Topics for Discussion

Track 1. Faculty support: Organizational models, their effectiveness and challenges

Organizing faculty support has been gathering momentum, but university contexts differ greatly. We invite proposals that address the operational models and designs for faculty support and their impact on writing development among researchers and university staff.

• What aims do writing centers set to satisfy the current needs of the university?

• How do university authorities see the role of writing instructors / faculty support centers?

• What forms of support have been provided in different educational settings?

• What models of writing support seem to be effective? What are the success indicators?

• What synergies between academic writing instructors and institutional departments have been found and can be promoted?

Track 2. Ways of enhancing publication activity among university faculty

Many scholars are struggling to write papers for publication in English. We invite proposals that address the challenges plurilingual scholars face and ways of assisting them in their writing journeys.

• What challenges of identifying and scaffolding the writing of genres in different disciplines do we, as writing instructors / center trainers, encounter while providing faculty training?

• How can writing instructors / writing center staff help writers to meet journal editors’ expectations?

• What type of research is in place or should be done into enabling faculty to write in English?

Track 3. Professional development of writing instructors

Although teachers of English and writing instructors may serve as agents of change in this faculty support process, some do not publish much themselves.

• Why is this the case? How can writing instructors’ research and publications be boosted?

• Where and how can writing instructors develop their professional skills?

• Do Russian universities need an academic qualification “Academic writing instructor”?