Planning Meeting/Report

For your Planning Report this semester, students have the option of

1). Attending or viewing on local access television a local governmental planning or zoning meeting (A “general-purpose” governmental meeting will not suffice for this requirement unless it can be shown in the report that a major portion of that meeting was devoted to planning and/or zoning considerations).

OR

2). Interviewing a local governmental planner. This could also be an urban planner working in the private sector.

Now that you have identified with your outline which option you selected, please write a 2-3 page, double-spaced, summary report of your planner interview and government meeting.

Your report should include basic information about the event, as well as a critical analysis on how the interview/meeting’s events related to class content and the broader scope of Urban and Regional Planning. A detailed rubric for each option is outlined below.

Planning Report Option 1 Grading Rubric & Checklist

Identification of Meeting (2 points): _______

• Did the student articulate the meeting they watched or attended? Did they identify when and where the meeting took place and what kind of meeting it was and who participated?
• Did the student analyze what occurred relative to the agenda items set forth?

Analysis of Events and Class Content (10 points): _______

• Did the student analyze what occurred from their own perspective and what is happening with the issue?
• Did the student discuss emphasize the important items pertaining to the issues and articulate why they were important to the meeting and the constituency the board, council or commission represents?

Summary of Option (8 points): _______

• Did the student provide a conclusion that includes what discussed what they learned from the experience?
• Did the student apply course concepts from the assigned readings (and / or lectures) to connect the material with the meeting that they attended?

Formatting, Clarity, and Style (Can lose up to 10 points): _______

• Was the paper turned in on time?
• Are there are any grammatical or spelling errors?
• Is the paper in the correct format (double-spaced, 2-3 pages, APA style (no abstract required), with 1” margins throughout without references, accompanying meeting agendas or organizational charts?)

Planning Report Option 2 Grading Rubric & Checklist

Paper Author: Point Total____ ___ % ___ Grade: _______

Identification of Person Interviewed (3 points): _______

• Did the student identify background information about the person they interviewed including, a job description, their current work or projects, the date on which the interview took place?

Analysis of Events and Class Content (12 points): _______

• Did the student discuss what they learned about the role of the planner and their organization, and discuss their own perspective on this interview experience?
• Did the student articulate and analyze any content that they learned that they did not already know? Did the student identify anything that was particularly interesting or stood out?
• Regarding the interview option, an organizational chart of the agency in which the planner is employed must accompany the report, this chart should show where the planner interviewed is located within the organization.
• Did the student (or interviewee) discuss how the location in the organization affects the planner’s job efforts and effectiveness in the organization?

Summary of Option (5 points): _______

• Did the student provide a conclusion that includes what discussed what they learned from the experience?
• Did the student apply course concepts from the assigned readings (and / or lectures) to connect the material with the meeting that they attended?

Formatting, Clarity, and Style (Can lose up to 10 points): _______

• Was the paper turned in on time?
• Are there are any grammatical or spelling errors?
• Is the paper in the correct format (double-spaced, 2-3 pages, APA style (no abstract required), with 1” margins throughout without references, accompanying meeting agendas or organizational charts?)