[CBW_Exec] cbw and social justice policy

Fri May 2 17:53:00 CDT 2008

Kathleen says, she " hopes that part of this discussion, the panel, and the statement can
bring out the difficulty for the mostly adjunct, often untenured and
non-tenure track faculty in speaking out about the injustices they
encounter in BW.  . . . This combination makes it a more of a challenge to
speak out."

SO true!  I LOVE the idea of this roundtable, especially the shape it taking. And it seems crucial  to get those voices into the discussion inasmuch as doing so is possible. Again, at the risk of overgeneralizing, a large number of basic writing faculty in exactly these situations might have difficulty getting to SF to join this conversation at CCCC. I think the model Deborah describes will yield some excellent and important discussion! As you guys have pointed out, that's exactly the reason for the roundtable versus a panel format. 

So how can we get those voices into the discussion more generally while honoring the need for a more focused conversation like the one Deborah has proposed here? 

Here's what I suggest (and I've spoken with Susan about it and she's agreeable to this):

1. Step I: BWe publishes a version of the Social Justice Policy she just shared as a proposal (with her as author). When? In the next issue of BWe, which we could try to have out by early fall if all goes well. Perhaps in it she could provide the background and concerns raised, and invite further discussion. We could set it up so the basic writing community could comment online, bringing their voices into the conversation in important ways.  I agree with Hannah that we want to be careful about publishing a policy statement without some extended consideration, especially via the kinds of forums we've discussed here (at CCCC). After all, it will likely be someone's dissertation project project some day. :)

 Susan's been considering this specific statement for a while now, and I think it makes sense to treat it as a single-authored scholarly contribution. That way  we can put it out there very soon and then open it up for further interrogation and intellectual inquiry. From there, we can develop the official Social Justice Policy. Besides,  a collaboratively written document is bloody hard to negotiate, especially online and especially when speaking for an entire organization (I can only imagine!). Perhaps this single-authored piece is just what we need to get the discussion going. 

2. Step 2: At CCCC, one or more of the panels can draw from these online responses and make sure they remain a part of the roundtable discussion, even if the bodies writing them initially aren't able to get to SF for the convention. Alan suggested we excerpt portions of our CBW_Exec convo for CBW. I think he's right: we need to get this conversation out there. I'd be concerned about drawing relevant excerpts from the conversation for public consumption, however, because I'm not sure we could get a representative document that everyone could agree was representative. At least not yet. But if we can get it out there as a single voice (Susan's) in dialogue with the Conference on Basic Writing and publically informed by the larger basic writing community--well, I think that'll give us what we need to end up with the right Social Justice Policy by this time next year. 

And I could be wrong, but I think that Susan can have her name on the program as a "respondent" for this even if she's presenting in another session too. You can't have concurrent speaking roles, but can you have a role as a speaker on a panel and another role as respondent? I think I've seen this before. Something worth pursuing? 

3. Step 3: Whatever happens, Deborah is so right: we need to learn how to get the policy out there more formally (endorsed by NCTE and/or CCCC?). I'm not sure what needs to happen to make it happen. Perhaps the final draft would have a place in a future issue of JBW, as well? Something (else) to think about. 

I'm SO excited about this! I've not been involved with the creation of a policy statement authored by a professional organization. I can't think of a more important project for us, especially given our field's public commitment to equal access and educational opportunity. 

--Shannon

Shannon Carter
Associate Professor of English
Texas A&M-Commerce
shannon_carter at tamu-commerce.edu
http://faculty.tamu-commerce.edu/scarter/
903-886-5492

-----Original Message-----
From: cbw_exec-bounces at tamu-commerce.edu on behalf of Kathleen Baca
Sent: Fri 5/2/2008 11:16 AM
To: Sugie Goen-Salter
Cc: sanchezdeborah at yahoo.com; cbw_exec at tamu-commerce.edu
Subject: Re: [CBW_Exec] cbw and social justice policy

It has been with mixed feelings that I've read the posts on "our legacy"
in BW--disheartening to know that there is, always, such a long road
ahead, but energizing to see the perspectives that ultimately draw us
together in the fight.  The panel will be a welcome and critical addition
in 2009.

I hope that part of this discussion, the panel, and the statement can
bring out the difficulty for the mostly adjunct, often untenured and
non-tenure track faculty in speaking out about the injustices they
encounter in BW.  As you have stated, we work with a broad population of
BWers, and I don't want to overgeneralize the BW faculty.  At the same
time, it's important to recognize that these faculty are often not
"trained" well and sometimes not at all, and the positions of BW faculty
are often tenuous.  This combination makes it a more of a challenge to
speak out.  kb

> Hi everyone,
> I am so glad this is how things are shaping up. While I have already
> committed to another panel, I will eagerly attend this roundtable and
> participate from the audience. Thanks Deborah and Rebecca for putting
> this together and once again, thanks Susan for drafting the policy
> and getting this important discussion underway!
> Sugie
> On May 1, 2008, at 3:20 PM, Deborah Mutnick wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> Rebecca Mlynarczyk and I would like to suggest that we submit a
>> proposal to present a roundtable discussion of up to eight people
>> to continue this important conversation about BW and social justice
>> at CCCC 2009.  Our idea is modeled in part after the session on
>> Mina Shaughnessy's legacy led by Judith Summerfield and 7 CUNY
>> composition faculty members at CCCC 2007 in New York (reproduced in
>> the Fall 2008 issue of JBW). Each panelist would start with a short
>> relevant quotation that could be projected on a large screen and
>> present a brief--no more than 5-minute--perspective on how this
>> quotation relates to the resolution on BW that has been circulating
>> as part of Susan's draft on social justice and the 1974 resolution
>> on support for inadequately prepared students. Assuming there were
>> 8 speakers, we would be finished in 40 minutes, leaving 35 minutes
>> for panelists to respond to questions and comments from the
>> audience. This would be a very important part of the roundtable, which
>>  we envision as a genuine dialogue with faculty from many different
>> types of institutions. Our ultimate goal would be to continue to
>> formulate the position statement on basic writing and social
>> justice through discussion at the roundtable session, the SIG
>> meeting, and wherever else it would be appropriate, to be submitted
>> to the CCCC Business Meeting.
>>
>> We're unsure about the timing of submitting the resolution. Rebecca
>> had at first suggested that we continue working on it after the
>> conference and plan to submit it to NCTE in summer 2009. But I
>> think it would have to be voted on in SF. Anybody know more about
>> the procedures?  In any case, please let us know if you're
>> interested in participating and if you have any suggestions for the
>> proposal as soon as possible since the deadline for submissions is
>> fast approaching.
>>
>> Best,
>> Deborah
>>
>> Deborah Mutnick, Director of Writing
>> English Department
>> 1 University Plaza
>> Long Island University
>> Brooklyn, NY 11201
>> 718-488-1110
>>
>>
>> ________________________________
>>
>> From: cbw_exec-bounces at tamu-commerce.edu on behalf of Lalicker,
>> William
>> Sent: Thu 5/1/2008 2:50 PM
>> To: sanchezdeborah at yahoo.com; cbw_exec at tamu-commerce.edu; Ashley,
>> Hannah
>> Subject: [CBW_Exec] cbw and social justice policy
>>
>>
>>
>> Although I've already added not just my two cents but maybe a
>> nickel to this important discussion, here's another brief comment.
>> Sugie raises important points-and I like the fact that we're still
>> discussing my wonderful friend and mentor Sharon Crowley's incisive
>> critique. My answer, to Sugie and Sharon and to myself when I have
>> to look in the mirror (that might reflect injustice) and go to work
>> in the morning, is that (a) it's better that we are working in the
>> midst of injustice, even within unjust institutions, and working to
>> change them; and (b) the ultimate effect of bringing BW students
>> into these institutions is that the normalizing force of "academic
>> discourse" can be subverted by the voices and the lives of those
>> who bring their experience and reality to academic sites,
>> hybridizing the old academic discourse and changing it, de-norming it.
>>
>>
>>
>> That doesn't happen always, or easily, or justly, or the same
>> everywhere. But without BW practitioners and BW students, it likely
>> doesn't happen at all. So as long as we are working to change and
>> subvert institutions-actively, riskily, but not inconsequentially-
>> my guess (I say "guess" to assure all that I don't claim to be
>> sure) is that being here is more likely to make justice than being
>> gone.
>>
>>
>>
>> Good, important, complicated discussion. Yes, I want to be in a
>> session on this; I'm not committed to any other session yet. It
>> would be great to have Sharon as chair or respondent, but she is
>> retiring from ASU and we had kind of a end-of-career party with her
>> at CCCC in New Orleans and she may not  want to attend in 2009; I
>> can certainly ask her-and seeing this thread might kindle her
>> interest...
>>
>>
>>
>> Thanks again, Sugie and Shannon and Susan and Peter and Marcia and
>> Hannah and Deborah.
>>
>>
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>>
>>
>> Bill
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> CBW_Exec mailing list
>> CBW_Exec at tamu-commerce.edu
>> http://mailman.tamu-commerce.edu/mailman/listinfo/cbw_exec
>
> Sugie Goen-Salter
> Associate Professor
> English Department
> San Francisco State University
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> CBW_Exec mailing list
> CBW_Exec at tamu-commerce.edu
> http://mailman.tamu-commerce.edu/mailman/listinfo/cbw_exec
>

Kathleen A. Baca
English and Communication Department
Doña Ana Community College
MSC 3DA
PO Box 30001
Las Cruces, NM 88003
575-527-7626
kbaca at nmsu.edu

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