04/09/2026

April 2026 Update for Members

Dear CWPA Members: 

We are so pleased to share some important updates with you this month. Here are the topics we cover in this monthly message:

• WPA Outcomes Statement 4.0
• CWPA Summer Workshop for New and Returning WPAs
• CWPA National Conference
• Nominations for Outstanding Scholarship Award
• CWPA Mentoring Opportunity
• Upcoming Virtual Sessions

WPA Outcomes Statement 4.0

We are excited to announce the publication of the WPA Outcomes Statement 4.0, officially titled the "WPA Statement on the Five Knowledge Domains of First Year Composition," available now on our website. The statement no longer offers universal learning outcomes for all FYC classes. Instead, 4.0 identifies five knowledge domains central to the course (rhetorical knowledge; conventions and language; critical reading and thinking; material conditions and technologies; and composing processes), as well as three cross-category knowledge domains (accessibility and disability; generative artificial intelligence; and genre), and provides step-by-step support for programs to develop their own learning outcomes. The CWPA Executive Board unanimously approved the statement on March 4, 2026. We offer our deepest thanks to the Task Force co-chairs Antonio Byrd, Al Harahap, and Michelle Bachelor Robinson; and to the task force members Sheila Carter-Tod, Stephanie Kerschbaum, Cruz Medina, Bernice Olivas, Shelley Rodrigo, and Amy Wan.

Please join us in May for the first session of a year of planned webinar events designed to introduce and explore this exciting and much-needed statement. 

CWPA Summer Workshop for New and Returning WPAs

Join us at the University of Wyoming in beautiful Laramie July 20-22 where we’ll be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Wyoming Resolution while engaging with current issues in WPA studies including working with the new WPA Statement on the Five Knowledge Domains, GenAI, and teaching and administrating in challenging political climates. Participants can anticipate collectively working through a series of WPA workplace scenarios as we problem solve some of the thorniest issues in our field.

For more information about the CWPA Conference and workshop, check out the CWPA Conference website and feel free to reach out to Michelle Bachelor Robinson and Darci Thoune, your workshop facilitators, if you have any questions.

CWPA National Conference

Registration is now open for the CWPA National Conference, which will be held in-person this July 23-25, 2026, in Laramie, Wyoming. There are several affordable options available, and you can also opt-in for roundtrip transportation and dorm lodging and meals. 

We received high interest from potential presenters and are completing the proposal review process this month. Early bird acceptance letters are being sent now, and if you submitted a proposal, you can expect to hear from us by April 22. 

Your experiences and expertise are valued, and you are invited to be a part of our professional organization and larger scholarly and teaching community. We hope you will share your expertise, stories, and experiences at our conference this summer. 

Nominations for Outstanding Scholarship Award

This is a gentle reminder that the call for nominations for the WPA Outstanding Scholarship Award is due in about a week. Please note that this award is for article-length works published outside of the WPA: Writing Program Administration journal.

The CWPA Outstanding Scholarship Award calls attention to the range and depth of scholarly work being done on writing program administration broadly understood across various publication venues. This award recognizes an outstanding article-length work published in a peer-reviewed edited collection or any refereed journal other than WPA: Writing Program Administration (copyright date, not publication date, must be 2024).

We encourage scholarship that meets most or all of the following criteria:

1. Uses an informed methodological, theoretical, or pedagogical perspective to present new knowledge about writing programs, writing program administration, and/or writing processes and theories relevant to WPAs;
2. Explores issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion, engages with interrogating power structures and privilege, or addresses issues of relevance to diverse institutional and research contexts;
3. Takes a generative stance that suggests ways of thinking that WPAs may use to build on or transform the ideas presented;
4. Employs empirical, observational, or theoretical evidence that illustrates real and current practices in writing programs and in institutions;
5. Speaks to the potential for replication or application in other professional or institutional contexts.

To nominate or self-nominate a text, please send the following attachments to Adam Phillips at adamphillips@usf.edu no later than April 17, 2026:

1. A PDF of the text, or a link to where it may be found online, in the case of a web publication;
2. A brief statement (one page or less) that addresses how the text meets the criteria listed above;
3. Contact information (if known) for the author/s of the text nominated for consideration.

Inquiries can be directed to Adam, and self-nominations are welcome and encouraged. The winner(s) will be announced in July 2026.

CWPA Mentoring Opportunity

The CWPA Mentoring Committee invites members to volunteer as mentors for a new mentoring database. The CWPA mentoring database will connect members seeking mentorship or advice with experienced colleagues across our organization. The database is not a formal mentor match program but will serve as a resource for members seeking support from others. If you are interested in serving as a mentor, please complete the brief form by May 20, 2026. By volunteering, you agree to have your name and contact information listed in the database available to CWPA members. The Mentoring Committee plans to launch the database within the next 6-8 months and will contact you beforehand to confirm your continued interest in participating.

If you have any questions, please contact James Cochran, Chair of the CWPA Mentoring Committee, at cochranj@hartwick.edu. 

Upcoming Virtual Sessions

You can view upcoming events and register here: https://www.wpacouncil.org/aws/CWPA/pt/sp/events 

April 22: Balancing Administrative Roles and Responsibilities

The administrative labor of WPAs continues to increase, with more responsibilities, and sometimes multiple programs being heaped upon a single individual. This workshop offers guidance on taking stock of your labor, setting priorities, and developing strategic plans for long-term needs and goals.

• Facilitators: Talisha Haltiwanger Morrison and Jeff Dean
• Date and time: 4/22, 90 minutes, 3:00-4:30pm ET
• Meeting platform: Zoom
• Cost to members: Free for members, and $25 for nonmembers

May 1: Tell Your Story: Join the Mapping Program Labor Project

What work do you do as a Chair, Lead, Coordinator, or WPA, and how does this work "count" toward your career as a whole? What does your programmatic labor include? Join this hands-up workshop to start mapping your program labor and to join a group of professionals who are interested in helping to share your story.

• Facilitators: Joanne Baird Giordano, Stephanie Dowdle Maenhardt, Cassandra Phillips, and Erin Lehman
• Date and time: 5/1, 90 minutes, 2:00-3:30pm ET
• Meeting platform: Zoom
• Cost to members: Free for members

May 8: Introducing the "WPA Statement on the Five Knowledge Domains of First Year Composition"

This session introduces the WPA Outcomes Statement 4.0, officially titled the "WPA Statement on the Five Knowledge Domains of First Year Composition," available now on our website.

• Facilitators: TBA, Kelly Blewett, and Erin Lehman
• Date and time: 5/8, 75 minutes, 2:00-3:15pm ET
• Meeting platform: Zoom
• Cost to members: Free for members, $25 for nonmembers

We are so thankful for your engagement with us, 

Erin Lehman, CWPA President

David Green, CWPA Vice President

Kelly Blewett, Immediate Past President of CWPA

Amanda Presswood, CWPA Secretary

Christal Seahorn, CWPA Treasurer