Dear Betsy (and colleagues): Yes, the WPA Statement has been useful as a good example of an outcomes statement -- even if not directly applicable here at U of T, where we do everything we can think of to teach writing except offer first-year composition. Margaret (definitely an Inkshedder in terms of a community of online talk, including quick questions and answers, even when too busy to do more than look) Betsy Sargent wrote: > Dear Inkshedders (whatever that may mean!), > > I ended my previous email with a statement of gratitude for the online > community of Inkshed and am now hoping for an occasion to be even more > grateful, even at this busy time of year. I'm hoping for a simple > "yes" or "no" from anyone who's listening (see the question below). > > Apparently, Canadian organizations are no more prone to introspection > than US ones, since WPA (the Council of Writing Program > Administrators)--because it is turning 30 this year--is devoting two > sessions to introspection at the Modern Language Association > Convention (Dec. 27-30 in Philadelphia). Having just finished giving > my exams, I'm realizing that I foolishly promised (long ago) to say > something at one of these sessions about possible useful roles for the > WPA in Canada. If any of you have thoughts on that subject, I'm all > ears (on- or off-line), but most important to me right now is a > one-word reply to the following question. > > Has the WPA Outcomes Statement for First-Year Composition been useful > to you in your work in Canada in any way, as a CASLL/Inkshed member > (that is, a person who is interested in Language and Learning)? > Yes or No? > > I'll paste in below the URL for the WPA Outcomes Statement, but it > actually is more useful to me if you just give a quick reply off the > top of your head, without checking the statement out (on the > assumption that if it's been useful in any way to you so far, you'd > already have some impression of it, good or bad--and if it hasn't, > you'll know that without needing to invest any time in reading it, > whether for the 10th or the first time). > > Please feel free to just say "no" (if, for instance, you have no idea > what I'm talking about or if you have never used the WPA Outcomes > Statement for any purpose whatsoever or if you feel neutral towards it > or if you feel it's pernicious in some way). > > Also please feel free to just say "yes" (if you don't have time to go > into any detail about how you used it, I can always email you directly > for further details, not that you'd need to give them). A quick "yes" > or "no" would more useful to me than a decision to wait to respond > because you have a lot to say about the WPA Outcomes Statement and no > time to say it now (though as I say, anything you have to say about it > would interest me--just feel free to do that later, if you don't have > time now). > > I won't be mentioning any names in connection with these "yes" or "no" > answers--just doing a quick total (how many answers online within 48 > hours, how many were "yes," how many were "no"). If you email me > anything further about the WPA or its statement, let me know if you > want your comments to be attributed to you by name or not. > > Many many thanks! Betsy > > ______________________ > I'm pasting in here a description of and invitation to these two WPA > sessions (plus reception) from the WPA website, in case anyone is > interested (talk about group identity confusion--I'm a WPA member even > though I'm not a Writing Program Administrator): > > Dear WPA Members and Friends: > > If you're going to MLA in Philadelphia this year, please note these > WPA events on your convention schedules: > (more details available at > <http://wpacouncil.org/node/532>http://wpacouncil.org/node/532) > > Panel: “Moving toward Inclusion: Thirty Years of the Council of > Writing Program Administrators,” Friday, December 29th, 1:45–3:00 > p.m., Room 307 of the Philadelphia Marriott (internationalization is > one of the issues being discussed in this session). > > Panel: “Challenges of the Future: Foregrounding Diversity in the WPA > Palette” Saturday, December 30th, noon to 1:15, Room 302 of the > Philadelphia Marriott. > > WPA 30th Anniversary Reception: 5:00-7:00 on the evening of Friday, > December 29 at the Hilton Garden Inn (1100 Arch St) in Philadelphia, > sponsored by the Council of Writing Program Administrators, the > Philadelphia Writing Program Administrators, Temple University, and > York College of Pennsylvania. > > Please join us if you're in Philadelphia! > > Shirley Rose > President > ____________________________ > Below are two URLs for the WPA Outcomes Statement (I hope they both > work, but the second one, posted at the U of A Writing Task Force > website, should definitely work--if it doesn't, please let me know). > > http://wpacouncil.org/positions/outcomes.html?PHPSESSID=7cb84e682a3fea1ede1e180f20fbbf7c > > > http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/arts//pdfs/WTF_WPA_Outcomes.pdf > -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- > To leave the list, send a SIGNOFF CASLL command to > [log in to unmask] or, if you experience difficulties, > write to Russ Hunt at [log in to unmask] > > For the list archives and information about the organization, > its newsletter, and the annual conference, go to > http://www.stu.ca/inkshed/ > -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- To leave the list, send a SIGNOFF CASLL command to [log in to unmask] or, if you experience difficulties, write to Russ Hunt at [log in to unmask] For the list archives and information about the organization, its newsletter, and the annual conference, go to http://www.stu.ca/inkshed/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-