Dear Colleagues,
We are pleased to invite proposals for the Untenured and Alternative-Academic WPA Standing Group Sponsored Panel at CCCC 2027. Our group provides space (a sponsored panel and annual business meeting) at the 4Cs conference for those who have liminal status within and outside of institutions of higher education and who do writing program administrative work (in spite of? in light of?) that very liminality.
This year’s panel will address the conference’s call to envision "Preferable Futures" by focusing on the labor conditions of NTT WPAs. Our goal is to engage with the Call for Proposal’s emphasis on moving beyond "shrinkage, standardization, and fatalism" by centering the experiences of those who often navigate the "wicked problems" of writing programs with the least institutional power yet the deepest local knowledge. As the CFP notes, writing teachers and scholars "navigate material precarity, limited autonomy, and shifting mandates." This is acutely true for NTT faculty and staff who serve as WPAs.
Referencing the Futures Cone, we ask how we can shift from the probable trajectory of continued precarity to a preferable one of sustainable, equitable, and life-affirming working conditions. This panel will use the Futures Cone as a tool for institutional critique and collective visioning, arguing that the future of writing studies depends on designing labor structures that are just, sustainable, and respectful of the expertise of those on the front lines of program administration.
In our local contexts, we plan, improvise, and design our programs, classes, and materials with a view to future impact. But also, maybe too often, we must address immediate pressure and problematic policy in the short term. In this call for proposals, we ask you to share your experiences, decisions, and vision, and explain how those might take us into a preferable future.
We welcome proposals that explore the following questions:
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How are you preparing for or managing legislative or institutional pressures in order to uphold best practices and maintain security for yourself and your staff?
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What strategies, networks, mentorships, policies, or resources have been (or would be) helpful in moving from precarity to more stable futures?
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How have you engaged in participatory visioning to increase equitability and empower staff to contribute to preferable futures?
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How are new technologies impacting the present and directing your future, including tools in your EMS and generative AI use and policy at your institution?
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Tell us your stories of decisions that shifted the future trajectory of your work, your program, or your personal path.
Please submit a 100-150 word description of your proposed presentation to lhallett by 11:59pm Central Time on Friday, May 8th, 2026. Please also include your name, title at your institution, and brief bio.
If you have any questions, please reach out. We hope you’ll consider contributing to our sponsored panel at CCCC 2027 in Milwaukee, and we look forward to reading your submissions!
Sincerely,
LewEllyn Hallett (Chair)
Elizabeth Burrows (Vice Chair)
Amber Hunsaker (Secretary)
Ashley Lyons (Immediate Past Chair)