HPA Capstone - Proposal Rubric

The purpose of this proposal is to take your initial project idea and flesh it out into a more substantive, detailed, and coherent document. You should be able to hand this document to anyone and they should be able to read it and understand your project, product, and its purpose.

Rubric

Basic Expectations & Formatting [ 5 points ]

• Turned in digitally as a PDF to the submission google form.

• File name should follow the format: “Capstone Proposal - Your Last Name”
  For example: “Capstone Proposal - Schorn”

• Written component is 500 - 1000 words in length (not including appendices).

• Text should be single-spaced, 11 pt font.
  Choose a clean, professional font such as Times New Roman, Arial, Helvetica, or Georgia.

• Consistent font and text formatting throughout the document.

• Include your name, date, and project title at the top of the document.

• Section titles from this rubric are used to organize content.
  (Abstract, Introduction & Goals, etc.)

• Appendices are included on their own pages after the written component.
  (Use page breaks to ensure consistency.)

Abstract [ 5 points ]

• A one to two-sentence summary of your project and what you plan to accomplish this year.

Introduction & Goals [ 10 points ]

• Background: Introduce your project, providing relevant background, inspiration, and motivation.

• Goals: Clearly describe your high-level goals for the project.

• Essential Question: State the essential question of your project, and provide enough explanation that a reader unfamiliar with your project can grasp it.

Implementation & Challenges [ 10 points ]

• Project Planning: Summarize your approach to the project. How do you plan on achieving your goals?

• Research and Resources: Summarize what you have learned thus far in your research. What information are you missing and what is your plan to find it?

• Challenges: What difficulties do you anticipate encountering during the implementation of your project? Which steps will be the hardest to complete?

Impact & Legacy [ 10 points ]

• Impact: How will this project benefit you? What skills or knowledge will you gain from it?

• Legacy: How does this project fit into the “big picture”? What other research is ongoing in your field? What would be a logical follow-up project?

Appendix A: Research [ 5 points ]

• Compile 3 - 5 resources from your research that have added significantly to your understanding of the project, or will be important in the implementation.

• Each source (a website, book, person, etc) should have a short sentence describing the resources, what was gained from it, and how it will be utilized.

Appendix B: Resources [ 5 points ]

• In bulleted format list all tools, materials, people, and other resources you anticipate needing for your project.

• Classify your list into the following categories:

• “Critical” - specific resources absolutely needed for the project.

• “Necessary” - resources that are needed for the project, but there is some flexibility in exactly what is used.

• “Optional” - resources that would be useful to your project, but are not necessary for its completion.