Karen Uehling presented the keynote address at the Conference on Basic Writing annual meeting on March 14 in Kansas City, Missouri. The meeting took place in conjunction with the 2018 Conference on College Composition and Communication Annual Convention.
Uehling’s address was titled “Faculty Development and Graduate Education for Basic Writing Instructors: Our Professional Identity.” Uehling described her innovative graduate course on the teaching of beginning college writing which is offered primarily online with four in-person Saturday workshops. In addition, she focused on related faculty development efforts for in-service and early career college writing teachers, and the challenges of faculty development when much of the teaching force is contingent faculty, arguing that finding and enacting a professional identity is crucial for building a professional workforce.
Following the talk, Uehling led an interactive workshop in which participants wrote about and discussed their “origin stories” as basic writing instructors: how they were drawn into the field and developed a professional identity that sustains their professional lives. Her address was adapted from a forthcoming essay in the Journal of Basic Writing.
The annual conference attracts college faculty members from around the world. They gather to hear award-winning speakers, attend presentations by colleagues on the latest innovations in education, and network to gain knowledge of best practices in the field. For more information, visit http://www.ncte.org/cccc/conv/.