Summarizes the results of a conference at which program heads evaluated technical communications offerings. (RB)

Poses questions--and some answers--essential to the development and expansion of technical communication offerings beyond the basic course in technical writing. (RL)

Describes elements in a teacher-training program for graduate assistants teaching business and technical writing at Miami University in Ohio, including preparatory seminars, apprentice-teaching with mentoring by master teachers, and supportive evaluation. Notes that these strategies can be adapted to other programs in which graduate students teach…

Reports on a survey identifying the location, extent, and focus of technical writing programs at Canadian colleges and universities. Describes representative programs in some detail. Discusses the focus of these programs and the need for more programs. (SR)

Cites reasons for pursuing a curriculum in technical communication, lists objectives a program should achieve, and outlines a four-part program that includes theory, professional skills, technical proficiency, and an internship. Lists schools offering programs in technical communication. (SR)

Argues that courses in technical communication must have high status, be flexible, use distance learning techniques, and meet the needs of inservice communicators to satisfy demand for technical communicators in Europe. Suggests those courses concentrate on composition, text-handling, elicitation, and specialized technical areas. Suggests courses…

A writing assistance program at North Carolina State University is designed to help students gain the communication skills they need as professional engineers. The program involves teaching, tutoring, advisory services, and workshops on special topics of wide interest. Each of these program areas is discussed. (JN)

A Master of Arts in Technical and Expository Writing program has been implemented in the English department at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Designed to make future teachers and technical writers into better writers, the program gives them a larger view of the writing process in which they are participating. Three required courses…

Describes a survey designed to discover (1) why technical communications programs need advisory boards, (2) how to find members and keep them productive, and (3) how boards can mutually benefit both the academic and the business-world members. Includes the questionnaire and a bibliography of materials on advisory boards. (HTH)

The technical communications program at Clarkson College (New York) offers students 23 courses in subjects ranging from interpersonal behavior to engineering and scientific report writing to computer documentation and the development of technical manuals. With the help of an advisor, each student works out a course of study appropriate to his or…

Noting that technically competent graduates of professional schools need additional skills to function effectively in an increasingly complex and global society, this paper describes an innovative program in technical writing developed for undergraduate engineering students at the Colorado School of Mines. The paper first provides background…

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)…

At Wayne State University, a two-year research and curriculum effort, the Professional Writing Project (PWP), showed that English departments can better prepare students to write effectively for the workplace and increase writing faculty's research and teaching capabilities through collaborating with industry to plan a professional writing…

The J. M. Tull School of Accounting at the University of Georgia has developed a program that integrates the teaching of writing skills with the regular accounting courses. Students in a three-course sequence write a total of eight papers--technical, memos, or reports--in assignments that resemble writing tasks encountered by professional…

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…