Project Proposal

When we hear the term college or university the first thoughts that come to most people’s minds are the prestigious or well known colleges. Universities become well known for different reasons. Some examples are of these reasons are; heightened academic standards, long history, size, location, and last but not least, sports. University of Phoenix (UOP) is now the largest private University in the U.S. with just under two hundred campuses in over thirty-five states. Although UOP has gained recognition in recent years due to its sheer volume, it has not necessarily gained the notoriety that it deserves. Due to the size and nation-wide range of its campuses UOP also suffers from a lack of common bond among its faculty and student body. The main objectives of our project are to not only bolster the recognition of UOP, but to also promote a common bond among the school faculty and its students. Our project consists of starting a football program that will represent UOP from the ground up. In this paper we will discuss who the stakeholders of this project are, goals of the project, projected timeframe, its budget, how we will measure its performance, and the project scope.

Project Stakeholders

     The project stakeholders are those who may be affected by the project or whom can influence the project. In this case, the project stakeholders will be UOP’s shareholders, board of directors, school advisors, faculty/staff, and students. All of these individuals are directly related to the project because of their affiliation with UOP. UOP’s shareholders are those whom hold stock whether it is in the stock market or privately. These individuals will hold the utmost of importance when dealing with this project because of their direct investment with the school. The board of directors will provide direction and advice. They may also hold share options and will ultimately be the group approving or declining our proposal.

School Advisors will provide resources to enable the project to run effectively. These individuals will be of assistance in the department of advising the growing needs of the university as well as the students.  They will provide the necessary packages to encourage the enrollment of potential football players.  These individuals will be an important asset when recruiting. The Faculty/staff will be an on-going stakeholder in the project because of their direct contact with the students/players. Their responsibility will be to enhance the knowledge of all students and prepare them for the next journey in their lives. The students are stakeholders because not only will they represent the school on the field, but also because of their school spirit.  Students are known to be one of the loyalist fans when referring to college activities.  Alumni’s represent their schools with the utmost of pride and look forward to giving back as much as possible.

All stakeholders have some type of contribution to the project. The project will be successful with the assistance and commitment of the stakeholders.  It is not enough for the deliverables to be met, but that all expectations of the stakeholders are met. Some stakeholders will continue to contribute to the project far after completion.

Project Goals

     Our project goals are two-fold; not only did we set goals geared towards completing our project, but we also set goals we would like to see once the football program gets off the ground. Starting a new football team from scratch is a monumental task. We need to be reasonable and not rush the process in order to ensure we are covering all the stages of the process. First, our

goal to kick-off the program will be in the fall of 2010. Football seasons, whether it is the pee-wee leagues or the National Football League (NFL), begin in the fall of every year. It would not be reasonable to only give ourselves one year to get the team ready to play. For this reason, we have decided to kick-off our program in the fall of 2010.

Once our football program gets off the ground and interest starts to build, we hope that it will add a positive dimension to the already vibrant school character. Our goals for this football program are to; promote a common interest among faculty and student body, promote the university brand, develop the character and integrity of student-athletes in their academic athletic and personal quest for excellence, and provide positive exposure for the University and provide a source of pride and unity for students, faculty and fans. Finally, we expect that the football program at UOP will begin generating revenue for the school by the third year.

Time

 

The main objective of time is to finish on schedule. While many problems may occur, we as a team must plan for all outcomes. The initial ways to handle the issues are having different plans and adjust to the different delays that might occur. The deadline for our project will be for the fall season of 2010. The three reasons for this is money, finding sponsors, and the fact that football seasons begin in the fall. Money is always an issue when forming a project. Sponsors are a great idea to get that extra money for the football team. The recognition for the school is a plus and the amount of enrollment would increase. The benefits the project will bring will give creditability to the students and the school name. The last is time, while planning the whole program; we still need the estimated time to finish the project.

Budget

There are many variables that come into play when coming up with a budget to start a football program at a college or university. The initial budget to get the program off the ground will be much higher than in following years as the program will basically pay for itself as it creates revenue for the university. The following chart shows what our projected budget is for the first three years:

   Football  Program
            Estimated  Costs  

1st Year

2nd Year

3rd Year

Practice Facility/Weight Room                                                $1.5 M

$50,000

$50,000

Recruitment/Marketing

$300,000

$100,000

$100,000

Coaching Staff Salaries

$300,000

$300,000

$300,000

Field Equipment

$250,000

$80,000

$50,000

Player’s Equipment

$30,000

$15,000

$10,000

Transportation

$90,000

$10,000

$10,000

Miscellaneous

$80,000

$10,000

$10,000

TOTAL

$2,550,000

$565,000

$530,000

 

As stated, the first year’s costs will heavily out weigh the following years as the program eventually returns revenue on the initial investment. The heaviest cost will be incurred on the purchase of a practice field and training facility. Recruitment and marketing will be a vital part of the program to ensure that interest does not waiver as time passes. The only real constant as far costs are concerned will be the salaries of the coaching staff.

Project Performance

     The desired output is a UOP (University of Phoenix) football team. This will consist of several different phases in which will be monitored, measured, and managed.  It will be the project manager’s responsibility to be the liaison between executive management and the project

team.  It’s the project manager’s main objective to keep an open and excellent relationship with all parties involved. Due to the large scope of the project it is imperative that the project manager emphasize the desire to put aboard the most eager employees on this particular project.  If the most eager and desired employees are involved it will show more of a passion to succeed. Communication between the project manager and sub-ordinates will be extremely important so that the project flows accordingly.

First the elements of competency will be explained thoroughly to eliminate any miscommunication. Secondly, progress will be measured based on the ability of the individual’s performance and the evidence will be the proven performance of all sub-ordinates. Finally, the overall documentation and information provided and collected through-out the project will be accompanied in a written report.

Project Scope

     The mission is to build a Football team that proudly represents University of Phoenix. We want to increase recognition for the University and have a chance to show that the school provides extra curriculum for students. In addition, forming the team will unite students and have involvement with other Universities.

The Scope of the project will include :

 

Administration team and Financial Administration team for UOP football team

Licensing and necessary contracting within the University Football League (NCAA) National Collegiate Athletic Association devision III

Budget for equipment, uniforms, travel expenses, insurance, transportation

 

Expected Tasks

 

     The Administration team will be involved with hiring coaches, assistant coaches, trainers, and coordinators. Their tasks are to also planning and contracting between necessity individuals or corporations.

The Coaches, assistant coaches, trainers and coordinators will be responsible for putting together the team. The tasks can include recruiting the appropriate candidates, training and assure the safety and success of the team.

The Financial Administration will be involved with budget, scholarships for the students that qualify to join the football team and all miscellaneous financial tasks. They are responsible for book keeping and making sure students stay on point with their education.

Deliverables

Establish Gyms and training facilities                                                            360 days

Planning and Hiring to Develop Administration Team                                  390 days

Hiring Coach, trainers, assistant coaches and coordinators                            430 days

Begin contracting and finalizing deals and paper work                                   90   days

Summary

     Since its foundation in 1976, University of Phoenix has witnessed tremendous growth that has given the university well deserved recognition. UOP has also demonstrated its deep felt dedication to working students all around the nation. Starting a football program in the state of California will give UOP the added spark of giving its student body and faculty something to get behind as one. Although we do not expect this football program to provide revenue to the university for the first two years, we do expect it to be a driving force in providing revenue in the future years, promoting the brand of the university, uniting its stakeholders, and making UOP a more recognizable organization around the nation. In spite of the overall goal being the accomplishment and success of a football team, one main focus is that of education. It will be a

priority that all student-athletes receive a remarkable education.  This will allow the athletes to accomplish more out of life than just the experience of playing football for a fantastic university. It will prepare them for future endeavors.



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