Manager’s Column Q2: Overview of Summit 2022

By Maralee Sautter, IDL SIG Manager

The STC Summit in Chicago was awesome! After several years of isolation, it was amazing to hug and talk to STC friends, and wave to those who wanted to keep their distance. Some wore masks, others held their arms out for hugs, and the remaining greeted with a fist or elbow bump, handshakes, or smiling eyes over a mask. The smiles were frequent, and the laughter was abundant. Because the number of attendees was modest, the atmosphere was congenial and intimate. The following recap highlights some of my experiences mainly in the IDL SIG manager’s role. Continue reading “Manager’s Column Q2: Overview of Summit 2022”

IDL SIG Treasurer Report – 2022 Q2

By Jamye Sagan, IDL SIG Treasurer

How much money do we have?

As of June 15, 2022, we have $939.30 in our account – $646.38 from community funding and $292.92 in our vested funds. 

Community funding comes from the STC office, based on SIG membership numbers. We must use these funds during the calendar year or forfeit them. On the other hand, vested funds come from income we have generated from any paid events we host. These funds can carry over year after year. Continue reading “IDL SIG Treasurer Report – 2022 Q2”

IDL SIG Manager’s Column Q4 2021

By Maralee Sautter

Year-end review

The winter solstice has arrived in the northern hemisphere, and 2021 is ending. The days are growing longer, and the nights shorter. The weather is cold with snow predicted in my part of the world—the northwest coast of the USA. Sitting by the fire brings about reflection, warmth, and memories of a year of IDL SIG accomplishments. (If you’re bathed in warmth or heat where you are, you are lucky!)

The IDL SIG team has been very busy during this last quarter of 2021: delivering great programs, fun social events (such as our Virtual Open House), a contest that all STC members could enter, and a 2-hour, interactive workshop. Our student-run First Fridays at 5 meetups have been highly successful, and a great place to chat, learn, and exchange ideas. We have many accomplishments under our collective belt this year because we have an amazing volunteer team with innovative ideas and the initiative to take them into reality. We are already planning for 2022 and have great programs and benefits lined up for you.

By the way, if you haven’t had a chance to renew or join STC, be sure to do it soon. The official deadline is December 31, but there’s still time afterward. To join or renew, click STC Join-Renew and be sure to select Instructional Design & Learning as your SIG of choice. Depending on your membership category, you may have to pay a few extra dollars, but we are worth it!

We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers who are willing to learn. If you are interested in joining our team, please send an email to Anita at volunteers@stcidlsig.org. If you want to explore leadership opportunities (co-manager wanted), please email Maralee at manager@stcidlsig.org.

While we all have been through a lot during the pandemic, I hope that everyone in the IDL SIG & STC family is looking forward to 2022 with optimism. Let’s make it a great year!

Spread the Word—IDL SIG article writing competition deadline February 18, 2022

Your SIG runs a competition twice yearly to award students with a complimentary membership and bring in fresh new perspectives on the world of Instructional Design. Help us attract a wide range of entrants by publicizing the competition at your workplace, local STC chapter, library, or university.

You could be published before you graduate!

The Society for Technical Communication’s IDL SIG invites undergraduate- and graduate-level students to submit articles related to instructional design to the Student Outreach Article Competition for a chance to be published in our quarterly newsletter IDeaL: Design for Learning.

Winning the Student Outreach Article Competition and having your article published can help you increase your chances of being hired after graduation. It might be just the edge you need to land a great job in technical communication or instructional design!

By having your article published, you will:

  • Get your article in front of hundreds of practicing professionals.
  • One-year complimentary STC student membership.
  • Membership in the IDL SIG.
  • Link your article to your resume and LinkedIn.

And that’s not all!

Judges in our competition also recommend whether you should submit your article to the Technical Communication Body of Knowledge (TCBOK). If the TCBOK publishes your article, you earn an additional one-year STC/IDL student membership (or its equivalent value)!

You can also insert another link to your article in the TCBOK in your résumé or online portfolio, which is available for reference by thousands of professional technical communicators.

One winner said, “I printed the published article and showed it as I interviewed for a new position as a technical publications writer just last month. I got the job and definitely feel that the published article helped me.” (Read the full article at http://www.stcidlsig.org/engaging-the-reluctant-learner/.)

How to enter the Student Outreach Article Competition

  1. Download the complete Entry Package 2021-11 from this page. (Navigate to stcidlsig.org/students if you are reading this in hard copy.) The package contains:
    • Contributor Guidelines.
    • List of topics in Instructional Design. Note: if you choose a topic not listed, you need pre-approval of your topic.
    • Frequently Asked Questions. If the FAQs do not answer your question, email us at StudentOutreach@stcidlsig.org.
    • A final checklist to help ensure your article meets all the requirements.
  2. Write an article between 1,000 and 2,500 words. Use the final checklist in the entry package to ensure your article adheres to all guidelines, improving your chances for success.
  3. Complete the 2022 Submission Form before submitting your article.
  4. Send your article, the submission form, and any graphic files to StudentOutreach@stcidlsig.org by Friday, February 18, 2022.

IDL SIG Treasurerʼs Report for Q4 2021

By Jamye Sagan, IDL SIG Treasurer

We end 2021 on a steady financial note—we were able to fund all of our activities, plus a little extra for next year. As of December 20, we have a total of $292.92 in our account—$292.92 in our vested funds, and none remaining in community funding. Vested funds can roll over each year, but any remaining community funding will be absorbed back into STC. Therefore, we always spend down our community funding before tapping into our vested funds. 

Unlike chapters, special interest groups do not have standalone accounts. Instead, they have sub-accounts directly under the STC umbrella. Because we did not meet again in person at Summit this year, we did not incur as many expenses such as door prizes and business lunch catering.

From September to December, we incurred the following expenses:

  • Webinar and workshop stipends
  • Zoom annual subscription

As for income, this year we made nearly $100 total from our webinars. These proceeds come from paid attendance from IDL non-members. IDL members and students attend our webinars at no charge.

As of December 20, we are still awaiting approval of our 2022 budget. The Budget Review Committee is still reviewing all STC community budgets; we expect ours to be approved any day now. We take great care to ensure that our funds will benefit as many of our members as possible. Thank you for supporting us, whether by attending our webinars and online events, reading/contributing to our newsletter, or perusing our website.

If you have any questions about SIG finances, please email me at treasurer@stcidlsig.org.