IME 1020: offering students professional communication skills the first year

Sometime during their first year of college, most CEAS and aviation students take IME 1020 Technical Communication, a three-credit-hour course that provides a total immersion in professional communication.
According to Tom Swartz, the master faculty specialist who has coordinated IME 1020 since 2003, IME 1020 is offered in about 30 sections to approximately 600 students each year. In addition to the regular classroom sessions, he has also set up E-learning components of the courses.

ED Eckel (standing), the science/engineering librarian for the University,
shows IME 1020 students how to use library databases

According to Swartz, the IME 1020 program was initiated in the early 1970s when WMU experimented with eliminating the requirement for a first-year English writing class to encourage writing across the curriculum. “Those at the engineering college said CEAS students should have a technical writing course,” he said. “Later when the University decided that English composition should again be required, the [engineering] college decided to keep the new technical writing course.”

At the heart of the IME 1020 curriculum is the requirement that students research, write, document, and produce a formal 12-to 17-page research paper that uses current, high quality resources and focuses on an engineering topic. Students follow a research process that includes choosing and limiting a topic, learning about scholarly research, and collecting the best current information on the topic.

The process requires several standardized assignments: a topic proposal, a bibliography of sources, an outline, and an abstract. Students use the American Psychological Association (APA) documentation style, and present the results in a written report and in an oral presentation to the class.

Ed Eckel, the science/engineering librarian for the University, along with many others at Waldo Library, offers ongoing support to the IME 1020 course. They provide IME 1020 students with a focused course guide on the library’s Web site with direct links to the sources that help them with their assignments.

The WMU library also provides a student-oriented self-paced electronic research review, recently upgraded and called Research Path. In its six modules students receive a complete overview of the major steps involved in the research process. Students are then quizzed on the module material, and the results of the quizzes can be electronically forwarded to the instructors.

IME 1020 students learn to write an assess procedural instructions.  First-year students Michelle Repka (left) and Katie Stickels read instructions written by another IME 1020 team to create a K’Nex item.

IME 1020 students work in teams to learn how to write good instructions. Each team designs a three-dimensional K’Nex object and writes instructions to make the object. Other teams assess the instructions.

Other course requirements include learning formats for business letters, memos, and e-mail, preparing a career assessment of a chosen major, and registering for WMU’s career Web site. Students also study ethics, standards for source material, and the use of visuals. Assignments are word-processed and must feature complete sentences and standard grammar, spelling, and mechanics.

IME 1020 instructors work closely with the CEAS STEP program to help first-year students connect with the University. New lifelong learning components of the course encourage students to explore professional societies and attend and write reflections on special WMU events. “We read and assess a lot of student papers,” said Troy Place, a faculty specialist who teaches three sections of IME 1020 each semester.

Swartz says all IME 1020 instructors adhere to a tradition of maintaining high academic standards and expecting professional behavior from students. “To prepare for professional careers, students need to have WOVEn communication skills – Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic,” he said. He continually updates a study guide with pertinent assignment information for students, and he provides an electronic course template for IME 1020 instructors.

2009 EAS career fair set to connect job seekers with employers

More than 55 employers have signed up for the 2009 Engineering and Applied Sciences [EAS] Career Day. It’s set for Thurs., Oct. 22, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Parkview Campus. The event is free and open to the public. Name tags and a layout to find employers will be available at the sign-in table as early as 8 a.m.

Nicole Maggio, career advisor for CEAS and assistant director for Career and Student Employment Services, is coordinating the day and several related events to link internship, co-op and full-time job seekers with local, regional, national and international employers.

Post Foods, LLC, is sponsoring this year’s fair. The Battle Creek company has been making cereal and related products since 1895 and has been an active partner with the University. “Post has been very supportive of our [CEAS] engineering students,” Maggio said.

Post Foods is the 2009 EAS Career Fair sponsor.  In this photo from our archives, CEAS Post interns Josh Wiese (left) and Alex Hiday, who are now CEAS alumns, discussed employment activities with  job seekers at last year’s EAS Career Fair.

New to this year’s career fair are formal presentations by several employers every 30 minutes from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Maggio said the concept has been introduced to encourage freshmen and sophomores to engage earlier in the career development process. “This may help introduce opportunities to students in a way that they can build up to networking with the representatives,” she said.

In addition to Post Foods, representatives from Kohler, Amway, Stryker, Sircon, Parker Hannifin and more will share information about and prospects for employment at their respective companies.
On Fri., Oct. 23, follow-up campus interviews are planned by 14 of the 55 companies featured at the career fair.

Students looking for full-or part-time, intern, or co-op positions are encouraged to dress appropriately and to bring copies of their resumes and notepads to collect information. “We’re encouraging students to wear formal professional business suits,” Maggio said.

Maggio encourages job seekers to review the list of employers and research those of interest ahead of time. All employers registered are identified on the Web site. Employers have until the day before the event to sign up. “As they register, the employers are added to our Web site in real-time,” Maggio said. To view registered employers and/or to register as an employer, one can log on to www.wmich.edu/career and click on Broncojobs.

Two workshops offered students career fair preparation ideas. “The sessions focused on cover letter and resume development, professional dress expectations, and interview tips,” Maggio said. The informal workshops included group exercises.”

Assistance in resume preparation is also available during drop-in office hours in the Advising Suite at Parkview: Tuesday and Thursday – 12:30­ 3:30 p.m. Additional hours are available on the main campus. Students can also call (269) 387-2745 for an appointment.

Maggio, who is coordinating the annual event for the first time, credited several registered student organizations and student assistants for their support. These include AICHE, SPE, SME, GAS, Alyssa Schafer, CEAS peer educator, Danielle Boyd, engineering employer student coordinator, and Jasen Ratajczak, CEAS industry research educator. For more info, call (269) 387-2745 or go to www.wmich.edu/career