"English Composition: Crossing Lines, Forging Connections & Extending
Opportunities," MnSCU Conference on Composition, March 16 & 17, 2007,
hosted by Century College <http://www.century.edu/>=20

Keynote Speakers: Mike Palmquist, Colorado State University & Will
Hochman, Southern Connecticut State University=20

Undergraduate education in the MnSCU system and across the country is in
the midst of change. Due to the demands of shifting demographics and the
growing presence of alternative methods of course delivery among others,
composition teachers are exploring ways to collaborate with each other,
with other faculty and staff across their campuses, and with members of
a range of communities to improve the teaching and learning of writing.
For example, English faculty in the MnSCU system are crossing
long-standing territorial boundaries in their institutions to revisit
the roles of technology and information literacy in composition
instruction, are renewing their energies to teaching writing skills that
extend across and beyond the curriculum and are collaborating with
numerous agencies and resources to re-examine the roles of assessment,
support, and alternative pedagogies in composition. These changes have
reinforced as they have redefined the roles of MnSCU English discipline
faculty as advocates for writing instruction across their campuses and
the MnSCU system as well as in national debates and forums.

This event provides a forum for all composition instructors to discuss
initiatives, research projects, and emerging pedagogies in composition
instruction. Participants have the chance to share different methods,
pedagogies and styles in teaching composition, and learn about the ways
that English faculty are collaborating in, crossing lines, and extending
composition instruction.

Therefore, conference organizers seek both individual and panel
proposals from all faculty members (full-time, adjunct, and teaching
assistant) that address any aspect of teaching college composition,
separately or together. Possible topics include the following:

* Research on collaboration in composition
* Composition theory and pedagogy
* Developmental writing=20
* Composition in the MnSCU divisions (technical, community and
4-year institutions)=20
* Writing across the curriculum/writing-intensive courses
* Computers and composition (computer-assisted and online
instruction)
* The teaching of composition to non-native speakers
* The teaching of composition to non-traditional students=20
* Transferability of skills/contents to future courses & work
* Cross-institutional discussions/Influences among colleges or
between high schools and colleges/universities
* Working conditions/teaching loads/adjunct issues
* Assessment practices as well as placement and exit procedures=20
* Writing competencies=20
* Diversity in the composition classroom=20
* Service learning in the composition classroom

=20

This discipline-specific conference is made possible with funds for
Discipline/Program Workshops from the MnSCU Center for Teaching and
Learning with generous funding from the Office of the Chancellor;
therefore, the registration fee is waived for MnSCU members. However,
the conference is open to anyone interested in college composition.=20

=20

Please send a 500 word abstract with panel or paper proposal information
including title of paper(s), and name, address, email, and affiliation
of presenter(s) by February 1, 2007. Panels are scheduled for one hour
with reading time for individual papers no more than 15 minutes. Send
proposals via e-mail to Dr. Randall McClure, Department of English,
Minnesota State University at randall.mcclure_at_mnsu.edu.=20

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Received on Sat Dec 09 2006 - 17:47:03 EST