Auburn University selected as host for 2018 international writing conference

Article body

Auburn University has been selected as the host for the 2018 International Writing Across the Curriculum Conference, an annual event that focuses on integrating writing into disciplinary courses. The theme of the 2018 conference—“Making Connections”—will emphasize how writing across the curriculum fosters connections.

The conference began in 1993, and members from the Auburn community and writing initiative task force have attended and presented each year since 2008. Because the conference includes faculty from all disciplines as well as different types of institutions, it fosters multidisciplinary conversations and collaborations.

Auburn’s Office of University Writing has plans to build on those collaborations by expanding the 2018 conference to include communities outside of higher education. The conference will bring together K-12 teachers, extension programs, community literacy programs, libraries and arts programs to create a conference where people with differing expertise can connect and share ideas. Attendees will participate in interactive workshops, panel presentations and roundtable discussions.

A group of 19 faculty and students from Auburn recently returned from the 2016 writing conference, which was held June 23-25 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Representing five colleges, the 2016 attendees from the Auburn community participated in panel discussions that demonstrated their strategies for writing across disciplines. Attendees from Auburn participated on seven panels:

  • Leslie Cordie, assistant professor of adult and continuing education; Ashlee Duffy, graduate assistant for the Office of University Writing; Jamie Sailors, director of internships for human development and family studies; and Bonnie Sanderson, professor of nursing, presented on their work with the ePortfolio Project’s rubric.
  • Andrew Kozlowski, assistant professor of studio arts; Brandon Sams, assistant professor of English education; Miriam Marty Clark, associate professor of English; and Lesley Bartlett, assistant director of the Office of University Writing, presented on their work with teaching students to use reflective writing to make connections across different experiences.
  • Jana Gutierez, associate professor in foreign languages and literatures; Yuxin Sun, graduate student in counseling psychology and a Miller Writing Center consultant; and James Truman, assistant director of the Office of University Writing, explained their work on multilingual tutoring in the Miller Writing Center.
  • Becky Barlow, associate professor of forestry and wildlife sciences; John Kush, research fellow in forestry and wildlife sciences; Hillary Wyss, professor of English; and Chuck Hemard, associate professor of studio arts, led a roundtable on the challenges in creating and sustaining innovative approaches to including writing in disciplinary courses.
  • Heather Stuart, program administrator for the ePortfolio Project, presented on strategies for including student voices in university-wide initiatives.
  • Chad Wickman, associate professor of English, was part of a panel presenting their scholarship on writing.
  • Margaret Marshall, director of the Office of University Writing; and Nicole Gamache, administrative support associate for the Office of University Writing, discussed alternative approaches to writing program administration. 

“We’re honored to have been selected to host IWAC 2018 and excited to use the conference to invite conversations across institutions and co-curricular programs that are interested in reading and writing,” Marshall said. “Auburn has clearly benefited from attending this conference since 2008 and we’re pleased to have the opportunity to showcase the good work that is happening throughout the region.”

For more information on the 2018 International Writing Across the Curriculum Conference and to subscribe to a mailing list for updates, visit http://wp.auburn.edu/iwac2018/registration.

Auburn University is a nationally ranked land grant institution recognized for its commitment to world-class scholarship, interdisciplinary research with an elite, top-tier Carnegie R1 classification, life-changing outreach with Carnegie’s Community Engagement designation and an undergraduate education experience second to none. Auburn is home to more than 30,000 students, and its faculty and research partners collaborate to develop and deliver meaningful scholarship, science and technology-based advancements that meet pressing regional, national and global needs. Auburn’s commitment to active student engagement, professional success and public/private partnership drives a growing reputation for outreach and extension that delivers broad economic, health and societal impact.