What does certification mean to academic programs in professional and technical communication?

Abstract

After nearly a half-century of discussion, STC launched the Certified Professional Technical Communicator (CPTC)™ in 2012 and added the Certified Professional Technical Writer (CPTW)™ in 2013. Although certification excited some members of the community, it has raised questions among other academics and professional technical communicators, and downright resentment among others. But the CPTC was launched within a larger employment environment and in a larger communications industry that already includes certification for business communicators, life science editors, trainers, public relations specialists and, soon, medical writers. This workshop intends to put credentialing of professional communicators within a larger context and explore implications to academic programs in professional and technical communication.