CFP: SUNY COW 2014

SUNY COW 2014 – Call For Proposals
Transitions:  The Changing Landscape of Higher Education 

September 26-27, 2014  Onondaga Community College, Syracuse, NY

Writing is a process of transition, from invention to drafting to revision and then back again.  Every day we urge our students to move their writing from one stage to the next, to make the transition from thoughts and ideas to words on the page, from hastily scribbled notes to well-reasoned paragraphs and papers.

But transitions are not unique to writing; they’re everywhere in our lives and the lives of our students: the transition from high school to college-level writing, from product to process, even from pen and paper to computer and tablet screen.  We must also consider the transitions being made behind-the-scenes in higher education, from online and blended courses, to seamless transfer, to designer curriculums.  Every day these transitions, both subtle and dramatic, affect our classrooms, our institutions, and our students.

This year’s theme asks us, as writers, writing teachers, and tutors, to reflect on this shifting landscape and to share thoughts on these changes and strategies for navigating these transitions.

Presentations may consider, but are not limited to, the following questions:

• How can writing teachers adapt their pedagogy to an increasingly diverse student body?
• What transitions do students undergo as they move from high school to college, from 2-year to 4-year colleges?  What effects do these transitions have on our writing classrooms, from developmental coursework to credit bearing coursework?
• How do rapidly advancing technologies affect our teaching and writing?  What role do social media, smart phones, or blended courses have on how we assign, compose, and respond to writing?
• How do we design curriculum and writing programs that respond to administrative calls for increased transferability?
• What are the impacts of recent national or statewide mandates, such as the common core curriculum or completion requirements, on local campuses?
• How can we address linguistic diversity in our classrooms, not just in terms of ESOL students, but also for students who struggle with the transition to academic discourse?
• How might a focus on community or workplace writing change our assumptions about composition?

Presenters may propose individual sessions of 20 minutes or complete sessions of 75 minutes.  In addition to traditional panel presentations, we encourage presentations in alternative formats including roundtables, workshops, discussions, and other formats that increase audience participation.  We would also like to encourage undergraduate participation and will reserve one break-out room for undergraduate research.

Please submit proposals via email to Denise Valdes via the online submission form by April 22, 2014.

The organizer would also like to note the following:

I encourage you to submit proposals for the SUNY Council on Writing Conference (SUNY COW) to be held in Syracuse, NY, on September 26 and 27.  The CFP is included below, or can be found athttp://sunycow2014.wordpress.com/

“SUNY COW” is an invigorating conference that attracts a range of experts and practitioners from across New York State, the region, and often beyond.  It is a graduate student friendly conference, and we also encourage K-12 teachers with interest to submit proposals–or simply attend. This year we are also reserving one break-out room for undergraduate research.

Although the CFP focuses on “Transitions: The Changing Landscape of Higher Education,” proposals may address any topic related to writing instruction across the disciplines and at all educational levels.