CFP: Conference on Writing Education Across Borders

Posted on behalf of Xiaoye You. The deadline for proposals has been extended to May 10. The conference organizers are interested in having more proposals from WAC/WID scholars.

Conference on Writing Education across Borders, 2019
Days Inn Penn State, State College, PA
September 27-28, 2019

Writing Education and the Resurgence of Nationalism

Around the globe, isolationist/populist/anti-immigrant national rhetorics and policies are on the rise, as can be seen in recent highly publicized and controversial events – Brexit, the Hungarian election, backlash against Syrian migrants. In the U.S. in particular, such nationalism has resulted in violent family separations and the use of force against migrants at the border. The effects of xenophobic ideologies have also been felt within academia: US-based transnational faculty and students have been caught up in immigration bans, undocumented students face deportation, and future international student visas are increasingly uncertain. At this moment, writing faculty have an opportunity to support their transnational students and colleagues, as well as shift their pedagogy to cultivate cosmopolitan attitudes which may, in effect, counter these broader xenophobic ideologies and enable students, international and domestic, to work across not only national and political borders, but also social, racial, economic, religious, and linguistic ones.

In this conference, we will explore what it means for us as writing teachers, as program administrators, and as university citizens to teach in an era of isolationism. Participants might address the challenges of teaching writing in xenophobic conditions, reflect on the ways that national political environments in diverse contexts are shaping writing education (transnational or not), and share methods for creating partnerships to counter xenophobia and nationalism.  We invite proposals on any area of writing education across borders, particularly proposals which grapple with questions such as the following:

  • How have isolationist political actions impacted our students, our institutions, our pedagogy and/or our writing curricula?
  • How are international educational partnerships created, sustained, utilized and developed? What political, ethical, and/or practical challenges arise in the administration of such partnerships?
  • In the past, how have isolationist rhetorics or actions impacted writing education?
  • How can we as writing educators be more active and visible in our institutions’ efforts to work against xenophobia?
  • In an isolationist era, how can composition teachers and scholars promote teaching that fosters open-minded and cosmopolitan attitudes?

Proposal submission:
Please submit proposals (250 words) here. Proposals are due on May 10, 2019.

Questions regarding proposals and the conference should be sent to: Xiaoye You, 410 Burrowes Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA   Email: ude.usp@01yux