We are pleased to announce that York College of Pennsylvania will be hosting our fully online Spring 2021 PWPA event on Friday, March 26, 2021.
The focus of the day’s conversations will be, in the words of our colleague Bill Fitzgerald, teaching writing “not only in a pandemic and its aftermath, but in this post-truth era.” We echo the Carolinas WPA, which recently wrote, “It is an obvious understatement to say that this past year has been tremendously difficult–heartbreaking, overwhelming, unpredictable, seemingly unending– and we’ve all been affected in different ways by events local and (inter)national alike. Trying to figure out how we can forge ahead as writing teachers, scholars, and administrators–if not maintain or reduce our expectations for what we’ve been able to achieve in the midst of everything that’s happened–might well seem like yet another insurmountable obstacle.” Our Spring 2021 event makes space for conversations about these issues.
How have we taught writing, engaged as scholars, or administered writing programs during the COVID-19 pandemic and this period of civic crisis? How could our teaching, scholarship, or administration serve our communities in the aftermath? How have we worked to sustain ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities through this difficult year?
Proposals
We invite proposals from writing programs or groups of colleagues to facilitate roundtable conversations, interactive workshops, or lightning talks related to these issues.
- 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 skills or practices related to the Spring 2021 meeting theme. Proposals should detail the goals and structure of the workshop and the methods for engaging participants in “doing” or “creating.”
- Lightning Talks (5 minutes). For Lightning Talks, we invite individuals to propose brief talks focused on one aspect of the Spring 2021 meeting theme. This is a good opportunity to share an assignment, 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.
RSVP and/or Submit Proposals
Registration 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, Delaware.
You’re welcome to drop in for part of the day or to stay for everything. We’ll send the Zoom and other information to all registered participants as we get closer to the date of the event.
Please use the following links to submit a proposal and/or RSVP:
Submit a Proposal by March 5, 2021
Questions about the event can be sent to Gabriel Cutrufello ([email protected]), Co-Chair PWPA
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