Cooperating for professional communication´s sake: Design of a Business Writing Prototype

Professional programs within colleges of engineering and business recognize students´ need to learn disciplinary discourses and the need to meet accreditation standards for students´ ability to communicate effectively within the discourses of their field. This paper describes a writing-in-the-disciplines initiative created in a partnership between the College of Business and the Writing Studies Program at Auburn University. In this initiative — called the Business Writing Prototype (BWP) — writing consultants worked with one class on a substantial writing project, providing written feedback and one-on-one tutoring. End-of-semester student surveys and informal interviews indicate student, faculty, and consultant satisfaction.