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BYU-Idaho

RoleEditor, Program Assistant
TypePart-time
PeriodJan 2007 – Aug 2008

Background​

I held two student positions at BYU-Idaho during my undergrad, and both of them turned out to be more formative than I expected at the time.

The first was Program Assistant in Continuing Education, which I held for about a year and a half. That meant editing and writing promotional content for course offerings, maintaining department documents, and helping coordinate the university's Elderhostel program--which regularly took retirees to Yellowstone National Park. I also inherited the annual Boy Scout Powwow, a campus event that required recruiting 250+ volunteers and enough logistical planning that I wrote a 15-page instructional book so whoever came after me wouldn't have to figure it all out from scratch. (They probably still did. That's how institutional knowledge works.)

The editing volume was substantial. Over that period I edited and wrote more than 200 pages of news releases, conference handbooks, research reports, and department documents, all against the Chicago Manual of Style. Brochures, program materials, reports--solo and in groups. Not the most glamorous work, but it was the training ground where the instincts got built.

The second position was a shorter stint as an Editor in Instructional Development during my final months before graduation. The department was rolling out a new teaching methodology and needed someone to make 30+ documents look consistent, professional, and correct. I provided that, plus a comprehensive style guide for faculty to use going forward. The faculty response was positive, which in academic circles means nobody filed a formal objection.

What I Did​

Editor, Instructional Development — June 2008 to August 2008

  • Proofread and edited 30+ documents totaling more than 80 pages for grammatical correctness, style adherence, and professional presentation.
  • Developed a comprehensive style guide for faculty use in a new university-wide teaching model.
  • Edited teaching methodology documents for clarity and usability, receiving a positive faculty-wide response.

Program Assistant, Continuing Education — January 2007 to August 2008

  • Edited and wrote over 200 pages of news releases, conference handbooks, research reports, and department documents using the Chicago Manual of Style (15th ed.).
  • Wrote a 15-page instructional book for preparing and executing the university's annual Boy Scout Powwow event.
  • Developed and implemented a volunteer recruitment strategy for the yearly on-campus scout event, coordinating 250+ volunteers.
  • Proofread and contributed to program brochures, handbooks, and reports in both group and individual settings.
  • Assisted with content creation and editing for the Elderhostel program and Continuing Education course offerings.

Key Skills​

Research · Managing Deadlines · Deliverables · Web Design · Adobe Acrobat · Collaboration · Web Content · Content Management · Proofreading · Copyediting · Adobe InDesign · Adobe Illustrator · Editing · Style Guides · Process Improvement · Documentation · Windows · HTML · CSS · Adobe Photoshop