Dr. Christin Phelps graduated from the MSTC program in 2007 and now works as a Lecturer in Professional Writing and as an Academic Advisor in English at NC State. After completing her Bachelor of Science degree in Computing Technology and Information Systems before realizing she wanted to do more than just write code. Eventually, Dr. Phelps would go on to earn her PhD from NC State in Communication, Rhetoric, and Digital Media (CRDM).
After working as an independent contractor on web development projects, Dr. Phelps realized that she wanted a more personal interaction with her work. Eventually, an advisor introduced her to Technical communication as a means of merging her technical background with her growing interest in human interaction.
During her time in the MSTC program Dr. Phelps found her passion for teaching that would lead her to continuing her education in Technical Communication and eventually become a part of the Professional Writing Team at NC State.
“I came into the MSTC program wanting to continue with web development, but branch out into doing a little bit more usability and accessibility, which I have always been a strong proponent of. Then I learned more about the CRDM program and wanted to stick around with that since I knew I liked teaching and I liked what I was learning.”
In 2016, Dr. Phelps would return to NC State where she now teaches primarily ENG 331: Communication for Engineering and Technology.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity by Sloan Hammer, the 2021-22 TCA Vice President.
Q: What was your favorite MSTC course and why?
A: Usability is is the course that I was most excited to take since I came from web development. I also really enjoyed taking that but I will say that theory and research in professional writing and rhetoric of science and technology. Those were two courses that I was probably the most hesitant towards because they were the ones that I assumed I wouldn’t be least interested in. I think that’s what made them of the most memorable is that they turned out to be the most influential classes, because they were what made me want to continue after my masters degree, and keep going and get my PhD.
Q: What does a day in the life look like for you?
A: That is a bit of a complicated question because there’s an answer pre covered and there’s a different answer right now. Usually, in the mornings, it’s the requisite cup of coffee and answering student emails. Then, I am either teaching if it is a teaching day or I am grading and the sporadically answering emails throughout the day. Then, at some point in time, having office hours. Right now, because of the pandemic, my office hours are virtual and by appointment.
Right now, because of the pandemic, a lot of my time is spend grading and providing student feedback on forum posts or papers or drafts of whatever the case may be. Pre-pandemic, it was a lot more meeting one on one with students in addition to my academic advisor role depending upon where we are in the semester. That may just be emails but if we’re at the registration time in the semester, then I usually have several meetings through the day to chat with students about their schedules and plan accordingly.
An average day really depends on where you are in the semester since it will change and it’s very cyclical so you know the start of the semester is going to be very different from the end of the semester.
Q: What kind of technology do you use at work?
A: Moodle, Google docs, Panopto, Zoom, Loom screen recorder, YouTube creator studio, YouTube, Canva, Pixabay, iAnnotate, PDF Expert, Adobe Acrobat
Q: Is there a specific project management style that you use?
A: Project management models aren’t typically used in academia. Personally speaking, I don’t really look at a class as a project, because I think that there’s a level of complexity there that can’t be really captured in a project management model. That being said, like I don’t see it as a I don’t know you would necessarily refer to this as a project management model, but I do use things like the pomodoro method. In day to day activities again that’s not really a project management model, but it can be incorporated into one of your own method is.
The pomodoro method is when you set a timer for a set amount of time, say 15 minutes, and then you work on a project for 15 minutes and then at the end when the timer goes off, you then step away for a certain period of time. And do something else for a certain period of time, and so it keeps you from just sitting at your computer doing the same thing over and over again. It gets you to do to take some breaks, so that your brain doesn’t get quite so tired especially when it comes to grading.
Q: What is the most rewarding thing about your role?
A: I don’t know that there’s anything better than seeing a lightbulb moment for a student and then going “ah so that’s how you do that or oh so that’s what I was doing wrong” and knowing how to readjust.
And you know I would say, i’ve had students in the past, because, like i’ve mentioned before, I teach resumes and cover letters and linkedin profiles and things like that. It’s really cool to have students come up to me in class and say “hey you know that project and how we did the resume and cover letter yeah I submitted that for a job and I just got it”. That’s super fun to know that an assignment in my class had a real world impact and that it led to someone getting their dream job or their dream internship.l I also. really like knowing that I am an empowering students and when students tell me this. To be able to be effective members of their profession, when it comes to writing.
When when folks can say i’m more confident now in my abilities as a future employee or as a member of this organization or things like that so knowing that I helped build confidence is also really cool. In short, I love my job.
Q: What are some of the greatest challenges you face in your role?
A: I think any English 331: Communication for Engineering and Technology instructor will tell you that one of the big challenges comes at the very start of the semester, because we primarily have engineering students and this may be the first English class they’ve taken in multiple years, and many of them come in going just not wanting to take an English class. They also come in with the assumption that the class is going to be similar to the classes that they’ve taken the past where they’re analyzing a piece of literature or doing some form of creative writing where they have to write really long papers. This is a writing intensive class but it’s not the the writing that many of them expect coming in.
The other challenge, when it comes to advising, has nothing to do with the students themselves.
When COVID happened and students aren’t able to find internships because there werent any Then I can’t help someone when I really want to be able to and that that that can be frustrating.
Q: How has your role changed over the years?
A: The topics that we’re teaching change over time. For example, the format expectations for resumes have changed. You used to absolutely always include an objective statement on every resume and that’s kind of falling falling out of favor now. The statement “references available upon request” at the bottom of a resume isn’t necessarily mandatory anymore. And it used to be that you absolutely had to include it, or at least that’s how I was taught to teach it way back when.
There are also pushes for how we teach things how we ensure that that classrooms are more inclusive and more adaptive. There’s been greater emphasis placed on that as faculty and as the academic community becomes more aware of the difficulties that students face in their classroom and in academia.
Q: What is the biggest piece of advice you have for students in the program and they’re preparing to re enter the industry
A: Network network network did I say network. Also visit the career development Center get a set of eyes on your resume and your application documents other than the people that you immediately know. In other words, utilize the resources that are available to you and reach out to the alumni network.
The strong alumni network is one of the best things about the MSTC program. If you want to go work for a company with MSTC alumni, you can reach out to those folks and say you are interested in this position. Ask what you need to know about applying for a job with their company and ask for any advice that you can give me on ensuring that my application materials meet my audience’s expectations. Ask those questions, even if they’re not in the same department is you’re hoping to go into. They can tell you what HR is going to be looking for you know what that initial filtering of applicants is going to look like to help you kind of get through at least to the interview stage.