Collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice. Because of the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access will require additional advanced notice. Unless noted, digital media are not available online. Copies of unrestricted digital files will be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request. Access will be provided to use copies of unrestricted digital files rather than carrier media, such as CDs, DVDs, and floppy disks. Some or all electronic files may be unavailable or restricted due to privacy reasons, agreement with the donor, software is not available to interact with files, or because files cannot be retrieved from original media.
The Carolyn R. Miller papers consist of correspondence, articles, essays, and commentary related to the publication of Miller's "Genre as Social Action." The correspondence demonstrates the struggles and obstructions in publishing her landmark study that was developed from her dissertation in the early 1980s. Today, this article is one of the most-cited articles ever published in the Quarterly Journal of Speech and is considered a monumental interdisciplinary explanatory construct. Also, included in this collection are letters and articles in response to Miller's opinion essay for the Raleigh News & Observer. Documents related to opinion pieces published in the Raleigh News & Observer are about cultural shifts in the teaching of English and writing during the 1980s and their influences on faculty in NC State’s Department of English. The collection also includes Miller's general professional records from across her career, including correspondence, conference materials, and her 2003 portfolio.
Carolyn Rae Miller received her B.A. (honors) and M.A. in English from the Pennsylvania State University in 1967 and 1968. After several years of working as an instructor at North Carolina State University, she attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1980 to earn her Ph.D. in Communication and Rhetoric. Soon after her graduation, she joined the faculty at North Carolina State University and served in different key roles in the Department of English. During her years at NC State, Miller helped with the development of new graduate courses and programs. She is a founding director of NC State’s Ph.D. in Communication, Rhetoric, and Digital Media, established in 2005, and of the M.S. in Technical Communication, started in 1988. In her interview with Master's in Communications, she mentions that NC State's Department of English was a traditional one focusing on the study of literary art. She established the graduate degree programs not only to teach the things she was interested in and trained to investigate, but also to justify courses and attract students with similar interests. Dr. Miller retired as SAS Institute Distinguished Professor of Rhetoric and Technical Communication in June 2015. For more information on Miller's outstanding career, check her bio. on the College of Humanities and Social Sciences web page.
Carolyn Rae Miller recieved her B.A. (honors) and M.A. in English from the Pennsylvania State University in 1967 and 1968. After several years of working as an instructor at North Carolina State University, she attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1980 to earn her Ph.D. in Communication and Rhetoric. Soon after her graduation, she joined the faculty at North Carolina State University and served in different key roles at the Department of English. During her years at NC State, Miller helped with the development of new graduate courses and programs. She is a founding director of NC State’s Ph.D. in Communication, Rhetoric, and Digital Media, established in 2005, and of the M.S. in Technical Communication, started in 1988. In her interview with Master's in Communications, she mentions that NC State's Department of English was a traditional one focusing on the study of literary art. She established the graduate degree programs not only to teach the things she was interested in and trained to investigate, but also to justify courses and attract students with similar interests. Dr. Miller retired as SAS Institute Distinguished Professor of Rhetoric and Technical Communication in June 2015. For more information on Miller's outstanding career, check her bio. on the College of Humanities and Social Sciences web page.
The Carolyn R. Miller papers consist of correspondence, articles, essays, and commentary related to the publication of Miller's "Genre as Social Action." The correspondence demonstrates the struggles and obstructions in publishing her landmark study that was developed from her dissertation in the early 1980s. Today, this article is one of the most-cited articles ever published in the Quarterly Journal of Speech and is considered a monumental interdisciplinary explanatory construct. Also, included in this collection are letters and articles in response to Miller's opinion essay for the Raleigh News & Observer. Documents related to opinion pieces published in the Raleigh News & Observer are about cultural shifts in the teaching of English and writing during the 1980s and their influences on faculty in NC State’s Department of English. The collection also includes Miller's general professional records from across her career, including correspondence, conference materials, and her 2003 portfolio.
This collection is arranged in three series: 1. Genre As Social Action, 2. Newpaper Editorials on Teaching English, and 3. General Records.
The NC State University Libraries generally claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. Libraries staff are unable to advise on copyright and other legal matters; the user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Helpful resources for assessing copyright include Cornell Libraries' "Copyright Services: Copyright Term and the Public Domain" and copyright.gov. This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information about identifiable living individuals, which may be protected under federal or state laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that there may be legal ramifications for disclosing this information.
The University Archives operates in accordance with the State Public Records Act, with unrestricted access to records not covered by state and federal statutes and regulations.
[Identification of item], Carolyn R. Miller Papers, MC 00714, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
Gift of Carolyn R. Miller (Accession nos. 2022.0094 and 2023.0019)
Processed by: Shima Hosseininasab, 2022 May; Finding aid written by: Shima Hosseininasab, 2022 May; Addition processed by: Allison Hall, 2023 March; Finding aid updated by: Allison Hall, 2023 March; Digital materials processed by William Boyer, 2023 August.
The collection is organized into three principal series:
This series contains Carolyn Miller's article "Genre as Social Action," as well as commentary and correspondence regarding its publication in the Quarterly Journal of Speech.
This series contains editorials from newspapers and correspondence related to these editorials. Jonathan Yardley (book critic with the Washington Post) and others wrote editorials advocating for continuing a traditional approach to teaching English with a focus on the classics. Dr. Miller responded with an op-ed supporting expanding to other genres, not just the classics, to provide a more diverse learning experience. Correspondence and news clippings in this series show the praise and the criticism Dr. Miller received for her op-ed.
This series contains professional correspondence of Carolyn R. Miller as well as materials from conferences she attended. This series ranges in date from 1977 to 2021, with the bulk of the materials from 1977 to 2007.
This series is arranged chronologically and topically.
Includes 3084 AppleDouble Resource Fork files, 1556 HTML files, 608 GIF files, 256 PNG files, and 407 other files of various formats.
Pending staff review and approval, access to digital copies will be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request. Access may be restricted.
Some files were excluded from the final archival package due to PII.
Collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice. Because of the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access will require additional advanced notice. Unless noted, digital media are not available online. Copies of unrestricted digital files will be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request. Access will be provided to use copies of unrestricted digital files rather than carrier media, such as CDs, DVDs, and floppy disks. Some or all electronic files may be unavailable or restricted due to privacy reasons, agreement with the donor, software is not available to interact with files, or because files cannot be retrieved from original media.
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[Identification of item], Carolyn R. Miller Papers, MC 00714, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
The NC State University Libraries generally claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. Libraries staff are unable to advise on copyright and other legal matters; the user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Helpful resources for assessing copyright include Cornell Libraries' "Copyright Services: Copyright Term and the Public Domain" and copyright.gov. This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information about identifiable living individuals, which may be protected under federal or state laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that there may be legal ramifications for disclosing this information.
The University Archives operates in accordance with the State Public Records Act, with unrestricted access to records not covered by state and federal statutes and regulations.