IWCA-NCPTW 2010 Conference Baltimore

For the tenth IWCA conference and the fourth IWCA-NCPTW conference, we return to Baltimore, where the famous harbor invites us to think about the ways writing centers, like harbors, offer both a protective shelter and a launching place for exploration and discovery.

Viewing a harbor as a safe, calm, even embracing shelter, Sarah Orne Jewett wrote, “A harbor, even if it is a little harbor, is a good thing... It takes something from the world, and has something to give in return." But Mark Twain challenges our desire for "safe harbors" by urging us to “throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

Both quotations speak to what we—writing center tutors, administrators, staff, friends, and students—do. In what ways do writing centers offer “safe space”? How does Jewett’s description of the relationship between the small harbor and the world suggest reciprocity between individual writing centers and the larger academic culture or the nonacademic community? How does writing center work reflect Twain’s suggestion that there's often much to be gained by acknowledging uncertainty, taking risks, and reaching out into unfamiliar territory?

We invite you to play with images of the harbor, the sea, and the attendant wind as you consider a presentation. Metaphors abound. Bask in the safe, but also busy, harbor, then move to the quieter, rhythmic ocean or the stormy, unpredictable sea. Think about sailing upwind or downwind, about beating “Against the Wind” ( a la Bob Seger) or keeping the wind “ever at your back” (as an Irish blessing suggests). Add the déjà vu of returning to Baltimore after a decade. Whether a workshop, presentation, roundtable, poster presentation, lightning round, what can you contribute to our writing center conversations that will inform, report, provoke? We invite you to come aboard and share.

General Information

This IWCA-NCPTW conference welcomes a variety of participants from among administrators and tutors who are undergraduates, graduate students and professionals from all varieties of writing centers---universities, two-year colleges, secondary schools, and community centers.

For this joined conference, the two organizations will follow a slightly modified version of previous joint conferences: the IWCA portion of the conference will begin on Thursday, November 4th, and IWCA presentations will be scheduled throughout the conference. On Friday, November 5, NCPTW will officially join the conference at the keynote luncheon, and NCPTW presentations will be scheduled on Friday afternoon and all day Saturday.

Because this is a “joined” conference, proposals submitted to IWCA will be reviewed blindly by a group representing IWCA, and proposals submitted to NCPTW will be reviewed blindly by a group representing NCPTW. Please note: proposals submitted to NCPTW traditionally focus on peer tutors presenting individually or in groups, sometimes with directors/staff/faculty. Administrators typically offer guidance as their tutors prepare proposals; reviewers traditionally provide feedback with suggestions for promising proposals that need some revision.

Deadline

To ensure an early June notification of program participation, proposals must be submitted by March 22, 2010 at midnight.

Program Format

The 2010 conference will have 75-minute concurrent sessions from Thursday morning until late Saturday afternoon. Special Interest Groups and board meetings can be scheduled for Thursday and Friday evenings for business meetings.

Session Formats

Whole Session Panels: Three to four presentations of 15-20 minutes per presentation coordinated around a central theme. The panel must be designed to allow at least 15 minutes of discussion and audience response.

Individual Presentations: Individual submissions delivered in 15-20 minutes will be combined into a panel of three to four presents by the Program Chair.

Roundtable: Designed around a specific theme, three to four presenters briefly address a central issue or question followed by audience participation. These sessions should be highly interactive.

Workshops: (75-minute sessions) Highly interactive, these sessions provide participants a chance to share knowledge and experience around specific topics and new developments in the field. While guiding discussion and providing expertise, workshop leaders need to actively involve the audience and allow for their contributions to the discussions.

Lightning Talks: Presenters offer five-minute presentations on research interests and ideas; participants then join presenters in break-out sessions for discussion These presentations can be communicated from “Scholar to Scholar,” “Tutor to Tutor,” or “Administrator to Administrator.” Note: Please limit supplemental materials to the overhead projector and /or handouts.

Posters: Presenters display posters that inform viewers about a specific topic. During a dedicated time and space, presenters will be scheduled to explain and discuss their topic with conference attendees. Text and graphics should be legible from a distance of 4-6 feet. You will have a table on which to display your work.

Performance: Alternative depictions of research using music, art, dance, film or other media.

Audiovisual Equipment

IWCA-NCPTW will provide overhead projectors and screens. If your presentation requires an LCD projector, there will a $50 fee. You will need to bring your own laptop.

General Guidelines for Proposals

1. Please follow the proposal format carefully.

2. Be as clear and concise as possible. We anticipate a large volume of proposals and supplemental materials will decrease the efficiency of the review process.

3. Please meet the March 22 deadline.

4. Official invitations will be sent in early June.

Please click on the link to access the Proposal Submission Form:
(some users with pop-up blockers may have to click twice)