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- Date: Thu, 24 Dec 1992 15:01:29 -0600
- Sender: "Megabyte University (Computers & Writing)" <MBU-L@TTUVM1.BITNET>
- From: LHAMPLYONS@CUDNVR.DENVER.COLORADO.EDU
- Subject: Re: our teachers, our students
- Lines: 31
-
- Good for you, Irv: I certainly didn't mean to suggest that other people in
- other situationa should stop being WPAs. There are many shcools with with
- real potential for improvement, and God bless 'em and their WPAs. Nor did I
- mean that I am giving up on WPA-ing per se--indeed I may just become one such
- elsewhere, where the potential for movement toward excellence exists. But I
- know when I can't vchange things, and I know too that my carer devpt here is in
- no way dependent on WPA activities (in fact, the WPA job counts as "Service,"
- even the TA pre- ad in-service training; and I do so much other "service" that
- I could not receive any reward at all for WPA vbecause I already had "scored
- all available brownies" in that category). Thus every hour I take from research
- or tecahing prep, grading, etc. and put into Writing Program takes away from
- my merit raise and my promotion prospect for Full Prof. Selfish? You betcha:
- I didn't make this US system, I just live in it. Dave Schwalm has found a way,
- or a school, that enables WPA-ing within the tenure/reward system. What I
- dound was that I was tiring myself out, losing chances for reward, and
- perpetuating an unjust systen for TAs, adjuncts, and consequently for students.
- The only hope for change was if I refused to continue. My job has been
- shared on a temporary basis among 4 people and 2 committees. We'll see...
- Do I feel good about it? No, no, no. The TAs and adjuncts are left pretty much
- in the lurch, becuase all this pieces of people and comittees won't equal a real
- person to come talk to. But I just heard from Brian Huot that only 14% of writi
- ng
- programs have WPAs who are qualified and have publications in rhet/comp. I
- assume those others manage somehow.
-
- The restructuring comp programs thread is fascinating. I hope it continues: I
- am being pulled in both directions, as I read the messages.
- Liz Hamp_Lyons
- English/Applied Language
- University of Colorado, Denver
- LHAMPLYONS@cudnvr.denver.colorado.edu
-