TW Survey

[Peter Hager <FAC_PHAGER -at- VAX1 -dot- ACS -dot- JMU -dot- EDU>]

Program Needs Assessment: Survey of Technical Communication
Professionals

Department of English
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA  22807

Instructions:
     Would you please complete Sections 1-3.
     Please place an "X" next to the one response (unless
     specified otherwise) that best answers the given question.


Section 1: General Background

1.   In what professional arena do you work?

     Business or Industry  1___    Local government 4___
     Federal government    2___    Military         5___
     State government      3___    Education        6___
                                   Other:___________7___

2.   In what work area do your responsiblities generally fall?
     Technical writing     1___    Production       6___
     Technical editing     2___    Printing         7___
     Graphic art           3___    University or    8___
     Technical translation 4___      professor
     Communications                Other:___________9___
       consulting/training 5___

3.   What is your rank within the organization?
     I am not a supervisor/manager      1___
     Office-level supervisor/manager    2___
     Mid-level supervisor/manager       3___
     Senior supervisor/manager          4___
     Executive officer                  5___
     Other: _________________________   6___

4.   In which technical discipline or content area do you work?
     Software design/development   1___   Agriculture      10___
     Computer design/manufacturing 2___   Environmentalism 11___
     Telecommunications            3___   Law              12___
     Electrical engineering        4___   Biomedical
                                  technologies   13___
     Mechanical engineering        5___   Pharmaceuticals  14___
     Architecture                  6___   Health care      15___
     Publication or printing       7___   Education        16___
     Construction                  8___   Other:___________17___
     Business administration       9___

5.   How long have you been working in your current position?
     Less than 1 year    1___      10 - 15 years       4___
     1 - 5 years         2___      More than 15 years  5___
     5 - 10 years        3___

6.   What is the highest  educational degree that you have
     achieved?
     High school diploma 1___      Master's degree     4___
     Associate's degree  2___      Doctoral degree     5___
     Bachelor's degree   3___      Other:______________6___

7.   In what discipline is your highest degree?
     English                  1___      Social sciences     10___
     Technical communication  2___      Natural sciences    11___
     Journalism               3___
     Humanities               4___      Engineering         12___
     Art/Graphics             5___      Computer science    13___
     Communication            6___      Mathematics         14___
     Business administration  7___      Health sciences     15___
     Education                8___      Medicine            16___
     Political science        9___      Law                 17___
                                        Other:______________18___

8.   What is your current  salary range?
     Less than $20,000   1___      $45,001 - $50,000        7___
     $20,001 - $25,000   2___      $50,001 - $60,000        8___
     $25,001 - $30,000   3___      $60,001 - $70,000        9___
     $30,001 - $35,000   4___      $70,001 - $100,000       10___
     $35,001 - $40,000   5___      More than $100,000       11___
     $40,001 - $45,000   6___


Section 2: Assessment of Need for Program Graduates

9.   How many employees work within your organization?
     1 - 50              1___      201 - 500           4___
     51 - 100            2___      More than 500       5___
     101 - 200           3___

10.  How many professionals does your organization employ to
     design, write, edit, or produce technical documentation?
     None           1___      11 - 20             4___
     1 - 5          2___      21 - 50             5___
     6 - 10         3___      More than 50        6___

11.  What is the average educational level of the technical
     communicators in your organization?
     High school diploma 1___      Master's degree     4___
     Associate's degree  2___      Doctoral degree     5___
     Bachelor's degree   3___      Other: _____________6___

12.  What is the average educational level of technical
     communicators hired by your organization to fill entry-level
     positions?
     High school diploma 1___      Master's degree     4___
     Associate's degree  2___      Doctoral degree     5___
     Bachelor's degree   3___      Other: _____________6___

13.  Rank the appropriateness of the program objectives described
     here:

          Poor                                    Excellent
          1___      2___      3___      4___      5___

14.  Rank the competency areas and courses of the proposed
     programs described here:

          Poor                                    Excellent
          1___      2___      3___      4___      5___

15.  If you feel the that the program is inadequate in any way,
     please specify what you feel the proposed curriculum is
     lacking:



16.  How do you assess the future career opportunities for
     graduates of technical, scientific, or professional
     communication programs such as the proposed programs
     described here?

          Poor                                    Excellent
          1___      2___      3___      4___      5___

17.  How do you assess the opportunities for a professional
     working in technical, scientific, or professional
     communication to move vertically or laterally in your
     profession to enhance her or his salary or position?

          Poor                                    Excellent
          1___      2___      3___      4___      5___

18.  Would a graduate of a program proposed here be employable in
     your organization?
          Yes       1___
          No        2___

19.  How many technical communicators does your organization
     anticipate hiring over the next five years?
          None      1___      11 - 20        4___
          1 - 5     2___      More than 20   5___
          6 - 10    3___      Unknown        6___










Section 3: Assessment of Personal Interest in Proposed Programs

20.  Would you be interested in seeking a graduate degree
     sometime in the future in technical, scientific, or
     professional communication?  (If  you answer "yes," please
     go to Question  22.)
          Yes       1___
          No        2___
          Maybe          3___
          If you answer "Maybe," what would make you more likely
          to seek such a degree?


21.  If you would not be interested in seeking a graduate degree
     in technical, scientific, or professional communication,
     what would be your primary reason?  (Skip Questions 22-26.)

     I already hold the terminal degree in my field.   1___
     My position does not require that I hold
       additional degrees.                             2___
     I do not have the professional interest in
       pursuing another degree.                        3___
     My current finances don't allow me to pursue
       another degree.                                 4___
     I do not have the time to allocate to further
       study.                                          5___
     My organization does not encourage personnel
       to seek such a degree.                          6___
     Other:___________________________________________ 7___

22.  What is the highest degree that would you be interested in
     seeking?
          M.A.                     1___
          M.S.                     2___
          Ph.D.                    3___
          Other: ________________  4___

23.  Would you be interested in applying to the program at James
     Madison University if you were offered adequate funding in
     the form of a teaching or research assistantship?
          Yes       1___
          No        2___
          Maybe     3___
          If you answer "Maybe," what would make you more likely
          to apply?

24.  Would you be interested in applying to the program even
     without financial aid from James Madison University?
          Yes       1___
          No        2___
          Maybe     3___
          If you answer "Maybe," what would make you more likely
          to apply?


25.  In what year would you most likely apply to this program?
          September 1996 1___      January 1998        4___
          January 1997   2___      September 1998      5___
          September 1997 3___      Unable to specify   6___


26.  Would you be interested in attending on a full-time
     (carrying a course load of at least three courses during
     each of the two semesters per year) or part-time (fewer than
     three courses per semester) basis?
          Full-time      1___
          Part-time      2___


Section 4: Assessment of of Need for Communication Technologies

27.  Please identify the computer software packages that a
     technical communicator in your orgranization typically
     uses to perform her or his design, writing, editing, or
     production responsibilities (circle all that apply):

     Word Processing:
          WordPerfect         1___      MacWrite       5___
          Microsoft Word      2___      OmniPro        6___
          Microsoft Works     3___      AMI Pro        7___
          Claris Works        4___      Other: ________8___

     Desktop Publishing:
          PageMaker           1___      Quark Xpress   3___
          Ventura             2___      Corel Draw     4___
          Other: _____________5___

     Painting/Drawing Software:
          Corel Draw          1___      Harvard Graphics 7___
          PhotoShop           2___      Animator Pro     8___
          Photostyler         3___      Designer         9___
          PhotoPaint          4___      Freelance       10___
          Graphic Works       5___      PFS: Power Album11___
          Vol13/500 Graphicmag6___      Other: _________12___

     Presentation Software:
          Astound             1___      Persuasion     4___
          Powerpoint          2___      WordPerfect
                                         Presentations 5___
          Freelance           3___      Compel         6___
          Other:______________7___

     Authoring Software:
          Toolbook            1___      Quest          4___
          Authorware                    Hypercard      5___
            Professional      2___      Other: ________6___
          Macromind Director  3___


     Multimedia Peripheral Software:
          Premier             1___      Disc-to-Disc   5___
          SoundEdit           2___      FlyingFonts    6___
          Morph               3___      Astound Studio 7___
          ElasticReality      4___      Other: ________8___


     3-D Software:
          Presenter Pro       1___      Strata         4___
          Studio Pro          2___      MacroMedia     5___
          MacroModel          3___      Other: ________6___

27.  Which type of personal computer do you use in your work?
          IBM PC or PC-compatible  1___
          Macintosh                2___
          Other: __________________3___


THANK YOU FOR HAVING COMPLETED THIS SURVEY AND FOR HELPING US TO
CONSTRUCT AN EFFECTIVE SERIES OF GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN TECHNICAL
COMMUNICATION.