Spring 2009 SYMPOSIUM

The 6th annual University Writing and Research Symposium will take place on Thursday, April 23 through Friday, April 24 on the Foggy Bottom and Mount Vernon campuses of The George Washington University. In panels of three of four speakers, in roundtable discussions, in research poster sessions, or even in dramatic readings of original works, students in the first-year writing course (UW20) present their research and writing in a public forum that includes fellow students, faculty, and members of the broader DC community.

Writing is a social act: audiences shape writing, and in turn, writing shapes the perceptions and viewpoints of audiences. UW20 students whose proposals have been selected by their peers and/or faculty will share their scholarly work with an audience comprised of fellow students, faculty, friends, and community members drawn from across the University and the Washington, D.C. area. This capstone event is an opportunity for students and faculty to see what their peers in other first-year writing courses are doing and to get useful, sometimes eye-opening feedback on their own work. Describing the Symposium as "one of the year's best programs," Dean of Freshmen Frederic Siegel has noted that "the intellectual engagement of freshmen is one of our most important priorities and the Symposium works perfectly in this regard."

All students are encouraged to attend the Symposium, and the final program of presenters will be selected by a review panel of UW20 faculty. Proposals are due Friday, April 3. Selected presenters will be notified by Monday, April 13. For details, see the Call for Proposals.

SPONSORSHIP: The Spring 2009 University Writing and Research Symposium was organized by the First-Year Writing Faculty of the University Writing Program, with sponsorship and support from the UWP, the Elizabeth J Somers Women's Leadership Program, Mount Vernon Campus Life, Gelman Library, the University Bookstore, and the Office of the Dean of Freshmen.

Spring 2009, University Writing Program, 801 22nd St. NW, Rome Hall 553,
Washington, DC 20052 | phone: (202) 994-0208| fax: (202) 994-3196
Site maintained by 2009 Symposium Co-Director, Katherine Larsen, klarsen@gwu.edu.