|
Advocacy Wherever the role of writers is questioned, AWP means to be there to represent writers. AWP's early advocacy on behalf of writers has focused on issues pertinent to education and the academic job place, such as addressing matters of inequity in the treatment of writers (the hiring, promotion, retention, and firing of writers in universities; the nature of writing programs, etc.). AWP writes letters on behalf of individuals and programs with legitimate complaints, letters which detail curricular information and policy statements, when relevant. In restructuring its governance, AWP also saw the need to provide the organization with legal counsel, in part, to provide counsel on advocacy issues. No other organization speaks on behalf of writers who teach in higher education, as writers who teach account for an increasing percentage of the total writing and publishing community in this country. AWP addresses itself to the opportunities for employment among writers, but its first concern is the quality of literary education in instances which involve writers and student writers. The AWP Board of Directors has formed two standing committees to serve as advocates for writers: Committee for Professional Standards The Professional Standards Committee provides letters of support, policy statements, advice, assistance, and referrals to legal counsel for the programs and faculty of AWP. The committee coordinates AWP's advocacy of fair treatment of writers in the academy, including adjuncts, professors, and instructors, and it may conduct inquiries on behalf of writers who have been denied appointments, promotions, or tenure. It also facilitates the creation of new creative writing programs and conducts evaluations or independent assessments of programs at the request of their institutions (see "AWP Guidelines for Creative Writing Programs & Teachers of Creative Writing"). AWP has published guidelines that establish the MFA as the appropriate terminal degree for the writer who teaches in higher education, and the committee often works to reinforce those guidelines. AWP has published two other important documents, "Hallmarks for A Successful Graduate Program in Creative Writing" and "Hallmarks for a Successful Undergraduate Program in Creative Writing," which set high standards for the development of creative writing programs; the committee uses these Hallmarks in the evaluation of writing programs. Committee for Freedom of Expression This committee works to watch and evaluate current threats to First Amendment rights, particularly those of writers, teachers, and publishers. It also advocates public funding for the arts. This work may include writing op-ed pieces and collaborating with other literary and arts organizations and legal counsel. AWP has cooperated with other academic and literary organizations, including the Literary Network, MLA, PEN, and the Author's Guild. In 1989, responding to a crisis at the National Endowment for the Arts and censorship issues nationwide, AWP co-founded the Coalition of Writers' Organizations, a coalition which took a strong stand in favor of First Amendment rights to speak, write, teach, and read. AWP also strongly supported federal funding for the arts. AWP was among the organizations which attended a historical arts summit; AWP has also testified in Congress on behalf of the arts and against censorship. |
|
Members of AWP are invited to read the Associatiation of Writers & Writing Programs Strategic Plan 2000 - 2010. This document details the goals, objectives, and strategies that the association will pursue throughout this decade. The complete Strategic Plan is available as a downloadable file in Portable Document Format (PDF). If you are a member of AWP, the AWP Board of Directors encourages you to send your comments on the Strategic Plan. Write to services@awpwriter.org or to any board or staff member of AWP.
|
