Register Now

All events are free of charge and open to the community. 

Visit the MVC Culture of Writing Festival Homepage for more information.

Mountain View College is currently accepting writing workshop proposals for the 2019 Culture of Writing Festival!

The Mountain View College Culture of Writing Festival is an expression of the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) and its commitment to celebrating cultural voices in our community. Participants and attendees can look forward to a variety of workshops, shared-presentations, and performances, which address the academic concept of "Writing across the Curriculum.” This effort supports plans like the DCCCD’s “You're Hired” emphasis, “Guided Pathways” and similar degree planning approaches, and the four goals of the Texas 60x30TX strategic plan.

Mountain View College is a “Write to Work” college!

• Presenters will receive professional development credit through the Dallas County Community College District.
• Your audience is made up of faculty, staff, students, administration and the community!

• We are now accepting proposals for 90-minute workshops, which can be presented during the following times:

  • 09:30 AM - 10:50 AM (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday only)
  • 11:00 AM - 12:20 PM (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday only)
  • 12:30 PM - 01:50 PM (Tuesday and Wednesday only)
  • 2:00 PM - 3:20 PM (Tuesday and Wednesday only)
  • 04:30 PM - 05:50 PM (Monday - Thursday, Each day)
  • 06:00 PM - 07:20 PM (Monday - Thursday, Each day)
  • 07:30 PM - 08:50 PM (Monday - Thursday, Each day)

The deadline for submissions is Thursday, February 25, 2019, at 12:00PM (CST)

Submit Your Proposal Now!

About our Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP): www.mountainviewcollege.edu/QEP

About Writing Across the Curriculum:

Writing across the curriculum is a pedagogical movement that began in the 1980s. Generally, writing across the curriculum programs share the philosophy that writing instruction should happen across the academic community and throughout a student's undergraduate education. Writing across the curriculum programs also value writing as a method of learning. Finally, writing across the curriculum acknowledges the differences in writing conventions across the disciplines, and believes that students can best learn to write in their areas by practicing those discipline-specific writing conventions. WAC-designated courses tend to apply one or both of the following approaches.

Writing to Learn (WTL)

This pedagogical approach values writing as a method of learning. When students write reactions to information received in class or in reading, they often comprehend and retain the information better. Writing can also help students work through confusing new ideas and apply what they learn to their own lives and interests. Also, because students write more frequently, they become more comfortable with writing and are able to maintain or even improve upon their writing skills. WTL assignments are typically short and informal and can be performed either in or out of class. Examples include writing and reading journals, summaries, response papers, learning logs, problem analyses, and more.

Writing in the Disciplines (WID)

This approach recognizes that each discipline has its own unique language conventions, format, and structure. In other words, the style, organization, and format that is acceptable in one discipline may not be at all acceptable in another. WID believes that to participate successfully in the academic discourse of their community, students must be taught discipline-specific conventions and should practice using these conventions. Some common WID assignments are reports, literature reviews, project proposals, and lab reports. WID assignments can also be combined with WTL activities to help students think through key concepts, ideas, and language of in their disciplines.

[Source: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/671/1/]

60x30TX

The first and primary goal of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s 60x30TX strategic plan is for 60% of Texas citizens between 25-34 years old to hold a college degree or certificate in the year 2030. However, the latest data published in the 2016-17 THECB 60x30TX report suggests that trends in college degree completion rates between 2005 and 2015 pose serious challenges to meeting this goal. Failure to meet 60x30TX goals will mean that fewer and fewer people entering the burgeoning Texas population will be able to secure long-term gainful employment, and, according to former Texas state demographer Steve Murdock, the overall quality of life in Texas will decline proportionately.

Who should attend the Culture of Writing Festival:

• Discipline-centered community college professors teaching courses across the curriculum
• Directors of “Guided Pathways” initiatives at local campuses
• Directors of Writing Centers
• Composition and technical writing instructors
• Journalism instructors and student newspaper advisors
• Writing Center specialists and tutors
• Regional and statewide administrators addressing local and regional workforce needs
• Representatives of businesses and corporations who are pairing with area colleges and universities to support certificate programs related to their workforce needs
• Experienced writers and communicators in the workforce who are willing to mentor initiatives in our colleges to help prepare our students to become better writers
• Career and Workforce college counselors
• College and university academic advisors
• Institutional research and instructional assessment professionals

This conference is funded by Mountain View College and facilitated by members of the Mountain View College Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP): “The Pen is Our Power.” This conference is only one of many initiatives serving our goal “to nurture a culture of writing” and helps us to fulfill our mission “to empower people and to transform communities.