The WAVA executive board met over Zoom on Wednesday, July 8, 2020 to discuss the organization and its role during the upcoming semester. Topics discussed included placement practices at institutions across Virginia, effective practices in online writing instruction, anti-racist pedagogical practices, and a state-level higher education policy analyst position.
Placement practices at institutions across Virginia
On Tues., September 22 from 4-5 p.m, Kristi Murray Costello (Old Dominion) and Cheri Lemieux Spiegel (Northern Virginia Community College) will lead participants in a discussion of writing placement practices, problems, and opportunities. The interactive session will begin with brief introductions of practices being used in the region and then move into open discussion and problem solving.
We have set up a Google Sheet to collect information about placement practices in VA both to inform our upcoming session and to serve as a resource for folks who are interested in placement. To this end, we hope that you will visit the sheet and include information for your institution: http://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bjGpcV8qGNO7nZzDkfeomx4Qaq7sI8RVitzxUeoV0Qg/edit?usp=sharing
Effective practices in online writing instruction
Beth Bensen (Reynolds CC) and Derek Mueller (Virginia Tech) will lead participants in a showcasing of best practices in online writing instruction. The interactive session will include discussion of course design, learning management systems (i.e., Canvas), and other challenges and opportunities common for teaching and learning remotely. The workshop will be held online on August 6, 2020 from 10:00-11:00.
Anti-racist pedagogical practices
WAVA has reached out to Asao B. Inoue at Arizona State University and asked him to host a discussion via Zoom about anti-racist pedagogical practices. More details will be forthcoming.
State-level higher education policy analyst position
In line with other Council of Writing Program Administrators (CWPA) affiliates, WAVA is in the process of developing state-level higher education policy analyst position. The WAVA higher education policy analyst will monitor education policies in and beyond the Commonwealth of Virginia that may have bearing on writing programs, writing instruction, or the standing of students who enroll in writing classes at colleges or universities in Virginia. A call for nominees will be sent out in the future when the position description is finalized.