Info Session: Professional Development Opportunities with OWCA & Election Application Workshop
2023-11-03 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
At this informational session, you will learn about opportunities for professional development and discipline-level service with the Online Writing Centers Association. We’ll talk about OWCA’s mission, our upcoming election, volunteer opportunities with our various committees, and the skills you can develop by volunteering with the organization. You will also have a chance to ask questions and receive feedback on your own potential application.

This is an open event and you do not need to be an OWCA member to participate. OWCA events are currently held in a Zoom Pro room. The session will be recorded and later posted with a transcript and captions on the OWCA website.

Register at our scheduling link.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at events@onlinewritingcenters.org

Executive Board Applications Due
2023-11-15
The OWCA is currently accepting applications for the following positions:

Assistant Treasurer
Assistant Secretary
Diversity & Social Justice Co-Chair
Accessibility Co-Chair
Virtual Events Co-Chair
Student Representative (2 positions available)
Grant Coordinator

Anyone is welcome to apply. Applications are due November 15 (by end of the day).

Example Applications

View example Officer applications

Reading Club: Where We Are: AI and Writing
2024-02-29 16:00 - 17:00
Reading club provides a space to discuss writing center scholarship. Based on the articles or chapters chosen, participants will share experiences, ideas, strategies, and questions about online writing centers (OWCs).
Reading Abstract
February’s reading club discussion will be a little different. This month, we’re asking participants to “read around” some recent publications concerning generative AI and writing. Choose one or more articles from the “Where We Are: AI and Writing” section of Composition Studies 51.1 and/or from the upcoming Computers and Composition 71 and come ready to discuss what you’ve read. Through this “read around,” participants become familiar with their chosen text(s) through thorough reading or skimming. We’re hoping this approach will help facilitate a discussion around multiple dimensions of this burgeoning issue.
Guidelines for Participating
Reading Club is currently held in a Zoom Pro room. Participation is open to everyone, including not-yet OWCA members. To ensure a safe space for open communication and interaction, these sessions will not be recorded.
Register
You can register for a reading club through the scheduling system below. Follow these steps:

Select your time zone from the drop-down menu
Click the “Register” button next to the event you’d like to attend
Fill out the registration form and click “Complete Registration”
Save your confirmation email to have the Zoom information or cancel your registration later. You can also respond to this email to contact the event organizers.

A reminder email will also be sent the morning of the event.

2024 OWCA Conference
2024-04-11 - 2024-04-12
The OWCA’s 3nd virtual conference will take place asynchronously and synchronously. This year’s theme is The Vital Writing Center: Evolution and Endurance.
Questions? Email owca-conference@onlinewritingcenters.org
Conference Schedule
Preview the extensive list of both asynchronous and synchronous presentations.
Asynchronous presentations will be uploaded shortly before the conference and will be viewable throughout the conference. Synchronous sessions will be held via Zoom.
How to Attend
While there is no unique conference registration fee, an OWCA membership is required by all who wish to present and/or attend. One-year OWCA memberships are $5-15 for students and $40 for professionals. Not a member? Join the OWCA!

Registration is required. Please complete our OWCA 2024 Conference Registration Form by April 1.

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2024 Conference Information

Accessibility Guides

Use OWCA's Accessibility Resources

Conference Schedule

View conference schedule

Reading Club: Asynchronous and Rhetorical: Appointment Forms and Their Effect on Writer-Consultant Exchanges
2024-04-25 14:00 - 15:00
Reading club provides a space to discuss writing center scholarship. Based on the article or chapter chosen, participants will share experiences, ideas, strategies, and questions about online writing centers (OWCs). April’s reading club discussion will focus on “Asynchronous and Rhetorical: Appointment Forms and Their Effect on Writer-Consultant Exchanges” by Lizzie Hutton, Kate Francies, Danielle Hart, Anita Long, and Brenda Tyrrell published in The Writing Center Journal. A copy of the article will be available for registered participants.
Reading Abstract
“Drawing on asynchronous consultation data, this comparative study examines the specific effect of the writer appointment form on the nature of both writers’ requests for feedback (RFFs) and consultants’ resulting comments. Our findings suggest that differently designed appointments forms can scaffold significantly different kinds of asynchronous writer-consultant exchanges, especially visible in the different emphases writers and consultants put on issues of correctness, clarity, organization, and the writer’s rhetorical situation.”
Guidelines for Participating
Reading Club is currently held in a Zoom Pro room. Participation is open to everyone, including not-yet OWCA members. To ensure a safe space for open communication and interaction, these sessions will not be recorded.
Register
You can register for a reading club through the scheduling system below. Follow these steps:

Select your time zone from the drop-down menu
Click the “Register” button next to the event you’d like to attend
Fill out the registration form and click “Complete Registration”
Save your confirmation email to have the Zoom information or cancel your registration later. You can also respond to this email to contact the event organizers.

A reminder email will also be sent the morning of the event.

Webinar: "From Transactional to Transformative: Supporting Students Writing Self-Promotional Genres"
2024-05-30 16:00 - 17:00
Webinars provide a space to share experiences, ideas, strategies, and questions about online writing centers (OWCs).
Event Details

Presenters: Erin Todey
Title: “From Transactional to Transformative: Supporting Students Writing Self-Promotional Genres”
Hosting Organization: Online Writing Centers Association

This webinar will discuss how to support students—especially those who identify as first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented—in writing self-promotional genres throughout the duration of their studies. Presenter Erin Todey, Assistant Director of the McNair Scholars Program at Iowa State University, will discuss multiple self-promotional genres with an emphasis on the statement of purpose for graduate school applications.

ASL Interpretation and Recording
We work with Morr Interpreting to provide American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters in each webinar. Webinars are recorded, given edited closed captions, and shared in our Event Archive up to 2 weeks after the event date.
Guidelines for Participating
Webinars are currently held in a Zoom Pro room. Participation is open to everyone, including not-yet OWCA members. To ensure our interpreters are visible and can translate without auditory or visual distractions, we ask that participants keep their audio and video turned off during the event. Participants are welcome to ask questions and contribute in the chat.
Recording
This event will be recorded, and the recording will be available to the public.
Register
You can register for a webinar through the scheduling system below. Follow these steps:

Select your time zone from the drop-down menu
Click the “Register” button next to the event you’d like to attend
Fill out the registration form and click “Complete Registration”
Save your confirmation email to have the Zoom information or cancel your registration later. You can also respond to this email to contact the event organizers.

A reminder email will also be sent the day of the event.

Championing DEI in the Job Market: Strategies for Academic Success (ft. Gloria Poveda) with OWCA Events & Group Mentoring
2024-08-29 14:00 - 15:00
Webinars provide a space to share experiences, ideas, strategies, and questions about online writing centers (OWCs).
Event Details

Presenters: Gloria Poveda
Title: “Championing DEI in the Job Market: Strategies for Academic Success (ft. Gloria Poveda) with OWCA Events & Group Mentoring”
Hosting Organization: Online Writing Centers Association

This webinar will explore the importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the academic job market. Whether tutoring writers in these genres or conducting their own job searches, participants will gain valuable insights into advocating for DEI in their professional journeys. Attendees will explore how DEI principles influence job search strategies, application processes, and workplace culture. The session will provide an overview of identifying and applying for positions prioritizing DEI, interpret job descriptions with a DEI lens, and craft application materials highlighting the commitment to these values.

ASL Interpretation and Recording
We work with Morr Interpreting to provide American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters in each webinar. Webinars are recorded, given edited closed captions, and shared in our Event Archive up to 2 weeks after the event date.
Guidelines for Participating
Webinars are currently held in a Zoom Pro room. Participation is open to everyone, including not-yet OWCA members. To ensure our interpreters are visible and can translate without auditory or visual distractions, we ask that participants keep their audio and video turned off during the event. Participants are welcome to ask questions and contribute in the chat.
Recording
This event will be recorded, and the recording will be available to the public.
Register
You can register for a webinar through the scheduling system below. Follow these steps:

Select your time zone from the drop-down menu
Click the “Register” button next to the event you’d like to attend
Fill out the registration form and click “Complete Registration”
Save your confirmation email to have the Zoom information or cancel your registration later. You can also respond to this email to contact the event organizers.

A reminder email will also be sent the day of the event.

Reading Club: "Promoting Writing Center Awareness to Diverse Populations with OWCA Events & Group Mentoring"
2024-09-26 13:00 - 14:00
Reading club provides a space to discuss writing center scholarship. Based on the article or chapter chosen, participants will share experiences, ideas, strategies, and questions about online writing centers (OWCs). This month, the OWCA Reading Club will read and discuss two recent articles on the experiences of diverse students and tutors in writing centers. Attendees will discuss both articles as well as how to promote awareness of writing center services, in particular to non-native English speakers and first-generation students.
Guidelines for Participating
Reading Club is currently held in a Zoom Pro room. Participation is open to everyone, including not-yet OWCA members. To ensure a safe space for open communication and interaction, these sessions will not be recorded.
Register
You can register for a reading club through the scheduling system below. Follow these steps:

Select your time zone from the drop-down menu
Click the “Register” button next to the event you’d like to attend
Fill out the registration form and click “Complete Registration”
Save your confirmation email to have the Zoom information or cancel your registration later. You can also respond to this email to contact the event organizers.

A reminder email will also be sent the morning of the event.

Webinar: “Asynchronous Feedback: Access and Possibility”
2024-10-09 13:00 - 14:00
Webinars provide a space to share experiences, ideas, strategies, and questions about online writing centers (OWCs).
Event Details

Presenters: Miriam Akervall and Emma Catherine Perry
Title: “Asynchronous Feedback: Access and Possibility”
Hosting Organization: Online Writing Centers Association

This webinar explores asynchronous feedback as a mode for reaching writers who might otherwise be excluded from a writing center community. Drawing on experiences developing an online writing center that serves incarcerated writers through asynchronous feedback, two writing center leaders will consider how asynchronous capabilities create affordances for writing support to bridge access and ability. The webinar will include a group discussion about techniques for building inclusive writing communities across distance and logistical barriers, and the liberatory possibilities of asynchronous writing support for historically or institutionally underserved writers.

ASL Interpretation and Recording
We work with Morr Interpreting to provide American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters in each webinar. Webinars are recorded, given edited closed captions, and shared in our Event Archive up to 2 weeks after the event date.
Guidelines for Participating
Webinars are currently held in a Zoom Pro room. Participation is open to everyone, including not-yet OWCA members. To ensure our interpreters are visible and can translate without auditory or visual distractions, we ask that participants keep their audio and video turned off during the event. Participants are welcome to ask questions and contribute in the chat.
Recording
This event will be recorded, and the recording will be available to the public.
Register
You can register for a webinar through the scheduling system below. Follow these steps:

Select your time zone from the drop-down menu
Click the “Register” button next to the event you’d like to attend
Fill out the registration form and click “Complete Registration”
Save your confirmation email to have the Zoom information or cancel your registration later. You can also respond to this email to contact the event organizers.

A reminder email will also be sent the day of the event.

2025 OWCA Conference Proposals Due
2024-10-31 23:59
Proposals for the 2025 Conference have been extended and are now due on October 31.
Read the CFP and submit your proposal.

February Board Elections Applications Due
2025-02-21
2025 February Election
Applications will be accepted for the following executive board positions:

Accessibility Co-Chair
Assistant Secretary
Assistant Treasurer
Diversity and Social Justice Co-Chair
Grant Coordinator
Secretary
Virtual Events Co-Chair
Website Coordinator

Please see the position description for application questions. The application deadline has been extended to the end of the day on February 21.

Example Applications

View example Officer applications

Vote for Executive Board
2025-02-24 - 2025-03-03
Submit your vote for the February 2025 Executive Board. Each member may vote one time. Voting will close on Sunday, March 3, at 11:59pm. Results will be announced by March 10.
Learn more and submit your vote for Executive Board members.

Webinar: AI and Academia
2025-05-15 11:00 - 12:00
Webinars provide a space to share experiences, ideas, strategies, and questions about online writing centers (OWCs).
Event Details

Presenters: Dr. Wendy Stewart
Title: “AI and Academia”
Hosting Organization: Online Writing Centers Association

Dr. Wendy Stewart of Miles College, who is well versed on the impact of AI in academia as well as strategies that we as professionals can use to incorporate AI into our work. You can find out more about her work at her LinkedIn page.

ASL Interpretation and Recording
We work with Morr Interpreting to provide American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters in each webinar. Webinars are recorded, given edited closed captions, and shared in our Event Archive up to 2 weeks after the event date.
Guidelines for Participating
Webinars are currently held in a Zoom Pro room. Participation is open to everyone, including not-yet OWCA members. To ensure our interpreters are visible and can translate without auditory or visual distractions, we ask that participants keep their audio and video turned off during the event. Participants are welcome to ask questions and contribute in the chat.
Recording
This event will be recorded, and the recording will be available to the public.
Register
You can register for a webinar through the scheduling system below. Follow these steps:

Select your time zone from the drop-down menu
Click the “Register” button next to the event you’d like to attend
Fill out the registration form and click “Complete Registration”
Save your confirmation email to have the Zoom information or cancel your registration later. You can also respond to this email to contact the event organizers.

A reminder email will also be sent the day of the event.

2025 OWCA Professional Development Symposium
2025-05-20
The OWCA Professional Development Symposium will be held May 20, 2025.
Questions? Email owca-conference@onlinewritingcenters.org
How to Attend
Registration is required. Please register via our OWCA 2025 Symposium Form.

While there is no unique conference registration fee, an OWCA membership is required by all who wish to present and/or attend. One-year OWCA memberships are $5-15 for students and $40 for professionals.

Not a member? Join the OWCA!
2025 Conference Information

Accessibility Guides

Use OWCA's Accessibility Resources

Conference Schedule

View conference schedule

Reading Club: "How to cheat on your final paper: Assigning AI for student writing" with OWCA Events & Group Mentoring
2025-06-16 14:00 - 15:00
Reading club provides a space to discuss writing center scholarship. Based on the article or chapter chosen, participants will share experiences, ideas, strategies, and questions about online writing centers (OWCs). This month, the OWCA Reading Club will read and discuss an article that explores a study in which undergraduate students were tasked with “cheating” on a final essay for class through the required use of generative AI. Attendees will engage in meaningful conversation about the article as well as implications of ethical AI usage, more broadly.
Guidelines for Participating
Reading Club is currently held in a Zoom Pro room. Participation is open to everyone, including not-yet OWCA members. To ensure a safe space for open communication and interaction, these sessions will not be recorded.
Register
You can register for a reading club through the scheduling system below. Follow these steps:

Select your time zone from the drop-down menu
Click the “Register” button next to the event you’d like to attend
Fill out the registration form and click “Complete Registration”
Save your confirmation email to have the Zoom information or cancel your registration later. You can also respond to this email to contact the event organizers.

A reminder email will also be sent the morning of the event.

Conference Co-Chair and Vice President Applications Due
2025-06-27
The OWCA is currently accepting applications for the following positions:

Conference Co-Chair
Vice President

Anyone is welcome to apply. Applications are due June 27, 2025 (by end of the day).

Example Applications

View example Officer applications

Live Talk: The Power of Dialogue by Dr. Jill Dahlman & Dr. Nicholas Valley
2025-08-21 15:00 - 16:00
The Online Writing Centers Association presents “The Power of Dialogue” by Dr. Jill Dahlman and Dr. Nicholas Valley. Join us for a dynamic discussion exploring how meaningful conversations shape writing center work, learning environments, and collaborative practice.
Guidelines for Participating
This live talk will be held via Zoom. Participation is free to OWCA members, with a small fee for non-members. To ensure a safe space for open communication and interaction, these sessions will not be recorded.
Register
You can register for a reading club through the scheduling system below. Follow these steps:

Select your time zone from the drop-down menu
Click the “Register” button next to the event you’d like to attend
Fill out the registration form and click “Complete Registration”
Save your confirmation email to have the Zoom information or cancel your registration later. You can also respond to this email to contact the event organizers.

A reminder email will also be sent the morning of the event.

Executive Board Position Applications Due
2025-10-15
Executive Board Position Elections
The OWCA hosts yearly elections for Officer positions on the Executive Board. You can learn about current OWCA Executive Board members here.
Anyone can apply for an Officer position, including not-yet OWCA members. We especially welcome and encourage people who identify as Queer/LGBTQ+, BI/POC, Indigenous, Disabled, Neurodivergent, or an otherwise marginalized identity to apply.
Those elected will need to be or become OWCA members to accept the position and serve their terms. Students and professionals who identify as people of color can become OWCA members at no charge.
Applications will be accepted for the following executive board positions:

Diversity & Social Justice Co-Chair
Accessibility Co-Chair
Virtual Events Co-Chair
Assistant Secretary
Assistant Treasurer
2 Student Representatives

Applications and nominations are due October 15th through the following Google Form. For help with any questions, please contact election@onlinewritingcenters.org.

Example Applications

View example Officer applications

Webinar: Navigating Conversations in the Current Socio-Political Climate in Writing Centers
2025-11-07 15:00 - 16:00
Webinars provide a space to share experiences, ideas, strategies, and questions about online writing centers (OWCs).
In today’s polarized socio-political climate, writing centers continue to serve as vital spaces for dialogue, learning, and student support. At the same time, writing center professionals face growing challenges as they respond to shifting institutional landscapes and external pressures while remaining committed to their core values.
The Online Writing Centers Association (OWCA) is excited to bring together a panel of four distinguished scholars, whose critical and courageous voices have shaped the field. Their research highlights how writing centers can serve as brave spaces and contact zones, fostering authentic conversations about language and the evolving role of writing centers in higher education.
The panel conversation will be guided by moderators whose expertise in writing center scholarship and leadership will provide a strong foundation for drawing out the panelists’ insights.
Event Details
Panelists: Drs. Eric Camarillo, Frankie Condon, Jasmine Tang & Talisha Morrison
Moderators: Drs. Ashley Newby & Nicole Caswell
When: Friday, November 7th at 3 p.m. EST / 2 p.m. CST / 1 p.m. MST / 12 p.m. PST
This is a live event and will not be recorded.
To Register
You can register for a webinar through the scheduling system below. Follow these steps:

Select your time zone from the drop-down menu
Click the “Register” button next to the event you’d like to attend
Fill out the registration form and click “Complete Registration”
Save your confirmation email to have the Zoom information or cancel your registration later. You can also respond to this email to contact the event organizers.

A reminder email will also be sent the day of the event.

Panelist Bios:
Dr. Eric Camarillo
Dr. Eric Camarillo is a higher education professional with over a decade of experience that spans teaching, writing center management, and administrative leadership. He has worked at institutions in multiple states, successfully navigating and adapting to different legislative policies. He has published work in Praxis: A Writing Center Journal, WLN: A Journal of Writing Center Scholarship, and the Journal of Academic Support Programs. He has also presented at numerous writing center or writing-related conferences, including the International Writing Centers Association, the National Conference on Peer Tutoring in Writing, the Conference on College Composition and Communication, and the Online Writing Centers Association. He was the keynote speaker for the Mid-Atlantic Writing Centers Association 2024 conference, NCPTW President from 2021-2022, and the book review editor for the Writing Center Journal from 2021 to 2025. He currently serves as the reviews editor for the Online Literacies Open Resource publication through GSOLE and as the Vice President for the South Central Writing Centers Association.
Dr. Frances Condon
Frankie Condon is a Professor in the Department of English Language and Literature at the University of Waterloo and Past Chair of the Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC). Frankie’s recent co-edited collection, CounterStories from the Writing Center(with Wonderful Faison) is the winner of the International Writing Center Association’s 2023 Outstanding Book Award. Among her other books are her monograph, I Hope I Join the Band: Narrative, Affiliation, and Antiracist Rhetoric (2013 Top Five “Must Reads”, Educators Award Committee of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International); Performing Anti-Racist Pedagogy in Rhetoric, Writing and Communication, co-edited with Vershawn Ashanti Young; and The Everyday Writing Center: A Community of Practice (co-authored with Geller et al). Her current projects include new monographs: The Road to Hell: A History of Colour-Blind Rhetoric and Working-Class Consciousness, under contract with Pennsylvania State University Press, and Encounters with Bean: Contending with White Supremacy in the Antiracist Classroom, under contract with Utah State University Press.
Dr. Talisha Morrison
Dr. Talisha Haltiwanger Morrison (she/her) serves as Director of the OU Writing Center, Associate Professor of Writing, and affiliate faculty in the OU English Department at the University of Oklahoma.
Dr. Morrison’s research and administration interests span writing center theory, mentorship, community-based writing, and Black feminist studies. In particular, her research focuses on intersectional approaches mentoring and administration.
As an administrator, Dr. Morrison centers the mentoring, support, and professional development of student consultants and the value of cross-campus partnerships. As Director of the OU Writing Center, she has fostered relationships with units such as OU Libraries, the OU Graduate College, OU Admissions, the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity office (UReCA), and Cosmic Shakti, a local community wellness space.
Dr. Morrison regularly presents at national and international conferences including the Conference on College Composition and Communication, the Conference on Community Writing, and the International Writing Centers Association Conference. She is co-editor of Writing Centers and Racial Justice: A Guidebook for Critical Praxis (2023), and more of her work can be found in publications such as the Writing Center Journal, the Journal of Multimodal Rhetoric, and the award-winning collection, Out in the Center. Her current projects include Making a Way: Black Women Navigating Graduate School and Early Careers in Rhetoric and Writing Studies and Social Justice in the Center: A Guide for Writing Tutors.
Dr. Jasmine K. Tang
Jasmine Kar Tang (she/her/hers) is interested in how Asian American and Women of Color feminisms meet writing center theory and practice. A recipient of an IWCA Outstanding Article Award (2023), Jasmine is currently researching the experiences of Asian and Asian American writing tutors at U.S. universities. She is also co-editor of The Reluctant Supervisor: Recognizing and Rethinking Power in Writing Center Supervisory Practices (forthcoming, Utah State University Press). Jasmine works at the Student Writing Support program at the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities.

Moderator Bios:
Dr. Nicole Caswell
Nikki Caswell (she/her) is the Director of the University Writing Center and Professor of English at East Carolina University. She researches socially-just approaches to writing assessment, emotion, and writing centers, and is co-author of two award winnings books The Working Lives of New Writing Center Directors and Failing Sideways: Queer Possibilities for Writing Assessment. She currently serves at the Vice President of the OWCA.
Dr. Ashley Newby
Dr. Ashley Newby currently serves as a senior lecturer and the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the African American Studies Department at the University of Maryland, College Park; and writing coach for the Academic Success Center at National University. She has previously served as a lecturer in writing and rhetoric at both the University of California, Los Angeles and Stanford University. She completed her doctoral degree in African American and African Studies at Michigan State University. She earned her M.A. in Sociology of Education at New York University and B.A.s in International Relations and Social Relations and Policy from Michigan State University. Her research interests lie at the intersections of Black Language, Hip-Hop culture and educational spaces, with a particular focus on culturally sustaining pedagogies.

Vote for Executive Board Members Deadline
2025-11-22 00:00 - 23:59
Submit your vote for 2026 Executive Board Members. Each OWCA member may vote once in this ballot. Voting will close on Saturday, November 22, 2025 at 11:59pm ET. Results will be announced by Monday, November 24th.
Please login and submit your vote for Executive Board members.
