ROWAN UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF WRITING ARTS
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        • Rowan Alum, Marissa Cohen, On Self Publishing and Advocacy
      • Fall 2017 >
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        • The Writer's Journey Blog by Earl Garcia
        • Rewriting The Department's Social Media Platforms
        • Rowan University Writing Arts Club Reinvents Mission
        • Glassworks Launches Issue Fifteen
        • For Futuristic Consideration: An Exploration of Careers in Writing
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Technical Communication: An overview

By Devon James
Engineers with technical expertise and the ability to communicate became important in American society during the Civil War. This value for technical projects and the skills needed to carry them out opened up new educational opportunities for those interested in pursuing careers in technical fields. As a result of this increased importance, the US Government passed the Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862, which called for 30,000 acres of land in several states to be set aside for the creation of colleges focused on the agricultural and mechanical arts
Prior to 1870, all students of higher education, including engineering students, primarily studied rhetoric and what we understand today as the humanities. With industrialization becoming central to the American economy, institutions of higher education shifted to produce engineers, and as a result, much of the focus on the Humanities diminished and the only writing courses many engineering students received was in First Year Composition. Regardless of the level of engineering material mastered, graduates found it difficult to communicate this information through writing.
“The students are learning a writing that is directly applicable to their future careers. That has a lot of meaning for them and ends up creating strong outcomes.” - Jen Tole
Changes came to engineering colleges at the beginning of the 20th century: English departments instituted upper-level writing courses geared towards writing in the engineering profession. Textbooks for teaching these technical writing styles began to circulate. With the introduction of English departments in engineering colleges came tension: English and engineering departments had differing views about what the focus of writing courses should be. The English departments tended to value teaching literature whereas the engineering faculty felt this was not teaching the engineering students the technical writing skills they needed.
Industry professionals were dissatisfied still with the writing ability of engineering graduates. Changes were made, and the increase in English departments across the country multiplied the need for more English faculty. These faculty members were predominantly interested in literary studies, and the divide between English and engineering deepened.
“I think it was kind of natural that technical and professional writing would fall on the side of rhetoric than on the side of English because it deals with practical, pragmatic writing that’s not literature, not creative writing.” - Amy Reed
Though technical writing began to develop as a discipline, those teaching it grew discontent. Oftentimes, these professors were more interested in teaching literature, were underpaid, and did not have respect or recognition within their departments because they were relegated to teach writing rather than the more coveted literature courses. Though morale was generally low amongst the faculty of “engineering English” courses, the demand for the courses increased as did the number of offerings.
As a result of World War II and the G.I. Bill, new students poured into universities. Also a result of the war was countless mechanical inventions, all requiring manuals and instructions for operation, thus increasing the demand for technical writers.
By the 1950s, technical writing formed into how we know it today. The contention between Engineering and English continued, but by the end of the 1950s, technical writing courses developed further and became required for students.
The end of the 1960s saw a decline in enrollment for engineering programs, and therefore decreased enrollment in technical writing courses provided for engineering students. This meant that professors who were more resistant to technical writing were no longer required to spend time teaching it. Those who remained teaching the courses deepened their understanding of technical writing and were in contact with one another, strengthening the courses as a whole.
“For students who are interested or considering [the technical and professional writing] track, I think it’s a super valuable option for anyone interested in technical or workplace writing, but also for students who are dual majors or have interest or expertise in different fields, even fields like the sciences or business. These courses increase their marketability in the job market. It gives them a kind of niche.” - Jen Tole
Increased enrollment began in the 1970s, and technical writing professors began to receive recognition for their knowledge of the subject matter. The legitimization of these courses brings us to where we all now, with technical and professional writing existing as a legitimate and necessary area of study that has expanded well beyond engineering to include all STEM fields.
Source: “The Rise of Technical Writing Instruction in America” by Robert Connors. https://engl334w.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/connors-tech-writing.pdf
  • Home
  • Programs
    • Creative Writing Minor
    • WA Major
    • Minors >
      • Publishing and Writing for the Public
      • New Media Minor
      • Technical & Professional Writing Minor
      • Writing Arts Minor
    • Certificates of Undergraduate Study >
      • CUGS in Creative Writing
      • CUGS in Publishing and Writing for the Public
      • CUGS in Technical and Professional Writing
      • CUGS in Writing Studies for Educators
      • CUGS in Professional Communication
      • CUGS in Writing for the Environment
    • 4+1 (B.A.+M.A.) Program
    • Degree in 3
    • Graduate Programs
  • Advising
  • WA Major
    • Writing Arts Journey
    • Required Courses >
      • General Education >
        • Science and Mathematics
        • Social and Behavioral Sciences
        • Literature, History, Humanities, and Language
      • Introduction to Writing Arts >
        • History & Materiality of Writing
        • Issues in Writing
        • Technologies & the Future of Writing
      • Methods Choice >
        • Communication Theory
        • How Writers Read
        • Tutoring Writing
      • Creative Choice >
        • Creative Writing I
        • Writing Children's Stories
      • The Writer's Mind
      • Writing, Research & Technology
      • Literacy Studies >
        • Situating Writing
        • Writing With Technologies
      • Senior Seminar: Methods of Analysis and Evaluation of Writing
      • Portfolio Seminar
      • Free Electives
    • Elements of Language >
      • American English Grammar
      • Editing for Publication
      • Introduction to Anthropological Linguistics
      • Linguistics
      • Rhetorics of Style
      • Semantics
    • Concentrations >
      • Creative Writing >
        • Creative Writing I
        • Creative Writing II
        • Film Scenario Writing
        • Fundamentals of Playwriting
        • Magazine Article Writing
        • Professions in Writing Arts
        • The Publishing Industry
        • Screenwriting I: Writing the Short
        • Screenwriting II: Writing the Feature
        • Tutoring Writing
        • Teaching the Writer's Workshop >
          • Publishing & Writing for the Public >
            • Applied Media Aesthetics: Sight, Sound and Story
            • Editing the Literary Journal
            • Environmental Writing & Rhetoric
            • Fiction to Film
            • Introduction to New Media
            • Media Law
            • Online Journalism I
            • Participatory Media
            • The Publishing Industry
            • Publication Layout & Design
            • Photojournalism
            • Professions in Writing Arts
            • Rhetorical Theory
            • Self Publishing
            • Writing for Popular Culture
            • Writing for the Workplace
            • Internship
            • Research Practicum
        • Writing Children's Stories
        • Writing Comedy
        • Writing Creative Nonfiction
        • Writing Fiction
        • Writing Genre Fiction
        • Writing Poetry
        • Writing the Young Adult Novel
        • Internship
        • Research Practicum
      • Technical & Professional Writing >
        • Developing Health and Scientific Literacy
        • Introduction to Technical Writing
        • Medical Writing and Rhetoric
        • Professions in Writing Arts
        • The Publishing Industry
        • Scientific Writing and Rhetoric
        • Tutoring Writing
        • Writing to Bear Witness
        • Writing for Nonprofits
        • Writing for the Workplace
        • Internship
        • Research Practicum
    • WA Learning Community >
      • Publishers
  • Internships
    • Internal Internships
    • External Internships
  • Careers
  • Faculty
    • Faculty Resources >
      • Best Practices in Online Learning
      • Syllabus Requirements
      • HyFlex/Remote Learning
      • Canvas Support >
        • Writing Comedy
      • Accessibility in Online Courses
      • Racial Equity Online
      • Supporting Developmental Writers Remotely
      • Building an Online Classroom Community
    • Acknowledgements
  • Blogs
    • Writer's Insider Blog >
      • Spring 2022 >
        • Writing Diverse Characters
      • Fall 2021
      • Spring 2021
      • Fall 2020
      • Spring 2020
      • Fall 2019
      • Spring 2019 >
        • An Interview with Devon James & Rachel Barton
        • Confession Travel Writer
        • Self-Publishing: A Change in Perspective
        • CCCA Career Fair: Having Your Future in Mind
        • Alumni Success: Entering the Working World
        • Behind the Scenes of Rowan's Hiring Process
        • Writing Comedy
      • Fall 2018 >
        • Singularity Press: Rowan's New Start Up
        • Writing Arts Club
        • How Can We Evaluate Creative Writing?
        • More Inclusive Events for Technical Writers
        • Guest Speaker Manuela Soares
        • Glassworks Reading
        • Spotlight: Taylor Henry, Recently Published Rowan Alum
      • Spring 2018 >
        • Publishing and Writing for the Public: A Reconstructed Concentration
        • What You Think You Know About Technical and Professional Writing is Wrong
        • The Toni Libro Medallion Award Winner: Myriah Stubee
        • An Interview with a Publisher
        • Excellence in Writing Arts Medallion Winner: Sara Skipp
        • The College of Communcation and Creative Arts 6th Annual Student Awards and Showcase Ceremony
        • Rowan Alum, Marissa Cohen, On Self Publishing and Advocacy
      • Fall 2017 >
        • Upcoming Classes in the Writing Arts Department
        • The Writer's Journey Blog by Earl Garcia
        • Rewriting The Department's Social Media Platforms
        • Rowan University Writing Arts Club Reinvents Mission
        • Glassworks Launches Issue Fifteen
        • For Futuristic Consideration: An Exploration of Careers in Writing
      • Spring 2017 >
        • Technical Communication: An Overview
        • A More Inclusive Future for Technical Writers
        • Easing the Tension: Breaking Down Technical and Professional Writing
        • Growing the Technical and Professional Writing Concentration
      • Fall 2016
      • Spring 2016
      • Winter 2015
      • Fall 2015 >
        • 2014 and Prior >
          • Archive
    • The Bulletin Board
    • RU Writing? Podcast
  • Creative Writing
    • CW Faculty Publications
    • CW Course Offerings
  • Writing Center
  • Alumni
    • Undergraduate
    • Graduate
  • Awards
    • 2022 Emerging Writers Scholarship
    • Denise Gess Literary Awards
    • Excellence in Writing Arts Medallion Award
    • AnToinette Libro Graduate Medallion Award
    • Past Awards >
      • 2008 Hollybush Writing Competition
      • Write Rowan, Right Now! Contest
  • Student Groups
    • Writing Arts Club
    • Avant Literary Magazine
    • The Whit Newspaper
    • Her Campus Rowan
    • Odyssey at Rowan
    • Singularity Press
  • Events
  • ECCCA
    • RU Deptartment of Writing Arts - Home
    • News & Announcements
    • Rowan University - Home
    • Ric Edelman College of Communication & Creative Arts at Rowan University - Home
    • Student Groups
  • About Us
    • Our Vision and Mission
    • Land Acknowledgement
    • Our Call to Action