Where We Start: A Practical Guide to Technical Communication Program Administration

Providing practical, pragmatic guidance for current and aspiring administrators, Where We Start is the first book in technical communication that professionalizes administrativework and practices, offering practical advice on curricular, undergraduate, and graduate program development.

Where We Start teaches by example with each chapter combining personal knowledge with published research to direct readers toward their own practices. Some ofthe most experienced program leaders in technical communication share strategies for program design, curriculum development, assessment, inclusivity, and external partnerships. The collection is divided into three main sections: Programmatic Development and Planning, which focuses on the foundational aspects of strategic planning, curriculum development, and programmatic assessment; Developing Differently, which highlights approaches to inclusivity, diversity, and unconventional career paths in program administration; and Building Beyond, which discusses strategies for expanding technical communication programs through partnerships with industry and international institutions.

A resource for administrators as well as graduate students and early-career faculty looking to understand the intricacies of program management, Where We Start fills a critical gap, offering insights from a uniquely technical communication perspective, where programmatic resources are scarce.

K. Alex Ilyasova is associate professor at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, where she has served as director and interim chair of the technical communication program and as associate dean for the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. Her research has focused on the administrative practices of technical communication program development, including curricular, faculty, and programmatic development, and has appeared in multiple journals, including Programmatic Perspectives.

Sean D. Williams is the founding director of the School of Applied Professional Studies at Arizona State University and was the founding director of the technical communication and information design program at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. He has authored or coauthored two books, including Technical Communication for Environmental Action, and more than fifty articles, book chapters, and trade publications.