http://tc.eserver.org/dir/STC A listing of the most recently indexed works about STC in the field of technical communication. en-us Copyright (c) 2005-08 by the EServer. All rights reserved. tclib-editorial@eserver.org (TC Library Editorial Board) webmaster@eserver.org (Geoffrey Sauer) http://tc.eserver.org/images/newlogo.gif http://tc.eserver.org/dir/STC http://tc.eserver.org/35757.html http://tc.eserver.org/35757.html STC SIGs are like areas where outside professions insert specialized instances of their expertise into our profession. But what if we could reverse that gateway? Our SIGs could be an excellent outreach channel to market our specialized knowledge into those other professions. http://tc.eserver.org/35721.html http://tc.eserver.org/35721.html Maybe the confusion that surrounds the STC is its inability to define who it serves. Maybe the STC is trying to drum up support and be more inclusive. http://tc.eserver.org/35540.html http://tc.eserver.org/35540.html Much has been said about the problem the Society for Technical Communication has found itself in, including on blogs, Twitter, and email listservs. I’ve deliberately kept quiet here until I had some semblance of perspective to offer. But I’ve come to the conclusion that maybe this is a crisis STC needed—an impetus to get us all thinking together about how to improve the model, how to offer more direct benefits to the members. http://tc.eserver.org/35316.html http://tc.eserver.org/35316.html The mission of STC is to “advance the arts and sciences of technical communication.” How does this help you, the member? I have been a freelancer/business owner for the vast majority of my career (so far). Let me say a few things about STC’s value proposition for mercenaries like me. http://tc.eserver.org/35186.html http://tc.eserver.org/35186.html I need to figure out where I am with all the STC stuff going on, and blogging will help my introspection. Also, it will let me share with you some of the background and complexity that surround the current state of affairs with STC. My e-mail tag line reads "Anyone who is sure of the answer doesn't understand the question," and this blog is an invitation to join me in understanding how we got here, where we are, and where I think we need to go. http://tc.eserver.org/34651.html http://tc.eserver.org/34651.html Perhaps the time has come to wrap up the STC and let a new organisation grow from the ashes. Those who are interested, and who believe our profession needs such an organisation will rally round and rebuild something. If there is not enough interest then perhaps that is a further indication that the STC has had its time. http://tc.eserver.org/34636.html http://tc.eserver.org/34636.html It's been pretty clear over the last few months that the Society for Technical Communication (STC) is facing some hard times. Attendance at this year's conference was way down (below 1,000) and memberships, the other major source of revenue, are falling too. The STC has been sponsoring a series of webinars to discuss future directions and has acknowledged that unless they can turn things around, and quickly, the organization will run out of money in a couple of years. http://tc.eserver.org/34625.html http://tc.eserver.org/34625.html In case you haven’t heard, the STC’s finances are facing crisis proportions. Unless membership stabilizes, it could go out of business in a couple of years. Here are a few recommendations to help solve the problems of the STC. http://tc.eserver.org/34626.html http://tc.eserver.org/34626.html STC represents two conflicting groups: academics and actual business world employees. These are complimentary roles for building theory but they are conflicting for actual execution. http://tc.eserver.org/34627.html http://tc.eserver.org/34627.html As you may have heard, STC is in a financial crisis. According to the board of directors meeting minutes from May 5, 2009, STC must retain membership "for the next year or STC will be out of business in two years." I believe that STC needs to make some significant changes in the following areas. http://tc.eserver.org/34628.html http://tc.eserver.org/34628.html Recently, I have begun to feel that there is not much value left in STC as it stands today, and it is in need of a radical overhaul in order to survive. I believe that outside the rarefied atmosphere of the STC Board and Head Office, this view is widely shared. http://tc.eserver.org/34629.html http://tc.eserver.org/34629.html As a “young” technical writer, I thought I might share some of my feelings on the STC crisis. First, a little background on me. I knew while I was in college that I wanted to be a technical writer after graduation. I switched to an English major for that purpose, and picked classes that gave me a “technical communication emphasis”. I joined STC while I was in college because I wanted to connect with people in my field. I got a chapter scholarship to attend a regional STC conference, and had a great time meeting people who did for a living what I was studying. http://tc.eserver.org/34519.html http://tc.eserver.org/34519.html There was a time when organizations did offer a value proposition. Once upon a time, there was some prestige attached to being part of a professional organization. Being a member marked you as a professional. The potential was there for membership in an organization to open a more than a few doors. And organizations offered training, courses, information, and even pointers to jobs that you couldn’t find anywhere else. The Web, though, hasn’t just leveled the playing field. The Web has flattened the playing field, paved it over, and moved the goal posts. http://tc.eserver.org/34282.html http://tc.eserver.org/34282.html The current economic downturn seems to have impacted almost every industry within the United States and many abroad. It has already had a direct impact on the employment status of an increasing number of individuals, including technical communicators. STC will assist with an economic recovery plan for those technical communicators who have already been laid off or expect to be soon. These only work for Internet Explorer users on Microsoft Windows computers. http://tc.eserver.org/33885.html http://tc.eserver.org/33885.html In all, my experiences volunteering in the STC Carolina chapter have been very rewarding. I recommend dipping your toes in the water and trying something out. Email or call someone on the administrative council and ask what needs to be done. Start small. You might be surprised at the return on investment. http://tc.eserver.org/33714.html http://tc.eserver.org/33714.html Innovation is important in any area of life, and STC communities are no exception. Last year, STC Chicago and STC-NIU (Northern Illinois University) combined their strengths to facilitate innovation and to help revive a student chapter. http://tc.eserver.org/32701.html http://tc.eserver.org/32701.html In addition to providing a welcoming atmosphere, SIN SIG offers newcomers a jump-start to networking. As a new member, Thuy Vu took advantage of SIN SIG for exactly that purpose. She says, "To have the support and resources of SIN SIG from day one was very valuable to me as a new member. SIN SIG made it much easier to connect with the group and to learn my way around." We've found that the casual SIN SIG meeting with its small group provides an avenue to get to know a few faces and learn about opportunities for involvement without intimidating new people. http://tc.eserver.org/32702.html http://tc.eserver.org/32702.html At this year's Technical Communication Summit, I introduced social networking at Leadership Day by telling those in attendance about Twitter. Some folks already knew about it, but for others, it was a new concept ... letting people know what was going on in real time? Setting up meetings? Getting the A/C fixed in the conference rooms? By the end of the Summit, about 20 people had sent messages, or tweeted, consistently throughout the conference. http://tc.eserver.org/32703.html http://tc.eserver.org/32703.html The focus of the Society office over the last two months has been working with chapter and SIG leaders on their financial reports for the 2008 Fiscal Year (July 2007-June 2008) and their Community Status Reports (CSRs) for the May-August 2008 period. For the chapters, this also includes submission of the appropriate tax forms. http://tc.eserver.org/32257.html http://tc.eserver.org/32257.html Read about STC's new strategic goals and the direction in which the organization is heading. http://tc.eserver.org/32158.html http://tc.eserver.org/32158.html To reinvigorate the chapter, former chapter president, Theresa Putkey suggested that the chapter move to a member-driven, online community. Instead of the eight volunteers currently pulling the chapter along, the chapter’s 250 members can set the pace, build momentum, and provide more value than a handful of volunteers are able to provide. http://tc.eserver.org/32159.html http://tc.eserver.org/32159.html As a former Board member, I was often buttonholed by members to discuss what the Board was doing and our plans for STC's future. One of the most common topics of discussion was, "What am I getting for my membership and why should I renew?" Why should you renew? Beats the heck outta me. But I can tell you why I renew, year after year after year. http://tc.eserver.org/32127.html http://tc.eserver.org/32127.html Members often ask what advantages they receive for their membership dollars. The answer is so obvious we sometimes fail to see it. With apologies to the kind souls at MasterCard, a few thoughts on the value of your STC membership. http://tc.eserver.org/31852.html http://tc.eserver.org/31852.html There is an aspect of leadership that’s just as important as knowing how to resolve conflicts. That is knowing when and how to listen. If we are leading a chapter or a SIG or a Society-level committee and one of our members raises an issue, we need to listen very carefully to what they have to say. http://tc.eserver.org/31851.html http://tc.eserver.org/31851.html Once you prioritize time for involvement in STC activities, you have good opportunities to show your talents to your peers. Yes, it is scary. The technical communication community is a very difficult audience. But isn't that a fantastic learning opportunity? http://tc.eserver.org/31846.html http://tc.eserver.org/31846.html The ongoing discussion of certification continues with these concurrent articles, each arguing a different side of the coin. http://tc.eserver.org/31850.html http://tc.eserver.org/31850.html Using Constant Contact helped us distribute mass emails to (the former Region 4) STC members to promote a regional conference that we held in October 2007. This was a successful and professional-looking campaign. We signed up for a 60 day trial account to evaluate the Constant Contact service. The trial was so successful that our board voted to purchase an account for the NEO STC Community. http://tc.eserver.org/31770.html http://tc.eserver.org/31770.html Over the last few months as I've settled into my new employment arrangement and my STC administrative duties, I've occasionally reflected on my decision to join STC. I can easily see how much of an impact STC membership has had on my personal and professional life. Further, I can easily see how I will continue reaping the numerous rewards associated with membership in this organization. http://tc.eserver.org/31537.html http://tc.eserver.org/31537.html As Leadership Community Resource (LCR) volunteers, we constantly receive requests to help a community with volunteer burnout. In the worst cases, we have seen entire councils walk away from communities, one volunteer doing all four elected positions, overworked volunteers snapping at each other, and many communities run by officers who have been in the same position for years. We want to help community leaders understand volunteer burnout and provide ways to help prevent it. http://tc.eserver.org/31536.html http://tc.eserver.org/31536.html Good leadership involves a responsibility to the welfare of the group. If you make choices based on popularity, you will avoid making tough decisions. You might even avoid confrontation and, as a result, deserving people may not be rewarded for their accomplishments. Sometimes leaders have to draw a line in the sand and take a stand. http://tc.eserver.org/30748.html http://tc.eserver.org/30748.html The Define-a-Thon is a new word game from the editors of The American Heritage Dictionary. The idea is that you can spell a word without knowing its meaning. So why not develop a competition where the contestant has to pick the right word after its definition has been given? http://tc.eserver.org/30747.html http://tc.eserver.org/30747.html Make the meetings fun--after a long day at work, we need to relax. If you can help them relax at the meeting, you are a step ahead. Some chapters use a relaxation technique at the beginning of their meeting. One California chapter president responded on the listserv that he wears a Santa suit at his chapter's December meeting, so don't be afraid to try something new! http://tc.eserver.org/30746.html http://tc.eserver.org/30746.html Thanks to the Orlando Chapter, we now have a program that our volunteers enjoy. Whether or not you decide to do something like this for your community is up to you. But remember this: someone out in the world of STC has tried something. Rely on their expertise. You don't need to reinvent the wheel. http://tc.eserver.org/30749.html http://tc.eserver.org/30749.html In March 2007, the Chicago Chapter STC started a program that has become quite popular with its members. If your community covers a large geographic area, or has a large number of members, this program may work well for you too. http://tc.eserver.org/30589.html http://tc.eserver.org/30589.html SIGs exist to serve specialized needs within the greater organization. Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and Professional Interest Committees (PICs) are a tool by which the local chapters can serve a diverse range of special interests, boosting chapter membership. The Lone Star Chapter (Dallas/Fort Worth) began hosting SIG meetings three years ago. Currently, with four active SIGs, we are hosting an additional 100 to 200 members per month. This is how we built our SIGs to promote membership in STC. In the spring of 1990, a group of disgruntled contractors began to meet formally to discuss dissatisfaction with insurance plans for independents available through the society. We had been meeting informally for many years, to discuss the job market, rates available, and generally to gossip. We call it networking. personal contact or the sudden ice storm we had that night attendance was down significantly. From that point, we have kept a mailing list updated from our sign-in sheets, and sent postcard reminders about each meeting. http://tc.eserver.org/30592.html http://tc.eserver.org/30592.html Listen to and talk with past and present STC chapter presidents about the positive side of lessons learned in running a chapter. Each panelist will initially address a specific issue that he or she faced as chapter president. Issues vary but will include tips on getting volunteers, learning more about your chapter members, and maybe most importantly, reaping the benefits and joys of chapter leadership. Join this informal discussion and take some new, exciting ideas back to your home chapter. http://tc.eserver.org/30566.html http://tc.eserver.org/30566.html To run a successful STC Employment Information Committee, you need methods for matching job seekers and employers. You need to obtain information on the qualifications of job seekers, find available jobs, and inform employers and job seekers. You also need to advertise your job bank. The job bank for the Lone Star Chapter provides examples of the methods. http://tc.eserver.org/30575.html http://tc.eserver.org/30575.html This study examined changes in STC's overall and international membership between 1979 and 1991. Though the USA and Canada consistently comprised about 97% of the membership, significant changes occurred within the international membership. The Pacific Rim Countries experienced the greatest growth, with their membership increasing about twenty fold over the twelve year period, as compared to a five times increase in the overall international membership, and a three times increase in the entire membership. The disparity of the growth rates resulted in Japan replacing Israel as the residence for most international members, with Australia in second place. http://tc.eserver.org/30495.html http://tc.eserver.org/30495.html The Rochester Chapter developed a set of Procedure Guides for officers and managers. The project was generated by a need to describe management tasks in order to recruit members for chapter positions, and to aid officers and managers in doing their jobs. This session demonstrates how other chapters can benefit from the Rochester Chapter's experience and develop a set of customized leadership guides. http://tc.eserver.org/30498.html http://tc.eserver.org/30498.html To improve your chapter meetings, begin by forming a vivid ideal of how you would like the meetings to be. You can realize your dream if you: (1) find out what chapter members want, (2) form an enthusiastic team to do the many tasks involved, (3) publicize meetings beyond your membership list, (4) ensure good presentations, (5) energize the audience for lively meetings, and (6) keep looking for ways to meet your members' wants. For advice and encouragement in doing these things, participate in a support group with leaders of other chapters. http://tc.eserver.org/30504.html http://tc.eserver.org/30504.html As a chapter leader, you work hard towards the goal of getting maximum interest and participation in chapter activities by the chapter membership. But are you on target? Probable accurate answers to this question are 'some times,' 'probably,' 'maybe,' etc. As any of us who have served in an STC chapter leadership role can attest, the fact is that the target is a moving one. What is on target today may not necessarily work tomorrow. And vice-versa. However, there are some 'tricks of the trade' which you can use to help you increase your on-target percentage. Come and interact with a panel of past and present chapter presidents as each shares specific ideas for increasing membership involvement and for tailoring activities to meet the needs of members and potential members. http://tc.eserver.org/30517.html http://tc.eserver.org/30517.html A successful STC Employment Information Committee provides many rewards for job seekers, employers, and committee members. The Society’s Employment Information Manager and members from the Employment Information Committees of the Silicon Valley Chapter and the Lone Star Chapter discuss techniques for operating a successful employment information chapters. http://tc.eserver.org/30424.html http://tc.eserver.org/30424.html This interim report shows that the research program sponsored by STC in its publications is becoming more annecdotal each year, relying less and less on research for support of its generalizations. http://tc.eserver.org/30433.html http://tc.eserver.org/30433.html Both old hands and newcomers can create a plan to do a presentation at the next STC Annual Conference. Simply follow this 5-step process: (1) Understand the call for papers. (2) Discover possible topics to develop. (3) Identify gifts—something of value—to give your audience in your presentation and in your paper (if you do one). (4) Think of interesting gift wraps to attract your hearers and readers. (5) Prepare a complete proposal for the Program Committee. This process works best in a workshop where the participants can form a critical muss for creative excitement, help one another generate ideas—and have fun! http://tc.eserver.org/30390.html http://tc.eserver.org/30390.html This paper is an explanation of a low-cost and high-fun method used by the Lone Star Chapter to recognize officers and committee managers for their work during the past year. http://tc.eserver.org/30391.html http://tc.eserver.org/30391.html Developing a strong student STC chapter is a challenging and rewarding experience. Those of us who are involved in this process can certainly benefit from sharing our ideas in a directed workshop atmosphere. Participants will exchange ideas and formulate working strategies for the development, maintenance, and growth of a student chapter. http://tc.eserver.org/30325.html http://tc.eserver.org/30325.html NetWorks is an association of people involved in public relations, technical/computer documentation, marketing, fund raising, planning and development, training, journalism, editing, video production and publishing. We have a common interest in sharing ideas, information and resources. http://tc.eserver.org/30274.html http://tc.eserver.org/30274.html Both old hands and newcomers can create a plan to do a presentation at the next STC Annual Conference. Simply follow this 5-step process: (1) Understand the call for proposals. (2) Discover possible topics to develop. (3) Identify gifts--something of value--to give your audience in your presentation and in your paper (if you do one). (4) Think of appealing gift wraps to attract your hearers and readers. (5) Prepare a thorough proposal for the Program Committee. This process works best in a workshop where the participants can form a critical mass for creative excitement, help one another generate ideas--and have fun! http://tc.eserver.org/30216.html http://tc.eserver.org/30216.html If you are not delegating properly, you are making your own life more difficult. In turn, your subordinates suffer because their interests and talents are being overlooked, however unintentionally. http://tc.eserver.org/30213.html http://tc.eserver.org/30213.html Society chapters often involve members who live and work in a very wide geographic area. Even members of chapters with smaller physical areas face long commute times from work sites to meeting sites. Often, the time spent commuting is enough to discourage even the most stalwart Society member from participation. Chapter leaders and committee managers are left with the problem of how to offer their members the means to participate in meetings more effectively. http://tc.eserver.org/30214.html http://tc.eserver.org/30214.html Successful meetings are the end result of a∆ careful planning process. To successfully organize an educational meeting for a community or professional organization, you need to follow a series of steps. http://tc.eserver.org/30215.html http://tc.eserver.org/30215.html One definition of leadership that I like is 'the ability to cause other people to act in desired ways for the benefit of the group.' Those of us who are managers often have the authority to make other people act for the good of a group, but that power doesn't make you a leader--it makes you a boss. The people who choose to follow you decide if they want you as a leader and thus want to achieve the goals of the group. In the long run, folks in a volunteer organization follow a leader because they believe it's in their own best interests to do so. Those interests could be recognition, advanced career possibilities, learning a new skill, altruism, or any number of other personal perks. Good leaders know how to tap into an individual's personal interests and feed those interests so the person both enjoys and gains from helping the group reach a goal. http://tc.eserver.org/30140.html http://tc.eserver.org/30140.html This panel discussion becomes what the audience deems it to be. Each panelist is a past STC chapter president. Issues are audience-dependent but may include topics such as handling volunteers, managing money, recruiting members, and so forth. Join this informal discussion to share ideas, quandaries, and solutions for successfully leading a chapter. http://tc.eserver.org/30073.html http://tc.eserver.org/30073.html You don't have to be an officer to benefit professionally from your local STC chapter meetings. Start attending your local chapter meetings and discover the many forms of buried treasure. These treasures will result in a new perspective of your writing, an increased library of professional resources, professional writers being hired at your workplace, and the chance to view the 'Best of Show' writing. You can reap rewards such as these with a small investment of personal time. http://tc.eserver.org/29947.html http://tc.eserver.org/29947.html In order for chapters to stay relevant to their members, they must provide intrinsic value to their members and show themselves as professional and authoritative leaders in the field of technical communication. http://tc.eserver.org/29922.html http://tc.eserver.org/29922.html To date, STC has not been very aggressive or innovative in terms of electronic delivery of educational content to our members or others in the profession. Aside from telephone seminars/Webinars and the online availability of articles from Intercom and the journal, the Society has largely ignored the methods that its members, their companies, and other professional organizations are using to deliver content to stakeholders. Because only a fraction of the membership attends the annual conference and regional/chapter conferences, and because the Society is attempting to reach out to members of the profession outside North America, it is imperative that STC pursue other means of offering educational opportunities. By truly leveraging the power of the Web and other emerging technologies, STC can address a worldwide audience and provide significant educational offerings to members and prospective members alike. http://tc.eserver.org/29899.html http://tc.eserver.org/29899.html In 2002, the Orlando Chapter of STC initiated a new competition to encourage local area and employer recognition of excellence in technical communication. In establishing the award, the Orlando Chapter increased its dialog with employers, helped raised the visibility of the profession in the area, honored its founder and its continuing relationship with a local university, and increased its level of service to chapter members. This paper describes the objectives established for the award program, how it was judged, and how the chapter benefited from its creation. http://tc.eserver.org/29729.html http://tc.eserver.org/29729.html This article, as well as our conference presentation, catalogues a year in the symbiotic relationship between the Orlando Chapter of STC, the University of Central Florida's technical writing program, and the student-run technical communication club, Future Technical Communicators (FTC)--and the ways in which this powerful partnership has helped sustain many of the chapter's varied and successful initiatives that led to its designation as a Chapter of Distinction in 2003. In this article, authors Bonnie Spivey and Dan Voss report on the UCF-STC legacy, the development of the chapter's new mentoring program, their contribution to educational outreach/ fundraising, and the numerous ways in which these institutions are working together. http://tc.eserver.org/29674.html http://tc.eserver.org/29674.html The Leadership Community Resource (LCR) is the STC's structure for providing support and guidance to STC communities. The LCR provides volunteer guidance, formal coaching and mentoring in specific leadership areas, support for communities in crisis, and resources for new and prospective leaders including an online Leadership Training course to help build a personal or community leadership plan. http://tc.eserver.org/29633.html http://tc.eserver.org/29633.html Boston, one of the founding chapters of STC, has a distinguished 50-year record of accomplishments. Boston recently won its third consecutive Chapter of Achievement award. We strive to consistently provide an outstanding level and value of services to our members. http://tc.eserver.org/29643.html http://tc.eserver.org/29643.html STC supports students through scholarships, the honor fraternities, and recognition of student chapter achievements. STC members provide a network for information and contacts for employment. The academic community can strengthen its ties to STC by encouraging students to apply for the awards and recognitions and to take advantage of the network of professionals. http://tc.eserver.org/29649.html http://tc.eserver.org/29649.html This paper describes the remarkable history of the Society's newest Special Interest Group--the AccessAbility SIG--tracing it back to its origins in 1997 as the Special Needs Committee (SNC). The SNC, founded by Judy Skinner, was originally chartered to assist technical communicators with disabilities in the practice of our profession by researching and publicizing assistive technologies and techniques to overcome those limitations. Over its 5-year lifespan, the committee expanded its mission to include a second overarching goal--assisting all technical communicators in developing information products that are fully accessible to end users with disabilities. Its accomplishments included a data-rich yet eye-pleasing online newsletter, an ever-growing comprehensive web site that is becoming a definitive resource on accessibility, and a robust and dynamic listserv. http://tc.eserver.org/30280.html http://tc.eserver.org/30280.html This leadership training workshop is designed to assist new and seasoned STC Chapter leaders with solutions to their chapters' most pressing problems. The agenda of this workshop is determined by the participants. Successful Chapter leaders will facilitate group discussion and roundtable problem-solving sessions. http://tc.eserver.org/29862.html http://tc.eserver.org/29862.html Holding competitions at regional and local levels enhances the value a chapter provides its members. This workshop, designed for chapter leaders and competition managers, provides a practical and well-tested plan for managing the chapter’s annual competition. Attendees will receive a complete package of samples, spreadsheet and document templates, and presentation slides that they can customize for their chapters. http://tc.eserver.org/30282.html http://tc.eserver.org/30282.html In this panel discussion, the program manager and stem managers for the 42nd STC Annual Conference (scheduled for April 23 through 26,1995, in Washington, D. C.) will be available to share their ideas for the upcoming conference program and to hear your suggestions and ideas for meeting the challenge of change. Only issues related to the program will be discussed. http://tc.eserver.org/29694.html http://tc.eserver.org/29694.html The twenty-year partnership between the Orlando Chapter and the technical writing program at the University of Central Florida (UCF) has reached new heights in the past two years. This paper reviews several highly successful programs that have either grown directly out of the UCF-Orlando Chapter partnership or which have benefited from and been improved by it: (1) an annual scholarship program; (2) student projects that benefit the chapter (or feature the chapter as client); (3) strong student support to the STC AccessAbility SIG; (4) an annual fund-raising initiative; (5) an educational outreach initiative to Central Florida high schools, and (6) a highly successful formal mentoring program pairing students with professionals. http://tc.eserver.org/29877.html http://tc.eserver.org/29877.html Assuring the accessibility of a Web site is an ongoing process. Hear how the Web team for the AccessAbility SIG redesigned the SIG's Web site to incorporate more accessible features and how they stay on the accessibility road. http://tc.eserver.org/29883.html http://tc.eserver.org/29883.html Looking for work can be lonely, frustrating, depressing, and demoralizing. Job seekers can battle these effects by joining a support group that not only motivates and empowers, but also provides concrete information about how to conduct a job search. STC WorkQuest is such a support group sponsored by the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication. http://tc.eserver.org/29688.html http://tc.eserver.org/29688.html Every year, the annual conference offers potential chapter leaders a session entitled 'The Marathon of Chapter Presidency'. They're not kidding. My year as president of STC Montreal was a long, steady, exhausting haul--but a very pleasant one now that I can look back on our achievements. In this paper, I'll pass along tips learned from other presidents and tips I learned while coping with my own duties. Try out as many tips as your time, energy, and volunteers permit! http://tc.eserver.org/29696.html http://tc.eserver.org/29696.html Transformation is part of human evolution, so it is natural that STC is transforming itself through the 'Transformation Initiative.' Similarly, STC members as technical communicators need to transform themselves, or they will no longer be viable in a changing and evolving world. Part of STC's method for the Transformation Initiative, to rely upon internal communities to expedite solutions, is the same method that technical communicators can use to re-create their own niches or move to others. Individual technical communicators are hosts within themselves to a myriad of talents and strengths, with each talent and strength serving as a community. Individually, then, communicators should apply all of their personal communities to themselves. http://tc.eserver.org/29698.html http://tc.eserver.org/29698.html As a chapter President, starting the Transformation process can seem a daunting task. Once you have the committee in place, directing its efforts can leave you with even more questions. Not sure what to do next? Look to the corporate Bingo card to help set your course. While the blocks of the corporate Bingo card generate chuckles, smiles, and even more jokes, it also provides direction, guidance, and some thought-provoking considerations for your chapter's transformation. http://tc.eserver.org/29427.html http://tc.eserver.org/29427.html A lot of STC chapter and SIG mailings are done the old-fashioned way: envelopes stuffed by hand, and stamped manually or--occasionally--with a stamp machine. That's an awful lot of work, and expensive too. When I confronted this problem a few years back for my current employer, some research revealed a solution that eliminated the annual pressganging of volunteers to stuff envelopes and also saved us a fair bit of money. http://tc.eserver.org/28765.html http://tc.eserver.org/28765.html In this special presentation podcast, Susan Burton, executive director of the STC, provides an inside, in-depth look at the most pressing issues and challenges the STC faces. She also explains the initiatives underway to reshape the STC and provide more value to members. http://tc.eserver.org/28163.html http://tc.eserver.org/28163.html To get the most out of your STC membership--take action. Join a committee, write an article for the newsletter, go to a workshop, volunteer for the chapter conference. http://tc.eserver.org/28159.html http://tc.eserver.org/28159.html One of the ways that STC chapters can improve their value proposition to present and prospective members is to make available some of the best content that is created by and owned by the chapter members. http://tc.eserver.org/28164.html http://tc.eserver.org/28164.html A recent discussion about the STC's Technical Editing Special Interest Group (TE SIG) provided insights into the evolving role of communities of interest in the Society. At a meeting of the Carolina Chapter's local TE SIG, Diane Feldman, who is the manager of the Society-level SIG, provided members with an update on SIG activities. http://tc.eserver.org/26252.html http://tc.eserver.org/26252.html he recognition activities of STC generate a key component of the value provided to its members. Establishing a Technical Communication Week celebration can help boost your community’s profile and the perceived value of our work. http://tc.eserver.org/26251.html http://tc.eserver.org/26251.html In April 2005 the Vermont Chapter STC hosted the STC traveling exhibits, which include award-winning entries from the five major STC competitions: the international technical art competition (ITAC), international technical publications competition (ITPC), international online communication competition (IOCC), Society newsletter competition, and Society public relations competition. If your chapter, like ours, is in a small market, you probably don’t get the opportunity to network with technical writers from different industries or to see documentation for other markets. Hosting the traveling exhibits is a great way to see what other technical writers are doing in the field. http://tc.eserver.org/26253.html http://tc.eserver.org/26253.html All STC community leaders know the difficulty of finding volunteers. In recent years, the Orlando chapter has seen steadily increasing membership counts and meeting attendance figures, implemented creative and successful chapter initiatives, and even won consecutive Chapter of Distinction awards. But when it comes to soliciting volunteers for chapter leadership positions, you may as well be asking them to wrestle the sharks at SeaWorld! On the other hand, there are some things you can do to at least lessen the pain. http://tc.eserver.org/26255.html http://tc.eserver.org/26255.html Rechartering, as many of you know, means examining and refining your community’s purpose, mission, goals, and plan for delivering value to your members. Through the recommendations of STC’s regional directors and of the communities transformation committee, the board approached about thirty communities and asked them to participate in the pilot program. Twenty-four communities (eighteen professional chapters, three student chapters, and three SIGs) agreed to the experiment. http://tc.eserver.org/26256.html http://tc.eserver.org/26256.html If your chapter has never created a strategic plan, or if it has been a long time since plans were updated, it's a good idea to develop one now. Those first plans can require one or two years to create, but don't be intimidated by the commitment. The phases of the plan are easily broken down into small, manageable sessions for which you can set reasonable or flexible completion dates. http://tc.eserver.org/26254.html http://tc.eserver.org/26254.html Although the economy in Northern California has improved, people are not clamoring to become technical communicators the way they were in the boom days of the late 1990s. Finding volunteers for chapter positions is difficult, and those who do volunteer often have to do more with less. An organization of local chapters can facilitate inter-chapter communication and sharing of resources. http://tc.eserver.org/25389.html http://tc.eserver.org/25389.html When you renew your STC membership, be sure to select STC Usability and User Experience (UUX) as one of your communities. http://tc.eserver.org/25019.html http://tc.eserver.org/25019.html Every chapter relies on volunteers for its success. The secret to successful chapters, then, starts with recruiting the right people, training them well, delegating to them carefully, nurturing them along the way, and rewarding them for a job well done. http://tc.eserver.org/25020.html http://tc.eserver.org/25020.html This panel/discussion takes shape as the audience molds it. Each panelist is a past STC chapter president and has managed to successfully run the “Marathon of Chapter Presidency.” The past-presidents panel comprises senior members, associate fellows, committee managers, and other leaders of the society Issues are audience-dependent but may include topics such as handling volunteers, managing money, recruiting members, and so forth. Join this informal discussion to share ideas, quandaries, and solutions for successfully leading a chapter. All current, past, and potential chapter leaders are welcome. http://tc.eserver.org/24940.html http://tc.eserver.org/24940.html One of the functions of the Society for Technical Communications (STC) is to promote and encourage the professional development of its members. A student chapter of STC has additional responsibilities; it must also seek to build bridges between the students and the professional community. http://tc.eserver.org/24944.html http://tc.eserver.org/24944.html STC Employment Information Committees provide information to employers and job seekers in a variety of ways. They help job seekers with job hunting skills and resume writing. They enable job seekers to register their names with job banks and to receive job postings. They enable employers to list job postings and to receive names of job seekers. Many different methods are used to provide this information: newsletter articles, resume seminars, job fairs and workshops, job-seeking counseling, networking at meetings, resume banks, job listings, job phone lines, electronic bulletin boards, and e-mail listings. http://tc.eserver.org/24943.html http://tc.eserver.org/24943.html This panel discussion summarizes various methods of distributing employment information to chapter members, including necessary equipment, advantages and disadvantages, and helpful hints for each method. http://tc.eserver.org/24886.html http://tc.eserver.org/24886.html STC's local, regional, and international-level Technical Publications, Art, and Video competitions provide the society with the opportunity to showcase its members' talents. A great deal of work goes into making these competition successful, and an open dialogue between participants, competition managers and judges is important at all levels. This forum give local, regional, and international competition managers, and anyone else interested in competitions, the chance to discuss all aspects of STC competitions. http://tc.eserver.org/24705.html http://tc.eserver.org/24705.html Chapter seminars help members by providing current technical communication information, significant additional chapter funding, recruitment of new members, and a proving ground for new leaders. Seminars need a definite organization and leaders need clearly defined responsibilities and authorities. Seminars must provide useful relevant information, either focused or diverse, delivered effectively by skilled speakers. Seminars are not expanded monthly meetings; they must be quiet properly equipped pleasant facilities. Seminar finances must be balanced to provide the desired surplus, or the sting of lost funds will linger long after the sweet success of a stimulating program is forgotten. http://tc.eserver.org/24692.html http://tc.eserver.org/24692.html In an effort to promote and encourage an interest in the field of technical communication through academic/professional relationships, the New York Metro Chapter has developed a mentoring pilot program with Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) in Madison, New Jersey. The chapter, along with Dr. Michael B. Goodman, Director of FDU’s M.A. program in Corporate and Organizational Communication, coordinated their efforts to select members who can serve as role models for students interested in this field. http://tc.eserver.org/24687.html http://tc.eserver.org/24687.html A competition where everyone wins—is it too good to be true? Not if the STC Newsletter Competition Committee (STCNCC) has anything to say about it. http://tc.eserver.org/24382.html http://tc.eserver.org/24382.html The Twin Cities chapter offers a variety of services to help out-of-work and underemployed writers and editors. Of these services, the most important is something that many members may take for granted: opportunities for volunteers. Members may not realize it, but volunteering at the chapter level improves their marketability by helping them acquire new skills and hone the skills they already have. Some of the Society’s most loyal and active members are those whose careers have seen marked improvement as a result of their participation in STC. http://tc.eserver.org/24261.html http://tc.eserver.org/24261.html This article profiles the winning entries in STC's international technical publications, technical art, online communication, and student technical communication competitions. http://tc.eserver.org/23880.html http://tc.eserver.org/23880.html Companies are reducing their training budgets. During these austere times, the technical writer must get more creative than ever to participate in the annual conference. An informal survey of attendees at the 50th Annual Conference in Dallas showed that many people paid their own way to the conference. There are numerous ways to reduce the cost to attend the conference. http://tc.eserver.org/23877.html http://tc.eserver.org/23877.html The first Usability SIG survey was conducted in 1996. I thought that 2003 was an ideal opportunity to survey our members again. Due to cost constraints, the survey was only available for 30 days. Of the 1600 members, 85 responded to the survey. That might be considered a low response, but statistics show that a response rate of over 5% is considered good. Yes, we read every reply. The Usability SIG team reviewed the results and have a strategy to make improvements. The following are samples of the responses received. http://tc.eserver.org/23855.html http://tc.eserver.org/23855.html STC has been challenged by the changing economy and the evolving nature of our work and career development. These challenges have required Society leaders to look carefully into how the STC should change to better serve a diverse and global membership. http://tc.eserver.org/23697.html http://tc.eserver.org/23697.html Many chapters have membership drives in the Fall. Not a big deal, something we’ve always done. However, today membership drives can play an important role in sustaining STC. http://tc.eserver.org/23673.html http://tc.eserver.org/23673.html because technical information is ever changing, we accept the fact that our work will be continually various, constantly in flux. It's just the nature of the beast. This is the essence of the purpose of the STC national organization's transformation initiative: Keeping up with the changing times. http://tc.eserver.org/23676.html http://tc.eserver.org/23676.html The best benefit of my STC membership and leadership volunteerism is that the STC name recognition helped me get the jobs I wanted. http://tc.eserver.org/23621.html http://tc.eserver.org/23621.html Collaboration between academic programs and STC chapters builds a sense of community and relevance for all participants. Neither academic programs or professional chapters by themselves provide sufficient educational or professional development opportunities. Working together helps inform faculty and students about workplace trends, helps introduce students to their future professional opportunities, and provides chapter members and their companies and organizations with access to up-to-date research and to students before they go on the job market. http://tc.eserver.org/23560.html http://tc.eserver.org/23560.html The Transformation Team consists of STC board members and a number of chapter and SIG leaders. The team was formed in response to concerns heard over the past several years from many of you. Some of these concerns have arisen from changes in the business world, such as globalization and the downturn in the economy. http://tc.eserver.org/23561.html http://tc.eserver.org/23561.html Over the years, the technical communication profession has changed: Our jobs and roles have changed. Business and economic models are changing. Technology has changed the way we work and communicate. Our world has become global. Now STC will change. http://tc.eserver.org/23568.html http://tc.eserver.org/23568.html Describes the transformation methodology the STC Transformation Team has developed and its guiding principles. http://tc.eserver.org/23559.html http://tc.eserver.org/23559.html Why does STC need to transform, because we want to add more member value! http://tc.eserver.org/23390.html http://tc.eserver.org/23390.html I’m talking with you today because I was part of a three-person team that took the lead on thinking about communities for the STC Transformation Project. The two other members of that team were Fred Sampson and Whitney Quesenbery. Fred, Whitney, and I based our work on the goals and principles that the STC Board established for the Transformation Project. As we worked on the concepts for communities, we thought about how to apply these principles to meet the goals. http://tc.eserver.org/21390.html http://tc.eserver.org/21390.html Running a volunteer organization is an opportunity to develop your leadership ability and your sense of professional community. When you complete your duties at the end of this year, you will have gained leadership skills that will benefit you in other areas of your life. This handbook was prepared by STC leaders with many years of experience running local chapters. Their experiences resulted in the wealth of tips, suggestions, and cautions that this document contains. As part of your planning for the year, STC strongly encourages you to take the time to review the entire handbook. http://tc.eserver.org/21323.html http://tc.eserver.org/21323.html Professional organizations often help define the professions they serve: Such is the case with the Society for Technical Communication (STC). Founded in 1953 as an organization for technical writers and editors, the STC is now an umbrella group for 25,000 professionals whose job roles include documentation specialists, visual designers, information architects, interactive designers and others who work with technical information. Their output includes technical manuals and now extends into charts, brochures, online tutorials, annual reports, Web-based training and other materials. With technical communication an increasingly diverse field, STC aims to broaden its membership with professionals from a variety of occupations. http://tc.eserver.org/21237.html http://tc.eserver.org/21237.html This panel discussion takes shape as the audience molds it. Each panelist is a past STC chapter president. Issues are audience-dependent but may include topics such as handling volunteers, managing money, recruiting members, and so forth. Join this informal discussion to share ideas, quandaries, and solutions for successfully leading a chapter. http://tc.eserver.org/21212.html http://tc.eserver.org/21212.html Strategic plans are at the heart of successful organizations. This is also true for such organizations as STC chapters. In this article the authors discuss the processes used by members of the Rochester Chapter and the results achieved, when the chapter developed its first strategic plan in 1994. http://tc.eserver.org/20683.html http://tc.eserver.org/20683.html The latest on the STC Transformation blog mentions that of the thousands of STC members, only 1% are contributing their views to the blog. So, they wonder, what do the other 99% have to say? One commentor thinks that this 99% are silent because they're happy with their memberships. I think this group has probably just forgotten they're members. http://tc.eserver.org/19859.html http://tc.eserver.org/19859.html Students from the Cedarville College chapter of STC present seven factors that make their chapter successful. The Cedarville College chapter of STC received a Chapter Achievement Award at the 46th Annual Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio. http://tc.eserver.org/19387.html http://tc.eserver.org/19387.html In commemoration of STC's 50th anniversary, several Society members share anecdotes about their experiences in STC and the technical communication profession. http://tc.eserver.org/18832.html http://tc.eserver.org/18832.html These focus groups continue the dialogue begun in focus groups organized by Ken Rainey and Katherine Staples, Education and Research PIC, at the 1993 annual conference in Dallas. Participants discussed the topic of how partnerships among the Society, business and industry, and colleges and universitates could strengthen academic programs in technical communication, empower the profession, and promote research. http://tc.eserver.org/18202.html http://tc.eserver.org/18202.html This panel/discussion takes shape as the audience molds it. Each panelist is a past STC chapter president and has managed to successfully run the “Marathon of Chapter Presidency.” The past-presidents panel comprises a fellow, an associate fellow, a director sponsor, senior members, committee managers, and other leaders of the society. Issues are audience-dependent but may include topics such as handling volunteers, managing money recruiting members, and so forth. Join this informal discussion to share ideas, quandaries, and solutions for successfully leading a chapter. http://tc.eserver.org/14689.html http://tc.eserver.org/14689.html This article discusses the impact of STC's annual conference on the professional development of technical communicators. http://tc.eserver.org/14529.html http://tc.eserver.org/14529.html This session offers participants an opportunity to learn and contribute ideas about forming a policies and procedures professional interest committee (PIC) within STC. The presenter defines 'policies and procedures' and its growing importance in industry. Represents STC’s requirements for forming a PIC. He proposes a mission statement, goals, objectives, and activities for having this PIC. Participants comment on and volunteer for making this PIC a success. http://tc.eserver.org/13551.html http://tc.eserver.org/13551.html Every year, each STC member is given the opportunity to vote twice as a member, once for the next year's Society (international-level) leaders and once for the next year's chapter (local-level) leaders. The Society and its chapters expend much effort and expense each year to recruit candidates and develop and distribute ballots; however, only about 10% of STC's members ever return those ballots. If such a small portion of members participate in elections, why bother holding them? The most fundamental reason is that STC's bylaws and the bylaws of each chapter require a duly elected leadership. http://tc.eserver.org/13129.html http://tc.eserver.org/13129.html You don’t have to be an officer to benefit professionally from your local STC chapter meetings. Start attending your local chapter meetings and discover the many forms of buried treasure. These treasures will result in a new perspective to your writing, an increased library of professional resources, professional writers being hired at your workplace, and the chance to view the “Best of Show” writing. You can reap rewards such as these with a small investment of personal time. http://tc.eserver.org/10017.html http://tc.eserver.org/10017.html Links to the STC's more than 150 chapters, including student chapters, in eight regions worldwide. Use the search feature below to locate chapter contact information, including the chapter Web site address.