Call For Proposals for MnWE 2024
and New Grants Program for Graduate Students and Adjuncts
New Visions for College Writing
Normandale Community College, Bloomington, MN,
and each presentation simultaneously on Zoom
Friday - Saturday, April 12 - April 13, 2024
Proposal Deadline: March 10, 2024
and New Grants Program for Graduate Students and Adjuncts
New Visions for College Writing
Normandale Community College, Bloomington, MN,
and each presentation simultaneously on Zoom
Friday - Saturday, April 12 - April 13, 2024
Proposal Deadline: March 10, 2024
The 15th annual Minnesota Writing & English Conference asks the MnWE community–-Minnesota and surrounding states-–to think about the future of academic writing instruction:
Technological and systemic changes have put the future of our field in question. Corporations push to replace writers and other white-collar workers with AI-based tools. Schools eliminate multiple-choice placement tests but struggle to find satisfactory alternative processes. Political pressure builds to eliminate developmental coursework despite growing need for developmental reading and writing courses. Responding to these and other challenges, English and writing instructors, ESOL and Reading teachers, students, librarians, and tutors must adapt what has worked well while fostering the best of the latest developments. Which innovative visions should shape the future of college writing instruction?
Formats for Participation in the Conference
MnWE invites you to propose an individual presentation for a roundtable discussion, or you may create an entire roundtable of 3-5 people and submit a shared proposal. If you propose an individual presentation, the MnWE team will place you in a roundtable with 2-4 other presenters talking about a similar topic. Roundtable speakers may present in-person or online through Zoom. Please limit your presentation to 5-6 minutes so there is plenty of time for roundtable speakers and audience members to discuss the issues.
New Grants Program
MnWE is happy to announce a new Grants Program to help defer the cost of presenting at the conference for some full-time graduate or undergraduate students and part- or full-time adjunct faculty who otherwise would not be able to attend. MnWE can offer up to $250 for costs (basic conference fees plus part or all of travel and necessary lodging).
To apply: (1) Fill out the Call for Proposals (CFP) form at www.MnWE.org by its deadline, (2) mention at the end of your proposal that you wish to be considered for a “MnWE Grant,” and in your proposal (3) tell us your status very briefly: (a) full-time graduate student or full- or part-time adjunct, (b) your school, (c) how much you need/are requesting, and (d) the nature of your expected expenses. The grant is paid as a refund after the conference to those who have presented, so please register ahead of time (or at the door) and pay the fee as normal.
Qualifiers: People who meet the requirements for the grant will receive, at a minimum, a refund for their basic registration fee (which also includes free lunches). Some people will be refunded travel/lodging expenses, the amount to depend in part on need and travel distance, and in part on the number of applicants. Applicants will be told the amount for which they qualify soon after the proposal-application’s final deadline. Funds are very limited, so do let us know how much you need for being able to attend and present.
Topics for Participation in the Conference
Presentations may address “New Visions of College Writing,” as the questions below suggest. Other topics related to Writing or English also are welcome.
The MnWE Committee
Minnesota Writing and English
www.MnWE.org
Coordination:
Abi Duly, H.S. Faculty Advisor, New London-Spicer Schools
Julie Daniels, Program Editor, Century College
Mary Ellen Daniloff-Merrill, SMSU Advisor, Southwest Minn. State Univ.
Judith Dorn, 2023 Site Coordinator, Saint Cloud State University
Gene Gazelka, Web Docs Coordinator, North Hennepin Comm. Coll.
Ed Hahn, Web and Registration Coordinator, North Hennepin College
Ryuto Hashimoto, Undergr. Connection Coord., Mn. State U.-Mankato
Danielle Hinrichs, Program/Conf. Coordinator, Metropolitan State Univ.
Richard Jewell, Co-founder & Gen. Coord., Inver Hills Coll. (Emeritus)
Carla-Elaine Johnson, Plenary Coordinator, Saint Paul College
Eric Mein, 2024 Site Host Coordinator, Normandale College
Gordon Pueschner, Secretary & Conf. Floor Manager, Century College
Jonathan Reeves, Century College
Donald Ross, Co-founder, Univ. of Minnesota-Twin Cities (Emeritus)
Larry Sklaney, Conference & Cost Center Coordinator, Century College
MnWE Journal Coeditors:
David Beard, University of Minnesota-Duluth, dbeard at d.umn.edu
Yanmei Jiang, Century College
John Schlueter, Saint Paul College
- What lessons should we be teaching students in a world of post-pandemic skills deficits and AI-powered, large-language models?
- What are the most effective pedagogical strategies for the tasks our students will face?
Technological and systemic changes have put the future of our field in question. Corporations push to replace writers and other white-collar workers with AI-based tools. Schools eliminate multiple-choice placement tests but struggle to find satisfactory alternative processes. Political pressure builds to eliminate developmental coursework despite growing need for developmental reading and writing courses. Responding to these and other challenges, English and writing instructors, ESOL and Reading teachers, students, librarians, and tutors must adapt what has worked well while fostering the best of the latest developments. Which innovative visions should shape the future of college writing instruction?
Formats for Participation in the Conference
MnWE invites you to propose an individual presentation for a roundtable discussion, or you may create an entire roundtable of 3-5 people and submit a shared proposal. If you propose an individual presentation, the MnWE team will place you in a roundtable with 2-4 other presenters talking about a similar topic. Roundtable speakers may present in-person or online through Zoom. Please limit your presentation to 5-6 minutes so there is plenty of time for roundtable speakers and audience members to discuss the issues.
New Grants Program
MnWE is happy to announce a new Grants Program to help defer the cost of presenting at the conference for some full-time graduate or undergraduate students and part- or full-time adjunct faculty who otherwise would not be able to attend. MnWE can offer up to $250 for costs (basic conference fees plus part or all of travel and necessary lodging).
To apply: (1) Fill out the Call for Proposals (CFP) form at www.MnWE.org by its deadline, (2) mention at the end of your proposal that you wish to be considered for a “MnWE Grant,” and in your proposal (3) tell us your status very briefly: (a) full-time graduate student or full- or part-time adjunct, (b) your school, (c) how much you need/are requesting, and (d) the nature of your expected expenses. The grant is paid as a refund after the conference to those who have presented, so please register ahead of time (or at the door) and pay the fee as normal.
Qualifiers: People who meet the requirements for the grant will receive, at a minimum, a refund for their basic registration fee (which also includes free lunches). Some people will be refunded travel/lodging expenses, the amount to depend in part on need and travel distance, and in part on the number of applicants. Applicants will be told the amount for which they qualify soon after the proposal-application’s final deadline. Funds are very limited, so do let us know how much you need for being able to attend and present.
Topics for Participation in the Conference
Presentations may address “New Visions of College Writing,” as the questions below suggest. Other topics related to Writing or English also are welcome.
- To what extent should we incorporate AI-based writing tools in our courses? What is the role of the human writer (student or professional) in a world increasingly saturated with AI? How can we prepare students to be educated consumers of information in a world of increasingly convincing AI-generated texts based on predictive models that have irregular concern for truth?
- How can we create writing courses that are meaningful and effective for students of diverse backgrounds? How do we address the increasing skill gaps seen in students affected by inadequate distance learning courses? To what extent should we fight to preserve or resurrect developmental courses, and what are the effective alternatives?
- What should be the role of tutoring and ESOL instruction in addressing reading and writing skill gaps? To what extent are the expectations realistic that are now placed on writing centers and other forms of tutoring?
- How should we factor mental, physical, and emotional health into our teaching and tutoring? How can we develop holistic pedagogies or other approaches to increase student success in the face of these nonacademic challenges?
- How might our Literature courses better help students engage thoughtfully with poems, plays, and stories? How might our Creative Writing courses better help students craft such texts?
- What strategies will encourage students to conduct effective research, to find quality sources, evaluate diverse perspectives, integrate source material ethically and competently in their writing, and contribute their own ideas to complex conversations?
- How can we work within our departments, with administrators, and through our unions to make our fields fairer and more rewarding for the contingent faculty and graduate students who teach so many of our Developmental and General Education courses?
The MnWE Committee
Minnesota Writing and English
www.MnWE.org
Coordination:
Abi Duly, H.S. Faculty Advisor, New London-Spicer Schools
Julie Daniels, Program Editor, Century College
Mary Ellen Daniloff-Merrill, SMSU Advisor, Southwest Minn. State Univ.
Judith Dorn, 2023 Site Coordinator, Saint Cloud State University
Gene Gazelka, Web Docs Coordinator, North Hennepin Comm. Coll.
Ed Hahn, Web and Registration Coordinator, North Hennepin College
Ryuto Hashimoto, Undergr. Connection Coord., Mn. State U.-Mankato
Danielle Hinrichs, Program/Conf. Coordinator, Metropolitan State Univ.
Richard Jewell, Co-founder & Gen. Coord., Inver Hills Coll. (Emeritus)
Carla-Elaine Johnson, Plenary Coordinator, Saint Paul College
Eric Mein, 2024 Site Host Coordinator, Normandale College
Gordon Pueschner, Secretary & Conf. Floor Manager, Century College
Jonathan Reeves, Century College
Donald Ross, Co-founder, Univ. of Minnesota-Twin Cities (Emeritus)
Larry Sklaney, Conference & Cost Center Coordinator, Century College
MnWE Journal Coeditors:
David Beard, University of Minnesota-Duluth, dbeard at d.umn.edu
Yanmei Jiang, Century College
John Schlueter, Saint Paul College