6.0014 Penn State Conf. on Rhetoric and Composition (1/340)
Elaine Brennan & Allen Renear (EDITORS@BROWNVM.BITNET)
Sun, 17 May 1992 17:03:27 EDT
Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 6, No. 0014. Sunday, 17 May 1992.
Date: Friday, 15 May 1992 12:24:31 EDT
From: John T. Harwood <JTH@psuvm.psu.edu>
Subject: Penn State Conference on Rhetoric and Composition
The Penn State Conference on Rhetoric and Composition
July 8-11, 1992
The Penn State Conference on Rhetoric and Composition, now
entering its second decade, is a four-day gathering of teachers and
scholars. It offers a generous mixture of plenary and special-interest
sessions in a relaxed atmosphere; a chance for learning, leisure, and
reflection on composition and rhetoric; and an extended opportunity
to discuss professional concerns with nationally known speakers and
interested colleagues.
Each year the conference features plenary sessions, concurrent
sessions, workshops, and roundtable discussions on topics of current
interest. This year, the conference will run concurrently with the
Association of Departments of English (ADE) regional summer
meeting of department heads; several joint activities are planned.
Panel Sessions and Workshops
Papers this year will concern a wide variety of subjects involving
rhetoric and composition, such as rhetorical theory; the composing
process; technical or business writing; advanced composition; ESL;
writing across the curriculum; the history of rhetoric; teaching
methods; collaborative learning; tutoring and writing labs;
connections among reading, writing, and speaking; computers and
writing; legal, political, or religious rhetoric; literacy; language and
stylistics; basic writing; social implications of writing; writing in the
workplace; rhetorical criticism; rhetoric and literature; testing and
assessment; and the administration of writing programs.
Workshops will be offered on multimedia resources for the writing
classroom, portfolio assessment, and teacher development.
Saturday Morning Sessions
On Saturday morning, participants will have a special opportunity to
concentrate for an extended period on one of three important areas:
New Ideas for Integrating Critical Writing and Critical Reading, Peer
Tutoring and Reviewing, and Program Assessment in English.
New Ideas for Integrating Critical Writing and Critical Reading
Recognizing the intrinsic connections between reading and writing--
not only as socially constructive/interpretive acts but also as
cognitive skills--this session will examine productive ways to
integrate critical reading and writing in the classroom. The session
will include presentations from featured speakers and participants,
as well as opportunities for extended critique and discussion of both
theoretical and pedagogical issues.
Designing Effective Programs with Peer Tutoring and Peer Review
One of the most important advances in writing pedagogy of the last
decade has undoubtedly been the use of student peers to help other
students improve their writing. This session will include both
presentations and interactive workshops that examine the practice of
peer support from a variety of perspectives, from practical concerns
such as effective peer training and supervision to studies of the
effects (positive and negative) of various peer activities.
Program Assessment in English
Like other academic disciplines, English departments are under
increasing pressure to account for the effectiveness of their
programs. This panel will explore how English departments can
work to satisfy administrative needs for evaluation without
compromising academic integrity. Conference participants are
invited to attend this session, sponsored by the Association of
Departments of English, which will feature talks from university
administrators, experts in educational assessment, and leaders of
English departments.
Plenary Session Speakers
Donald McCloskey, our keynote speaker, is professor of history and of
economics at the University of Iowa, where he directs the Project on
Rhetoric of Inquiry (POROI). POROI grew out of the Iowa Rhetoric
Seminar, which he co-founded in 1980 to promote scholarly study of
rhetoric and collaborative approaches to writing among faculty in
diverse disciplines. His work on the rhetoric of inquiry has appeared
in numerous articles and books. He coedited The Rhetoric of the
Human Sciences (1987) and authored Knowledge and Persuasion in
Economics (forthcoming), If You're So Smart: The Narrative of
Economic Expertise (1990), The Consequences of Economic Rhetoric
(1988), and The Rhetoric of Economics (1986), which has been
translated into Italian, French, Spanish and Japanese.
Anne Ruggles Gere, professor of English and of education at the
University of Michigan, is well known for fostering substantive work
in composition at the national level, as a series editor of the MLA
Series on Research and Scholarship in Composition, as Trustee and
Chair of the Board of Trustees of the NCTE Research Foundation, and
most recently, as the 1992 Program Chair for CCCC. Her own research
encompasses both the theory and pragmatics of composition, as
demonstrated by her articles and books on collaborative writing,
such asWriting Groups (1987), and by her textbook, The Active
Reader (1990). Her latest volume, Into the Field: the Site of
Composition Studies, a collection of essays describing the interaction
of disciplines within composition studies, is forthcoming from MLA.
Steven Mailloux is professor of English and Comparative Literature at
the University of California at Irvine. His work examines the
relationships among rhetoric, literary theory, cultural studies, and
hermeneutics. His book, Rhetorical Power (1989), defines and
demonstrates the productivity of rhetorical histories of specific
interpretive acts. It builds upon his earlier works, Interpreting Law
and Literature (1988) and Interpretive Conventions: The Reader in
the Study of American Fiction (1982). Recent essays include 'The
Turns of Reader-Response Criticism' (1990), 'The Rhetorical Politics
of Editing' (1991), and the forthcoming "Misreading as an Historical
Act: Cultural Rhetoric, Bible Politics and Fuller's 1845 Review of
Douglass' Narrative."
Featured Speakers
Jeanne Fahnestock is associate professor at the University of
Maryland, where she has served with distinction as director of the
Professional Writing Program. Author of many essays on coherence,
argument, and scientific rhetoric, she is also co-author of A Rhetoric
of Argument and Readings in Argument. She and Marie Secor of
Penn State are currently at work on A Rhetoric of Style.
Gerard A. Hauser is professor of Speech Communications at Penn
State, director of the University Scholars Program, and co-editor of
Philosophy and Rhetoric. He has published numerous articles and
reviews on rhetorical theory and criticism and is the author of
Introduction to Rhetorical Theory (1986). His present research
focuses on political rhetoric.
Richard Larson, professor of English at the Herbert H. Lehman College
of the City University of New York, served as editor of College
Composition and Communication from 1980 to 1986. His early work
analyzed discourse structure at the sentence and paragraph levels.
His most recent work (sponsored in part by the Ford Foundation) has
focused on writing curricula and assessment.
Carolyn Miller, professor of English at North Carolina State
University, is well-known for her work on the rhetoric of science and
technology. Her essay "A Humanistic Rationale for Technical Writing"
(1981) and her edited collection, New Essays in Technical and
Scientific Communication (1984) both received awards from NCTE as
outstanding contributions to scientific and technical communication.
Her most recent work focuses on rhetoric and community.
Christine Neuwirth, associate professor at Carnegie Mellon University,
develops computer aids for writing and researches the effects of such
tools on individual writers, on collaborative learning, and on
classroom interaction. Her article, "The Role of External
Representation in the Writing Process: Implications for the Design of
Hypertext-Based Writing Tools' (1989), won the Ellen Nold Award
for best article on computers and composition.
Sondra Perl is associate professor of English at the City University of
New York. Her long-standing interest in the writing process led her
from case studies of unskilled writers to ethnographic studies of the
writing classroom. This work has appeared in numerous essays and
a coauthored book, Through Teachers' Eyes: Portraits of Writing
Teachers at Work (1986). Her current work focuses on feminist
pedagogy and the discovery of voice in student writing.
Gary Schumacher, professor of psychology at Ohio University, has
researched both reading and writing processes. In recent articles in
Written Communication and Research in the Teaching of English, he
has explored how justified we are to proclaim that "writing is
learning." Other recent articles include "Writing in Constrained
Genres" (1987) and "The Relationship Between Content Knowledge
and Topic Choice in Writing" (1989).
William L. Smith, professor of English at the University of Pittsburgh,
likes to test current practices in basic writing, writing assessment,
and sentence-combining. Recent publications include "Editing
Strategies and Error Correction in Basic Writing" (1987), 'Computers
in the Basic Writing Classroom' (1990) and the forthcoming
"Assessing the Adequacy of Holistic Scoring as A Writing Placement
Technique."
Social Events
In addition to good papers and good talk, the Penn State Conference
offers various occasions for participants to relax, eat, and get to know
each other. On Wednesday evening, July 8, you are invited to a
reception at an art gallery on campus. An outdoor barbecue dinner
is planned for Thursday, July 9, at Mountain Acres, a rustic retreat
not far from State College, where you can hike, pitch horseshoes, play
volleyball, and enjoy the music of the Allegheny Mountain String
Band (square dancing is encouraged). A wine and cheese party will
be held after the concluding plenary session on Friday and an open-
air breakfast will be served before the Saturday morning sessions.
The conference is held concurrently with the Central Pennsylvania
Festival of the Arts, one of the largest events of its kind in the
country. More than four hundred jury-selected exhibitions--
paintings, ceramics, etchings, leather work, textiles, photographs,
sculpture, jewelry, and more--line the streets of State College and the
sidewalks of campus. Jazz bands, rock groups, mime troupes, fiddlers,
and string quartets perform on outdoor stages; indoors are films,
plays, and special art exhibits.
Leisure Activities
The Penn State campus and surrounding Nittany Valley offer
facilities for camping, swimming, fishing, hiking, tennis, and golf.
Within an hour's drive of State College are boating at Stone Valley,
swimming at Whipple Dam State Park, fishing at Black Moshannon
State Park, and hiking at Alan Seeger State Forest. History buffs will
enjoy nearby Bellefonte, a town of fine nineteenth- century houses,
and Curtin Village, a reconstruction of an iron foundry, master's
mansion, and workers' cottages. Additional information about these
and other local activities is included in the conference registration
packet, or is available upon request.
Time and Location
This conference will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 8 and
will end at noon on Saturday, July 11. It will be held on Penn State's
University Park Campus in State College, Pennsylvania.
The campus is located in the center of Pennsylvania on Routes 26
and 322, south of Interstate 80. It is on the main east-west route of
both the Greyhound and Fullington Trailways bus lines. USAir
Express and United Express serve the University Park Airport,
located five miles from campus; rental cars, limousines, and taxi
service between the campus and the airport are available. You may
qualify for special airfares by staying in town Saturday night.
Accommodations
You may arrange for housing in one of three ways:
1. You may stay in a University residence hall Wednesday through
Friday nights or Tuesday through Saturday nights. If you stay
Wednesday through Friday nights (three nights), the cost is $36
(double occupancy). Family members are welcome to stay in the
residence hall for the same $36 cost. No charge is made for infants if
the participant provides bedding. You may list a preferred roommate
on the registration form; otherwise, roommates will be assigned. A
limited number of single rooms are available at $51 (three nights). If
you request a single but one is not available when your application
arrives, you will be assigned a double room.
If you stay Tuesday through Saturday nights (five nights), the cost is
$64 (double occupancy) or $89 (single occupancy). The rules and
procedures listed above also apply to those staying for five nights.
Please note: We regret that we cannot offer daily rates for University
housing. Fees remain the same for all or any part of the conference.
To register for housing in a University residence hall, complete and
return the attached registration form by June 22. Space may not be
available after the June 22 deadline, so please register early. But do
not send payment: you can pay for oncampus housing by check or
with cash when you arrive. You may purchase meals at the residence
hall cafeteria or at local restaurants both on and off campus.
2. You may stay at one of the following State College hotels/motels at
special conference rates. To reserve a room, call the hotel/motel
directly and identify yourself as a Rhetoric and Composition
Conference participant. The rates below do not include the 6% sales
tax. Where ranges are indicated, rates vary by date--the higher
rates apply to "peak days" (usually Thursday-Saturday nights).
Reserve early--a limited number of rooms has been set aside and
conference rates may not be available after June 1. (Note: only the
Nittany Lion Inn is within easy walking distance of conference
sessions.)
Nittany Lion Inn. North Atherton at Park Avenue. (800) 233-7505
or (814) 231-7500. Rates: single $65-95; double $70-130.
Days Inn Penn State. 240 S. Pugh Street. (800) 258-3297 or (814)
238-8454. Rates: single $57-125; double $67-135.
Holiday Inn Penn State. 1450 S. Atherton Street. (814) 238-3001.
Rates: $55 per room per night for one to four persons.
Hampton Inn. 1101 East College Ave. (814) 231-1590. Rates: $60
per room per night for one to four persons.
Best Western State College. S. Atherton Street and Branch Road.
(800) 635-1177 or (814) 237-8005. Rates: $75 per room per night
for one to four persons.
3. You may arrange your own housing. A list of local hotels and
motels will be sent along with your registration acknowledgment.
Call early; the number of rooms is limited and the Central
Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts brings many visitors. Rates for the
festival weekend may be higher than usual.
Fee and Registration
The $100 fee ($75 for graduate students, lecturers, and retired
faculty) covers registration, materials, and three social events. It may
be paid by check, money order, VISA, MasterCard, or request to bill
employer (accompanied by a letter of authorization). We regret that
we cannot offer daily rates for conference registration. Fees remain
the same for all or any part of the conference. To register, complete
the attached form and return it to Penn State by June 22. Those who
register in advance will be notified of program changes. Registrations
will be acknowledged by mail.
Vehicles parked on campus must exhibit valid parking permits. To
receive a parking permit, check the appropriate space on the
registration form and add the amount shown to your fee payment.
Refunds will be made for cancellations received by June 22. After
that, the individual or organization will be held responsible for the
fee. Anyone who is registered but cannot attend may send a
substitute.
University Policies
Cancellation. The University may cancel or postpone any course or
activity because of insufficient enrollment or other unforeseen
circumstances. If a program is canceled or postponed, the University
will refund registration fees but cannot be held responsible for other
costs, charges, or expenses, including cancellation/change charges
assessed by airlines or travel agencies.
Smoking. Penn State has adopted a policy of no smoking in its
buildings, offices, classrooms, and conference facilities (including
Keller Conference Center).
For More Information
About program content
Davida Charney
117 Burrowes Building
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA 16802
phone (814) 865-9703
secretary (814) 863-3066
FAX (814) 863-7285
E-mail to IRJ at PSUVM.PSU.EDU
About registration and housing
Chuck Herd
409 Keller Conference Center
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA 16802
phone (814) 863-3550
FAX (814) 865-3749