Project 1 Draft / Casey Smith

COMMITTEE FOR TECHNICAL WRITING
CLASS SUGGESTIONS


TO: Professors and Students of Technical Writing Committee
FROM: Casey Smith
DATE: July 18, 2005
SUBJECT: Suggestions for Class Design


To begin to investigate what types of technical writing will be the most prominent in my intended field, Student Affairs, and therefore most pertinent to creating a class preparing students to enter the ever competitive workforce, it is essential that we define technical writing and what it means to be a technical writer. As Melissa Palmer, Lindsey Hall, and I researched this subject, we found technical writing to be a tool used for the purpose of conveying information to a specific audience. It must follow a structure that best represents the facts it aims to explain in a clear and concise form. It is a form of communication through which information is given or exchanged. According to the Technical Communication site of the Michigan Technical University, "Technical Communicators:
-Design web sites and produce videos for organizations and businesses
-Write manuals for the auto and aeronautics industries
-Publish computer documentation
-Produce newsletters and brochures
-Assist engineers, researchers, and scientists in writing reports and articles
-Write for specialized technical and medical trade journals
-Translate technical and scientific information into other languages
-Develop sales and public relations campaigns
-Write on-line help files for complex software packages
-Conduct internal training programs for companies and organizations"

"The goal of technical writing is to enable readers to use new technology or understand a process or concept" (Alred, 1996). Effective technical writers must always know and address their targeted audience. They translate technical information into easily understandable language utilizing a direct, exact, and clear style of writing. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, "technical writers develop technical materials, such as equipment manuals, appendices, or operating and maintenance instructions". Because the procedures described in these materials may involve hazardous material or equipment, visuals, layout, and design enhance the procedures clarity. Technical writer's initial step involves researching and evaluating data for the procedural instructions. This information then must be molded and presented in a way that is comprehendible to the intended reader and will most benefit the success of the project.

To investigate skills that are essential to success in the Student Affairs field and which would be helpful if taught in a preparation class, I interviewed Dr. Joy Smith, Associate Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students at Clemson University. I was surprised to learn of the vast amounts of technical writing used in Student Affairs. I also found that written formalities are a major part of Dr. Smith's job description and her knowledge of technical writing skills give her an advantage that others in her field may not have. She explained that there are four different kinds of communication or writing which are essential in her field. First, she and her staff constantly prepare Executive Summaries. An Executive Summary is the condensation of a vast amount of information into a few pages so that the Board of Trustees will be able to review it in a timely manner. Examples include the minutes and activities of the Alcohol and Drug Task Force, surveys on student learning styles, or proposals for campus recreation fees (which would also have charts attached). Second, business communication over email is important because Clemson and the Board of Trustees look to her for suggestions of improvements that can be made across campus, including placement for new programs and reconstructing existing programs. Third, she uses crisis communication frequently, coorosponding with the Crisis Management Team, which is mostly electronic excluding the actual interaction with the student. Finally, she sends ongoing regards like Thank You notes, Congratulations, and Honorary notes for all of the good things that are taking place in the Student Affairs activities going on across the campus.

When asked about possible preparation that would be beneficial for a person hoping to enter the Student Affairs field, she pointed on that first, a Masters degree would be required. The competition for acquiring upper level higher education positions is extremely intense and only those applicants with advanced education themselves are considered for positions of that nature. According to the Department of Labor, "A college degree generally is required for a position as a [technical] writer". Counseling and psychological training is necessary as well to prepare individuals for difficult situations, like those handled by the Crisis Management Team. Knowledge of business, like accounting, is always a plus because the Student Affairs programs all have budgets. Finally, undergraduate service industry degrees like Communications, Education, and Psychology, and also literary degrees, like English or Language and International Trade, make up an excellent basis to on which to begin building a Student Affairs career.

To begin to design a class that will prepare students for the Student Affairs field, a reading from the STC titled "What is Communication?" can be quoted for insight. It states, "Many species of non-human animals and even insects communicate with each other, and there are many books on the subject of how monkeys warn each other of danger and of how bees tell others from their hive where to find honey by a sort of dance." As you design this technical writings course keep in mind that the purpose is to communicate information to the students that they will be actually be able to implement in the Student Affairs field. Like the monkeys, the class should warn the students of the trials they may encounter for which technical writing is required to correspond and alleviate the situation. The course should also dance like the bees, or show the students where to find technical writing information to use for the professional business documents they will need to produce. Since members of a Student Affairs team are generally writing on behalf of the University when corresponding with newspapers and presenting press releases, they "are expected to establish their credibility with editors and readers through strong research and the use of appropriate sources and citations" (Department of Labor). The Department of Labor also points out that "sustaining high ethical standards and meeting publication deadlines [is] essential", especially when judicial matters are in question.
As a student at Clemson University, majoring in Communications, I have found that a better understanding of technical writing presented at the beginning of my curriculum would have been beneficial to my success in other courses. Guidelines for technical writing will not only benefit students when they reach their intended fields after graduation, but will also benefit them while they are still using formats to write papers in school. For instance, learning how to write documents in APA and MLA formats would have been extremely beneficial to me prior to taking all of my Communications requirements because each teacher requires one of those two formats, which can get confusing. I also feel that a technical writing course explaining professional assumptions for resumes would be beneficial to all students as they prepare to apply for positions in the Student Affairs field.

Thank you for you consideration of my suggestions for improving the future design of the Student Affairs Technical Writing Preparation Course.