top of page

POINTS OF DISCUSSION*

As a new WPA, you will find yourself immediately thrown into conversations and decisions about the state of your writing program. It is essential that you gather as much information as you can from as many places as you can. 

 

In order to begin building your information arsenal, I have highlighted some important talking points and questions within WPA topics. Although these questions shouldn't be the only ones you are asking, it's a great place to start.

Location in the University

  • Is the Writing Program located in a particular department? Does it answer to a Department Chair as well as Deans and Provosts?

  • Is the Writing Program a free-standing, autonomous program without a department?

  • What are the Writing Program’s responsibilities in the university superstructure?

  • What (whose) students do you serve in the program?

  • What upper administration are you accountable to?

     

Hiring & Labor Issues

  • What are the requirements to become an instructor in the Writing Program?

  • What percentage of the Writing Instructors are full-time, part-time, or TAs?

  • What sort of precautions are in place to prevent the exploitation of adjunct labor?

  • Who is in charge of hiring non-tenure and tenure-track positions?

  • How will you manage a staff who will have varying levels of experience and background?

Curriculum & Courses

  • What are the underlying values and principles of the Writing Program?

  • What are the learning outcomes for the students?

  • What kind of course sequence is followed in the program?

  • Who determines the curriculum for the individual classes?

  • How does the curriculum inform assessment and vice versa?

Professional Development

  • What are the expectations for faculty development including workshops and conferences?

  • Will individual and autonomous publication be considered professional development?

  • How will you ensure the continued education of your teaching staff?

  • Will there be course releases for instructors who conduct intensive research?

  • What sort of faculty development expectations are placed on adjunct labor?

FYW Course Requirements

  • What is the history of First-Year Writing as a requirement at your university?

  • What is the program policy on pre-college credit courses such as AP/IB?

  • Is there a dual-credit high school model?

  • Who can exempt a first-year writing course and what is the process?

  • What are the program’s expectations for first-generation students, basic writers, L2 students, veterans, online students, or other non-traditional students?

TA Assignment & Education

  • Where is the main source(s) for TAs in the Writing Program?

  • Who directs the training and education of TAs who teach in the Writing Program?

  • How are the TAs trained in terms of classes, workshops, mentoring, etc.?

  • Will there be a work requirement for TAs within the Writing Center before teaching?

  • How will the TAs be held accountable for their teaching by the Writing Program?

Working within a University

  • What kind of learning communities are in place at the university?

  • Is there a Writing Across the Curriculum model in place in the university?

  • How are other disciplines responsible for writing instruction in their classrooms?

  • Who are the closest allies to the writing program and how are those partnerships fostered?

  • How does the writing program reach out to other units in the university?

Program Assessment

  • When was the last time the writing program engaged in external assessment?

  • How does the program conduct assessment of its own curriculum?

  • Does the program follow a summative or formative assessment model?

  • How are instructors held responsible for assessment within the program?

  • How are the students and learning outcomes assessed within the curriculum?

Power & Politics

  • Who are considered the primary stakeholders within the Writing Program?

  • What is considered as the function of the Writing Program within the university?

  • What is the chain of command and how are those lines of communication set?

  • What kind of strategies are in place to work within political tension?

  • What are the general areas of conflict: curriculum, hiring, labor, budget, structure, etc.?

Legal Issues & Rights

  • How are the formation of unions tolerated within the university? Within the state?

  • What sort of legal representation will be given to university faculty and administrators?

  • What kind of insurance or professional liability policy is in place for WPAs?

  • What kind of documentation is required on an administrative level to prevent issues?

  • What are the campus resources available for legal help, counseling, and ethics?

Scholarship & Research

  • What are the time expectations for scholarly research and publication for a WPA?

  • Will there be protected time provided for research through course release?

  • Will administrative and faculty development duties transfer as a scholarly contribution?

  • Are there opportunities provided for localized research within the Writing Program?

  • Could programmatic development and assessment function as research in the field?

Budget & Finances

  • Who or what unit determines the annual budget for the Writing Program?

  • Will the WPA be in charge of allocating funds within the budget for the Writing Program?

  • If in charge, will the WPA be allowed absolutely autonomy and discretion over spending?

  • Can the Writing Program generate funds from required textbook sales or conferences?

  • Is the Writing Program allowed to seek private funding?

These questions are meant to get the conversation going. For further information and detailed advice from scholars in the field, check out the books that are listed on the bookshelf page or visit the CompFAQs site on CompPile.

*For Further Information:

bottom of page