Call for Proposals

International Writing Across the Curriculum Conference

Sweetland Center for Writing
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
June 23-26, 2016

Conference Theme: “Writing Across Difference”

Does writing across disciplinary differences risk writing over other kinds of differences? IWAC 2016 will focus on situating the cross-disciplinarity of WAC/WID within a pedagogy of inclusivity by asking how our pedagogy can broaden ideas of difference within and beyond the classroom to include social, cultural, linguistic, modal, and media differences, among others. In WAC/WID scholarship, writing ideally circulates among these differences, establishes connections and highlights points of conflict, and potentially situates WAC/WID scholars and teachers as agents of change. We welcome proposals that explore ways in which WAC/WID can promote a dialogue on difference and inclusivity and encourage representatives of different WAC/WID populations to offer their multiple voices and perspectives on WAC/WID today.

Questions participants might address include:

  • How does composing in different media, different languages or different modes intersect or interrogate disciplinary boundaries?

  • What role do social identity and social justice play in IWAC?

  • How might questions of difference and inclusivity influence curricular development?

  • What role do writing centers play in engaging difference and inclusivity?

  • What interdisciplinary approaches to teaching writing promote inclusivity?

  • Can interdisciplinary fields work as incubators for new multimodal forms of writing?

  • Are there differences among international conceptions and performances of IWAC?

  • How does difference contribute to our understanding of writing development and transfer?

  • How does writing in academic disciplines contribute to WAC/WID practices?

  • What new topics, methods, approaches to WAC/WID will help us think about difference and inclusivity in new ways?

Session Formats

Pre-conference Workshops

These three-hour sessions provide a highly interactive space for engaging participants in considering curricular approaches, developing action plans to address instructional dilemmas, practicing skills that facilitate WAC/WID pedagogy or sharing innovative approaches. Proposals should include session choreography and a set of participant outcomes. Proposal abstract: 350 words or less.

Panels or Roundtables

75-minute sessions consist of three to four 10- to 15-minute presentations or five to seven 5-minute statements or provocations linked around a single topic. At least 20 minutes should be allocated for discussion. Proposals should include a brief overview of the topic and each speaker’s role. Priority will be given to proposals that foreground interaction or exchange among panelists and/or audience. Proposal abstract: 350 words or less.

Individual Presentations in Search of a Panel

15-minute presentations will be combined with other individual submissions to create a coherent panel. Proposal abstract: 250 words or less.

Poster/Installation

Posters and installations display WAC/WID research and pedagogy in traditional or digital formats. Proposal abstract: 250 words or less.

5 X 10 Talks

Five slides, ten minutes. The 5 X 10 Talk is particularly well-suited for profiling institutional programs or drawing attention to a single issue or innovation. Proposal abstract: 250 words or less.

 
Deadline for submissions is October 12, 2015.