Some of you may find this to be a useful and engaging course. Please feel free to contact Dr. Chris Anson with questions; he can also send a full syllabus.

Writing Program Administration: Theory, Research, and Practice

Spring, 2018

Prof. Chris Anson 

Description:

Almost everyone who earns a post-graduate degree in writing or communication studies and pursues a career in higher education will at some point be involved in the administration of a writing program, writing center, or writing-  or communication-across-the-curriculum effort, and many will become its director. Yet graduate curricula seldom focus on the complex theoretical, pedagogical, political, and managerial dimensions of such work, leaving the new WPA or future writing department chair at the mercy of inherited practice—and much trial and error.

This course is designed to focus on current theories, research, and practices of writing program administration, including curricular design and assessment, faculty development, assessment of student achievement, budget oversight, the politics of administration in higher education, and historical studies of writing program administration. The course is designed for all interested MA and PhD students, but will be particularly valuable for those considering administrative work in first-year writing programs, writing centers, or WAC/CAC programs at a range of institutions (community colleges, small liberal arts colleges, and large research universities). Those with other higher-education interests may also find the administrative focus useful for career enhancement and job preparation.

Monday/Wednesday, 10:45-11:45 a.m.

Note: This course is currently listed as ENG 583/798, but it has been proposed as a permanent course offering and the number will change after approval. This will not affect registration.