Department of Humanities

Michigan Technological University

Fall, 1998

HU 330 Publications Management

(9:30-11 T & Th. in WAHC 134 or CCLI)

Class web page: <http://www.HU.mtu.edu/~rselfe/330.98>

Instructor: Dickie Selfe

E-mail: rselfe@mtu.edu

Office: 138 WAHC

Phone: 487-3225,

Office Hours: 11-12 T/Th. or by appointment

HU 330 Daily Schedule

Texts & Other Useful Information:

• Williams, Robin, The Non-Designer's Design Book. Berkeley, CA: Peachpit Press, 1994.
• Hackos, JoAnn T., Managing your Documentation Projects, NY: Wiley & Sons, 1994.
• (Optional) Type Gauge (E-Scale) - available at the counter at the Bookstore.
• CCLI Lab Fee ($65-billed automatically)
• If you have any disabilities under the ADA, please let me know about them by the end of the first week of class.
• I may modify the syllabus and policy statement for this class in light of changing student needs and the changing circumstances of this class.

This document will stand as your primary source of information about assignments in this course. I will, however, elaborate on assignment procedures during class discussions. You are responsible for both. If you are going to miss class, I should know about it before the class meets, unless it's an emergency. When you return, get the recorder's class notes from them in person or if they have been posted off the class web site, look them over and talk to one trusted class members about what happened that day. Then come by and get my version of what was important.

Course Definition & Expectations-HU 330, Publications Management, is a course that will introduce you to the process of planning, writing, and designing small publications such as booklets and newsletters. These assignments also involve issues of purpose and audience which are central to all technical writing, but not necessarily to mass circulation publications such as magazines or newspapers. We will spend most of the quarter working on pieces of communication that you can showcase at future job interviews. Through these exercises I hope to emulate an actual job setting as much as possible. Thus, this will not be an easy class. One of the most important attributes of a successful manager is the ability to keep multiple projects going at the same time while meeting deadlines and producing quality materials. You will have first-hand experience with this over the next ten weeks.

One of the primary objectives of this class will be to increase your sensitivity to how the content, appearance, design, and physical shape of a publication can affect the way information can be communicated and the nature of the impact of that publication on audiences. We'll be primarily concerned with the technology of printing and with different methods of preparing printed material: you'll complete all the written copy within a mockup of the final document. Typically, 330 final projects are what most professionals consider a first draft ready to be presented to a publisher or director. Some students go above and beyond and produce documents that are camera-ready ("mechanicals"), that is, they are ready to hand to a printer for final production work.

What do I expect of students in only 10 weeks? Quite a bit.

• You should be better able to use the terminology of the publishing industry, the print and electronic publishing industries.
• You should be able to produce practical, well-conceived, and aesthetically pleasing publications.
• You'll be better able to apply a systematic publishing approach to communication problems with multiple audiences.
• You'll be better able to coordinate your work efforts with colleagues on a large-scale, long term publishing project.
• You should know your classmates strengths and weaknesses and be able to provide them with an honest evaluation.
• You'll be better able to look at the world around you and come up with solutions to the publishing problems you see in local organizations. In this class, I'll ask that the publishing solutions for your individual project be 'pro bono publico' (for the benefit of the public). Lawyers aren't the only ones with that responsibility.
• You should become technologically more sophisticated or at least more practiced.

HU 330, "Publications Management," is part of a three term publications sequence. HU 245, "Graphic Design," focuses on fundamental design issues that will be useful in all aspects of technical communication. HU 337, "Information Management" is offered only in the spring and introduces you to actual offset printing techniques and explores new methods of digital publishing via the WWW.

WARNING: HU 330 is computer-intensive in every sense of the word. We'll use all the desktop publishing systems in the CCLI, basic photo-manipulation software, real-time conferencing software, Adobe Acrobat, e-mail, the WWW, and some HTML coding (basic). Don't let this intimidate you. If you are already familiar with our desktop publishing system the rest will be easy to pick up. HOWEVER, if you have not completed HU 244 or its equivalent, you may not be prepared for the technological pace of this class. See me immediately!!