Newsgroups: bit.listserv.mbu-l
Date:         Sun, 4 Oct 1992 10:40:06 CDT
From:         "(McDonald James C)" <jcm5337@USL.EDU>
Subject:      Wyoming Resolution

  In a session on the Wyoming Resolution at the Louisiana Association for
College Composition Saturday, we discussed several actions that we could take
as an organization and individually on our campuses.  Knowing that we may face
a budget cut of $300,000,000 next year on top of the $45,000,000 cut that
went into effect Thursday, we want to get out front with proposals and take
part in the debate before decisions are made.
  Many of the suggestions we talked about will sound familiar.
   1) If the faculty senate at an institution is not considering the AAUP
position paper last year on conditions for adjunct faculty, bring this statement
before the faculty senate and ask it to formulate policies regarding adjuncts.
If a committee is formed to study the adjunct situation, get involved with it
and make sure members get a copy of the CCCC Statement.
    2) Take part in the state AAUP lobby day if it is held again this year.
Two years ago the Louisiana AAUP organized a day at the capital where we would
hear about bills regarding higher education and then break up to meet with
legislators to lobby them.
   3) Cultivate acquaintances in the media and encourage them to do stories
about conditions of higher education and for teaching writing.
   4) Make these issues a subject of discussion in composition classes,
encouraging students (and their parents) to get involved.  The quality of their
education is at stake.
   5) Bring in a WPA consultant to evaluate the writing program.
  After our session LACC decided to take three actions as an organization.
   1) We passed a resolution and will draft letters to governing boards,
presidents, academic vice-presidents, deans, and English departments heads
stating that class sizes of writing courses should not be increased in order to
save money.  We will also issue a press release to local newspapers and media
as well as campus newspapers.
   2) We also passed a resolution and will be drafting a letter to the governor
and legislatures joining other organizations in demanding that they resolve the
budget crisis.
   3) We are instituting an annual award to recognize programs that work to
stay within CCCC guidelines.  This was an idea by Mary Sue Garay of LSU, who
will fund the award herself the first year.  I will survey writing programs in
part to determine who should receive the award.  Right now we'll concentrate on
class sizes but may open up the award to other standards in the CCCC statement.
     I don't know to what extent state and regional organizations have taken up
the Wyoming Resolution.  I know two state associations in Kentucky have, and I
have gotten Wyoming Resolution sessions on the programs of last year's and this
year's South Central MLA (you may be getting a report on that in a month).  I
would like to know what is going on.  We are feeling our way pretty much on our
own, without other associations to look to as models or for suggestions.  And
after three years of discussion at LACC, six years after the Wyoming Resolution
was drafted, people are getting discouraged.  Part of our effort is to fight
discouragement, to realize that the fight is going to be long and hard with
uncertain results but to keep on and try to get better at politicking.
  I'd appreciate any comments and suggestions about our actions and discussions,
as well as news from other quarters.
    Jim McDonald
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