Enterprise has its bumps and bruises because of its sometimes unexpected differences from classwork, but learning both classwork and Enterprise work and how to balance the two has given me a much wider range of knowledge than I would have had with just classes. I would strongly encourage joining an Enterprise, namely the Professional Communication Arts Enterprise, as it provides valuable experience that you cannot get elsewhere outside of the professional work environment.

This is my first time blogging on our website! I am Elsa Roberts, the project manager for PCAE and I am going to talk a little bit about one of the projects that PCAE has been working on.

This Fall PCAE took began staffing the J.R Van Pelt Library's Digital Studio; a small room in the Library that contains a few computers with design software, a large format printer, and a laminator. Currently the most exciting piece of equipment we get to use is the large format printer, which can print posters up to 42" in width and a variety of paper types. We have recently put together a tutorial about the printer so that the PCAE members staffing the Studio and future people staffing the studio have an easier time using this printer.

We are also working on getting together a focus group to get a sense of how students respond to the atmosphere of the Studio, how useful the software and equipment is to them, and other factors of interest. We hope, eventually, to work to make the Studio a more dynamic, creative space and increase its visibility on campus!

Changing from STC Arts to Professional Communication Arts Enterprise was a big move for us. The rhetorical debates, logical steps and eventual final decision resulted in a complete overhaul of all of our resources including our web site, promotional materials, and internal documentation. The work has been long and hard this semester, nevertheless our name change has been highly successful and will prove to be a worthy move for years to come.

While working on our internal projects has kept us busy, the team has also been working tirelessly at the Digital Studio inside the J. Robert Van Pelt and Opie Library at Michigan Tech. The Digital Studio is a brilliant opportunity for the PCA Enterprise to use participatory design to fulfill the possibilities of the space provided. PCAE is, as far as we have been able to find, the only student-run group that is in charge of a space like the digital studio in the nation.

For the remaining month and a half of the semester, we're looking forward to working on our two newest projects, working with Keystone Healthcare and the Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative. Both projects will be pushing members to their limits, allowing experienced members to help teach newer members to develop their skill set. Check back to www.pcaenterprise.org for updates throughout our projects.

Like nearly all the student groups here at MTU, the STC Arts Enterprise strove to be multidisciplinary. Yet, with a name like "STC Arts", we tended to draw one particular major; you guessed it, scientific and technical communications! And although much of our work with the enterprise is focused in the realm of STC we needed better representation from some of the other talented majors at MTU.

So, after some debate, in the Fall of 2008 we finally took the plunge and changed our name! We are now the Professional Communication Arts Enterprise, P.C.A.E. for short, and we feel that our new name is much more representative of the work that we do.

Above all, PCAE (pronounced p-kay) strives for professionalism in our communications in various mediums. We are very happy to have this represented in our new name, and it might just be doing the trick, because PCAE is increasingly multidisciplinary with team members representing not only STC but: communication and culture studies, psychology, education, and even civil engineering!

The Terra Preta @ MTU working group is currently exploring the possibility of establishing itself as an Enterprise team or affiliating it with existing campus sustainability projects and initiatives. The impetus and commitment remain that the project is a reciprocal project with the local community, with shared access to resources, planning, and participation.

If you are interested in joining this university and community effort �?? as a community member, as a student, staff, or faculty member �?? write to Michael and we will add you to our terrapreta-l mailing list and update you on future plans.

More information on terra preta:
http://composing.org/hu2506summer/
http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/
http://www.admin.mtu.edu/urel/news/media_relations/709/

The project was an integrated approach, using brochures, video, and a web site to update the university's training materials, and our presentation demonstrated how the deliverables work together to support a coherent, reliable, ethical approach to sexual harassment training and education.

Many aspects of environmental rhetoric and discussions about climate change and sustainability occur right in our domain of work and expertise: technical communication.

This week's issue of Time is interesting for any number of those reasons, and the cover's typography is also compelling: it's the first issue of Time ever to appear without its recognizable red border and the remediated Iwo Jima iconography has immediately become the source of controversy.

Team members will be required to own a copy of Making Things Happen: Mastering Project Management -- previously titled The Art of Project Management, which many team members may still have from HU2640/3640/4640. This selection will help to round out our professional-development resources, which now include a premium subscription to Lynda.com and several good technical communication and usability articles appended to our Operations Manual.

The first few weeks of the fall semester will be spent developing a shared vocabulary and collective expertise in the area of project management.

The Client.

First-year: CRN# 83304
ENT 1960 L22 1.0 units

Sophomores: CRN# 83129
ENT 2950 L22 1.0 units

Juniors: CRN# 83135
ENT 3950 L22 1.0 units

Seniors: CRN# 83137
ENT 4950 L22 2.0 units