Programmatic Perspectives
Programmatic Perspectives publishes articles related to programmatic issues related to technical communication.
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Volume 3 Issue 1 (March 2010)
A Conscience of Diversity
Tracy Bridgeford, University of Nebraska-Omaha
Michael J. Salvo, Purdue University
Bill Williamson, Saginaw Valley State University
This issue preview welcomes the community to Programmatic Perspectives. The editors preview articles and invite the community action. Volume 3.1 contains special commentary on a recurring theme in this issue: diversity in technical communication programs.
Perceptions of Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Technical Communication Programs
Gerald Savage, Illinois State University
Kyle Mattson, Illinois State University
Abstract. Based on a survey of technical communication program directors in the US and Canada, this study asks in what ways diversity is perceived in such programs. Addressing four areas of diversity concerns in technical communication programs, the survey respondents provided insights about the need for and obstacles to enhancing student diversity, faculty diversity, curricular diversity, and institutional advocacy for diversity policies and actions in their programs as well as their sense of the status of diversity in other programs. The study also recommends specific areas for action to support diversity in technical communication programs.
Keywords. culture, curriculum, diversity planning, ethnicity, globalization, race, social justice
Toward Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Technical Communication Programs: A Study of Technical Communication in Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Tribal Colleges and Universities in the United States
Gerald Savage, Illinois State University
Natalia Matveeva, University of Houston–Downtown
Abstract. This article presents the results of an exploratory study of the available technical communication programs in 135 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) in the United States. We investigated how and when the HBCUs and TCUs were established, specifically social, political, and economic factors that influenced curriculum development in these institutions of higher education. To determine the number and the nature of the available technical communication programs, we closely examine the websites and course catalogues and descriptions of the colleges and universities. We also looked at their mission statements to obtain a better understanding of whether a technical communication degree would align with the goals and objectives of the selected institutions. The broader purpose of our investigation was to improve understanding of the status of diversity in our field and to start a dialog on how to increase diversity among technical communication students and faculty.
Keywords. culture, curriculum, diversity, ethnicity, HBCUs and TCUs, program design, race, recruitment
If You Build It They Will Come: Establishing a Research Group at New Mexico Tech to Increase Campus Visibility of the Technical Communication Program
Julie Dyke Ford, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Clinton R. Lanier, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Abstract. This article presents a model for increasing the visibility of technical communication programs through establishing research groups. By describing the process we went through at New Mexico Tech to create such a group and sharing details about past and current projects, we offer insight about the benefits and the challenges of facilitating applied research projects across a university.
Keywords. applied communication, applied projects, real-world projects, research groups, technical communication practice
Scrapbooking the Apocalypse: Introduction to Judith Ramey's Keynote at the 2010 CPTSC Annual Meeting
Michael J. Salvo, Purdue University
Outpost and Evolution: A Quarter Century (and More) of Change
Judith Ramey, University of Washington
This keynote was presented at the 2010 Annual Meeting on September 30, 2010 at Boise State Universiity in Boise, ID. The meeting's theme was Programmatic Trends in Times of Change.