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.