Hi Everyone,
Members of TYCA and NCTE are invited to join the TYCA Open-Access Literacy Program Coordination Network. Any member of NCTE can join TYCA events or become a member without an additional registration fee.
The network is open to English Studies professionals who do compensated or uncompensated work to coordinate, develop, and/or maintain postsecondary writing and literacy programs. Participants do not need to have a formal administrator or coordinator position to join the network. Some of our members do program work through service or special projects. We welcome participants from all position types and stages of a career in English Studies. Graduate students who are interested in doing program work are especially encouraged to join the network.
Our focus is on addressing labor issues for instructors and developing programs that support students from diverse educational, linguistic, and cultural backgrounds at community colleges and other open-admissions institutions. However, we welcome anyone who is interested in engaging in conversations about how to develop equitable and inclusive postsecondary English programs.
To join the network and receive fall semester announcements, please complete this online registration form by September 1. An additional opportunity to join the network will be available before and during the NCTE Convention in November.
We have planned the following activities for the upcoming academic year:
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A monthly seminar: Registered seminar participants will meet in a cohort to discuss program issues across the upcoming academic year and work on an independent program or professional development project. A seminar application will be available in August.
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A network research project: For the Reimagining College Literacy Project, participants will explore one change in a course to improve equity and inclusion for students. After assessing their experiences, participants will have an opportunity to work on a collaborative writing project.
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A multimodal project: Members of TYCA, NCTE, and the Council of Writing Program Administrators (CWPA) will have an opportunity to participate in a multimodal project to tell their professional stories and map out how literacy program labor takes place. We are working with CWPA to develop a resource that will help members of the profession and graduate students understand the widely diverse types of program labor that English Studies professionals do at their institutions.
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A joint virtual workshop with CWPA: On Friday, September 19 at 3:00 PM Eastern, members of TYCA and CWPA will have the opportunity to participate in a literacy program coordination workshop. Information is forthcoming from CWPA.
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An in-person network meeting: Members will have the opportunity to participate in one or more in-person meetings during the TYCA National Conference on March 4, 2026 in Cleveland.
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TYCA resource development: Network members will be invited to participate in drafting guidelines and other resources for two-year college program work. An invitation to participate in writing groups will be available in September.
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Mentoring: During the upcoming academic year, we will be working with network members to develop a mentoring program.
We anticipate that the network will also hold some virtual meetings to discuss program issues and/or scholarship, guided by the needs and interests of network members.
TYCA also has related new networks for placement, corequisite support, and supporting multilingual writers. Some TYCA members might benefit from joining more than one network.
Please let us know if you have any questions.
Cassie and Joanne
Cassandra Phillips (phillicm), University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Network Co-Facilitator
Joanne Baird Giordano (joanne.giordano), Salt Lake Community College, Network Co-Facilitator