The Philadelphia Writing Program Administrators is excited to host a hybrid Fall 2024 meeting on Friday, October 18th at Neumann University. The day will include a talk by Dr. Eli Goldblatt to celebrate his new book Alone with Each Other: Literacy and Literature Intertwined. In honor of Eli’s work during his lifetime, we will build the day around the theme of hope.
As PWPA members know, both the field of Composition/Rhetoric and Higher Education more broadly are facing a number of challenges, including the mainstreaming of GenAI, attacks on critical race theory and DEI work, austerity measures and institutions closing in the face of an imminent demographic cliff, and an ongoing mental health crisis. Faculty and administrators often feel devalued and burned out, or find themselves questioning what they are even doing and why. While 2024 can feel like a dark moment for writing instructors and programs, most of us believe in the fundamental power of writing, be it personal, intellectual, or political, and we know that hope is a driving and necessary force for continuing writing initiatives.
In the name of hope, we call on our PWPA community to consider what we bring to the table, to the classroom, to each other. Our hybrid gathering will feature a variety of sessions for learning and conversation. We are open to presentations, workshops, and lightning talks focused on any aspect of what hope looks like for writing instructors and/or programs, and this could include the following:
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- Affective/emotional approaches to teaching writing
- "Organic" principles of teaching writing that are hidden beneath technology or conversations about technology
- Student engagement
- Writing as activism
- Approaches to students taking ownership of their own learning
- Centering the human/humanity
- Thriving as a WPA or instructor
- Community engagement
- Creativity
Proposals
We invite proposals from individual faculty/administrators, writing programs, or groups of colleagues to facilitate roundtable conversations, interactive workshops, or lightning talks related to any aspect of hope.
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- Roundtable Conversations (50 minutes). For Roundtable Conversations, we invite proposals for structured conversations co-facilitated by two or three colleagues focusing on a shared theme/question/issue. Proposals should detail the theme/problem/issue under discussion; the goals and structure of the roundtable conversation; and methods for engaging the audience.
- Interactive Workshops (50 minutes). For Interactive Workshops, we invite proposals for “hands-on” activities co-facilitated by two or three colleagues focusing on some aspect of the Fall 2024 meeting theme. Proposals should detail the goals and structure of the workshop and the methods for engaging participants in “doing” or “creating.”
- Lightning Talks (10-15 minutes). For Lightning Talks, we invite individuals to propose brief talks focused on one aspect of the Fall 2024 meeting theme. This is a good opportunity to share an assignment or class activity, an emerging research question, etc.
We encourage colleagues from multiple institutions or within the same institution to collaborate on these proposals. We encourage proposals from part-time faculty and graduate students. If you have an idea for a roundtable or workshop and are looking to recruit colleagues from other institutions to work with, please reach out if you’d like assistance recruiting or feel free to ask the PWPA listserv.
Please submit your proposal by September 25th via this form: https://forms.office.com/r/V5PJNmneWi
Registration for this event is completely free and open to all writing program administrators, writing instructors, and related colleagues in the region. We are especially interested in meeting faculty from two-year colleges, minority-serving institutions, and those located in our wider regional geography beyond the Philly area: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. An RSVP and registration link will follow shortly.
Questions can be sent to PWPA chairs Beth Knauss (knauss.e@gmercyu.edu) and Amy Woodworth (woodworth@rowan.edu) or our Neumann host George Asimos (gnasimos@gmail.com).
Best wishes,
The PWPA Executive Committee