Work at the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
UMC Alum Rita M. Resendiz ’96 Tells About Her Career in Her Own Words…

Graduating from the University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC) in 1996 was both an exciting and sad time for me.  With my father passing away that same year, I decided to put off graduate school to be with my family.  UMC hired me for the year to work on website design and with faculty and staff in classroom preparation and instruction in the Instructional Technology Center.

That experience helped me make a decision to attend graduate school, which I did September 1997 through May 1999, earning a master’s of education degree in curriculum and instruction with emphasis in instructional systems and technology.  Upon graduation, I decided to take some time off and relax. 

I started my job search in September 1999.  My first job interview came soon after in November at the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, a graduate school that offers four graduate degree programs as well as several professional development programs, dual degree opportunities, and certificate programs.  The position, web coordinator, was the first of its kind at the Humphrey Institute.  It was formed in collaboration with the U of M’s Office of Information Technology.  Last November 2003, was my four-year anniversary of getting that job at the Humphrey Institute.

When I went in for the interview I felt very well prepared, and I was actually confident I would get the job.  I was told there were more than thirty applicants for the position, and I was at the top.  Why did I feel so prepared?  The qualifications for the web coordinator position included everything I already had experience with at UMC—from website design, class instruction, working with faculty and staff, and software support, to being a member of several technology committees.  By having this knowledge and expertise, I was able to incorporate my know-how into my tasks and responsibilities at the Humphrey Institute.  The University of Minnesota, Crookston taught me the foundation of my studies.  By having this foundation, I was able to build upon it throughout my education.  To this day, I give credit to UMC for being the foundation for my continued career success.  I continue to rely on my educational experiences from UMC to repeatedly strive for the best work I am capable of performing. 

My job at the Humphrey Institute entails a plethora of responsibilities.  I work on maintaining the Humphrey website and the intranet; I work with the departments and centers at the Institute in making their websites more standardized and consistent to the look and feel of Humphrey’s website; and I train faculty, staff, and students to maintain their own website material.

I am part of a web team that also includes the director of information technology and the communications director.  It’s been a great experience learning and being a part of that team.  Some of our accomplishments follow.

The entire Humphrey Institute website was converted to the look and feel of the U of M template and is on its way to complete standardization and consistency throughout the entire site! 

The Institute recently implemented FileNET, a content management system (CMS).  I was sent to a three-day training on FileNET.  The Humphrey Institute was chosen as the pilot site, and I was named the lead person to attend the pilot training with a FileNET CMS certified instructor.  I am in the process of developing training material for the content management system to train Humphrey faculty, staff, and students in its use.  For those of you who are not familiar with CMS, an ideal CMS for the Hubert Institute will allow staff to update their own departmental Web content while using only basic word processing skills.  CMS will allow copy to be written once and published on demand in multiple formats while preserving stylistic elements.  CMS supports formats suchas content printer-friendly, RSS newsfeeds, and WAP.  It also integrates the University’s x.500 authentication system that allows users with an x.500 account to be part of a workflow process.  FileNET also allows connectivity with the University Portal system that enables the Humphrey Institute to setup an RSS newsfeed.  I am also helping in getting a FileNET user group started.

In the areas of faculty support, I assist with web-based course management using WebCT, supporting faculty and staff in creating and designing their WebCT courses.   I am also a member of the WebCT Faculty Advisory Committee that meets monthly to discuss things such as the latest features and improvements in WebCT, questions that arise in different departments around the University, and the advantages and disadvantage in converting to the latest version.  I also help with the ongoing development of the Instructional Technology Center (Compstaff HelpDesk) at the Institute.  We offer support to faculty, staff, and students with any technological and instructional need.

I prepare course material and teach the Humphrey Institute computer modules.  The modules consist of MS Windows, MS Word, MS Excel, MS Powerpoint, MS Access, and Macromedia Dreamweaver.  The Institute also offers classes on U.S. Census Data and Internet Research, which are taught by other University staff.  Teaching puts a break in days instead of constantly sitting in front of the computer.

Every year the Institute hosts about fifteen  fellows from over ten different countries.  The International Fellowship Programs bring young and mid-career leaders from around the world to the Humphrey Institute for academic study, related professional experience, and cultural exchange.  I also work in helping to train these International Fellows. 

Along with offering the computer modules, the Humphrey Institute Curriculum Committee determined that it was essential for all Humphrey students to have a basic level of computer skills to do well in their Humphrey Institute studies and future career.  To assess student skills, I helped establish a computer Diagnostic Test (DTest).  The main goal of the DTest is to help students identify areas where they could benefit from further study.  The DTest is comprised of Windows, Word, and Excel basics and is continually redefined every year.

Every summer, I also have the privilege to help in the coordination of Web Camp for Humphrey employees.  Web Camp is a week-long seminar that offers training in a variety of different technologies ranging from scanning, graphic manipulation, web design, portfolio, portal, WebCT, database management, and electronic spreadsheets.  During Web Camp, we invite U of M resources that introduce faculty and staff to several new technologies offered on campus. 

My job at the Humphrey Institute allows me to continually learn advanced technological capabilities by enabling me to attend the University’s Academic Distributing Computing Services (ADCS) technology courses in instructional design processes, website structure (hierarchy), and web design and graphic illustration.  I also attend technology enhanced learning (TEL) seminars, workshops, and conferences on the latest technologies and how people have implemented them into their classroom instruction.  I am a member of University technical meetings such as Web People, WebCT Faculty Advisory Committee, Certified IT Professionals (CITP), Educational Technologist Forum, and FileNET Users Group to establish contacts and stay informed of the latest University standards and technical updates.

As you can tell, my job keeps me busy.  Despite how busy I may be, however, I do find time to have fun!  I love camping, biking, hiking, rock climbing, dance, design (web and graphic), trap shooting, deer-pheasant-grousse hunting, archery, yoga, weightlifting, and kickboxing.