IWCA Collaborative@CCCCs

Without a doubt, generative AI (AI that can produce text, images, sound, audio, or video) is one of the hottest topics of conversation among writing center administrators and tutors. Many writing centers have had to quickly learn about the technology and its affordances and limitations for our writing centers since OpenAI launched ChatGPT in late 2022. National writing organizations, including AWAC, MLA, and CCCC, have responded to the launch of ChatGPT and other generative AI tools with public statements or white papers. MLA and CCCC issued a joint statement that recognizes that AI writing tools are the latest in a long line of writing technologies, reinforces the human element at the heart of writing practice, and expresses concern for the potential threat to writing and language programs that AI technology poses (4). Whether you believe that generative AI spells the future demise of writing instruction and support, or even education as we know it; you are excited and hopeful about the future potential of generative AI to revolutionize how we write and communicate; or you are somewhere in the middle–each and every writing center will be called upon in some capacity to grapple with AI in the months and years ahead.

In this year’s IWCA Collaborative, you are invited to join writing center colleagues as we learn more about and reckon with generative AI and its potential to enhance and/or limit the ways we provide support to writers and instructors and engage with conversations on our campus about inclusive educational practices. You do not need to be an expert in order to propose a session for the Collaborative, and we hope to receive a wide range of proposals that explore writing center-related AI issues across the entire spectrum of expertise, from beginning users learning to use and critically evaluate AI technology, to experienced users developing AI writing center policies, to those immersed in developing AI writing center research questions. We expect and even encourage that some proposers will simply want to use the conference space to work through challenging issues related to the topic of AI use in the writing center. We welcome proposals from writing center administrators, instructors or WPAs who work with writing centers, as well as graduate and undergraduate students.

Some possible topics for sessions you might propose include:

• preparing tutors to work with generative AI in writing sessions
• developing policy or guidance statements on generative AI use in the writing center or for faculty teaching writing across the curriculum
• the writing center’s role in educating campus faculty, staff, and students on generative AI use and potential
• how writing centers can contribute to faculty development initiatives or partner with other units, programs, faculty, or staff on campus to provide training or facilitate conversations on AI use
• affordances, challenges, and risks of generative AI use for multilingual or neurodivergent writers
• generative AI use as it intersects with linguistic diversity and inclusive writing center praxis; for example, how the writing center can or should help writers develop AI literacy
• showcasing the use of generative AI tools as part of the writing process (however, please keep in mind the limitations of showcasing a specific technology which may quickly be obsolete).
• generative AI as a tool to support writing center administration and the work of writing center professionals
• research opportunities to learn how students use generative AI in their composing processes and how tutors use AI tools in writing sessions

We invite to you submit a proposal on any aspect of technology use in the writing center that engages with any, or a combination, of these questions:*

• How can generative AI technologies effectively enhance or supplement writing center sessions? What are the affordances of AI writing technologies for working with diverse populations of learners, multimodal and multilingual writers, or with writing across fields and disciplines?
• What are the challenges, limitations, and risks of using generative AI in writing centers, and how can these be addressed or mitigated?
• What ethical issues need to be considered when adopting generative AI use in the writing center? For example, how should we address data privacy, security, plagiarism or academic integrity issues related to AI writing technologies?
• How do we prepare writing center tutors to engage with writers who wish to use AI as part of their writing process?
• What research do we need to understand the full benefits or implications of generative AI for writing centers? How can we partner with other programs or faculty across campus to conduct such research?

*To generate questions for consideration, I asked ChatGPT to “give me a list of questions to consider on the topic of ‘the affordances and challenges of generative AI for writing centers.’” It produced a series of simple one-sentence questions which I developed and then categorized into the questions above (on benefits, limitations, ethical considerations, and research opportunities). I added the question about preparing tutors and I added detail to each item. I did not use generative AI for any other part of this CFP.

Session Types
Note that more traditional “panel presentations” are not a feature of the IWCA Collaborative this year. The following session types highlight opportunities for collaboration, conversation, and co-authorship. All session types will be 75 minutes.

Roundtables
Facilitators lead discussion of a specific issue, scenario, question, or problem. This format might include short remarks from facilitators, but most of the time is devoted to active and substantive engagement/collaboration with attendees prompted by guiding questions. At the end of the session, facilitators will help participants summarize and reflect on their takeaways from the discussion and think about how they will translate these takeaways into action.

Workshops
Facilitators lead participants in a hands-on, experiential activity to teach tangible skills or strategies for data-collection, analysis, or problem-solving. Workshop proposals will include a rationale for how the activity can apply to a variety of writing center contexts, will involve active engagement, and will incorporate an opportunity for participants to reflect on the potential for specific future application.

Lab time
A lab time session is an opportunity to move your own research forward by either collecting data from participants or by using participants’ feedback to hone data collection instruments. You could use lab time for creating and receiving feedback on survey or interview questions, data collection, data analysis, etc. In your proposal, please describe what you want to do and how many and what kind of participants you need (ex: undergraduate tutors, writing center administrators, etc.). If seeking participants among attendees, facilitators will need to have institutional IRB approval as well as Informed Consent documentation for them.

Collaborative writing
In this type of session, facilitators guide participants in a group writing activity intended to produce a co-authored document or set of materials to share. For example, you might collaborate on a multi-writing center position statement or a strategic plan for a cluster of writing centers (ex: coalitional goals for writing centers located in a specific city). You could also facilitate the production of separate but parallel pieces of writing (ex: participants revise or craft statements for their centers and then share for feedback). Proposals for collaborative writing sessions will include plans for continuing or sharing the work with the larger writing center community after the conference.

Other
If you have a suggestion for a different session format, please feel free to propose.

Collaborative Hosts and Timeline
We’re particularly excited to host the IWCA Collaborative in Spokane, Washington. We would like to express our warm gratitude to the administrators and tutors of Gonzaga University’s Writing Center for their hospitality in hosting the collaborative at the campus’ Hemmingson Center.

Abstract of session (70-100 words) and description of session (300 words) are due by February 12, 2024. To submit an abstract, log onto the IWCA Membership page at iwcamembers.org.

Participants will receive notification by March 4, 2024. Questions may be directed to IWCA Collaborative chair Julia Bleakney (jbleakney@elon.edu); please add “IWCA Collab” to your subject line. Undergraduate and graduate students are welcome to connect with the conference chair or with Hannah Hanson, Undergraduate Consultant and Collaborative Coordinator, at hhanson@elon.edu to discuss ideas, travel, and general questions.

Criteria for Evaluation
Proposal will be evaluated by at least two reviewers, will use the following criteria:

• Active participant engagement in keeping with theme
• Relevance to the field
• Clear outcomes & appropriate for 75 minutes
• Effectiveness of session format

Land Acknowledgement, statement from Gonzaga University’s Dean for Social Justice Leadership & Community Empowerment:
We are on the invaded, colonized land of the Spokane Tribe and connected tribes of this region who continue to resist in the face of genocide and white supremacy. We do this acknowledgement in order to keep Indigenous Rights and Land Rights in the forefront of our minds—not as a procedural item.

Works Cited
MLA-CCCC Joint Task Force on Writing and AI. “MLA-CCCC Joint Task Force on Writing and AI Working Paper: Overview of the Issues, Statement of Principles, and Recommendations.” https://aiandwriting.hcommons.org/working-paper-1/