MISSION

The mission of the Writing and Communication Program is to create a culture of communication across the extended campus. The Writing and Communication Program`s WOVEN approach to teaching and learning communication emphasizes creating and integrating ideas in multiple modes: Written, Oral, Visual, Electronic, and Nonverbal.

The Writing and Communication Program sees communication as affecting the academic, professional, community, and personal lives of students, faculty, staff, and alumni whether they are in classes or labs, offices or agencies, manufacturing or R&D facilities, hospitals, agribusinesses, or wilderness sites, across the US and around the world. Communication involves both individual and collaborative interaction, both face-to-face and distance interaction, and many kinds of media, both print and digital.

Components

• Undergraduate communication core: The core includes English 1101 and English 1102, with both regular sections and discipline-specific sections for each college at Georgia Tech. Core courses emphasize a WOVEN approach.


• Undergraduate learning in communication: Communication in the disciplines and communication across the curriculum include a WOVEN approach to
  (1) LCC 3401 Technical Communication,
  (2) additional communication courses in LCC,
  (3) upper-level linked courses,
  (4) a technical communication minor, and
  (5) embedded communicating-to-learn strategies and activities in the disciplinary courses.


• Graduate learning: CETL`s graduate courses are in great demand; the demand is greater than the resources available.


• Professional development faculty: Faculty members need three kinds of support related to communication: (1) support to integrate communication into their curriculum/classes, (2) support to strengthen their communication as teachers, and (3) support to become better communicators in their own professional disciplinary work. Communication initiatives do not succeed unless faculty development support is available and ongoing. CETL can be a partner in these efforts.


• Professional development for staff: The communication (written, oral, visual, electronic, nonverbal) from the support and professional staff should be excellent, since they frequently have an extraordinary amount of day-to-day contact with the student population, alumni, and the public. Effective communication increases efficiency and strengthens the public image.


• R&D Laboratory: Located in the new Writing and Communication Building, this lab will provide the technology and expertise for developing innovative approaches to teaching communication, helping faculty create new media resources, and testing various materials available to faculty and students.


• Alumni support: Alumni frequently have questions and want help with communication after graduation. The OWL portion of the Writing and Communication Center should help with this need, but additional alumni support could be available to alumni in many ways (e.g., hotline, workshops).


• Communication Center: The Communication Center in the proposed CULC expects to offer:
  (1) interactive online writing lab (OWL) resources available to everyone in the Georgia Tech community,
  (2) face-to-face peer and professional consulting and tutoring support for individuals and small groups,
  (3) training sessions for classes about special topics (e.g., documentation, intellectual property, poster design, job talks),
  (4) practice sessions and coaching for presentations, and
  (5) resources for tasks such as video editing and poster printing.