Technical Communication

Dr. Tesdell and students blog their way to Karlsruhe

Dr. Lee Tesdell and students from the Topics: Technical Communication in Germany (Eng 4/572) course will be blogging about their adventures in Germany as they visit Hochschule Karlsruhe – Technik und Wirtschaft (HsKA) as well as various industries in the Karlsruhe area.  

Dr. Perbix new program director

Beginning summer 2013, Dr. Gretchen Perbix will serve as program director for the technical communication program. Dr. Perbix began teaching at Minnesota State Mankato in 2005. Her teaching and research specialities include rhetorical theory, document design and usability, social media, and project management.

Dr. Perbix will take over from Dr. Nancy MacKenzie, who served as director of the technical communication program for 16 years (for the academic years 1987-2002, 2004-2005, and 2012-2013), and Dr. Roland Nord, who served as program director for 9 years (the academic years 2002-2004 and 2005-2012). During that 25-year span, the technical communication program grew from one full-time faculty member to seven faculty members and expanded from a residential program to an international online program.

Graduate Student Competition

SIGDOC is sponsoring a competition for "Best Graduate Student" submission. The winner receives travel expenses (up to $1,000) and registration for the conference, at which the winner will present his or her paper.

SIGDOC 2013 will be held from September 30 to October 1 in Greenville, North Carolina.

Spring 2013 Techniques

The spring 2013 issue of [PDF] Techniques (984 KiB) is now available. The issue was edited and designed by students in Dr. Tesdell's Technical Documentation, Policies, and Procedures (ENG 4/577) class.

An editorial committee solicited proposals from all students in the technical communication courses, chose the proposals they thought were most relevant for their audience, communicated with the authors of the proposals, edited the articles, and designed and assembled the publication.

Alumni Roundtable

On Wednesday, May 1, Minnesota State University Mankato technical communication students and faculty participated in an alumni online roundtable. Three alumni talked about their current jobs, how they use technical communication in the workplace, information about the tools they use, and other observations of interest to current students.

Mike Goracke graduated with a major in technical communication and a minor in computer technology in 2006. Mike has worked for multiple software companies as a technical writer, project manager, and SEO specialist. He currently works in Shakopee, Minnesota, where he is beginning to take on additional web development and marketing related rolls.

Marina Kamenetskiy graduated with an M.A. in technical communication in 2010. She is currently working (remotely) as a technical writer for a medical software company in Mankato and also working as an online adjunct professor teaching professional writing courses at a major university. She lives in Atlanta and is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in educational leadership & management.

Lance Schwartz earned an M.A. in English/technical communication in December 2010. He currently is the director of institutional communication at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato. His primary responsibilities include oversight of the institution's website, writer and editor of the college magazine (Bethany Report), and writer and editor for a variety of publications involving the advancement, admissions, and marketing efforts of the institution.

Editing SIG offers scholarships

STC's Technical Editing SIG is offering two scholarships, each worth $1400. The SIG describes the scholarships as follows:

The first scholarship assists students who are pursuing an undergraduate degree in Technical Communication (or a related area, such as professional writing or digital media) and the second assists students who are pursuing a graduate degree in Technical Communication (or a related area, such as professional writing or digital media).

Students applying for one of these scholarships are expected to be able to demonstrate their focus on topics related to technical editing through their academic studies, current jobs, special projects, or undergraduate/graduate program. The winners will be announced in the Technical Editing SIG newsletter.

Additional scholarship information, including elgibility information, is provided on the STC Technical Editing website. The application deadline is June 23, 2013.

Roland Nord receives teaching award

On April 17, Dr. Roland Nord received a 2013 Pedagogical Innovation Award presented by the Extended Learning Sub Meet and Confer. Awards recognized the innovative work that faculty are doing in relation to course and program design and teaching.

Saul Carliner speaks to the MSU STC chapter

On Wednesday, April 10, Dr. Saul Carliner spoke to the student chapter of the Society of Technical Communication at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

In Dr. Carliner's presentation, "Certification and Other Professional Development Opportunities for New Technical Communicators," he explored some key issues to consider including networking to get your first—and later—jobs, the brand new Certified Technical Communication Professional credential, maintenance of your knowledge and skills, and alternate paths you can take with your technical communication experience.

Dr. Carliner is the e-Learning Fellow at Concordia University in Montreal, as well as an Associate Professor and Director of the Education Doctoral Program. He is editor-in-chief of IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, serves on the boards of the STC Certification Commission and Agence Ometz (the social service agency), is a past board member of the Canadian Society for Training and Development (CSTD), and is a fellow and past international president of STC.

Minnesota State University, Mankato's STC Student Chapter Announces 2013 Officers

Minnesota State Mankato's Society for Technical Communication Student Chapter, an organization dedicated to advancing the arts and sciences of technical communication, has announced this year's chapter officers.

John Maxwell, President: John is a junior pursuing a BS in Technical Communication. Since childhood, he has wondered who writes the manuals and other documentation that come in the botton of electronic and gadget boxes. Now he knows. In his free time, he enjoys playing with his three children, hockey, and reading.

Annemarie Chapdelaine, Vice President/Social Media Chair: Annemarie is in her final semester at Minnesota State Mankato in the Technical COmmunication program. Her focus areas are technical product support, technical marketing, project management, and web  design and usability.

Katrina Reed, Communications Officer/Secretary: Katrina is currently pursuing her MA in English: Technical Communication from Minnesota State Mankato. She works full-time for an engineering consulting firm where she serves as a grant and proposal writer/editor, and also serves as an editor for the Center for Excellence in Scholarship and Research (CESR) at MNSU. In her free time, she teaches English and literacy classes for the Kalamazoo Literacy Council.

Gere Hirsch, Speaker Coordinator: Gere is currently pursuing her MA in English: Technical Communication from Minnesota State Mankato. She has experience working as a technical communicator for a major mid-western university, as a proposal developer for a federal contractor, and as a contractor developing and writing the licensing documentation for an allied health sciences school. Gere's next venture is going to be working in the Decision Support System for the local Veteran's Administration region. In her free time, she enjoys woodturning, playing with various computer technologies, reading and spending time with her husband and daughter.

The Chapter also welcomes back co-advisors Dr. Lee Tesdell and Dr. Jennifer Veltsos to this year's committee.

For more information, including STC goals and ethical principles, visit the STC website.

Arricka Brouwer to Speak to the MSU STC

Arricka Brouwer will speak to the student chapter of the Society of Technical Communication at Minnesota State University, Mankato at 8:30 p.m. central standard time on Tuesday, February 12. We will meet in Adobe Connect. Please click here for the link to the meeting https://umconnect.umn.edu/r46732132/

Arricka has 15 years of industry experience as a technical writer. She has worked at Lowe's Corporate Headquarters and Pfizer Pharmaceuticals. She graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in English and Political Science.

Arricka's topics will be (1) contract vs. permanent employment and (2) skill sets that are important to cultivate when entering the technical writing market.

APP Presentation

Robert Farrell delivered his APP presentation "An Exploration of Current Programs and Methods Used by Professional Translators" on Thursday, January 10. Dr. Lee Tesdell served as Robert's advisor.

Graduate assistantships

Graduate students who are seeking financial assistance are encouraged to apply for appropriate graduate assistantships, which provide full tuition (for 6-9 credits) plus a stipend ($4,800 per semester). All graduate assistantships are listed on the Human Resources website. Some of the assistantships may be available to 100% online learners. Review of applications typically continues until the positions are filled.

Technical writing as a career

The 2012-13 Occupational Outlook Handbook now has a separate entry devoted to technical writers. According the 2012-13 Occupational Outlook Handbook, which is published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for technical writers is expected to grow approximately 17% from 2010-2020, a rate which is faster than the average for all occupations.

Tech Comm online

All coursework necessary for completing degrees or certificates in technical communication is offered online. The MA and the graduate and undergraduate certificate programs can be completed within one year.

Non-resident graduate students completing all of their coursework online are charged Minnesota resident online graduate tuition. Non-resident undergraduate students receive are charged the Minnesota resident online tuition if they complete the 100% online learner undergraduate form.

Check our tentative 2-year schedule of online courses for the upcoming 2013-14 academic year.

For more information about online courses, certificates, or degrees, contact Dr. Gretchen Perbix.