Stuff at 4Cs 2012 about Contingent Faculty Issues

Rhetoricians for Peace–Understanding and Challenging the Rhetoric of Neo-liberalism: Obama, Economic Literacy, and Civic Discourse

Wednesday 6:00–10:00 p.m.

America’s Convention Center, Room 227, Level 2

Chair: William Thelin, The University of Akron, OH

Labor issues have been a concern for the field of composition studies for over 25 years. Despite the efforts by both NCTE and MLA, the percentage of part-time ad- juncts teaching first-year composition sections has in fact only steadily increased so that now over 80% of all FYC courses are taught by contingent faculty. Tenure-track positions are in a steady decline and many graduates from doctoral programs have been funneled into full-time non-tenure-track positions that offer little pay and even less job security. At the same time, the work required of compositionists has inten- sified with many programs now requiring a 4-4 teaching load along with research and service. Administration of both writing programs and writing centers is increas- ingly being undertaken by assistant professors, on the tenure track or not, who often find themselves in a tenuous position as they work to maintain the standards of our field—keeping caps below 25, using portfolios and other assessment tools to evalu- ate student writing rather than measure grammatical competence, training writing tutors in writing process rather than proofreading, etc. Yet the resources and options for improving working conditions in higher education across the nation are threat- ened by recent legislation (such as in Ohio and Pennsylvania) that limits collective bargaining rights and access to meaningful unionization. We are, in many ways, a field in crisis.

Committee on Part-time, Adjunct or Contingent Labor

Thursday, March 22, 3:00–5:00 p.m. (Open) Renaissance Hotel, Aubert Room, Mezzanine Level Chair: Bradley Hammer

A.12 Currents of Traditionalism

America’s Convention Center, Room 226, Level 2

Chair: William Thelin, The University of Akron, OH

Speakers: Kyle Harley, The University of Akron, OH, “Historical Traditions: The Dominating Ideology of Current Traditionalism in the Classroom”

Sharon Henry, Clemson University, SC, “Objective Objections: Theoretical Tensions with Current Traditionalism”

Wayne McDonald, The University of Akron, OH, “Pedagogical Simplicity: The Relationship between Current Traditionalism and Adjunct Exploitation”

Respondent: William Thelin, The University of Akron, OH

B.35 Open Working Meeting of the Committee on Part-Time, Adjunct or Contingent Labor

America’s Convention Center, Room 200, Level 2

This group will discuss its work, introduce initiatives, and solicit feedback and suggestions. This session is an opportunity to learn about and partici- pate in the work of the CCCC. All are invited. Chair: Brad Hammer, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

C.06 Defining Our Discipline: Labor Practices, TA Training, and Professional Markers

America’s Convention Center, Room 226, Level 2

Chair: Lee Tesdell, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Speakers: James McDonald, University of Louisiana at Lafayette “One of Many: The CCCC Statement in the Context of Other Position Statements on Academic Labor”

Peter Vandenberg, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, “Holding On, Letting Go: ‘Our’ Curious Relationship to Discipline”

Kathleen Smyth, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, “‘Wow, how am I going to do this!’ Balancing Acts and Roles as Graduate Student Writing Teachers”

G.35 Open Working Meeting of the Labor Caucus

America’s Convention Center, Room 200, Level 2

Labor Caucus SIG Meeting, Friday 6:30-7:30

Renaissance Hotel, Landmark Ballroom, Salon 5, Lobby Level

Co-Chairs:

Seth Kahn, West Chester University, PA
Stephen Fox, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis
Jennifer Wingard, University of Houston, TX
Heidi Ann Stevenson, Northern Michigan University, Marquette
Kevin Mahoney, Kutztown University, PA
Cathy M. Spidell, University of Akron, OH

Notes from Seth Kahn on two above sessions, sent via WPA-L Listserv (thanks to @jlnastal on Twitter for passing this on):

Much of our effort, especially this year, has focused on Contingent labor, but we--as a group--have a strong interest in all things labor-oriented. So come talk to us about (for example):

*Labor issues in basic writing

*Grad program/student labor

*Unionization/collective action

*Labor and gender equity (and racial equity, and ...)

*Organizing with other labor unions/units on your campuses

This Open Meeting does not take the place of our SIG meeting, but I'd love to be able to take any issues that come from the Open Meeting to the SIG later that day.

(2) Speaking of which, the Labor Caucus Business Meeting (SIG) is Friday 6:30-7:30. The agenda is still under development (so to speak), but we invite any and all with concerns about labor issues in the field to bring them to the meeting so we can strategize our work for the year.

I wish I didn't have to hope for people to be at either or both of these meetings, but that's not an option (my hoping, not your choice whether to be there!).

--Seth, on behalf of the Labor Caucus

N.05 Gateways to Dissent: Wisconsin Labor Protests, Civic Engagement, and Translingual Pedagogy, Saturday 12:30-1:35

America’s Convention Center, Room 103, Level 1

Chair: Jessica Nastal, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Speakers: John Raucci, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, “Writing Gateways to Public Dissent: Pedagogy of Public-Academic Praxis”

Patricia Mayes, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, “The Dialogic Nature of Dispute: Reconstituting Class Struggle in the Wisconsin Labor Debate”

Jessica Nastal, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, “Creating a More Inclusive ‘Gateway to Access’: Composition as a Site of Resistance to Cultural Assimilation”

Steven Alvarez, City University of New York, NY, “Translation Dissent: On Language Brokering and Power Relations in First-Generation Immigrant Families”