WPA: Writing Program Administration, the journal of the Council of
Writing Program Administrators, seeks papers that address new and
innovative program design in rhetoric and composition. We welcome
articles that explore programs in all aspects of writing
administrationâ€"first-year writing, undergraduate writing, masters,
and doctoral programs, as well as writing centers, writing across the
curriculum, and writing in the disciplines. We are especially
interested in articles that not only outline new programmatic trends,
but also place those trends within both an historical context of the
field and within evolving theoretical conversations about the field.

As a relatively new discipline and one that generally gives more
attention to training managers and technicians, composition programs
reflect the field’s desire for practicality. There exist strong
graduate programs that produce composition instructors, writing center
managers, and writing program administrators. Indeed, issues of
assessment, management, pedagogy, and administration are so central to
the work of composition that they often appear as courses in themselves.
These central concerns also manifest themselves when graduate students
are offered alternative, professionalizing opportunities in lieu of
teaching composition courses. Within this environment, graduate
programs in rhetoric and composition have emerged and thrived to the
extent that they can train students to be teachers, managers, assessment
agents, and technology specialists. Yet there is a significant shift
toward more diversified rhetorical traditions, more interdisciplinary
methodologies, more attention to comparative as well as intercultural
modes of communication, and an understanding of the myriad implications
of teaching rhetoric and composition beyond the classroom. What does a
composition program look like if it is not focused around traditional
agendas, but moves forward in this new direction?

Papers may explore any of the following themes or suggest others: What
are the possibilities and constraints of developing rhetoric and
composition programs beyond the practical needs of the workplace? What
does it mean to take the lessons of the post-process movement seriously
and focus on theories of language? How can we create programs based
within the liberal arts ideals of critical engagement, within the
rhetorical tradition of public action, or within a philosophical inquiry
about writers and writing? What are the socio-political and economic
factors that thwart such alternative program development and how can
those factors be addressed? What kinds of programs exit which diverge
from or resist the current ideologies and political economic forces that
pull program design into the technocratic mold? Essays may address
pedagogical theory, practical administrative strategies, the role of
graduate administrative training, new paths in undergraduate curriculum,
approaches to promotion and retention of new programs, institutional
dynamics such as negotiating with upper administration, and working with
the public through internships, service learning, and programming.

Queries and submissions should be sent to the guest editors, Catherine
Chaput (cchaput_at_georgiasouthern.edu), Danika Brown (redmonkey_at_mac.com),
and MJ Braun (mbraun_at_uwf.edu). Manuscripts should be documented using
the current MLA Style Manual, should be submitted by email attachment,
and should be accompanied by a message that includes the author’s
relevant affiliations and contact information. The deadline for
manuscript submission is August 1, 2006.

Dr. Catherine Chaput
Coordinator of Writing and Culture
Department of Writing and Linguistics
Georgia Southern University

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Received on Fri Feb 24 2006 - 11:27:32 EST