Binghamton University and the SUNY Council on Writing welcome proposals for "Building 21st Century Writing Programs: Literacy and Leadership in the New Millennium," to be held March 18-19, 2011 at the Binghamton University Downtown Center.

As we move into the second decade of the 21st century, writing programs are changing: we are rethinking connections between technology and learning; reexamining assumptions about the writing process; redesigning curricula to respond to multilingual learners; reconceptualizing networks with campus writing centers, educational opportunity programs, and student support services; reimagining the relationship between organized labor and writing program administration; and reforging writing and rhetoric's place within the humanities.

The home of a newly independent writing program built to support an extraordinarily diverse student body, Binghamton University is proud to host the 2011 Conference of the SUNY Council on Writing. As we convene in New York's Southern Tier, we invite participants to share models for "Building 21st Century Writing Programs"—that is, writing programs committed to expanded conceptions of literacy, progressive institutional reform, and new directions in the humanities. We welcome proposals that consider a range of questions related to the conference theme, including:
How are new areas of specialization within writing studies―such as new media studies, creative writing studies, and writing program administration, among others―influencing our programs and the field at large?
How are writing programs reshaping curricula to speak to emerging theories of writing instruction, including reconfigured understandings of the writing process, expanded notions of genre and genre theory, and emerging discourses on critical race, class, and gender studies?
How are writing programs addressing the needs of students who grow up using non-privileged varieties of English, and how can we create support systems that meet the varying needs of international ESL learners, residential ESL learners, and monolingual language learners?
How are writing programs creating more ethical working conditions for instructors of all ranks? What tactics have unions, administrators, and instructors used to improve the conditions of our work, and what kinds of labor advocacy have we neglected to imagine?
How is the changing face of the humanities influencing classroom teaching and scholarly practice, what leadership lessons can independent writing programs teach us, and how might we build a "New Humanities" that is both responsive to the demands of a new era and true to the principles of humanistic education and inquiry?

The conference will also feature two distinguished speakers. Lynn Bloom will present "Is Freshman Composition Still a Middle-Class Enterprise? A 21st Century Update" and Kurt Spellmeyer will speak on "Forging the New Humanities."

SUNY COW is very graduate-friendly and a great way to connect and network with area faculty and students.

SUNY COW 2011 PROPOSAL GUIDELINES
Paper proposals should not exceed 200 words; panel proposals should not exceed 400 words; all proposals should include the title of the paper or panel, an abstract of individual presentations, technology needs, and contact information for all presenters. We welcome papers and panels by educators of all ranks, including K-12 teachers, graduate students, and undergraduate peer tutors. All participants should seek to foster dialogue among audience members. Sessions will run 90 minutes, with 2-8 speakers per panel. Only electronic proposals in ".doc" or ".pdf" format can be accepted.
Forward proposals by February 15, 2011 to:
SUNYCOWbinghamton2011@gmail.com
To be listed in the program, presenters must preregister upon acceptance. Electronic registration will open in February 2011, and fees will range from $55-$75.