No. Rhonda >>> Betsy Sargent <[log in to unmask]> 12/17/06 7:29 PM >>> 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 Adge 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/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-