Department News
August 2006
 Galligan becomes lead teacher
John Galligan, a full-time English instructor at MATC since 1990, became the new lead teacher for the department when Karen Redfield’s two-year tenure as the department head ended in May.
One of Galligan’s goals, he said, is to formalize the department’s five-year plan.
Galligan, a former grievance officer for the faculty union, has served on numerous department committees, including the Intro to College English Committee and the Creative Writing Committee. He has also written three novels and co-written a children’s book. Prior to joining MATC, Galligan was a journalist and screenwriter.
New Writing for the Web course
Martha Schwer retooled an online technical communications course and turned it into the Writing for the Web course, which is offered in the fall 2007 semester.
Students in the Writing for the Web course will learn how to develop original Web content. They will also “discuss the techniques, technologies, culture, and problems of publishing in a digital age,” according to the course description. Students will also explore “blogging, podcasting and social software technology.”
Writing for the Web will be a required course for the Technical Communications Certificate and an elective course for the Journalism Certificate.
Editing course offered
The course formerly titled Advanced Technical Communication now has a new focus and a new name: Editing for the Workplace and Professional Publications in the fall semester of 2006.
Editing for the Workplace and Professional Publications, taught by Laurie Fitzgerald in the fall 2006 semester, will instruct students how to edit documents in the workforce. According to the course description, “The course requires students to complete a series of editing projects, in print and electronic formats. The course assignments reflect the traditional ‘levels of edit’ model, which stresses all aspects of the editing process, including research and fact checking, page design, usability, content editing, stylistic issues, copyediting, and liability and other legal issues.”
Editing for the Workplace and Professional Publications will be a required course for the Technical Communications Certificate and an elective course for the Journalism Certificate.
Guenette and Thorvaldsen hired as full-time instructors
Matthew Guenette and Guy Thorvaldsen became the newest full-time hires of the English Department in 2006.
Guenette has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Degree (Focus: Poetry) from Southern Illinois University and a Bachelor of Arts in English Degree from the University of New Hampshire. He has taught at the University of Southern Indiana and Heartland Community College in Illinois.
Guenette has published poems and reviews in a number of literary journals. Recently, his chapbook, Hush of Something Endless, was published by Ropewalk Press.
Thorvaldsen has both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in psychology from Antioch University; he also has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Degree from Vermont College. Thorvaldsen worked as a counselor in Scotland where his group therapy sessions for men “explored the notion of men’s particular relationship to spirituality,” he said. Thorvaldsen has also written two middle-reader novels, Jessie’s Secret Library and Cahill’s Cove, and an adult novel, Boundary Waters. He added that all three novels “need tweaking and an agent.” Thorvaldsen also writes book reviews for the Capital Times and writes essays for a monthly syndicated public radio show called Mind Eye’s Radio.
Thorvaldsen’s eclectic background includes years of working as a carpenter. He said, “I’ve been doing carpentry since I was a teen and haven’t stopped yet, with my last 20 years as a foreman and trim specialist. These days my woodwork is relegated to summers. I like to build interior stairs, which I find a mental and metaphorically satisfying endeavor.”
Intro to Mass Communications course is created
MATC has a new four-credit journalism course: Intro to Mass Communications, which examines the history, evolution, and global impact of today’s media.
The course is a media survey course that delves into the genesis of our media, from books, newspapers and magazines to cable television news and Internet journalism.
According to Larry D. Hansen, who developed it as an online course, Intro to Mass Communication is the “gateway” course in the majority of four-year journalism schools throughout the state and country.
Intro to Mass Communications is also a required course for MATC’s newly created Journalism Certificate.
New Web site
The English Department published its first external Web site. This site, which contains information about courses, faculty, and student support, was developed primarily to communicate important department information to students, faculty in other departments and programs, and administrators.
The site was developed by English faculty. However, Meagan Parrish, a journalism student, helped create some of the copy. Technology Services provided Macromedia Dreamweaver expertise.
Larry D. Hansen, English and journalism instructor, is the Web author and Webmaster.
“The Web site is basically the brainchild of Karen Redfield, our former lead teacher,” said Hansen. “Back in 2004, Karen came up to me and asked me to chair a Web site committee. I said ‘no’ right away, knowing how much time it would take. But Karen was persistent and convinced me of the importance of this site. So I gathered together a small group of faculty members and we started to brainstorm how this site would look. Finally, in August 2006, the site was published.”
The Web site’s advisory board consists of Jim Bauknecht, Paul Barribeau, Timothy Twohill, and Karen Redfield. John Galligan is the newest member of the advisory board.
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