Professional Writing at TCNJ
Overview, Teaching Strategies and Client List,
1988-present
The Professional Writing component of The College of New Jersey is part of
the The
Journalism/Professional Writing Major of the English Department.
We prepare students to enter the communications and media-related
professions by providing both a theoretical grounding and practical
experience in newspaper and magazine journalism, public relations,
advertising and marketing communications. Whenever possible, students in
the professional writing classes work collaboratively on projects with
students in graphic design and television production.
Three groups of students take professional writing courses:
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Students majoring in journalism/professional writing, who are taking the
courses as major requirements,
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Students minoring either in journalism or professional writing. Some of
these students major in related fields, such as Communications Studies,
Graphic Design, or Marketing. Other students are science majors who hope
to write about science issues for audiences outside of their professional
specialties. The professional writing minor offers a variety of
electives, so that students may tailor the minor to complement their
major, or to focus on particular career interests. For example, a
psychology major interested in advertising might take classes in
television production or marketing as electives that would count toward a
professional writing minor.
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Students and professionals who take the courses as electives or for
professional development purposes.
There are two core professional writing courses:
Introduction to
Professional Writing, and
Topics in
Professional Writing. Both courses require students to study and
solve commmunications-related problems for real clients. Intro students are
often told that they function as creative end of a virtual communications
consulting firm, while the Topics students constitute the Account Management
department of the same firm. We sometimes deviate from the model. For
example, the fall, 1997 Intro class, and one section of the fall, 1998
Intro class is functioning as a self-managed creative team, each with its
own client.
Regardless of the premise, the
course content of the intro class focuses upon acquiring and refining such
skills as: writing memos, pitch letters and news releases, and creating
direct mail packages, presentations, and web pages. The Topics students
will generally be expected to use skills acquired in the introductory-level
courses to craft mission statements, conduct a SWOT analysis for a
client, and to propose and execute communications programs designed to
enhance the client's competitive advantage.
In the Spring, 1999, semester, the Topics in Professional Writing class
will be taught by an editor and a graphic designer from
Bloomberg, L.P.. The course will
serve as an introduction to both desktop publishing and financial
reporting. Students will use PageMaker(tm) to create newsletters designed
to teach novice reporters about the both financial markets and the
economy. This will be the third time that the class has been offered in
this way, and we expect to make it a regular part of the class schedule.
Note: This is a list of clients serviced in class. It does not
include companies and agencies for whom students have interned. However,
that list would include such concerns as:
MSNBC,
The White House, and Educational Testing Service. For details
on work performed for these clients, e-mail me. Some projects were
performed under non-disclosure agreements.
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Adrien
Wing, Professor, University of Iowa College of Law (1995)
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American Cancer Society, Mercer County Unit (1990)
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Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health, Brooklyn, NY. 1994-1996
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AT&T (1989)
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AT&T Bell Laboratories, now Lucent
Technologies (1988, 1989)
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Barney-Green Associates (NJ-based computer consulting firm) (1990)
Bell Atlantic Corporation (1996)
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Bell Atlantic Corporation, Arlington, Virginia (1996)
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Center for Teen Entrepreneurs, Newark, New Jersey (1994)
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The Children's Institute, Livingston, NJ (1989)
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Claudine Bishop, gospel singer and music teacher (1996)
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Citibank Credit Card Division. (provided copywriters for national student
advertising competition) 1992-1994
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Collechtech, a virtual manufacturing firm composed of students in
professional writing, graphic design,television production and engineering.
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College Money, the personal finance magazine for adult students
(1990-1994)
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Contemporary Motions Dance Company, Hope, Michigan (1990)
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Coryell Tree Service, 1988
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Cover to Cover Bookstore, Plainsboro, New Jersey (1988)
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Dani and Johnny's, Flemington, New Jersey coffeshop 1996
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Downtown Deluxe Restaurant, Princeton New Jersey (1995-96)
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Family Resource Center, Princeton, New Jersey (1988, 1997)
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Flemington (NJ) Partnership for
Progress (1996,1997)
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Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia,
PA
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Brandon Franks (NJ-based songwriter) (1993, 1996)
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Gateway Publishers, Newark, New Jersey (1996)
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Glyphics, Incorporated (1992-1994)
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Grey Pilgrim L.L.C., Washington,
D.C. (1997)
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Starletta
Dupois,Tony-nominated actress (1997)
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The Signal (1996, 1997)
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TCNJ English Department --
created alumni web pages (1997)
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TIES Magazine, Trenton, NJ (1995)
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Trenton State College (Now TCNJ) Department of College Relations (1992)
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Trenton State College (Now TCNJ) Educational Opportunity Fund (1992)
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Trenton State College (Now TCNJ) Division of Academic Support,
Reading-Writing Lab (1993)
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UNBOUND (1996-98)
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United Way of Middlesex County (1993)
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Urban Cysberspace, Inc., New York, New York (1997)
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Wanda Webster Stansbury, CEO, Management Interventions, Inc. (1998)
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Last updated: 10/24/98