Technical and Professional Communication Programs and the Small College Setting: Opportunities and Challenges

Catherine G. Latterell

doi:10.2190/pkt1-j8lf-r4gq-k2v8

Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Oct 2003

Technical and Professional Communication Programs and the Small College Setting: Opportunities and Challenges

Catherine G. Latterell Pennsylvania State University

Abstract

This article argues that the small school context has been a relatively unexamined or under-examined context for technical and professional communication program development. While graduate program development holds a large share of the field's attention in recent national forums, growth in graduate programs is a consequence of demand in the job market among mostly “teaching” schools. Thus, the field must consider how well we are socializing new Ph.D.s into the values and the real work of institutions where they will find employment. Toward this end, this article articulates three mediating forces of program development in the liberal arts and humanities settings of small schools: 1) interdisciplinarity and flexibility are lived dynamics of small schools; 2) the campus-wide privileging of writing and communication skills presents ongoing opportunities for curricular initiatives and program development; and 3) compression of decision-making structures leads to more involvement of/with administrators and units across campus.

Journal: Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published: 2003-10-01
DOI: 10.2190/pkt1-j8lf-r4gq-k2v8
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Topics: teacher development professional writing labor and working conditions
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Technical and Professional Communication Programs and the Small College Setting: Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (3)

References (23) · 11 in this index

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