The July/August issue of Intercom, with a theme of “Back to School,” is now online. Below is a copy of the note from editor Liz Pohland for this issue. Remember, Intercom Online now has commenting available, so please ask questions, start a discussion, and give your thoughts.
The articles in this issue of Intercom focus on academia—your personal academic or professional development and also the growth of academic programs in technical communication. Saul Carliner and Lisa Meloncon have provided us with two articles that will assist readers in deciding whether to continue a formal learning program in technical communication and how to select a program.
Carliner’s self-assessment quiz will be useful to those interested in further training or a degree in technical communication. The short questionnaire will help you assess your needs and will suggest the type of program that might meet them. Meloncon’s article on selecting the right academic program provides data on where programs are located and a list of questions to ask program administrators of bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD degree programs. She also reviews options such as graduate certificates and online programs.
Meloncon’s second article in this issue, “The Rise of Academic Programs: A Call for Collaboration,” is a result of her extensive research on academic programs in technical and professional communication. In this article, she charts the rise of academic programs in the field and suggests that, as a result, they provide unprecedented opportunities for scholars and practitioners to explore relationships between the programs and the practice of technical communication. She calls for connections to be made between academic programs and field practitioners to ensure that schools are connecting their curricula to current practices and trends.
Thomas Barker’s The Academic Conversation column focuses on diversity in higher education. In the article, he explains what diversity is, how it affects instructional planning, and how technical communication professors should address and embrace diversity.
Whether you are an academic, student, or professional considering additional education or training, this issue of Intercom has an article for you.