The Kansas City chapter of STC maintains information on educational resources within the local chapter and around the area. The Kansas City chapter also provides links to other resources as a service to its members. Because the chapter has members working in such diverse fields as technical writing and editing, graphics, multimedia, Web development, and management, the Kansas City chapter maintains a wide range of resources. Please read the terms of use.
The Education page provides information on the following items:
Many universities and colleges provide courses or degree programs in technical communications. Programs are offered through both ground classes and online classes. Ground classes are those classes that you must attend in person, whereas online classes have at least some component that is conducted online. Some classes are completely online, and some are only partially online. For either type of program, verify the instructors, course content, and accreditation status of the sponsoring school before choosing a program.
| Johnson County Community College | www.johnco.cc.ks.us/~sgerson/index.htm | Offers several classes appropriate to technical communications. |
| Kansas City Kansas Community College | www.kckcc.edu | Offers several classes on technical communications. |
| Mercer School of Engineering | www.mercer.edu/engineering/GRAD_PROGRAMS/tco.htm | Offers a Master of Science degree in Technical Communication Management. |
| Missouri Western State University | http://www.missouriwestern.edu/eflj/ | Offers classes on technical communications and a B.A. in English with an emphasis on technical communication. |
| Portland Community College | http://www.pcc.edu/programs/writing/ | Accommodates individuals working or studying in technical and professional areas who wish to become technical and professional writers. Consists of courses that include professional editing, technical writing, and graphic design. |
| Missouri State University | english.missouristate.edu | Offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in technical writing. |
| Texas Tech | english.ttu.edu/tc/dl/ | Offers the master?s degree in technical communication via the Internet. |
| UCLA Extension Online Learning | www.onlinelearning.net/ | Offers online Award in General Business Studies with a concentration in technical communication. |
| University of Minnesota | www.rhetoric.umn.edu/ | Offers a range of options for students interested in pursuing studies in scientific and technical communication, including a B.S. in Scientific and Technical Communication, an M.S. in Scientific and Technical Communication (MSSTC), and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Scientific and Technical Communication (RSTC). |
| Utah State University | techcomm.usu.edu/ | Prepares writers in a range of genres from technical to creative writing. Students take classes in two areas: rhetoric and writing in a variety of contexts using the most up-to-date tools of technology. |
To address the needs of the technical communication student, STC has a chapter category for students. Region 6 has an active STC student population. These award-winning chapters are composed of enthusiastic students and faculty. The chapters also sponsor a number of events that are often open to the public.
| Iowa State University STC Chapter | www.public.iastate.edu/~stc_isu/ |
| Missouri Western State University STC Chapter | http://www.missouriwestern.edu/eflj/ |
| Southwest Missouri State University STC Chapter | studentorganizations.smsu.edu/STC/ |
STC provides partial or total financial funding for a number of programs, including scholarships for students and teachers and for chapters and student chapters to conduct or start special events or programs that might otherwise be financially impractical.
| STC |
http://www.stc.org/grantsChapter.asp |
Many technical communicators in our region already have an extensive background in the field, whether through experience or education, but still need to keep up on new ideas. Professional training and tutorials can fill the need for training in specific areas, particularly tool-focused training. As with traditional educational programs, verify the instructors and sponsoring organization before making your choice. These programs range from free Web-based classes to more formal, expensive options.
| Barnes & Noble University | www.barnesandnobleuniversity.com/ |
| Bright Path Solutions | www.travelthepath.com/training/training.shtml |
| Gordon and Gordon Workshops | www.gordonandgordon.com/workshops.html |
| Knopf Online | www.knopf.com/training/index.html |
| Microsoft MSDN Training Online | msdn.microsoft.com/training/ |
| Online-Learning | www.online-learning.com/ (Provides a 20% discount for STC members) |
| ProgrammingTutorials | www.programmingtutorials.com/ |
| PUBSNET Incorporated |
www.pubsnet.com/training.asp |
| Scriptorium Publishing Services | www.scriptorium.com/ |
| SmartPlanet | www.zdnet.com/smartplanet/ |
| Training on the Web | www.trainingontheweb.net/ |
| W3Schools Online Web Tutorials | www.w3schools.com/ |
| Webmonkey tutorials | hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/ |
Conferences provide a unique opportunity to learn new ideas and techniques and to network with colleagues.
| No date set yet for 2003 |
International Association of Business Communicators (IABC)--Region 5 Conference | www.iabc.com |
The Region 6 Student Conference was Saturday, April 13, in Springfield, MO. Laura Filla, Beth Troell, and Steve and Sharon Gerson all presented at the conference. Check out SMSU's chapter Web site for more details!
Mailing lists and Web sites provide another set of valuable resources for technical communicators. These resources link us to other technical communicators who are fighting the same battles and provide insight and comfort.
| Gordon and Gordon Web site | www.gordonandgordon.com/ |
| Internet Resources for TCs-Mailing Lists | www.soltys.ca/techcomm.html |
| The Newbie Tech Writer Web site | www.cloudnet.com/~pdunham/newbietechwriterhome.html |
| Peter Ring's Web site | www.prc.dk/ |
| Mailing Lists for Technical Writers | www.prc.dk/user-friendly-manuals/ufm/maillist.htm |
| The Technical Communicators Forum e-zine | www.tc-forum.org/ |
| TECHWHIRL Web site | www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ |
| TECHWR-L mailing list | www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/subscribercentral.html |
| WebWorks Publisher Users Web site | www.wwpusers.com/ |
| WebWorks Publisher User eGroup Web site | www.egroups.com/group/wwp-users |
| Winhlp-L mailing list | www.humberc.on.ca/~byrnes/winhelp.html |
| XML-DOC mailing list | groups.yahoo.com/group/xml-doc |
If you have questions or comments, please send an e-mail message to the Education Coordinator. Thanks!