OWCA’s Fourth Annual Virtual Conference 2025
The Writing Center: Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive
Conference dates: 24-26 April 2025
Call for Proposals
For its Fourth Annual Virtual Conference, the OWCA invites proposals related to any writing center related work (off-line and online). We are particularly interested in questions related to the ongoing trends of globalization and subsequent internationalization of educational institutions. How do writing centers variously situate themselves within these trends and what are the ways they respond to increasing multicultural and multilingual populations? (See the attached CFP for more information on the conference theme.)
Areas to Consider
Proposals for this theme may consider, but are not limited to, the following areas:
· Administration: Budgeting, institutional support, the writing center’s parent department, marketing and branding, physical location, etc.
· Writing Center Staff: Employment, contingency roles, staff professional development, graduate student professionalization, tutor hiring and training, emotional labor, etc.
· Student Populations: Overall enrollment, graduate v. undergraduate, STEM writing, multilingual writers, etc.
· Diversity & Social Justice: Marginalized groups, race/ethnicity, gender and sexuality, diversity, accessibility, access, etc.
· Questions of Value: Misconceptions of the writing center, skills transfer, the writing center and other academic support resources, student retention, writing center assessments, etc.
· The 21st Century: AI (ChatGPT, Grammarly, etc.), multimodality, online v. in person tutoring, synchronous v. asynchronous tutoring, pandemics and other major national or global events/crises, etc.
· Online Writing Centers: Administration, technology, barriers, populations served, synchronous v. asynchronous tutoring, etc.
Submit a Proposal
The attached CFP as more information about the conference theme, session types, accessibility, and proposal evaluation criteria. Conference proposals are due on 15 October 2024. We encourage all writing center folk to participate, including writing center professionals, graduate students, and undergraduates.
Please email owca-conference with any questions.
Sincerely,
Spencer Harrison, OWCA 2025 Conference Chair
Jennifer Torres, OWCA 2025 Conference Co-Chair
OWCA Conference Committee