03/31/2024

CWPA in March/April

A Monthly Update for Members

Dear CWPA Members,

Today may be April Fool’s Day, but I promise you that there are no tricks or twists in this newsletter.

At CWPA, we had our version of March Madness and we've been super busy.

Topics in this newsletter:

CWPA and MLA-CCCC Task Force on AI and Writing

Nominations and Elections

WPA workshop

Regional conferences

Research grant awards + Grant proposal writing workshop

Upcoming workshops

CWPA and MLA-CCCC Task Force on AI and Writing

Earlier this year, I was invited to represent CWPA at the MLA-CCCC Task Force on AI and Writing work. In late January, I sent out a survey asking about pressing needs for writing program administrators dealing with GenAI technologies and what WPAs wanted to see in a new working paper from the task force. I received about 80 survey responses in less than a week. I synthesized those responses in the slide below that I presented at the February 5 virtual meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the priorities of English Studies organizations.

On March 8^th and 9^th, I attended the Critical AI Literacy for Reading, Writing, and Languages Workshop at the Modern Language Association headquarters in New York City (read more about the workshop HERE) where I participated in drafting Working Paper #3 on Critical AI Literacies. I believe that new working paper will offer much needed guidance to WPAs as they continue to address students’ and faculty’s needs and try to find ethical and generative ways to incorporate critical AI literacies in their program curriculum.

Nominations and Elections

The CWPA Nominating Committee has launched the call for nominations for CWPA President, Vice President, and Executive Board Members. As you know, we have not had a vice president this past year, which necessitated us to call for nominations for the President role as I rotate out of this position on July 1. This is an unprecedented situation, and our bylaws do not have any language to address it, I asked EB voting members for approval of that plan before passing the plan to the Nominating Committee.

I would like to encourage all CWPA members to consider nominating themselves for any of those positions. It is significant to fill the President and Vice President positions for the organization to continue operating. Individuals serving in those roles help shape the direction the organization takes, so if you have a vision for CWPA and you want to see it come to fruition, this is your chance to do that.

Ryan Shepherd, Nominating Committee Chair, and I are happy to answer any questions about these roles. For more details about the nomination process, please see the committee’s call CWPA Call for Nominations: President, Vice President, and Executive Board Members

Summer Workshop

Several of you have been asking about the CWPA Summer Workshop. The University of Central Florida has offered to host the workshop on June 25-27, and I’m thrilled that Joanne Giordano and David Green have kindly accepted my invitation to co-facilitate the workshop for new and continuing WPAs.

I’m currently working with the local host on the budget and other logistics so that we can open registration soon. Our goal is to reduce the workshop cost to allow as many WPAs as possible to travel to Orlando to attend the workshop in person.

Regional conferences

In lieu of a CWPA summer conference, there will be six regional one-day events that will bring WPAs from those regions together to discuss a wide variety of topics.

I’m in constant communication with all event organizers to work out details and offer as much logistical support as we can to ensure the success of those events. Registration for the regional events will open soon, so check out our website for details later.

Research grant awards + Grant proposal writing workshop

Did I say we have been so busy?

Research Grant Awards are back this year, and the Grants Committee is currently receiving proposals for research projects investigating practices that support educational equity and meaningful change in postsecondary writing or literacy programs.

To provide guidance on writing successful grant proposals, Holly Hassel and Joanne Giordano, committee co-chairs, will offer a grant proposal writing workshop to CWPA members on May 7^th. Please note that in order to submit a grant proposal, you must be a CWPA member. Make sure your membership does not lapse.

The call for proposals, sample successful proposals, and registration for the FREE, member-only workshop are on our website,

Virtual Workshops

And speaking of workshops and member benefits, there are two upcoming workshops this spring:

Just in time as spring semester is wrapping up, and many of us plan to get back to our writing, on April 19th, Christine Tulley will lead a Free, member-only workshop on “Crafting Writing Success: Time Mastery and Publishing Prowess for WPAs and WCDs.”

On May 3^rd, Cheri Lemieux Spiegel and Susan Miller-Cochran will co-facilitate the second of their Mindful Leadership for WPAs workshops “Mindful Leadership for Writing Program Administrators: Exercising Compassion through(out) Reflection.”

Remember that you don’t need to register for this workshop if you have done so for the December one. If you missed the first workshop but register for the second one, you will get access to the recording and materials of the December one.

To register for any of our upcoming workshops, please visit our website.

Phew! That was a long newsletter, and I appreciate your time reading through it. I’d like to end this newsletter by expressing my thanks for CWPA officers and EB members, committee chairs and members, workshop facilitators, and regional event organizers for continuing to serve CWPA and to keep moving us forward to achieve our mission of supporting and mentoring WPAs everywhere.

Hope you all have a smooth sail through the end of spring semester. As usual, your feedback, comments, thoughts, and questions are more than welcome. Reach out to me (councilofwpa@gmail.com) any time.

Cheers,

Lilian