Seminar in Writing Program Administration 2000
Purdue University
Representing Writing Program Administration: Narratives, Maps, and Metaphors
English 680A
Professor Shirley Rose

Exercises

Instructions for
Lists and Lexicons
Exercise due 1/31/2000

  • Collect 4 or 5 job descriptions for Writing Program Administrator position. These can be descriptions within position announcements, "in-house" job descriptions, or the c.v.'s of WPAs (or other kinds of descriptions you identify).
  • Write an analysis (400-700 words) of the descriptions, paying special attention to ways they are organized (lists? categories within lists? order of items?) and the language used to describe responsibilities (e.g., what verbs? what nouns?).
    • Speculate: Do these job descriptions suggest/reflect any of the narratives and metaphors we've identified in class? What questions do these raise?

    Instructions for
    Documents and Archives
    Exercise due 2/7/2000

  • Using the first column of the Intellectual Work Grid (handout), list several of the specific and particular tasks included among the duties of one of the WPA positions you analyzed for the "Lists and Lexicons" exercise.
  • Using the terms and categories suggested by the "Portland Resolution" and the "Intellectual Work" document, complete corresponding cells in the work grid.
  • List as many documents corresponding to the tasks as possible in the last column.
  • Fill in as many other cells of the grid as possible.
  • In a few paragraphs, comment on any insights you gained from or problems you had with using the grid.
    • Instructions for
    Early and Conventional Models of WPA
    Exercise due 2/14/2000

    Develop a visual representation of one or more of the writing program administrator models suggested by the assigned readings. This can be a chart, a figure, a photograph, a sketch, a 3-D object, or any other idea you can come up with.

    Instructions for
    Graduate Preparation and Credentialing of WPAs
    Exercise due 2/28/2000

  • Sketch out--either in outline or some other form--a plan for formal graduate preparation in writing program administration. Consider including not only coursework but other programmatic professionalization, such as internships, "post-prelims," etc.*
  • Briefly discuss the rationale for your design, with reference to issues raised in the course readings for the week.
    • *If you do not support formal graduate preparation in wpa (and you may want to take this position merely as an "exercise") develop a 200- 300-word position statement on the issue.

    Instructions for
    Professionalization of Writing Program Administration
    Exercise due 3/20/2000

    Considering your readings in the course, your observations of practicing WPAs and WPA presentations in our seminar, and discussions on the WPA list, what might be identified as "events" (using Abbott's terms) in the professionalization of writing program administration/ writing program administrators?

    List some of these events and attempt to put them in a chronological order.

    Compare the narrative implied by this order to one or more of the other WPA narratives you've identified.
     

    Instructions for
    WPA as Researcher
    Exercise due 3/27/2000

    Create a map representing areas and/or methodologies of WPA inquiry/research

    Append a brief explanation of the lexicon and grammar of the map as well as its rhetoric and symbolic.

    Instructions for
    WPA as Theorist
    Exercise due 3/27/2000

    With reference to this week's assigned readings, other relevant readings from the course (or others) you want to include, and your own independent reading, create a visual representing the theoretical work of writing program administrators. (I am especially interested in knowing how you might categorize WPAs' acts of theorizing, but you may set yourself any task that is interesting to you.)

    Append a brief explanation of your visual.

    Instructions for
    WPA as Curriulum Designer
    Exercise due 4/10/2000

    With reference to this week's assigned readings, other relevant readings from the course (or others) you want to include, and your own independent reading, create a visual representing the curriculum design/development work of writing program administrators.

    Append a brief discussion of your visual in which you explain your use of sources (readings) and explain your choices for visual representation.

    Alternative Assignment:

    Drawing on concepts, guidelines, and arguments suggested by this week's course readings, prepare a brief (250-400 words) comment on the proposal to revise Purdue's English 101 that is currently under review.

    Instructions for
    WPA as Teacher Educator
    Exercise due 4/17/00

    With reference to this week's assigned readings, other relevant readings from the course (or others) you want to include, and your own independent reading, and drawing from your own experiences as a teacher of writing, develop a set of criteria for a WPA to use in selecting approaches to preparing teachers of writing.

    These criteria can either be listed or presented in some other way.
    Provide a rationale for your criteria.

    Alternative assignment:
    Propose a revision in the mentoring program for Purdue's Introductory Writing program. Provide a rational for the proposed change.