06/30/2024

Message from Outgoing CWPA President

A Message of Gratitude, Reflection, and Moving Forward

Dear CWPA Members,

I find it hard to believe that a year has passed since I sent my first message to you as CWPA President, and what a year it has been!

This past week has been an incredible opportunity to reflect on my time as President. Spending that week with CWPA summer workshop facilitators and participants was certainly the best and most fulfilling way to end my tenure as President and a reminder of why I wanted to serve as a leader of my home professional organization in the first place.

I love the fact that this year has been bookended with two significant events: the 2023 summer conference in Reno, NV and the 2024 summer workshop in Orlando, FL. Both events were held in person for the first time in four and five years, respectively. To me successful in-person events signal that the organization has turned a corner and it’s on its way to full recovery after one of the most challenging, testing, disheartening, and strenuous years in CWPA’s history.

The summer conference and workshop, as significant as they are for the organization’s health, were not the only markers of success and achievement this year:

Forming the WPA Outcome Statement (WPA OS) 4.0 Task Force (TF)  last fall, bringing together renowned scholars and WPAs who represent the diversity of this organization and our field: institutional type, gender, race, ethnicity, and areas of expertise. Since the formation of the TF, I have heard nothing but praise and expression of confidence in its esteemed members.

I provided this TF with very specific charges that, I hope, reflect writing program administrators’ needs as well as the recent advances in technology, culture, and program administration theory and research. The TF has been working on those charges, and according to the latest update received from the co-chairs, they should have a first draft of the new WPA OS by the end of this year.

While I got the WPA OS 4.0 TF started on their critical charges, their work will continue under a Full leadership team and a Complete Executive Board for the first time in more than three years. For the first time, the Nominating Committee received a record number of 11 nominations for the EB. After what has been a very successful election cycle, CWPA members chose a new President, Vice President/President Elect, and Four new EB members. As many of you know, I spent my year as President without a VP, which doubled my workload as I found myself performing the tasks of both roles. So I’m really glad that starting July 1^st, this won’t be the case again.

In addition to these achievements, I believe what I’m more proud of is the fact that I delivered on many of the key elements in my agenda as outlined in my Vice President/President Elect statement in 2021.

Summer Conference

I delivered on the conference theme for the 2023 Reno conference: Social Justice WPAing.

CWPA Workshop

Besides recruiting diverse facilitators to lead the workshop over the past two years, I worked with CWPA sponsors to create a scholarship that allowed one program administrator from a Two-year college to attend the workshop this year.

Membership and Committees

• Organizing the monthly virtual events was a highlight of my time as President. A total of 280 participants attended 8 virtual workshops, 4 of which were free, member-only events. Outstanding colleagues from a wide range of institutions kindly shared their expertise, knowledge, and experiences on various topics with program administrators from across the country.
• I opened committee service to everyone who was willing to serve regardless of their membership status. This year, 55 committee members, ranging from graduate students to senior scholars, served on 7 committees and delivered on all their respective committee charges.
• Despite our tight budget, I revived the Research Grants committee to support program administration research. As a WPA scholar, I value research and consider it the foundation of our work as program directors. After committee co-chairs Holly Hassel and Joanne Giordano offered a well-attended workshop on “Designing and Funding Equity-Focused Program Research,” the committee received a record number of 16 proposals on equity-focused research projects that aim to advance equity at writing programs.

It's crucial to acknowledge that while I provided the vision for the work done at CWPA this year, NOTHING could have been possible without the immense efforts of so many people:

CWPA Officers

Amanda Presswood, Secretary

Christal Seahorn, Treasurer

Kelly Blewett, former Secretary and Incoming President

Mary McCall, former Treasurer

Dominic DelliCarpini

who did not hesitate to come back and serve as Immediate Past President after serving the organization for a decade.

Executive Board Members

Committee members and chairs

CWPA sponsors

And everyone who professionally, financially, morally, and emotionally supported the organization this past year.

As CWPA starts a new chapter under Kelly Blewett’s and Erin Lehman’s leadership, I’d like to ask all our members to give them your solid support as they lead this organization forward to achieve our mission. Give them your suggestions, feedback, advice; engage with the organization work by serving on committees and connecting with others at events. Leading a national professional organization is a HUGE responsibility that is both time- and labor-intensive, and we do that voluntary work because we believe in the mission of CWPA.

Deepest gratitude for everyone who encouraged, supported, critiqued, advised, and challenged me over this past year. You made my year as President INCREDIBLY rewarding and fulfilling. My heart is full, confident in the future of this organization, and I leave with both my and CWPA’s head held high. It's been an absolute honor and privilege to serve you in this capacity.

 

Gratefully and humbly,

Lilian Mina, Outgoing CWPA President