How the Hanson Center for
Technical Communication Can Help You

Why Visit the Hanson CTC? Our mission is to help you express yourself as an engineer. Think of writing as a contact sport of the mind: a scrimmage of ideas and facts, cited sources and original opinions. Whether it’s a lab report or a proposal, a series of PowerPoint slides or a scholarship statement, our peer consultants will help you move the ball downfield by leading you through the process of drafts, feedback, and revision. Writing rewards patience and determination so don't wait to the last minute! Devoting time and effort to grow as a writer is the best preparation for a career in which success is often measured by the quality of your communications.

Who are the Peer Consultants? The Hanson CTC Director recruits students who have shown exceptional promise as technical communicators to serve as peer consultants. Peer consultants do not grade nor do they pass judgment on grades. Instead, by addressing global concerns (organization, clarity, and relevant analysis), they help fellow students turn rough drafts into professional reports and proposals.

Do Students Know About the Center? In 2004-2005, CTC peer consultants worked with 597 students (almost half of the entire undergraduate community) during scheduled appointments at the Center. This level of traffic suggests that CTC is an ideal forum for modeling the practice of technical communication—particularly when engineering students and tutors share the same discipline-specific interests and aspirations.

Is it Easy to Make an Appointment? It could hardly be easier; just drop by the Hanson Center, which is located in 2224 SC, on the west wall of the Student Commons. A sign-up sheet is available for your convenience. Each time you visit the Center, a Contact Report will be completed, indicating the date you were seen and the help you received. You will receive a copy of the report, which we suggest you attach to your work so that your professor or T.A. will be aware that you attended the CTC.

“What is written without effort is read without pleasure.”
Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)
	(Johnson compiled the first dictionary of the English Language, so he speaks with some authority on the nature of good writing.)