This article describes how a special kind of academe-industry collaboration--based on a joint appointment agreement between a university and an industry site--was set up, promoted, and experienced by a professor of technical communication and his student interns. To illustrate the nature and value of this kind of collaboration, the article…

This article applies identity construction concepts to a professional and technical communication student intern's use of agency as she negotiates a unique identity for herself within a state legislature. Following a literature review, the author highlights several of the intern's key efforts to become part of this new governmental and legal…

This article argues for developing linked courses in technical communication where the instructor facilitates a service-learning curriculum and then serves as faculty advisor within subsequent internships. In these linked courses, students write technical documents before moving into internships where they write similar documents. Specifically,…

Use of eportfolios for business communication students in an advanced two-quarter capstone brought an unexpected networking opportunity, in addition to their conventional use as a showcase for student writing and research. This article discusses how students developed their eportfolios. Then, through use of a course website providing an optional…

Discusses the various arrangements whereby aspiring technical writers and editors receive training and work experience within the United States federal government. (RL)

A permanent, ongoing relationship between the technical writing faculty at Ohio State University (OSU) and the technical writing staff at Battelle Memorial Institute, the world's largest independent research and development laboratory, holds advantages for both. Four formal programs of cooperation currently exist: Battelle staff members serve as…

Morehead State University's technical writing internship program provides students who are not suited to larger, industry-based writing internship programs with professional writing experience. Most interns are English majors, and only the best and most interested students are selected. The program confers 3-6 semester hours' credit and aims to…

When teaching writing, a teacher never knows when a student will truly grasp the importance of the lesson being presented. Teachers know that some students will see the relevance, while others may not immediately grasp the value of what they present in the classroom. In order to convince students they should actively participate in his technical…

To assess the value of professional writing internships, a pilot study at Michigan State University will administer pre- and post-tests to students involved in internships, as well as to control groups composed of professional writing majors who do not participate in internships, and other English majors following a traditional curriculum of…

Describes a four-semester course in technical communication that culminates in a student project for which students work in teams aided by faculty managers to define a project, learn about it on their own, gather evidence, choose the best solution, and defend their choices to an outside client. (SRT)

Describes a two-semester writing program that prepares English majors for professional writing careers in business or industry. (AEA)

Articles in these proceedings of a conference of the Council for Programs in Technical and Scientific Communication represent the views of professional communicators and academicians who share a concern for providing breadth and quality of preparation for present and future technical communicators. The 10 papers discuss the following topics: (1)…

Describes student reaction to an internship program in journalism. Suggests that students must learn that formula and boredom are basic to the work world but that they can lighten this routine with their own inventiveness and creativity. (MM)

The internship program in technical communications at Oklahoma State University is a 3-credit-hour course that offers students an opportunity to apply the principles of technical communication learned in the classroom to an on-the-job situation. The prerequisites for the course are 9 hours of English and a course on intermediate…

Northeastern University (Boston) offers an internship program to train technical writers for the computer industry. The program is designed for 20 individuals with bachelor's degrees and writing experience. Students attend classes at night, taking one computer science course and one graduate level writing course per academic quarter. The computer…