University of Arkansas

Walton College

The Sam M. Walton College of Business

FBC Workshop

This webpage will contain all of the resources you will need to succeed on your business writing/memo assignment. We recommend you consult the following:

If your screen reader or device cannot open the above links or any links on this webpage, please contact us at bizcomm@walton.uark.edu and we will gladly accommodate your needs.

The Assignment:

You have been hired as an external business consultant for the University of Arkansas Transit (UAT). Since the Covid-19 pandemic, Northwest Arkansas has faced a severe shortage of bus drivers, which is directly impacting student retention. UAT is not immune to bus driver shortages, and, like many other organizations and school districts, has combined routes, which has led to lengthier time gaps between bus rides and unreliable stop times. This bus driver shortage particularly affects students from low-income backgrounds, students without automobiles or reliable transportation, students with physical limitations, and international students.

Due to this shortage, UAT is experiencing challenges in fulfilling its mission of providing accessible transportation. This situation increases difficulty for students commuting to the university, which in turn affects their academic performance and overall university experience. As the external business consultant, your task is to address this pressing issue. Because this issue is critical for the welfare of the university’s diverse student body, you will have a limited timeframe to research and report your findings/recommendations.

Daniel Brooks, the Human Resources Manager at UAT has expressed his concern regarding the bus driver shortage and its cascading effects on student transportation. In particular, he needs to recruit more drivers, but has not been given a budget to increase driver pay. You have been hired to develop a comprehensive plan to tackle the recruiting and retainment challenges. You will convey this plan in a detailed one-page memo for Daniel and the UAT board of directors that addresses the problem at hand and provides two recommendations to mitigate said problem

Guidelines:

Your memo should be written in complete sentences and clean, polished writing, with minimal grammatical errors. The format should be in paragraph form, (avoid bulleted or numbered lists).

The memo requires:

  • 1" margins
  • 12-point Times New Roman or Arial Font
  • Single-spaced formatting
  • A references page in APA format
  • Organized subheadings
  • Submission to Blackboard by February 23, 11:59pm CT
  • Must be submitted as .doc, .docx, or .pdf (No Google Docs or Pages files; also, no OneDrive links)
  • Four sources

If you are unsure about memo formatting, please refer to the Functional Model. The tone should be professional and informative, providing a clear and convincing argument for your recommended course of action. (You can use first-person to say phrases like “I recommend.”)
 
Your recommendations should be based on thoughtful research and demonstrate an understanding of transportation challenges, the needs of diverse student populations, and the logistics of operating in Northwest Arkansas. Include four sources to inform your analysis for the problem at hand. Ensure that you address each point thoroughly, providing a balanced and practical approach that aligns with UAT’s mission of facilitating accessible transportation for all students.

 

Sources:

Bierbaum, A. H., Karner, A., & Barajas, J. M. (2022, September 16). Toward Mobility Justice Linking Transportation and Education Equity in the Context of School Choice. Taylor & Francis Online. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01944363.2020.1803104 

Cody, T. (2023, September 18). A possible solution to the nationwide school bus driver shortage could be under the Hood. 4029 News. https://www.4029tv.com/article/nationwide-school-bus-driver-shortage-solution/45145193 

Ending Separation through Housing, Transportation, and Education Policy. (2021). National Civic Review, 110(3), 38–52. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.32543/naticivirevi.110.3.0038

Gilker, K. (2023, August 14). How are local schools dealing with the bus driver shortage ... 5 News. https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/local-school-districts-bus-routes-covered-more-drivers/527-65775b58-a82f-415c-85fb-41259b35c08e

Indeed. (2022, June 7). How to hire a bus driver - indeed. Indeed. https://www.indeed.com/hire/how-to-hire/bus-driver

Kemp, M. B. (2021, December 21). Bus Driver Shortage Continues to Impact UA Students’ Commutes. The Arkansas Traveler. https://digitalcollections.uark.edu/digital/collection/Traveler/id/7352

Lonas, L. (2023, August 16). School bus driver Shortage plagues first week back to class. The Hill. https://thehill.com/homenews/education/4154003-school-bus-driver-shortage-plagues-first-week-back-to-class/

Mastros, S. (2019, May 3). Five best practices for hiring school bus drivers. BusBoss. https://www.busboss.com/blog/five-best-practices-for-hiring-school-bus-drivers

National RTCP (2023, May 23). Driver recruitment, training, and retention. National Rural Transit Assistance Program (RTAP). https://www.nationalrtap.org/Toolkits/Transit-Managers-Toolkit/Administration/Driver-Recruitment-Training-and-Retention

Plotch, P. (2023, January 6). Strategies to Hire, Train, and Retain Bus Operators: New Report Will Help Transit Agencies Overcome Obstacles. Eno Center for Transportation. https://enotrans.org/article/strategies-hire-train-bus-operators-new-report/

Vincent, P. (2023, September 11). Sydney bus drivers wanted: Job that pays $100,000 - no-one wants to do it and it’s making you very late. Daily Mail Online. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12503693/Sydney-bus-drivers-job-no-one-wants.html

West, C. (2022, April 11). A surprising reason keeping students from finishing college: A lack of transportation. The Hechinger Report. https://hechingerreport.org/a-surprising-reason-keeping-students-from-finishing-college-a-lack-of-transportation/

Wong, A. (2023, August 15). Why is there a shortage of school bus drivers? problem worsened by Covid reaches crisis level. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2023/08/15/school-bus-driver-shortage-2023/70516560007/

Zukowski, D. (2022, September 19). Transit agencies can’t hire enough drivers to keep the buses running. Smart Cities Dive. https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/news/transit-agencies-bus-operators-driver-shortage/631651/