Technical Communication Program

BA in Technical Communication

Minor in Technical Communication

Addressing economic needs through workforce skills

• If EWU seeks to be a driving force for the culture, economy, workforce and vitality of Washington state, then it needs to have programs that meet workforce needs.
• Technical communication occurs in a wide variety of industries (banking, manufacturing, medical equipment, construction—to name a few), but it is most closely associated with scientific, technical, and digital product development and innovation (BLS, 2024).
• According to the ESD for Washington, high-tech companies in manufacturing, scientific and technical industries are creating new jobs and will continue to expand the economic base for Spokane County.

Alignment of Misson

BA in Technical Communication prepares students to be broadly educated, technologically proficient, highly productive citizens and to attain meaningful careers.

• In preparing students to be technical writers, the program assists in addressing state’s economic needs.
• As such, the program contributes to the EWU becoming a driving force for the culture, economy, workforce and vitality of Washington state.
• And it is ideally suited to the focus of a polytechnic

To be blunt, this program was completely indispensable to me getting hired to my current position . . . and I would have been clueless about the majority of the job's responsibilities if I hadn't gone through the TCOM major. In the two years since I was hired, we have already hired another tech writer from the program specifically because they were a TCOM graduate, and we are hoping to hire another in the next few years. Getting rid of the TCOM program would be a huge loss not only for EWU, but also for various industries in Spokane that depend on graduates like me for support with accurate technical writing.

--PRC survey response

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Need for workplace writing skills

• 95.5 percent of employers cite Communication as most important competency, only 55% believe students have sufficient proficiency in communication. (National Association of Colleges and Employers)
• Written communication ranked #3 in most-desired qualities (NACE)
• Job postings cite effective communication as a sought-after skill 35 times more frequently than other soft skills. (Lindzon, 2020)
• A report on employer perspectives on job readiness of new workforce entrants reported that for four-year college graduates, 93.1 percent of employers surveyed say Written Communications is “very important,” (Conference board)

Demand for technical writers

• The demand for technical writers remains strong, with the demand either exceeding or meeting average projected growth for all occupations.

Student success

• Students who graduate from TCOM work in manufacturing, banking, software development, non-profits, and the medical industry.
• TCOM graduates get jobs as technical writers but also hold other positions where effective communication skills as valued:
• Web Content Manager--Dunn Lumber
• IT Operations Manager--Mindtree
• Program Manager--Microsoft
• Senior UX Designer--Subsplash (software development)
• Communications Specialist--Washington Trust Bank
• Head of Content Marketing--Indiana Economic Development Corporation
• Administrative Assistant--Alhussan group (Saudi Arabia)
• Graphic Designer--Pacific Custom Sportswear
• Senior Human Resources Assistant--Amazon
• Lead Graphic Designer and Growth Specialist--Wimly LLC

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While many of my peers state they rarely use what they learned in college, I regularly use the thoughtfully curated content from the program in my job every day. The Technical Communication major was a gateway to a career I've loved and deeply appreciate. I've worked as a Proposal Specialist, Technical Writer, and most recently an Instructional Designer. The foundational concepts in the program prepared me well for each role I've listed and I have gotten ample feedback from employers that my skills are rare to find, yet highly desired.

--PRC survey response

ROI for Students

Everything in the business world is consumed by technical deliverables. It is the skills I learned here that allow me to stand shoulder to shoulder with Computer Science Major from the most prestigious universities and be the reason our deliverables tell a meaningful story and land meaningful impact. I am currently a Technical Program Manager at Microsoft with an annual income of $250k. There is no English program that offers more potential for success than Technical Communication.

--PRC survey results

Experiential learning

• Experiential learning is at the core of the TCOM program:
• Each student completes at least one internship.

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• Students complete multiple services learning projects.

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• Students also benefit from industry partnerships.

After finishing my degree in Technical Communication from EWU, I had a strong portfolio thanks to the program's emphasis on practical skills and real-world deliverables. My portfolio included a grant proposal for the ISAAC foundation, instructions for repairing tech for iFixit, web content for EWU Sustainability, and other projects. This portfolio and real-world experience allowed me to get a job as a Technical Writer quickly after graduating, and I’ve continued to have a successful career as a Technical Writer in the tech industry. This would not have been possible without having attended the Technical Communication program.

--PRC survey response

Community connections

• Through service learning, Technical writing students have partnered with local non-profits to help them ameliorate social problems and achieve social justice.
• Students have written grant proposals aimed to reduce hunger and food insecurity for organizations such as Feed Cheney, Our Place Community Outreach, and Serve Spokane.
• They have helped organizations such as WHEN, NAOMI, and Transitions to provide resources for survivors of domestic violence and women and children facing homelessness.
• They have written grants to support after school programs for low-income and at-risk youth for HUB 360 and Cheney Parks and Recreation.
• They used their writing skills to support immigrant children (Refugee and Immigrant Connections Spokane (RICS) and First Five Years & Beyond), children with Autism (ISSAC foundation), foster and homeless children (Teen and Kid Closet and Union Gospel Mission (UGM)) and low-income HS seniors seeking higher education after high school (John R. Rogers Walk of Fame program).
• They also have written grants to address pollution in Spokane river (Lands Council) and abandoned animals (spokanimal).

Transformation

• Introductory technical writing now a BACR
• Piloting Introductory technical writing in CiHS
• Reduce the major from 88-98 credits to 59-65 credits and rename various courses to make their content more apparent and attractive to students.
• Reduce minor to 20 credits