Conference: July 19-22

2012 Theme:

Writing Directions: Connecting Literacies, Languages, and Localities

What does it mean to connect literacies, languages, and localities? How do such connections affect writing program administrators, instructors, students?

These are questions that many WPAs and writing instructors have long considered as we’ve engaged in teacher-research, classroom research, or programmatic assessments. But as the landscape of postsecondary education continues to shift, they are also questions being asked with increasing urgency by individuals beyond our classrooms and programs, and even outside of the academy.

CWPA 2012 will bring together participants for lively, invigorating, and supportive sessions and activities where we can talk together about connecting literacies, languages, and localities in a wide range of contexts and institutions.

CWPA 2012 begins with pre-conference activities from Sunday, July 15 through Thursday, July 19; the conference opens Thursday evening, July 19. Join us for some or all of the activities in an exciting week!

The CWPA conference (Thursday July 19 through Sunday, July 22) will continue to feature a variety of interactive formats intended to facilitate conversation and collaborative thinking.

Featured plenary speakers will raise and help us think through issues at the core of our work as teachers and program directors:

Linda Adler-Kassner, University of California, Santa Barbara (and former CWPA President)

Marilyn Valentino, Lorain County Community College (and former CCCC Chair)

Paul Kei Matsuda, Arizona State University

As always, registration costs include most meals and an outing to a minor league baseball game on Saturday evening.

The WPA workshop (Sunday, July 15 through Wednesday, July 18) is an intensive, hands-on experience called “transformative” by participants. This year’s workshop is facilitated by Shirley Rose (Arizona State University) and Dominic DelliCarpini (York College of Pennsylvania).

Three CWPA 2012 institutes (Thursday, July 19, 9am-4pm) address critical aspects of writing program administration:

From Principles to Practice: Using Assessment to Tell Stories about Writing Programs, led by Linda Adler-Kassner (University of California, Santa Barbara) and Peggy O’Neill (Loyola University Maryland)

The WPA Research Primer: Action Plans for WPA-Researchers, led by Neal Lerner (Northeastern University) and Christiane Donahue (Dartmouth College)

The WPA as Writer, led by Doug Hesse (University of Denver)

CWPA 2012 will be hosted by the University of New Mexico and supported by surrounding universities and colleges. It will be held at the beautiful Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town located in the historic Old Town area of Albuquerque.

Please join us for an exciting week in Albuquerque.