October/November 2005

Volume 46, Number 2

STC International Seeks Competition Judges

Interested in serving as an STC international competition judge next spring? You are invited to apply to serve as a judge in one of the competitions (technical publications, technical art, or online communication), which will be held Saturday, March 11, 2006, in Arlington, Virginia. Judging in the international competitions provides you with a sneak preview of what your colleagues are doing and an opportunity to network with interesting people.

If you are selected to judge, you will serve on a team of judges. Your team will judge the entries in one or more categories, and the number of entries varies by category. All judging and determination of awards are completed the day of judging.

You may apply to participate as either an on-site judge or an off-site judge. Because STC can fund only a limited number of on-site judges, some qualified applicants for on-site judging may be invited to judge a competition off-site. If you are applying to be an on-site judge, please indicate on your application if your employer is willing to fund your travel and accommodations.

On-Site Judges

On-site judges will travel to the judging site in Arlington, VA. There, you and your teammates make the final decisions on awards for entries in your assigned category. A hotel room, paid for by STC, will be reserved for Friday and Saturday, March 10-11, 2006. We appreciate any corporate support your employers can provide, but those of you without corporate support will be reimbursed for round-trip transportation to Arlington.

A reception will be held the evening of March 10 to welcome our judges to the event. Judging will take place on March 11.

Note: Out-of-town judges typically arrive on Friday evening and depart on Sunday morning to take advantage of the reduced Saturday stay-over fares.

Off-Site Judges

Off-site judges make the initial and final decision on awards in a telephone conference call on a mutually agreeable date but not later than February 26, 2006. Off-site judges must mail the entries, completed evaluation forms, and list of awards to the Society office to be received by March 6.

Qualifications for Judges

All judges must meet at least two of the following criteria:

1. Master's degree or higher in technical communication or related field.
2. Senior membership in STC.
3. Seven years in technical communication or a related field (STC membership not required).
4. Strong publishing background (five articles or one book).
5. Teaching experience in communication or a related field (five years full-time or seven years adjunct or part-time).
6. Winner of an STC or other communication competition award.
7. Certification by a communication-related professional organization.

How to Apply

Complete the application (available at www.stc.org/internationalCompetitions_JAF.asp) to serve as an STC judge and send it to the Society office to arrive by November 30, 2005. You will be notified of the results of your application by February 10, 2006.

If you are accepted as a judge, more information regarding judging policies and the reimbursement process will be forthcoming.

If you have any questions, please contact Rich Maggiani, AP for Competitions, (802) 999-7440 or richmaggiani@adelphia.net.