AWAC Reads

Keeping up-to-date on scholarship is often challenging for busy academics. Additionally, it can be a lonely endeavor, with few opportunities to dig into and discuss publications with colleagues.

AWAC Reads is a reading group that aims to create a space for collegial conversation about WAC and writing scholarship (while hopefully encouraging all of us to squeeze some of that reading into our schedules!). Both AWAC members and non-members are welcome to participate.

Twice in the Fall semester and twice in the Winter/Spring semester, AWAC’s Mentoring Committee selects an article to read, then organizes and facilitates a Zoom discussion about a selected article.

Past article selections:

AWAC Summer Reads

AWAC Summer Reads is an extension of our AWAC Reads reading group. Each summer, AWAC’s Mentoring Committee selects a book-length work focusing on WAC or writing studies. Participants read the book over the summer, then meet on Zoom early in the Fall semester for a facilitated discussion with Mentoring Committee facilitators about the book.

Both AWAC members and non-members are welcome to participate!

Past book selections:

Summer Mentoring Program

Mentoring Committee’s Summer Mentoring Program pairs professionals in one-on-one relationships that not only offer mentoring, but also create opportunities for cross-institutional connections among like-minded peers. This mentoring program is available to all professionals in writing and communication studies.

Participants have their choice of focus areas, which include many different disciplines in addition to a myriad of pursuits such as program development, curriculum design, writing centers, first-year writing, research/publication, career development, incorporating DEI, and more. 

Mentors and mentees are asked to give just one hour of their time during the months of June, July and August, for a total of three hours. Mentoring can be conducted on Zoom, via email, or in any other format that makes distance connection possible.

Pods—People Opening Discourse about WAC

The AWAC Mentoring Committee is excited to announce the AWAC PODs. Below please find a description of the PODs and a survey of interest. 

The AWAC Mentoring Committee offers two types of supportive collaborations, which are separate from each other. One is a summer mentorship program, which pairs individuals within the fields of writing and communication studies in one-on-one professional relationships that foster mutual growth and learning. If interested in the mentorship program, please contact Michele Zugnoni (ude.nretsewhtron@inonguz.elehcim). The other is AWAC PODs, which are self-forming and self-supporting small groups of WAC administrators who meet on a regular schedule to discuss program development, problems, successes, project development, assessment, student recognition ceremonies, and other such WAC initiatives. 

Description of Pods

AWAC PODs are imagined as 4-6 participants in self-supporting groups of WAC administrators who meet on a regular schedule to foster ongoing support, creative problem-solving, program development, and a range of possible WAC initiatives. 

PODs will be self-selected. Members are free to shape their AWAC PODs to meet their interests and needs. Participants may choose to participate in more than one POD. The Mentoring Committee is glad to offer support upon request regarding PODs formation and facilitation. Contact moc.liamg@reganamsdopcawa for help.

WAC administrators may want to join groups of like institutions or programs, considering institution size, WAC program similarities, international status, or specific initiatives. PODs may be long-term relationships or may serve as short-term support groups to plan, build, and problem-solve specific programs. Participants may choose to remain in a single POD over several years or may choose to move to different PODs depending on specific needs and interests. Existing PODs will receive occasional updates from the Mentoring Committee, announcing new pod topics, requesting placements for new members to join existing groups, or requests to form new PODs under topics that have not previously existed. 

PODs may choose to contact the Mentoring Committee at the email address above to make an occasional request for a visit from an experienced administrator in a specific area. AWAC is committed to providing professional opportunities for support and exchange.

Joining Pods

We invite you to join a POD:

Tracking the pods

In order to track the viability and sustainability of this initiative, we ask that each POD complete the meeting notes survey following their meeting: who attended, when met, and topics discussed.

We will be using this information to keep records of group work, track the usefulness and productivity of these efforts, and report to the AWAC Executive Committee.

We request that each POD keep records of all meetings in the form of shared docs. We ask that you either share these materials with the Mentoring Committee or write a three or four sentence summary of each meeting and submit it to the Mentoring Committee (see form above).

We recommend you use a video conference, messaging, and document sharing tool to facilitate these discussion such as Google classroom, Discord, or Google docs and Zoom. Doing so will help you facilitate POD communications and to keep records of group work, track the usefulness and productivity of these efforts, and report to the AWAC Executive committee.