Supporting a New Home for the Writing Studies Community
215 Comments
H
Howard Tinberg
3 months ago
I agree absolutely. The CCCC ought to stand on its own, vibrant and free.
C
Christina M. LaVecchia
3 months ago
The past week's decision-making has shown us who NCTE is. Let's believe them and break free. WE are what makes the Cs the Cs.
J
Jonathan Engeln Lambinet-Lacson
3 months ago
I'm signing because a 77-year-old scholarly organization was dissolved by a 16-member vote with no consultation of the membership it represented, and because governance that opaque disqualifies NCTE as a steward of the field's future. Writing studies needs an organizational home accountable to the people who do the work.
S
Supporter
3 months ago
NCTE's decision is stunning and wrong-headed, an insult to decades of work and dedication among writing scholars to build a disciplinary community.
P
Peggy ONeill
3 months ago
Writing studies is more important than ever . Writing scholars and teachers deserve to be treated with respect and their work supported. Unfortunately, the current NCTE leadership has failed to do that.
S
Supporter
3 months ago
I look forward to working together to find a new home for writing studies.
C
Chris Anson
3 months ago
Much of my professional identity over the past 46 years is wrapped up in CCCC, which has been summarily dismantled without broad consultation or transparency. Although during all those years I also supported the NCTE and was involved in multiple contexts in that organization, its recent actions have led me to lose faith in it as a principled organization and in its leadership.
D
Doug Downs
3 months ago
NCTE's path to its decision was the opposite of transparent, democratic, and respectful of disciplinary expertise. It demonstrated incredibly poor understanding of the nature of the Rhetoric and Writing Studies community represented in CCCC. NCTE's betrayal of trust, exposure of lack of solidarity with the writing studies community, and inept and insulting communication all demonstrate its unfitness to continue to provide a home for Rhetoric and Writing Studies.
C
Cara Messina
3 months ago
I believe our best path forward is creating an independent org separate from NCTE. We should refuse to work with an organization that chose to dismantle and censor our field in an attempt to control what we say. I hope our new org will center social justice and anti-racism, as NCTE continues to capitulate to threats targeting academic freedom.
T
Talinn Phillips
3 months ago
The trust that NCTE destroyed last week cannot be rebuilt. We, however, can build something new that serves our community better.
L
Louise Phelps
3 months ago
Featured
NCTE's relationship to CCCC has always been uncomfortable, and past chairs even considered trying to go independent. Despite the abruptness and disruption of NCTE's action, I don't think we should dwell on that but view it as an wonderful opportunity to establish the kind of organization that truly fits the diverse needs of our community. It is heartening to see many members and organizations stepping up to offer leadership to connect and communicate so we can do so.
K
Kathleen Yancey
3 months ago
Featured
One doesn't always get a second chance in life. Although as CCCC member, past CCCC Chair, CCCC Exemplar, and past NCTE President (among other roles), I am deeply sorry about the way CCCC's demise came about (i.e., dechartering), I am at the same time so very excited, optimistic, and hopeful about the new community we can create--together.
S
Seth Kahn
3 months ago
Featured
We can acknowledge the stability that NCTE provided to a nascent field for decades while we grew into ourselves, and also realize that in its current form, NCTE's presence is actually destabilizing. Neither do we need someone else to provide stability; we have the capacity to do it for ourselves.
S
Supporter
3 months ago
Featured
As a past chair of CCCC and CCCC Exemplar Award winner, we deserve organizations that respect our work and our views about our field.
D
Douglas Hesse
3 months ago
Featured
As a past CCCC chair and a past president of NCTE (and proud winner of its Distinguished Service award), I think writing teachers and scholars--and our students--will be better served a professional association outside NCTE at this point.
I agree absolutely. The CCCC ought to stand on its own, vibrant and free.
The past week's decision-making has shown us who NCTE is. Let's believe them and break free. WE are what makes the Cs the Cs.
I'm signing because a 77-year-old scholarly organization was dissolved by a 16-member vote with no consultation of the membership it represented, and because governance that opaque disqualifies NCTE as a steward of the field's future. Writing studies needs an organizational home accountable to the people who do the work.
NCTE's decision is stunning and wrong-headed, an insult to decades of work and dedication among writing scholars to build a disciplinary community.
Writing studies is more important than ever . Writing scholars and teachers deserve to be treated with respect and their work supported. Unfortunately, the current NCTE leadership has failed to do that.
I look forward to working together to find a new home for writing studies.
Much of my professional identity over the past 46 years is wrapped up in CCCC, which has been summarily dismantled without broad consultation or transparency. Although during all those years I also supported the NCTE and was involved in multiple contexts in that organization, its recent actions have led me to lose faith in it as a principled organization and in its leadership.
NCTE's path to its decision was the opposite of transparent, democratic, and respectful of disciplinary expertise. It demonstrated incredibly poor understanding of the nature of the Rhetoric and Writing Studies community represented in CCCC. NCTE's betrayal of trust, exposure of lack of solidarity with the writing studies community, and inept and insulting communication all demonstrate its unfitness to continue to provide a home for Rhetoric and Writing Studies.
I believe our best path forward is creating an independent org separate from NCTE. We should refuse to work with an organization that chose to dismantle and censor our field in an attempt to control what we say. I hope our new org will center social justice and anti-racism, as NCTE continues to capitulate to threats targeting academic freedom.
The trust that NCTE destroyed last week cannot be rebuilt. We, however, can build something new that serves our community better.
NCTE's relationship to CCCC has always been uncomfortable, and past chairs even considered trying to go independent. Despite the abruptness and disruption of NCTE's action, I don't think we should dwell on that but view it as an wonderful opportunity to establish the kind of organization that truly fits the diverse needs of our community. It is heartening to see many members and organizations stepping up to offer leadership to connect and communicate so we can do so.
One doesn't always get a second chance in life. Although as CCCC member, past CCCC Chair, CCCC Exemplar, and past NCTE President (among other roles), I am deeply sorry about the way CCCC's demise came about (i.e., dechartering), I am at the same time so very excited, optimistic, and hopeful about the new community we can create--together.
We can acknowledge the stability that NCTE provided to a nascent field for decades while we grew into ourselves, and also realize that in its current form, NCTE's presence is actually destabilizing. Neither do we need someone else to provide stability; we have the capacity to do it for ourselves.
As a past chair of CCCC and CCCC Exemplar Award winner, we deserve organizations that respect our work and our views about our field.
As a past CCCC chair and a past president of NCTE (and proud winner of its Distinguished Service award), I think writing teachers and scholars--and our students--will be better served a professional association outside NCTE at this point.