Shug Jordan Lecture and Workshop brings Writing Across the Curriculum scholars to Auburn

Auburn instructors will soon get the chance to learn from two nationally recognized scholars in the space of writing instruction.

The opportunity, made possible through the Ralph “Shug” Jordan Lecture and Workshop, will feature Linda Adler-Kassner, associate vice chancellor of Teaching and Learning at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Elizabeth Wardle, Roger and Joyce Howe Distinguished Professor of Written Communication at Miami University.

University Writing will welcome the co-authors and frequent collaborators on Nov. 3 for the second annual Ralph “Shug” Jordan Lecture and Workshop “Promoting Access and Opportunity through Writing Across the Curriculum.”

“I am thrilled to host Drs. Adler-Kassner and Wardle,” said Christopher Basgier, director of University Writing. “Their expertise-based approach to writing instruction will definitely enrich teaching and learning at Auburn.”

Adler-Kassner and Wardle will discuss their framework for using Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) to support diversity, equity and inclusion goals as outlined in their book, Writing Expertise: A Research-Based Approach to Writing and Learning Across Disciplines. Following the lecture, they will lead a two-hour workshop where instructors will reflect and plan ways of opening access and building opportunity for students.  

Both are nationally recognized for their work in faculty development and innovation in writing instruction. Adler-Kassner is the faculty director of the Center for Innovative Teaching, Research and Learning at UCSB and former chair of the Conference on College Composition and Communication. Wardle co-authored Writing about Writing, a textbook used in over 400 colleges and universities, and is the director of Miami’s award-winning Howe Center for Writing Excellence.

Basgier and Miriam Marty Clark, Shug Jordan Professor of Writing, established the Shug Jordan Lecture and Workshop in 2022 as another avenue to engage instructors with WAC leaders. Auburn’s WAC program empowers instructors to teach high-impact, discipline-specific, writing-enriched courses and curricula. Through WAC academies, learning communities and workshops, University Writing offers numerous enrichment opportunities each year that advance Auburn’s commitment to providing exceptional writing instruction throughout all programs of study.

To attend the Shug Jordan Lecture and Workshop, please complete this survey to register by Nov. 1. To inquire about certification of writing-enriched courses or participation in a departmental WAC academy, email universitywriting@auburn.edu.