Approaches to Lifespan Writing Research
Generating an Actionable Coherence
“Burnin’ Daylight reads like a master class in developing strategies for administering writing programs. It leads the WPA reader to delve deeper and deeper into their programmatic rationale and planning."
—Jacob Babb, Appalachian State
“Ryan Dippre’s book intricately weaves anecdotes about his WPA life into his conceptions about what it means to lead a writing program while reminding the reader that a values-center approach lies at the heart of writing program administration. Dippre demonstrates a keen understanding of the field, offering references to threshold concepts, labor issues, relevant position statements, and antiracist pedagogy.”
— Melvin Beavers, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Rooted in contemporary understandings of social action, informed by up-to-date research on writing program administration, and attentive to the needs of value-driven decision-making, Burnin’ Daylight enables writing program administrators (WPAs) to shape writing programs that help people create the lives they envision. This book guides WPAs through the rough terrain of running a writing program during a period of sustained social and economic upheaval—and through the process of making their programs more principle-driven and sustainable along the way.
WPAs face a range of challenges on a regular basis: organizing class schedules, leading professional learning events, conducting program assessments, responding to student needs, meeting with deans and provosts, and more. Additionally, WPAs need to learn about and direct their programs strategically when considering the kind of program they currently have, the sort of program they envision, and how they can transition from one to another. Burnin’ Daylight acts as a roadmap for IRB-approved research and provides WPAs—specifically, new and returning WPAs—with a detailed yet flexible plan for understanding the inner workings of a writing program and how to develop a future trajectory for it.
Burnin’ Daylight is for writing program administrators of all experience levels and other administrators interested in taking a “principled practices” approach to their work.
