Writing and learning centers are strong voices in many academic communities. Through decades of growth and change, our promise to student writers has often held steady but has sometimes been challenged. Indeed, the dynamic work of our centers stands on the shoulders of a complicated and passionate history. We now look to a future likely to be more complicated–and perhaps even more passionate–as we examine the promises and practices that guide or challenge our work, inspire or change who we are, and define or reshape our spaces.

MWCA 2025 invites proposals that explore this idea of promise. What promises have our centers made, kept, or broken? To whom do we make these promises, and who is left out? How does the notion of promise come from the past, explain the present, or guide our future?  Some other ideas to consider are below:

• How do we transform promise into action? 

• What research and scholarship, inside or outside of our field, guide those promises and practices?

• What challenges do tutors, administrators, and centers face when they consider their practices in relation to the promise(s) that guide them?

• What messages do our centers send that capture the idea of promise? What other metaphors does our work or our space embody? Where might we fall short?

• How do (or can) we put promises into action through our work in diversity, equity, and inclusion (ability/disability, antiracism, gender identity, etc.)?

• What are the difficult conversations that are–or aren’t–happening in the Writing Center field, academic support, developmental education, course placement, or other spaces that affect our work?

• How does the Writing Center field exclude integrated Learning Center models, 2-year colleges, HBCU’s, tribal colleges, or other underrepresented spaces? To what effect?

• How can writing centers acknowledge (and change) their complicity in broken promises within their own institutions?

We encourage you to consider these topics (and more!) as you prepare your proposal for submission. In the submission form, we invite presenters to indicate a preferred session format (all session formats are 70 minutes long):

• Panel Presentation: A group of 3 or more presenters speaking for 15-­20 minutes each on a specific theme or question.

• Individual Presentation: Usually one presenter offering a 15-­20-minute presentation (to share a session with another individual presentation).

• Workshop: A participatory session that engages attendees in active learning.

• Roundtable Discussion: Up to 15 minutes of introductory framing by the leader(s) followed by a facilitated discussion among attendees.

• Poster Presentation: A visual presentation and informal discussion.

Keynote Opportunity

This year, the MWCA is inviting a presentation, workshop, roundtable, or panel to serve as a member-led keynote. If you are interested in offering your proposed session as a featured keynote during Friday breakfast, indicate your interest on the submission form. If your proposal is not chosen as a keynote, you may still be a presenter at the conference. If accepted as a keynote contributor, your registration fee(s) will be waived. 

All presentation rooms will have a whiteboard, laptop connection, projector, and screen. If you require any additional technology or support to ensure equal access to the presentation space, please include a note in the appropriate part of the submission form.

Proposal Submission

Submit your proposal using Google Forms. This form includes space for a session title, a 500-word description for reviewers, and a 50-word abstract (to appear in the conference program if accepted). Descriptions should be as specific as possible about the role of the presenters, the participation of others in attendance, and the contribution the session makes to our work and scholarship. Proposals are due by November 20, 2024.

All proposals will undergo anonymous review by members of the MWCA board. Decisions on proposals will be delivered by email in early January.