main department kitchen that is so close to faculty and staff offices. When a shared space, please be courteous of others around you. Also, I would be curious to know why students are choosing to eat in the main kitchen as opposed to the kitchen and lunge areas we have set up in the student space? If there is a reason that you prefer to eat in the main kitchen areas, I would appreciate that feedback so we can help mitigate these issues moving forward.
Megan Neely
Assistant Professor
Director of Graduate Studies
References for the Emails
Email 1:
Redden, Elizabeth. (2019, Jan. 28). Telling students not to speak Chinese. Inside Higher Ed.https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/01/28/duke-professor-advises-students-failure-speakenglish-outside-classroom-could
Email 2:
Wang. Amy B. (2019, Jan. 28) Duke professor apologizes for telling Chinese students to speak English on
campus. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2019/01/27/duke-professor-warns-chinese-students-speak-english-campus-or-face-unintended-consequences/