Congratulations to the new Carolinas Writing Program Administrators board members:
At-large North Carolina Representative:
two-year term (Jan. 1, 2012 – Jan. 1, 2014): Patrick Bahls, UNC Asheville
At-large South Carolina Representatives:
one-year replacement term (Jan. 1, 2012-Jan. 1, 2013): Jeremy Jones, Charleston Southern
two-year term (Jan. 1, 2012 – Jan. 1, 2014): Amy Mecklenberg-Faenger, College of Charleston
Save the date! We will meet in the brand new City Center Building in downtown Charlotte for Meeting in the Middle on February 24, 2012. Many thanks to Meg Morgan for making the arrangements to use the space.
More details about the meeting will be circulated as February nears.
The Carolinas Writing Program Administrators invites nominations (self-nominations are welcome!) for the following positions on the Carolinas WPA Board (a roster of the Board for 2012 is included at the end of this message):
At-large members serve as outreach coordinators and liaisons to schools in their state. In addition, they assist as needed in the planning of the Carolinas WPA’s two annual events: the “Meeting in the Middle” in February and the fall meeting in September.
Continue reading Call for Nominations: Carolinas WPA Board At-Large Members
The Carolinas WPA Board Members invite submissions for the Carolinas WPA Logo Contest. While the current logo met the needs of the organization in its early years, we would like to replace the original logo with one that:
Logo submissions, which must be appropriate for both web and print materials, are due February 1st. Carolina WPA members who attend the 2012 Meeting in the Middle will vote for their favorite logo, and the winning designer will receive free registration, room, and board for the 2012 Carolinas WPA Fall Conference.
Please direct all questions and submissions to Jessie Moore, the Carolinas WPA Web and List Manager, at jmoore28@elon.edu.
For your reference, you can view the current logo on the organization’s web site in the top left corner.
We look forward to receiving your submissions!
The Carolinas WPA founding board members – Marsha Lee Baker (Western Carolina University), Don Bushman (University of North Carolina – Wilmington), Dee James (University of North Carolina – Asheville), Meg Morgan (University of North Carolina – Charlotte), Paula Rosinski (Elon University), and Tim Peeples (Elon University) – were honored September 19th at the organization’s fall conference at Wildacres.
In 2003, the founding board members successfully proposed the formation of Carolinas WPA as an affiliate of the Council of Writing Program Administrators. The affiliate was developed to encourage communication among community colleges, colleges, and universities, public and private, in North Carolina and South Carolina. Members represent a variety of writing programs, including writing centers, writing across the curriculum programs, first-year writing programs, and professional writing programs. Carolinas WPA enables regional writing program administrators to share concerns and collaboratively respond to issues related to the administration of writing programs.
Thank you, Marsha Lee, Don, Dee, Meg, Paula, and Tim, for your dedicated work on behalf of our organization and our profession!
A “NON-PLACE” TO VISIT:
Exploring the Employment Practices and Working Conditions that Affect Writing Instructors
As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Wyoming Resolution and English Departments and writing programs continue to face challenging budget issues, there has been a recent groundswell of public discussion regarding contingent labor. The March 2011 issue of College English, for example, revisits the Wyoming Resolution and includes a statement from the NCTE College Section Working Group on the Status and Working Conditions of Contingent Faculty. Then in June 2011, the MLA Committee on Contingent Labor in the Profession issued its Professional Employment Practices for Non-Tenure-Track Faculty Members: Recommendations and Evaluative Questions. And currently, Open Words is calling for papers for its “Special Issue on Contingent Labor and Educational Access.” In their article in the aforementioned issue of College English, Lisa Meloncon and Peter England discuss how the department can be a “non-place” for instructors who feel disconnected from that department. The North Carolina Symposium on Teaching Writing is interested in exploring the conditions under which writing instructors currently work as well as facilitating discussion about how instructors and departments can connect–or reconnect. Symposium organizers welcome proposals for panels and papers on a variety of topics; those addressing any of the above concerns will be given special consideration.
Grants: Finding and Applying for Funding
September 19-21, 2011 | Wildacres, Little Switzerland, NC (Directions)
Monday, September 19th
Tuesday, September 20th
1) Finding internal funding sources —Tim Peeples, Elon
2) Finding national funding sources—Meg Morgan/Boyd Davis, UNC Charlotte
Wednesday, September 21st
Eighth Annual Carolinas WPA Conference at Wildacres
Call for Proposals
Grants: Finding and Applying for Funding Opportunities
September 19-21, 2011 | Wildacres Retreat, Little Switzerland, NC
*Proposal deadline: Friday, July 15th*
Conference Theme and Design
In these lean financial times, resources for innovative program development, curriculum design, and WPA-related research is very difficult to come by. As a result, WPAs increasingly need to take part in internal and external grant competitions. To help with this intimidating and often labor intensive process, the Carolinas Council of Writing Program Administrators will focus its annual fall gathering at Wildacres Retreat Center on “Finding and Applying for Funding Opportunities.” The meeting will provide information to help participants identify relevant funding sources and will provide instruction in and hands-on working time for writing grant proposals. We envision the meeting as a terrific opportunity for you and colleagues from your program to locate and begin to pursue grant money, and we hope that the occasion will also give rise to some cross-institutional funding proposals.
Conference Schedule and Format
The format of the conference will encourage full engagement of participants from a broad variety of institutions and programs. We will mix small, working group discussions with larger presentations about grant seeking and grant writing.
The conference will begin at 5:00 pm on Monday, September 19, and will conclude at 10:00 am on Wednesday, September 21.
Featured session leaders include (more may be added)
Proposals
We invite proposals from individuals or groups from schools across the Carolinas. Each proposal should be no more than 700 words and should contain the following:
1) A description of a project or set of related projects that you and your colleagues (if applicable) hope to secure funding to pursue.
2) A brief overview of the possible costs involved with this project or set of projects. Rough estimates are fine.
3) A list of grant-related concerns that you have and/or issues that you would like to discuss with others at the conference.
4) A brief overview of any fund-seeking successes–research or teaching/administration related–you have had in the past (if applicable).
5) The names and contact information (email and phone) for each person affiliated with the proposal.
Please be sure to title your proposal and submit it via email to Wendy Sharer (sharerw@ecu.edu) by Friday, July 15, 2011.
Titles and authors of accepted proposals will be included on the conference schedule as formal presentations/contributions. We hope this will open up travel funding for all participants.
NOTE: You do not need to present to attend the conference, but if presenting will help you secure funding, we hope you will consider submitting a proposal either individually or with some colleagues from your institution.
Registration and Cost
The registration price of $165 includes lodging and 5 meals at Wildacres, as well as all conference materials. The registration will open July 15, and the registration deadline is August 31, with no refunds after September 7. Prior to September 7, you may cancel and receive a full refund.
We anticipate that space will be limited. We will maintain a waiting list if you pay the registration fee, which will be returned in full if no openings become available.
Questions or Comments?
Contact Wendy Sharer at sharerw@ecu.edu or 252-328-6698.
Deb Balzhiser of Texas State University created an unofficial map of undergraduate majors in writing and rhetoric. Is your major listed? View the UNOFFICIAL MAP of Majors in Writing & Rhetoric in a larger map