Mercer University Department of Technical Communication

byDr. Helen Grady

School of Engineering9 October 2008

Presentation prepared for University of Karlsruhe

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What will be discussed

• Mercer’s School of Engineering

• Overview of Dept. of Technical Communication (TCO)

• Our curriculum

• Our faculty

• Our facilities

• Opportunities to work with you

Mercer’s School of Engineering

•Established in 1986•Nationally accredited in 1989•500 students•BS Engineering degrees in:

• Electrical • Computer • Mechanical• Biomedical• Environmental• Industrial

Mercer’s School of Engineering

•BS degrees inTechnical CommunicationIndustrial Management

•MSE degree

•MSTCO degree

Why our program is in engineering

• Historical demand from engineers for “engineering English”

• Current engineering accreditation requirements for excellent communication skills

• Focus on real-world projects – a good fit with engineers

What we mean by technical communication….

The process of designing and creating

information that transfers specialized

knowledge from subject matter experts to those

who need to use it.

What our students think….

“I’m a graphic designing, website creating, quality

controlling, product supporting, project

managing, engineer translating, software developing, technical

editing, corporate branding, usability testing, document designing, manual writing

major at Mercer University.So…what does your major

do?

TCO Curriculum

•TCO core competencies•TCO electives•Engineering core

TCO Core Competencies

• Document and web design

• Technical communication

• Usability

• Instructional design

• Technical editing

• Industry internship

TCO Electives

• Multimedia/advanced multimedia

• Communication in management

• Visual communication

• Reports and proposals

• Communication in high tech environments

Other Electives

• Visual programming• Video production• Digital storytelling• Digital photography• Internet programming

• Plus, many other options available from our College of Liberal Arts and School of Business

Strengths of our BS program

•Emphasis on technology and communication•Engineering focus•Teamwork•Real-world projects

Our MS in Technical Communication Management

• Prepares working professionals to assume leadership roles in their organizations

• Emphasizes collaborative problems that address industry perspectives

• Delivered via distance education

• Consists of four modules• Foundations, Media, Management, Design

Our Faculty

• Dr. Susan Codone

• Dr. Marjorie Davis

• Dr. Helen Grady

• Dr. George Hayhoe

Dr. Susan Codone

•Former multimedia manager for Raytheon•Teaching focus: multimedia•Research focus: clinical and professional communication; technology in teaching

Dr. Marjorie Davis

•Founding Chair, TCO•STC Fellow•Teaching focus: usability, writing, distance learning•Research focus: defining the body of knowledge in field of tech comm

Dr. Helen Grady

•Department Chair•Founding Director, Center for Excellence in Engineering Education•Teaching focus: tech editing, instructional and information design•Research focus: instructional strategies for distance ed delivery

Dr. George Hayhoe

•MSTCO Director•Editor, Technical Communication (1996-2008); STC Fellow•Teaching focus: usability, technology, distance learning •Research focus: ISO standards, research methods

A tour of our facilities

• Usability lab

• Hi-tech classrooms

• Curriculum development lab

• New office and student work rooms

• New University Center

• Historic campus

New Science/Engineering Home

State-of-the-art usability lab

Hi-tech classrooms

Well equipped curriculum development lab

Spacious office areas

Individual student work areas

So why study abroad at Mercer?

Small school, extra attention fromProfessors

Small class sizes

A vibrant student community withmany activities throughout the year

Opportunities to work with you?

• Student exchange (short/long term)

• Faculty exchange (short/long term)

• Project collaboration (virtual teams)

• Internships

• Potential certificate in TCO