May 2026 Update for Members

Complete Story

04/30/2026

May 2026 Update for Members

Dear CWPA Members: Thinking of each of you as we head toward the end of the semester. Hang in there!

Here are the topics we cover in this monthly message:

Vote in CWPA Elections
New Details: CWPA Summer Workshop for New and Returning WPAs
Reminder: CWPA Mentoring Opportunity
WPA Outcomes Statement 4.0
Upcoming Virtual Sessions

Vote in CWPA Elections

Elections are open. Now that the CWPA Executive Board (EB) is fully staffed up to by-laws level, we are ready to turn to our regular elections cycle. We are looking to fill the Vice President position (which opens each year) as well as three seats on the Executive Board.

Link to vote: https://www.wpacouncil.org/aws/CWPA/pt/sp/election

Please vote by clicking on the link above. You will be prompted to log into the website, where you’ll see information about each candidate and a button to click to submit your vote. Elections close on May 20.

Results will be shared in early June 2026.

New Details: CWPA Summer Workshop for New and Returning WPAs

In case you need further enticement to join Michelle and Darci for this year's CWPA Summer Workshop for New and Returning WPAs, our focus this year will be to explore on the freshest (cue Kool & the Gang) and hot-off-the press resources recently published by the CWPA.

Day 1 will focus on the newly published WPA Statement on the Five Knowledge Domains of First-Year Composition (4.0). During our discussion of the new Domain Statement will explore the exigence for the statement, offer suggestions for using it in a range of writing programs and institutions, and provide space for workshop participants to make plans for how they might use the statement in their writing programs.
Day 2 will focus on discussions and activities surrounding labor (including the Wyoming Resolution--the reason for the season!), assessment, and developing action plans.
Day 3 will focus on "Renewing Our Vows: Reflecting on a Year of Cultural Assessment Conversations," WPA self-care and community, and GenAI. Day 3 will also include two guest speakers and time to work and reflect on this year's workshop.

Also, you don't want to miss out on July in Laramie—Kelly K. promises that the weather will be gorgeous!

Reminder: CWPA Mentoring Opportunity

The CWPA Mentoring Committee invites members to volunteer as mentors for a new mentoring database. The CWPA mentoring database will connect members seeking mentorship or advice with experienced colleagues across our organization. The database is not a formal mentor match program but will serve as a resource for members seeking support from others.

If you are interested in serving as a mentor, please complete the brief form by May 20, 2026. By volunteering, you agree to have your name and contact information listed in the database available to CWPA members. The Mentoring Committee plans to launch the database within the next 6-8 months and will contact you beforehand to confirm your continued interest in participating.

If you have any questions, please contact James Cochran, Chair of the CWPA Mentoring Committee, at cochranj@hartwick.edu.

WPA Outcomes Statement 4.0

CWPA recently announced the publication of the WPA Outcomes Statement 4.0, officially titled the "WPA Statement on the Five Knowledge Domains of First Year Composition," available now on our website.

The CWPA Executive Board unanimously approved the statement on March 4, 2026. We offer our deepest thanks to the Task Force co-chairs Antonio Byrd, Al Harahap, and Michelle Bachelor Robinson; and to the Task Force members Sheila Carter-Tod, Stephanie Kerschbaum, Cruz Medina, Bernice Olivas, Shelley Rodrigo, and Amy Wan.

We hope to see you in May for the first session of a year of planned webinar events designed to introduce and explore this exciting and much-needed statement.

Upcoming Virtual Sessions

You can view upcoming events and register here: https://www.wpacouncil.org/aws/CWPA/pt/sp/events

May 1: Tell Your Story: Join the Mapping Program Labor Project

What work do you do as a Chair, Lead, Coordinator, or WPA, and how does this work "count" toward your career as a whole? What does your programmatic labor include? Join this hands-up workshop to start mapping your program labor and to join a group of professionals who are interested in helping to share your story.

Facilitators: Joanne Baird Giordano, Stephanie Dowdle Maenhardt, Cassandra Phillips, and Erin Lehman
Date and time: 5/1, 90 minutes, 2:00-3:30pm ET
Meeting platform: Zoom
Cost to members: Free for members and nonmembers

May 8: Introducing the "WPA Statement on the Five Knowledge Domains of First Year Composition"

This session introduces the WPA Outcomes Statement 4.0, officially titled the "WPA Statement on the Five Knowledge Domains of First Year Composition," available now on our website.

Facilitators: David Green, Kelly Blewett, and Erin Lehman
Date and time: 5/8, 75 minutes, 2:00-3:15pm ET
Meeting platform: Zoom
Cost to members: Free for members, $25 for nonmembers

Get to Know the (New) CWPA!

Want to know more about CWPA? The Council of Writing Program Administrators (CWPA) is a professional organization for academic scholars and staff of writing programs, including first-year composition programs, writing centers, WAC programs, and more.

Join CWPA representatives for informational sessions to learn more about member benefits, opportunities, and resources. These will be informal, conversation-based sessions with time for Q&A.

Upcoming dates and times:
- Monday, May 11, 12pm PT/3pm ET
- Thursday, May 14, 10:30am PT/1:30pm ET
- Wednesday, June 10, 10am PT/1pm ET
- Tuesday, June 16, 1pm PT/4pm ET
Meeting platform: Zoom
Cost to members: Free for members and nonmembers