Master's Degree Consortium of Writing Studies Specialists

MINUTES

2019 Annual Meeting

Friday, March 15, 2019

David L. Lawrence Convention Center, room 409

Pittsburgh, PA

3:30-4:45 p.m.

Co-Chairs: Susan Murphy, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and Nikki Caswell, East Carolina University

Attending: Board Members: Jen Almjeld (James Madison Univ.), Karen Kuralt (Univ. Arkansas, Little Rock), and Dagmar Scharold (Univ. of Houston-Downtown), Eric Leake (Texas State University-San Marcos); Sam Dunn (Sacramento State), Derek Mueller (Virginia Tech), Lanette L. Cadle (Missouri State Univ.), Christine E. Tulley (Univ. of Findlay).

1. Welcome and update on last year’s activities
   1. Susan Murphy (co-chair) submitted the 2018 report to Kristen Suchor at NCTE for the CCCC Executive Committee (April 16, 2018).
   1. Susan Murphy paid for the year of domain name and website hosting ($58.78) on April 16, 2018. Nicole Caswell will pay it in 2019. We have been unable to secure institutional funds for this expense.  
   1. We organized a sponsored panel for 2018 CCCC, “MA Students Performing As Professionals: The Classroom, the Writing Center, and Beyond”

• 2019-2020 MDCWSS Projects and possible projects
  • Updating the MDCWSS directory
    • We will use the current roster and available listservs to update the directory.
    • We can add survey questions (a needs assessment) to the basic directory update.
    • We’ll keep the survey open for 3 weeks and send reminders every week)
    • Nikki will send the survey this spring.
    • Derek will send language from the original data gathering.
    • Jen has a grad student who can work w/the data in the fall.
    • We should get IRB approval and present our information at 4C’s 2020
    • Nikki and Derek are each teaching a research course (Fall 2019, Spring 2020).
    • We could invite respondents from previous members.
  • Website usage and updating of site
    • We could add a list of folks who cd serve as consultants for program reviews
    • We could add a list of resources (like CompPile and WAC Clearinghouse)
  • Needs Assessment for MDCWSS members – include w/survey
    • We could have a list of best practices on the website
    • Questions might include funding and recruitment of students

• Recruit board members and interest. Nikki & Susan are in year 3 of 3. We will need new co-chairs to be elected next year.
• 4C’s 2020 sponsored panel ideas
  • Jen and Karen will organize the proposal for the 2020 4C’s sponsored panel. It will present the information form the directory update/survey of MA programs.
• The meeting adjourned at 4:45 p.m.

After the CCCC Meeting, the members of the board elected (by email vote) two additional board members: Eric Leake, Texas State San Marcos, and Dagmar Scharold, University of Houston-Downtown.

Members of the board met on Google Hangout on 4-13-18 to write a CFP for the CCCC 2019 sponsored panel.

We met on Google Hangout on 4-27-18 to plan the sponsored panel for CCCC 2019. Nikki, Susan, and Jen decided to put our ideas together, while remaining flexible and inviting a few other faculty from master’s degree programs in writing studies.

Our next board meeting is scheduled for July 6 at 1 PM CT, 2 PM ET. We will be planning for the directory update effort (August/September).

The 2018 business meeting in Kansas City, MO, was held on Friday, March 16, from 11-12:15 p.m., Kansas City Convention Center 3501 G.

Co-Chairs Susan Murphy, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, and Nikki Caswell, East Carolina University, presided (Nikki virtually). The consortium approved two new members to its executive board, Karen Kuralt, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and Jen Amjeld, James Madison University. Attendees discussed the diversity statement submitted for the social justice forum and related issues on our campuses, updating the directory,  and future plans for the group, including developing a best practices framework for emerging programs.

At the Consortium’s annual meeting during CCCC in Portland, Ore., Drs. Nikki Caswell (caswelln@ecu.edu) and Susan Murphy (Susan.Murphy@tamucc.edu) were elected as co-chairs for a three-year term, 2017-2020.

The 2017 meeting in Portland, Ore., will be held on Wednesday, March 15, from 6:30-8:30 p.m., Oregon Convention Center, C123.

The meeting will feature updates on Consortium initiatives, opportunities for collaboration, and planning for the upcoming year. We also will hold elections for Consortium chairs. The agenda is available here: 2017 Meeting Agenda. If you have any questions or anything that you would like us to address in the meeting, please contact Rebecca Jackson (rj10@txstate.edu) and Eric Leake (eleake@txstate.edu), Consortium co-chairs.