- Maker:
- Genre:
- Level: Graduate
- Program: Composition, Rhetoric, and Digital Media
- Course: WRIT 5400: Technical Writing
- Instructor: Dr. Eric Mason
- Semester Created: Fall 2025
Description
A guide for new and current adjunct instructors in the Composition, Rhetoric, and Digital Media program at Nova Southeastern University.
Reflection
The design thinking process for this started with empathy. As a new adjunct instructor, I quickly recognized that a guide was needed to help attune to my new taskload and environment, which would be more streamlined than simply emailing my head of department every time I needed help with something. Although this information is all available on various parts of NSU’s website, it is a courtesy to adjuncts to be able to have it collated into a verified, helpful guide, instead of continually searching for information online.
The process was different from a typical writing assignment in that most of the writing is already available to me, most of my work is that of an editor in selecting writing, rewording it for tone, clarity, and concision, and designing a friendly, professional layout which is easy to navigate and can be used as a printed or online document. This is still a work in progress, and I anticipate completing it by the end of May 2026 so it will be available for incoming adjuncts in the fall semester. I am pleased with the use of color to make the work vibrant and eye-catching, while also using CRDM colors to emphasize the brand. However, this may not be ideal for printing due to the cost of printing color, hence ensuring it’s accessible as an online pdf, too.
The audience theory of Ede and Lunsford most informed my work, as this is a working document that is meant to assist adjuncts in their work. There is always the risk that it may be a source of frustration if my communication isn’t clear, therefore the layout needs to guide the reading as much as the text does, as emphasized by White in Editing By Design. This is also following the theory of media (McLuhan), in that the medium is the message. By providing a clear, helpful, colorful guide using semi-formal, peer-to-peer wording instead of formal, top-down language, adjunct will feel welcomed and valued in their role.
