Administering Writing Programs in the Twenty-First Century
- Authors: Tiffany Bourelle, Beth L. Hewett, Scott Warnock
- Pages: 188
- Published: 2021
- ISBN: 9781603295505 (Paperback)
- ISBN: 9781603295499 (Hardcover)
“Instructors at every level, no matter their fluency in digitality and comfort with technology, will gain from reading Hewett, Bourelle, and Warnock. The texts thoroughly integrate the threshold concepts of writing studies into a composition pedagogy that understands contemporary communication and values diversity, access, and inclusion.”
—Computers and Composition
This book is a comprehensive guide to administering writing programs at a moment when communication, and thus the teaching of writing, is always changing. A companion to Teaching Writing in the Twenty-First Century, which considers how writing instructors can successfully adapt to new challenges, this volume addresses the concerns of both novice and experienced writing program administrators. It includes guidance on building and assessing writing programs; on hiring, training, evaluating, and mentoring instructors; on eliminating cultural bias; on encouraging the well-being of administrators and instructors; on assignments and instructional tools; and on access, diversity, and inclusion. Aiming to help administrators develop thoughtful, effective approaches to using technology in writing programs, the book also provides information designed to support instructors in their teaching of rhetorical literacy strategies regardless of the environment or medium in which students compose and communicate.
Dedication and Acknowledgments (ix)
Preface (xi)
Introduction: A New Approach for Writing Program Administration (1)
A New Era for Writing Program Administration (3)
Challenges of Contemporary Writing Instruction (7)
The Work of Administrators in the Digital Era (20)
Composition Learning Outcomes (21)
Audience for This Volume (23)
Language Choices (23)
Humanity and Composition (24)
Organization of This Volume (25)
Conclusion (26)
1. Building a Writing Program (29)
Writing Program Development (30)
Structural Elements (32)
The Writing Program as a Community (42)
Leadership Style and Institutional Politics (44)
Connections beyond the Institution (45)
Conclusion (46)
2. Humanizing the Writing Program (47)
Self-Care for the Writing Program Administrator (48)
Compassionate Administration (59)
Conclusion (65)
3. Hiring Instructors (67)
The Challenges of Hiring Instructors (67)
The Job Advertisement (69)
Practicalities of Hiring Instructors (71)
Equitable Working Conditions (73)
Setting Up and Conducting the Interview (75)
Conclusion (78)
4. Training Instructors (80)
Understanding Rhetoric and How It Informs Pedagogy (83)
Culturally Competent Pedagogies (85)
Developing and Scaffolding Assignments (94)
Ensuring Equitable Access (104)
Adopting and Teaching the ePortfolio (106)
Graduate Teaching Assistants as a Unique Population (109)
Training Challenges (110)
Conclusion (113)
5. Evaluating and Mentoring Instructors (115)
Overarching Concerns of Evaluation (116)
Evaluating and Mentoring Instructors (117)
Challenges of Evaluation (120)
Conclusion (121)
6. Assessing Writing Programs (122)
Riding the Waves of Assessment (123)
Programmatic Assessments (125)
Using Assessments to Change Curricula (146)
Assessment Challenges (148)
The Fourth Wave as the Future (152)
Conclusion (153)
7. Imagining the Future of Writing Program Administration (155)
Growing and Maintaining a Culturally Inclusive and Diverse Program (157)
Providing Training for Faculty Members (158)
Assessing the Program (160)
Supporting and Mentoring (160)
Doing the Hard Work (161)
New Avenues for Research (161)
Final Thoughts (162)
Notes on the Authors (163)
Works Cited (165)
“We increasingly live and teach and learn in a digital world. This book will do much to encourage and support effective teaching and learning.”
—Duane Roen, Arizona State University
“[G]uides compositionists, and composition as a field, toward a more effective approach to teaching composition and literacy in the digital age. . . . [A] must read.”
—Online Literacies Open Resource
