Request for Assistance

[Dale Jacobs]

Hi everyone --

I'm currently serving on the 4Cs Executive Committee. The EC is in
the process of a Strategic Inquiry Project about "The Content of
Composition/Rhetoric/Writing." In broad terms, we're trying to look
at the field, the concepts/practices/bodies of knowledge that define
it, and the ways in which 4Cs serves and could serve the many
constituencies that make up the field. I would like to get your
input in helping us to think about these issues.

To facilitate this project, we've divided up the inquiry among a
number of groups. My group is doing an environmental scan,
essentially looking into what we know about where our members and
prospective members are in regard to the content of composition; we
want to know what people are doing and saying with regard to
composition. To this end, I would like to pose some broad questions
to the people on this listserv. If you could respond to me offlist
in the next couple of weeks, I would really appreciate it.

What kinds of writing classes do you teach? What material do you
include in writing classes? In your own understanding, when is a
writing class a writing class, and when does it become something
else? What do you identify as being the "content" of composition/
writing/rhetoric?

These questions are intended to be very open ended. Rather than
doing a survey, our group is contacting people in the field through a
variety of listservs, caucuses, and related professional groups. Any
assistance you can give in helping to shape our thinking and
discussions would be very useful.

Thanks for your time. Take care.

Dale


Dr. Dale Jacobs
Associate Professor
Dept. of English Language, Literature, and Creative Writing
University of Windsor
401 Sunset Avenue
Windsor, ON
N9B 3P4
Phone: [phone] ext. 2309
Fax: [phone]


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To leave the list, send a SIGNOFF CASLL command to
***@UNB.CA or, if you experience difficulties,
write to Russ Hunt at ***@stu.ca

For the list archives and information about the organization,
its newsletter, and the annual conference, go to
http://www.stu.ca/inkshed/
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[Margaret Procter]

Hi, Dale --

Fascinating questions, especially seen up against the US data that your
colleagues will be collecting.

Is it only "composition" in the form of writing classes that you're
interested in, or do writing-centre instruction and WAC/WID work count
too? I am asking online in case the same question occurs to others on
the list.

I could give you a much more interesting answer for U of T if you
intended the latter. Some 65 people are employed here teaching writing,
but only a fraction of their work consists of teaching writing classes,
even with an extended definition.

Margaret

Post by Dale Jacobs
Hi everyone --
I'm currently serving on the 4Cs Executive Committee. The EC is in
the process of a Strategic Inquiry Project about "The Content of
Composition/Rhetoric/Writing." In broad terms, we're trying to look
at the field, the concepts/practices/bodies of knowledge that define
it, and the ways in which 4Cs serves and could serve the many
constituencies that make up the field. I would like to get your
input in helping us to think about these issues.
To facilitate this project, we've divided up the inquiry among a
number of groups. My group is doing an environmental scan,
essentially looking into what we know about where our members and
prospective members are in regard to the content of composition; we
want to know what people are doing and saying with regard to
composition. To this end, I would like to pose some broad questions
to the people on this listserv. If you could respond to me offlist
in the next couple of weeks, I would really appreciate it.
What kinds of writing classes do you teach? What material do you
include in writing classes? In your own understanding, when is a
writing class a writing class, and when does it become something
else? What do you identify as being the "content" of composition/
writing/rhetoric?
These questions are intended to be very open ended. Rather than
doing a survey, our group is contacting people in the field through a
variety of listservs, caucuses, and related professional groups. Any
assistance you can give in helping to shape our thinking and
discussions would be very useful.
Thanks for your time. Take care.
Dale
Dr. Dale Jacobs
Associate Professor
Dept. of English Language, Literature, and Creative Writing
University of Windsor
401 Sunset Avenue
Windsor, ON
N9B 3P4
Phone: [phone] ext. 2309
Fax: [phone]
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
To leave the list, send a SIGNOFF CASLL command to
For the list archives and information about the organization,
its newsletter, and the annual conference, go to
http://www.stu.ca/inkshed/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

--
Dr. Margaret Procter
Coordinator, Writing Support
University of Toronto
15 King's College Circle
Toronto ON M5S 3H7

416 978-8109; FAX [phone]
***@chass.utoronto.ca
www.utoronto.ca/writing

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
To leave the list, send a SIGNOFF CASLL command to
***@UNB.CA or, if you experience difficulties,
write to Russ Hunt at ***@stu.ca

For the list archives and information about the organization,
its newsletter, and the annual conference, go to
http://www.stu.ca/inkshed/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

[Dale Jacobs]

Hi Margaret --

We're certainly interested in Writing Centres and in WAC/WID work.
In general, we're just trying to get some kind of grasp of what
people think Composition/Rhetoric/Writing constitutes. So certainly
we want to think about writing instruction that is housed in a
variety of places around universities. As you all know, that's one
of the ways in which the Canadian context often differs from the US
context, so I would definitely like that information to pass on.

Thanks and take care.

Dale


Dr. Dale Jacobs
Dept. of English Language, Literature, and Creative Writing
University of Windsor
401 Sunset Avenue
Windsor, ON
N9B 3P4
Phone: [phone] ext. 2309
Fax: [phone]

Post by Margaret Procter
Hi, Dale --
Fascinating questions, especially seen up against the US data that
your colleagues will be collecting.
Is it only "composition" in the form of writing classes that you're
interested in, or do writing-centre instruction and WAC/WID work
count too? I am asking online in case the same question occurs to
others on the list.
I could give you a much more interesting answer for U of T if you
intended the latter. Some 65 people are employed here teaching
writing, but only a fraction of their work consists of teaching
writing classes, even with an extended definition.
Margaret

Post by Dale Jacobs
Hi everyone --
I'm currently serving on the 4Cs Executive Committee. The EC is
in the process of a Strategic Inquiry Project about "The Content
of Composition/Rhetoric/Writing." In broad terms, we're trying
to look at the field, the concepts/practices/bodies of knowledge
that define it, and the ways in which 4Cs serves and could serve
the many constituencies that make up the field. I would like to
get your input in helping us to think about these issues.
To facilitate this project, we've divided up the inquiry among a
number of groups. My group is doing an environmental scan,
essentially looking into what we know about where our members and
prospective members are in regard to the content of composition;
we want to know what people are doing and saying with regard to
composition. To this end, I would like to pose some broad
questions to the people on this listserv. If you could respond
to me offlist in the next couple of weeks, I would really
appreciate it.
What kinds of writing classes do you teach? What material do you
include in writing classes? In your own understanding, when is a
writing class a writing class, and when does it become something
else? What do you identify as being the "content" of composition/
writing/rhetoric?
These questions are intended to be very open ended. Rather than
doing a survey, our group is contacting people in the field
through a variety of listservs, caucuses, and related
professional groups. Any assistance you can give in helping to
shape our thinking and discussions would be very useful.
Thanks for your time. Take care.
Dale
Dr. Dale Jacobs
Associate Professor
Dept. of English Language, Literature, and Creative Writing
University of Windsor
401 Sunset Avenue
Windsor, ON
N9B 3P4
Phone: [phone] ext. 2309
Fax: [phone]
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
To leave the list, send a SIGNOFF CASLL command to
For the list archives and information about the organization,
its newsletter, and the annual conference, go to
http://www.stu.ca/inkshed/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

--
Dr. Margaret Procter
Coordinator, Writing Support
University of Toronto
15 King's College Circle
Toronto ON M5S 3H7
416 978-8109; FAX [phone]
www.utoronto.ca/writing
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
To leave the list, send a SIGNOFF CASLL command to
For the list archives and information about the organization,
its newsletter, and the annual conference, go to
http://www.stu.ca/inkshed/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
To leave the list, send a SIGNOFF CASLL command to
***@UNB.CA or, if you experience difficulties,
write to Russ Hunt at ***@stu.ca

For the list archives and information about the organization,
its newsletter, and the annual conference, go to
http://www.stu.ca/inkshed/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

[Gloria Michalchuk]

Hi Dale. I am glad to hear that the parameters for your research are
broad. I do hope you will include English for Academic Purposes
instructors since since I have been working with international
students who are seeking university entrance as well as undergraduate
and graduate students who have been sent to our department to improve
their "writing" skills for quite awhile. Although not deemed
"Composition classes", in the EAP courses that have been taught at the
Faculty of Extension at the U of A, writing has taken on significantly
greater dimensions that range from the mandatory
"being-able-to-pass-the-final-English-proficiency-exam" instruction to
a tool for both furthering cultural understanding and language
learning. If you would like, I could also ask a couple of very capable
peers who have expertise in this area to also participate in your
study. I think they would be thrilled to give voice to their
composition-as-a-language-cultural-final-assessment teaching
experience. Gloria Michalchuk

Post by Dale Jacobs
Hi Margaret --
We're certainly interested in Writing Centres and in WAC/WID work. In
general, we're just trying to get some kind of grasp of what people
think Composition/Rhetoric/Writing constitutes. So certainly we want
to think about writing instruction that is housed in a variety of
places around universities. As you all know, that's one of the ways in
which the Canadian context often differs from the US context, so I
would definitely like that information to pass on.
Thanks and take care.
Dale
Dr. Dale Jacobs
Dept. of English Language, Literature, and Creative Writing
University of Windsor
401 Sunset Avenue
Windsor, ON
N9B 3P4
Phone: [phone] ext. 2309
Fax: [phone]

Post by Margaret Procter
Hi, Dale --
Fascinating questions, especially seen up against the US data that
your colleagues will be collecting.
Is it only "composition" in the form of writing classes that you're
interested in, or do writing-centre instruction and WAC/WID work
count too? I am asking online in case the same question occurs to
others on the list.
I could give you a much more interesting answer for U of T if you
intended the latter. Some 65 people are employed here teaching
writing, but only a fraction of their work consists of teaching
writing classes, even with an extended definition.
Margaret

Post by Dale Jacobs
Hi everyone --
I'm currently serving on the 4Cs Executive Committee. The EC is
in the process of a Strategic Inquiry Project about "The Content
of Composition/Rhetoric/Writing." In broad terms, we're trying
to look at the field, the concepts/practices/bodies of knowledge
that define it, and the ways in which 4Cs serves and could serve
the many constituencies that make up the field. I would like to
get your input in helping us to think about these issues.
To facilitate this project, we've divided up the inquiry among a
number of groups. My group is doing an environmental scan,
essentially looking into what we know about where our members and
prospective members are in regard to the content of composition;
we want to know what people are doing and saying with regard to
composition. To this end, I would like to pose some broad
questions to the people on this listserv. If you could respond
to me offlist in the next couple of weeks, I would really
appreciate it.
What kinds of writing classes do you teach? What material do you
include in writing classes? In your own understanding, when is a
writing class a writing class, and when does it become something
else? What do you identify as being the "content" of
composition/ writing/rhetoric?
These questions are intended to be very open ended. Rather than
doing a survey, our group is contacting people in the field
through a variety of listservs, caucuses, and related professional
groups. Any assistance you can give in helping to shape our
thinking and discussions would be very useful.
Thanks for your time. Take care.
Dale
Dr. Dale Jacobs
Associate Professor
Dept. of English Language, Literature, and Creative Writing
University of Windsor
401 Sunset Avenue
Windsor, ON
N9B 3P4
Phone: [phone] ext. 2309
Fax: [phone]
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
To leave the list, send a SIGNOFF CASLL command to
For the list archives and information about the organization,
its newsletter, and the annual conference, go to
http://www.stu.ca/inkshed/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

--
Dr. Margaret Procter
Coordinator, Writing Support
University of Toronto
15 King's College Circle
Toronto ON M5S 3H7
416 978-8109; FAX [phone]
www.utoronto.ca/writing
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
To leave the list, send a SIGNOFF CASLL command to
For the list archives and information about the organization,
its newsletter, and the annual conference, go to
http://www.stu.ca/inkshed/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
To leave the list, send a SIGNOFF CASLL command to
For the list archives and information about the organization,
its newsletter, and the annual conference, go to
http://www.stu.ca/inkshed/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
To leave the list, send a SIGNOFF CASLL command to
***@UNB.CA or, if you experience difficulties,
write to Russ Hunt at ***@stu.ca

For the list archives and information about the organization,
its newsletter, and the annual conference, go to
http://www.stu.ca/inkshed/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

[Margaret Procter]

Thanks, Dale, that's the answer I was hoping to hear. Your report will
let us test just what IS distinctive about Canadian writing instruction.
== Margaret

Post by Dale Jacobs
Hi Margaret --
We're certainly interested in Writing Centres and in WAC/WID work. In
general, we're just trying to get some kind of grasp of what people
think Composition/Rhetoric/Writing constitutes. So certainly we want
to think about writing instruction that is housed in a variety of
places around universities. As you all know, that's one of the ways
in which the Canadian context often differs from the US context, so I
would definitely like that information to pass on.
Thanks and take care.
Dale
Dr. Dale Jacobs
Dept. of English Language, Literature, and Creative Writing
University of Windsor
401 Sunset Avenue
Windsor, ON
N9B 3P4
Phone: [phone] ext. 2309
Fax: [phone]

Post by Margaret Procter
Hi, Dale --
Fascinating questions, especially seen up against the US data that
your colleagues will be collecting.
Is it only "composition" in the form of writing classes that you're
interested in, or do writing-centre instruction and WAC/WID work
count too? I am asking online in case the same question occurs to
others on the list.
I could give you a much more interesting answer for U of T if you
intended the latter. Some 65 people are employed here teaching
writing, but only a fraction of their work consists of teaching
writing classes, even with an extended definition.
Margaret

Post by Dale Jacobs
Hi everyone --
I'm currently serving on the 4Cs Executive Committee. The EC is in
the process of a Strategic Inquiry Project about "The Content of
Composition/Rhetoric/Writing." In broad terms, we're trying to
look at the field, the concepts/practices/bodies of knowledge that
define it, and the ways in which 4Cs serves and could serve the
many constituencies that make up the field. I would like to get
your input in helping us to think about these issues.
To facilitate this project, we've divided up the inquiry among a
number of groups. My group is doing an environmental scan,
essentially looking into what we know about where our members and
prospective members are in regard to the content of composition; we
want to know what people are doing and saying with regard to
composition. To this end, I would like to pose some broad
questions to the people on this listserv. If you could respond to
me offlist in the next couple of weeks, I would really appreciate it.
What kinds of writing classes do you teach? What material do you
include in writing classes? In your own understanding, when is a
writing class a writing class, and when does it become something
else? What do you identify as being the "content" of composition/
writing/rhetoric?
These questions are intended to be very open ended. Rather than
doing a survey, our group is contacting people in the field through
a variety of listservs, caucuses, and related professional groups.
Any assistance you can give in helping to shape our thinking and
discussions would be very useful.
Thanks for your time. Take care.
Dale
Dr. Dale Jacobs
Associate Professor
Dept. of English Language, Literature, and Creative Writing
University of Windsor
401 Sunset Avenue
Windsor, ON
N9B 3P4
Phone: [phone] ext. 2309
Fax: [phone]
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
To leave the list, send a SIGNOFF CASLL command to
difficulties,
For the list archives and information about the organization,
its newsletter, and the annual conference, go to
http://www.stu.ca/inkshed/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

--
Dr. Margaret Procter
Coordinator, Writing Support
University of Toronto
15 King's College Circle
Toronto ON M5S 3H7
416 978-8109; FAX [phone]
www.utoronto.ca/writing
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
To leave the list, send a SIGNOFF CASLL command to
difficulties,
For the list archives and information about the organization,
its newsletter, and the annual conference, go to
http://www.stu.ca/inkshed/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

--
Dr. Margaret Procter
Coordinator, Writing Support
University of Toronto
15 King's College Circle
Toronto ON M5S 3H7

416 978-8109; FAX [phone]
***@chass.utoronto.ca
www.utoronto.ca/writing


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
To leave the list, send a SIGNOFF CASLL command to
***@UNB.CA or, if you experience difficulties,
write to Russ Hunt at ***@stu.ca

For the list archives and information about the organization,
its newsletter, and the annual conference, go to
http://www.stu.ca/inkshed/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-