Carolinas WPA Annual Meeting in the Middle
Friday, February 14, 2014
10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
UNC Charlotte Center City Building, Room 905-906
320 E. 9th Street, Charlotte, NC 28202
Theme: Working Conditions and Writing Instruction
A multitude of factors affect the professional achievements and satisfaction of those who teach writing. Funding is an obvious limitation faced by most, if not all, of those who administer or work in writing programs. Given that funding will, most likely, continue to fall short of what it should be, we would do well to pool our ideas and learn from each other as we consider how to make the best use of limited resources. This year’s Meeting in the Middle will provide a space to share ideas and discuss strategies for bettering working environments for teachers of writing.
As always, Carolinas WPA welcomes the participation of graduate students.
Featured Speaker and Conference Overview
We’re pleased that Dr. Nancy Penrose, a Carolinas WPA alumnus from North Carolina State University, has agreed to spend the morning with us. Penrose is the author of “Professional Identity in a Contingent-Labor Profession: Expertise, Autonomy, Community in Composition Teaching,” which appeared in WPA 35.2 (2012). She will share insights gleaned from a survey of writing instructors at NCSU and lead us in discussions about how to foster a sense of professional identity and community among teachers of writing.
The afternoon will be devoted to small group discussions in which participants will share information about working conditions at their programs and collaborate to identify strategies for improving those conditions.
Participation and Registration
Participation
Given this year’s focus on learning from one another, we ask that each participant provide responses to an online survey (click here) about working conditions by the registration deadline, Monday, February 3, 2014. Responses will be compiled to be shared at our meeting.
Registration Fee
$30.00 includes lunch and “break” food.
To increase Carolinas WPA visibility, we encourage you to” Bring a Friend for Free,” but you must register your friend when you register yourself.
Registration Deadline—Monday, February 3, 2014