The Write Way: Celebrating Student Work as a Path to Deeper Learning
Location
Logan, UT
Start Date
8-13-2025 12:00 PM
End Date
8-13-2025 12:45 PM
Description
Utah State University’s Composition Program has long championed authentic, student-centered assessment through its celebration of undergraduate writing and research. Since 2007, Voices of USU: An Anthology of Student Writing and its companion event—now the Emerging Scholars Conference—have offered students the opportunity to publish and present their work to real audiences. These platforms not only validate the intellectual labor of composition students but also provide meaningful formative experiences that foster confidence, reflection, and professional growth. We recognize that the new Center for Civic Excellence at Utah State will dramatically shift the way we teach composition in general education; however, we assert that celebrations of student writing in general education classes can continue to offer evidence of student learning, teacher expertise, value to the community, and support of USU’s strong tradition of undergraduate research. This presentation explores how public celebrations of student writing have served as alternatives to traditional, high-stakes assessment—amplifying student voices, showcasing instructor mentorship, and building community. We will also address the labor required to sustain these efforts, especially in a shifting institutional context. Ultimately, we argue that authentic celebrations of student work—whether through publication, presentation, or mentorship—remain essential to fostering academic growth, recognizing student learning, and honoring the complexity of writing instruction in higher education.
The Write Way: Celebrating Student Work as a Path to Deeper Learning
Logan, UT
Utah State University’s Composition Program has long championed authentic, student-centered assessment through its celebration of undergraduate writing and research. Since 2007, Voices of USU: An Anthology of Student Writing and its companion event—now the Emerging Scholars Conference—have offered students the opportunity to publish and present their work to real audiences. These platforms not only validate the intellectual labor of composition students but also provide meaningful formative experiences that foster confidence, reflection, and professional growth. We recognize that the new Center for Civic Excellence at Utah State will dramatically shift the way we teach composition in general education; however, we assert that celebrations of student writing in general education classes can continue to offer evidence of student learning, teacher expertise, value to the community, and support of USU’s strong tradition of undergraduate research. This presentation explores how public celebrations of student writing have served as alternatives to traditional, high-stakes assessment—amplifying student voices, showcasing instructor mentorship, and building community. We will also address the labor required to sustain these efforts, especially in a shifting institutional context. Ultimately, we argue that authentic celebrations of student work—whether through publication, presentation, or mentorship—remain essential to fostering academic growth, recognizing student learning, and honoring the complexity of writing instruction in higher education.