Service Learning Team Project · 160 of 1,000 course points

A real client, a real management question, a recommendation they can use.

Teams of 3 to 6 help a client answer a management question using the Five Functions and the DART model, then deliver recommendations the client can act on. Each member logs at least 15 hours. Class time on the project counts.

Team signup form Browse clients Handout (PDF, Canvas)

Where we are

Sun Sep 27 · Priority signup · teams registered by now got first pick
Sun Oct 11 · Final signup · every member also posts the team name and code in Canvas Team Formation. No team by now means the applied research paper.
Sun Oct 18 · Proposal · 20 pts · 1–2 pages: client and contact, the question, frameworks, data sources, timeline and roles
Sun Nov 8 · Milestone check-in · 10 pts · work done, what remains, obstacles, hours by member
Sun Nov 22 · Progress report · 20 pts · findings so far, outline, preliminary recommendations
Sun Nov 29 · Full draft · no separate points; feedback by Fri Dec 4; counts toward Professionalism & Process
Dec 1–10, in class · Team presentation · 7 min + 2 min Q&A, order posted on Canvas
Sun Dec 6 · Individual reflection · 10 pts · 2–3 pages
Sun Dec 13 · Final report · 100 pts · report, slides, hours log, peer evaluations

How it works

Form a team of 3 to 6 and pick a team contact.
Pick a 1st and 2nd choice from the client list. Project codes start with the client code (ESP-2 belongs to ESP).
The team contact submits the signup form. Final deadline Sun Oct 11.
Dr. Norman confirms by email. Then every member submits the team name and code in Canvas (Team Formation).
Meet your client and scope the question. Confirm the scope in writing and start your hours log on day one. The toolkit has the templates.
Hit each milestone, present in Weeks 15–16, and submit the final report.

No team yet? Check the team board for teams that still have room, or message Dr. Norman in the Canvas Inbox with two project codes and he will place you. Rotaract (ROT) and the Innovation Incubator (INC) work directly with Dr. Norman, so they are the quickest to scope.

How the final report is graded (100 pts)

Criterion	Pts	What excellent work looks like
Framework application & critical thinking	25	Applies the Five Functions, DART, and other course frameworks correctly and insightfully; gathers the data the analysis needs.
Recommendations & client value	20	Moves from description to judgment: evidence-based steps the client could actually take, with the why and so what.
Written report quality	20	Organized, clear, persuasive, and nearly error-free.
Presentation & oral communication	15	Clear, engaging, professional, on time at 7 minutes, handles questions well.
Teamwork & peer/client evaluation	10	Every member contributes; informed by peer evaluations and client feedback.
Professionalism & process	10	Met every milestone including the Nov 29 draft; logged 15+ hours each; responsive to the client; on time.

Proposal (20): partner and problem definition 8, approach using course tools 8, feasibility and timeline 4. Check-in (10) and progress report (20): completeness, specificity, and evidence of real progress. Full rubrics are attached to each Canvas assignment.

Final report: 8–10 pages + 1-page executive summary

Sections

Executive summary written for the client (1 page)
The client and the question: who they are, what they need
Method: what you observed, who you interviewed, what you read
Analysis: the Five Functions, the DART model, and other course frameworks
Recommendations: specific steps, owners, rough cost and timing, limits
Appendices: data, interview notes, hours log, peer evaluations

Working with your client

Write professionally and copy Dr. Norman on your first email to the client.
Confirm the scope and the question in writing before fieldwork.
Keep client information confidential; ask before sharing data or names.
Log every hour (date, task, minutes) from day one; the log goes in your appendix.
If a client goes quiet for a week, tell Dr. Norman right away.