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ABSTRACT
This article reports the results of a survey of technical and professional communication (TPC) undergraduate and graduate students regarding their perceptions of diversity in TPC academic programs. The responses of the total group of respondents and a subset of respondents identifying as a person of color (POC) are compared. Results show that both the overall group and the group of students identifying as persons of color see their TPC programs as both diverse and supportive of diversity. Respondents identifying as a person of color also reported that they were not worried about fitting in when enrolling in their TPC programs. However, the survey also shows that TPC students who identify as persons of color note a lack of students and faculty of color in TPC academic programs and departments. Possible reasons for respondents’ perceptions of having diverse and supportive departments while also observing the lack of POC within the department are discussed.
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Notes on contributors
Chris Dayley
Chris Dayley is a PhD candidate in the Technical Communication and Rhetoric program at Utah State University. Chris is a part of the recent movement by many scholars in technical and professional communication toward a research focus on issues of social justice. Specifically, he is interested in the ways in which critical race theory informs our perceptions of diversity and inclusion within technical and professional communication (TPC) academic programs. Chris’s work has been featured in the journal Programmatic Perspectives, and he has presented his work at several academic conferences including Association of Teachers of Technical Writing (ATTW), Council for Programs in Technical and Scientific Communication (CPTCS), International Professional Communication conference (IPCC), and the Special Interest Group for the Design of Communication (SIGDOC).