#IWCA15: Writing Center (R)Evolutions, Pittsburgh (10/08 - 10/10)

The International Writing Centers Association 2015 conference was held October 8-10 in Pittsburgh, PA. This is my second time attending the conference, but last year's was a joint venture with NCPTW. And my first time to Pittsburgh I think--it's entirely possible this was a stop during the annual cross-country road trips my family used to do. In any case. Conference!

Thanks to the inimitable Julie Platt, the conference and individual panels/presentations had their own hashtags! We live in exciting times. Follow are the Storifyed notes for all the presentations I attended.

• Keynote: "Faces, Factories, and Warhols: A r(Evolutionary) Future for Writing Centers," Ben Rafoth
  
  
• "Negotiating Revolutions Across Writing Centers"
  
  1. Elise Dixon, "The (R)evolutionary Space Between: Considering the Conflation of Student-Centeredness and Non-Directivity"
     
  2. Stacy Rice, "Repeatedly Wrestling with Revolution: Writing and Technology Anxieties of Past and Present"
     
  3. Molly Parsons, "Coming (in)to Conflict: Toward a Research-Informed Theory of Conflict for the Writing Center"
     
  
  
• "Shantay, you stay!: Lessons from a Case Study in Partnering with an On-Campus LGBTQ Center"
  Tammy Conard-Salvo, Jeffrey Gerding, Stacy Nall, and Harry Denny
  
  
• "Stop Bitchin’ Start a (r)Evolution: A Translingual Vision for Writing Centers"
  Rachel Griffo, Michele Ninacs, Kim Huster
  
  
• "Zones of Ambiguity: Institutional Ecologies, Writing Centers, and Sustaining (R)evolution"
  Marilee Brooks-Gillies, Julie Platt, Gwendolyn Hale
  
  
• "Writing Centers: The Affective Dimension"
  Kathy Evertz, Renata Fitzpatrick, Nora Katz, Zara Pylvainen
  
  
• "Classroom Connections: Required Writing Center Visits and Instructor Translation"
  
  1. Allison Keene, "The Absent Instructor: Translating Instructor Language in the Writing Center Session"
     
  2. Rachel Azima, "Stereotypes or Validation?: Investigating Required Writing Center Visits for Students in a Multicultural Bridge Program"
     
  3. Holly Ryan, "Creating Effective Classroom Visits: Results of a Large-Scale Research Study"
  
  
  
• "Meme and Monument: Writing Center (R)Evolution Through Effective Social Media Strategies"
  Julie Platt, Ben Erwin, Patti Poblete
  
  
• "(R)Evolutionizing Faculty/Writing Center Relationships: Innovative Models of Collaboration"
  Kelly Webster, Brooklyn Walter, Michelle Miley
  
  
• Poster Session and Reception, Wherein There Are Snacks
  
  
• "Evolving Strategies for Cross-Campus Collaborations, Tutor Education, and Tutoring in a Climate of Vigorous Campus Internationalization"
  Susan Lawrence, Karyn Mallett, Alisa Russell, Psyche Ready, Paul Michiels
  
  
• "Effective Environments: Changing Locations, Changing Dynamics, Co-authoring Spaces"
  Mark Latta, K.C. Chan, Alyee Willets, Gabrielle Fales
  
  
• "Assessment of the Writing Center"
  
  1. Roger Powell, "Re-imagining Writing Center Assessment Practices: Writing Centers and Transfer Theory"
     
  2. Matthew Moberly, "A National Survey of Writing Center Assessment Practices"
     
  3. Kelsie Walker, "Assessment (R)evolutions: Developing Student Learning Outcomes-based Assessment"
  
  
  
• "Bean-counting Evolved: Understanding and Using the National Census on Writing and IWCA WCRP Survey to Foster Research Inquiry"
  Jill Gladstein, Harry Denny

All in all, a greatly generative conference, as well as a lovely discovery of the food and art scene in Pittsburgh. And that's all until the Collaborative in Spring!