Discourse and Writing/Rédactologie  Volume 34, 2024  http://journals.sfu.ca/dwr     47     Article  Introduction: Special Issue on Teaching Academic Writing in Canada Sarah Seeley  University of Toronto Mississauga  Oguzhan Tekin  University of Toronto Mississauga  Tyler Evans-Tokaryk  University of Toronto Mississauga  Introduction We  would  like  to  begin  by  thanking  everyone  who  contributed  to  this  Special  Issue:  the  authors,  whose exciting work we  ll discuss below; the reviewers, many of whom were exceedingly generous  with their time; and the outgoing Editors of Discourse and Writing/Rédactologie, Kim Mitchell and  Sean Zwagerman. We are pleased to have this opportunity to extend particular thanks to Kim, who  graciously provided behind-the-scenes support throughout the entire process of editing this Special  Issue. Finally, we would like to thank Julia Kiernan of Lawrence Technological University, who first  developed  the  idea  for  this  Special  Issue  several  years  ago.  While  she  ultimately  stepped  away  to  focus on other projects, this Special Issue would not exist without her crucial early contributions.   In our Call for Proposals (which was circulated before the release of ChatGPT-3 in November of  2022),  we  invited  scholars  to  submit  proposals  for  articles  that  explored  Canadian  approaches  to  academic writing. We were specifically interested in scholarship that was cross-disciplinary and that  shared writing pedagogies that could be adapted for different institutional contexts. Perhaps most  importantly, we encouraged submissions that focused on the following pedagogical circumstances:  location  and  place;  work  within  and  between  disciplines  and  departments;  and  writing-related  knowledge transfer. We specified these issues because, to our understanding, the history of academic  writing  instruction  in  Canada  has  made  these  some  of  the  more  pressing  challenges  confronting  writing instructors today.   Discourse and Writing/Rédactologie  Volume 34, 2024  http://journals.sfu.ca/dwr     48     As  we  noted  in  that  CFP,  Canadian  approaches  to  academic  writing  have  often  been  framed  in  contrast to similar knowledge work being undertaken in the U.S. As most readers of this Special Issue  will know, Canadian approaches to teaching academic writing have evolved in ways that are quite  unique from American approaches to writing studies. For evidence of this, one need look no further  than Graves and Graves   (2006) landmark collection of essays that examined the   baffling variety of  writing  courses,  centres,  programs,  and  degrees  offered  at  Canadian  universities    (p.  1),  each  of  which was designed to meet the unique needs of its institution and bore little resemblance to what  would  typically  be  found  in  the  United  States.  Accordingly,  the  articles  in  this  issue  build  on  scholarship  that  has  examined  trends  in  Canadian  writing  instruction  and  mapped  out  the  intellectual terrain of those who teach, study, and support writing within the Canadian context.  In  conceptualizing  this  Special  Issue,  we  were  interested  in  learning  more  about  the  Canadian  approaches to teaching academic writing across different contexts. Despite the wide array of topics  suggested by the call for this Special Issue (e.g., plurilingualism, remote teaching and learning, firstyear writing courses and the concept of transfer), submissions emphasised two major trends on the  Canadian  landscape  of  academic  writing:  (a)  movement  towards  the  decolonization  of  academic  writing in both scholarship and teaching (e.g., Brydon, 2016; Fladd &amp; Marken, 2019) with a particular  emphasis on Indigenous voices (i.e., Indigenous ways of being and doing) and (b) how approaches to  writing  in  the  disciplines  (WID)  and  to  writing  centre  practice  continue  to  influence  knowledge  creation (e.g., Procter, 2011).  Vis-à-vis the decolonization of the writing curricula, Prescott-Brown suggests small-scale changes  such  as  the  introduction  of  a  multimodal  writing  task  to  implement  decolonial  and  antiracist  pedagogies  in  writing  classrooms,  whereas  Toorenburgh  and  Gaudet  demonstrate  the  impact  of  indigenizing a first-year writing course to better support this specific population of students. Their  work has gone beyond ensuring students   improved academic performance to also promoting a sense  of  belonging  a  crucial  factor  for  student  success,  retention,  and  mental  health  (e.g.,  Gopalan  &amp;  Brady, 2019; Strayhorn, 2018).   In addition, the profound impact of WID and writing centre practices on inclusion and knowledge  creation emerged in several contributions to this Special Issue. For example, Natarajan argues that  writing  centres  are  the  exact  spaces  to  revolutionize  how  writing  is  perceived  particularly  by  the  traditionally  White  leadership.  Bell  et  al.  demonstrate  precisely  this  as  they  present  the  writing  centre as a space that brought together a writing centre director, a librarian, and an academic writing  specialist  in  an  effort  to  make  their  website  more  welcoming  and  approachable  by  integrating   Discourse and Writing/Rédactologie  Volume 34, 2024  http://journals.sfu.ca/dwr     49     Western  and  Indigenous  approaches.  Wright-Taylor,  in  addition,  argues  for  cross-disciplinary  collaborations wherein writing curricula become insulated from neo-imperialist influences.   Cournoyea  et  al.,  on  the  other  hand,  suggest  that  writing  centres  can  and  should  become  hubs  where graduate student writers can not only pursue individual writing goals but also bond and build  communities of practice regardless of their disciplines, which can help with overcoming social and  academic  isolation.  Articles  in  this  Special  Issue  also  show  us  how  writing  as  knowledge  creation  functions within college curricula (Tremblay et al.), how it may be delimited by university policies  (Marcel &amp; Kang), and how it intersects with faculty feelings of self-efficacy (Mitchell). In sum, these  articles illustrate how our collective knowledge work builds communities as it cross-cuts theory and  practice, which is particularly important given the social, political, and technological uncertainties  that characterize contemporary higher education.    Significance We see this Special Issue contributing to Canadian Writing Studies through its survey of more recent  developments in our field. More broadly, we hope this open access venue enables the dissemination  of these ideas to other disciplinary communities across Canadian higher education. Nodding again to  Margaret Procter, we know that writing instruction occurs in diverse ways across Canadian curricula,  and we believe that sharing our collective expertise more broadly is an important means of fostering  instructional alignment across the disciplines.   This is an important pedagogical development because, while writing programs continue to grow  (e.g.,  Science  Communication  at  McMaster  University;  first-year  writing  at  University  of  Toronto  Mississauga; Communication Arts at University of Waterloo; Writing, Rhetoric, and Communications  at  University  of  Winnipeg),  there  has  not  been  a  focused  examination  of  how  this  growth  has  complicated  approaches  to  teaching  and  learning  academic  writing  in  more  than  a  decade.  Most  importantly,  the  growth  of  these  programs  is  not  only  of  interest  to  writing  faculty.  Writing  is  a  complex cognitive activity, and writing tasks are ubiquitous assessments across the curriculum, as  noted in a University Affairs/affaires universitaires opinion piece by Andrea Williams (2022). In fact,  like Williams, Linda Adler-Kassner and Elizabeth Wardle have drawn attention to the fact that writing   continues to serve as a vehicle through which knowledge is both generated and demonstrated  and to draw the attention of many stakeholders who, regardless of their expertise, weigh in on  what   good writing   is, and how it should be taught and learned and by whom, and how that  learning should be assessed (2015, p. 6).     Discourse and Writing/Rédactologie  Volume 34, 2024  http://journals.sfu.ca/dwr     50     This tension is only amplified by the degree to which teaching and learning are increasingly mediated  by generative AI, which makes a synthesis of contemporary pedagogical trends and challenges in our  field even more timely.    Overview of the Special Issue The Special Issue starts with Bell, Keenan, and Faerber  s article   Truth and Reconciliation through  web design: Integrating Indigenist and Western approaches to teaching writing on a writing centre  website,    which  touches  on  both  major  trends  we  identify  above:  the  movement  towards  the  decolonization  of  academic  writing;  and  how  approaches  to  WID  and  writing  centre  practices  continue  to  influence  knowledge  creation.  The  ensuing  articles  engage  with  at  least  one  of  these  trends,  doing  so  by  exploring  topics  ranging  from  first-year  writing  to  writing  program  policies.  Below, we offer two ways of engaging with the Special Issue: a series of editorial descriptions listed  alphabetically  by  first  author  surname  followed  by  a  rhetorical  table  of  contents.  Taken  together,  these articles illustrate how Canadian approaches to teaching and learning academic writing have  forged a unique path through their emphasis on the value of Indigenous knowledges, decolonization  and antiracism, and community building efforts. We have learned so very much during our work on  this project, and we hope this will be true for colleagues and readers within the Canadian writing  community and beyond.   Theresa Bell, Caitlin Keenan, and Jonathan Faerber recount the challenges and triumphs (of which  there  are  plenty)  they  experienced  as  they  reformed  their  writing  centre  website  by  blending  Western and Indigenist approaches. One of the many features that make this contribution unique is  that, instead of reporting their findings in the traditional Western format and dictating what to take  away  from  their  work,  these  authors  adopt  an  Indigenous  story-telling  approach  which  invites  readers to join them in a cordial conversation that allows self-reflection. This, in turn, grants readers  the  agency  to  take  action  based  on  their  individual  contexts  while  appreciating  Indigenous  perspectives and experiences.   Michael  Cournoyea,  Boba  Samuels,  and  David  Calloway  foreground  the  social  exigencies,  opportunities, and obstacles that encase graduate writing across Canadian higher education. Their  article  describes  a  graduate  writing  group,  Inked:  The  Health  Sciences  Writing  Collective  at  the  University of Toronto. In doing so, they illustrate their approach to creating an academic space where  graduate student writers feel seen, heard, and in community with one another. Inked is an impactful  and replicable initiative, which is noteworthy given the documented loneliness of graduate school   Discourse and Writing/Rédactologie  Volume 34, 2024  http://journals.sfu.ca/dwr     51     (e.g., Kalubi et al., 2020). This initiative also stands out because members of groups like these may  become socialized to think more deeply about their writing processes, which will surely have positive  trickle-down effects for their own pedagogies, in cases where they go on to become educators across  the disciplines.    Faith  Marcel  and  Phoebe  Kang  present  an  overview  of  generative  AI  and  academic  integrity  policies  at  Canadian  universities.  Their  survey  of  publicly  accessible  university  resources  at  16  Canadian universities provides educators, researchers, and administrators with a concrete historical  baseline  from  which  to  analyze  and  judge  future  policy-related  developments.  This  snapshot  of  current policies and documentation lays bare the many challenges and opportunities generative AI  presents for faculty, students, and stakeholders involved in the teaching and learning of academic  writing in higher education.   Kim  Mitchell  shares  the  results  of  two  large  survey  studies  of  Canadian  faculty  members    individual  and  collective  self-efficacy  for  teaching  writing.  Her  research  concludes  that  faculty  members have higher individual than collective self-efficacy and reveals a strong tendency among  instructors to blame both students and institutions for students   purported inability to write. She  concludes by recommending strategies for changing faculty members   attitudes towards academic  writing instruction in higher education.   Srividya Natarajan examines the established tropes that defined American writing centres in the  past (e.g., the   Burkean Parlour   and the   fix-it shop in the basement  ) and explores their impact on  writing centre practice. She uses a variety of unconventional writing strategies ranging from poetry  to reflection to question the value of these tropes and ultimately propose alternatives that present  new ways of thinking about writing pedagogy and the culture of Canadian writing centres as a whole.  The article concludes with a call for new frameworks, a new set of pedagogical ground rules, and new  staffing models in the writing centre.   Marci  Prescott-Brown  acknowledges  that  implementing  antiracist  and  decolonial  writing  pedagogies  can  sometimes  be  perceived  as  a  difficult  task,  and  so  she  encourages  Canadian  instructors to engage with micro-level policies as a way of responding to this important call. By way  of an example, she provides readers with a concrete and broadly adaptable multi-modal writing task  (i.e.,  involving  reading,  writing,  listening,  and  speaking)  that  can  be  utilized  in  various  learning  contexts. The author concludes with illuminating insights from students as to the feasibility of and  gains from this writing task.    Discourse and Writing/Rédactologie  Volume 34, 2024  http://journals.sfu.ca/dwr     52     Lydia  Toorenburgh  and  Lauren  Gaudet  share  the  process  and  the  outcome  of  an  exemplary  collaboration between a non-Indigenous faculty and an Indigenous staff, aiming to foster a sense of  belonging  in  and  to  increase  the  retention  of  Indigenous  university  students  via  a  first-year  introductory  writing  course  offered  at  a  Canadian  university.  Following  a  detailed  report  of  the  survey data on the impact of said writing course, these authors also provide a genuine behind-thescenes account of their personal experiences throughout a process that was marked by a wide range  of emotions from delight to discomfort.  Taunya Tremblay, Jamie Zeppa, Shannon Blake, Kiley Bolton, Katarina Ohlsson, Christine Dalton,  Victoria Yeoman, and Lavaughn John, detail the rewards and challenges associated with enacting a  full-scale curricular change within a large writing program at the college level. In doing so, they offer  an important contribution to our larger understanding of writing-related knowledge transfer. Having  collected qualitative data from both students and instructors, the authors paint a positive picture of  students   learning experiences and metacognitive capabilities. This article importantly exemplifies  the current growth of first-year writing in Canada, as viewed through the lens of teaching for transfer.   Christin Wright-Taylor provides a history of the relationship between composition and applied  linguistics  within  the  Canadian  Association  for  Studies  in  Language  and  Learning  (CASLL),  also  known  as  Inkshed.  Building  on  Miriam  E.  Horne  s  study  of  this  pioneering  organization  s  development in Writing in a Community of Practice, Wright-Taylor excavates Inkshed  s newsletters  and conference programs and concludes that Inkshed does not appear to have embraced the same  institutional division of labour that has characterized American higher education over the years. She  concludes with a discussion of the implications this has for Writing Studies in Canada.    Rhetorical Table of Contents anti-racism &amp; decolonization: Bell et al.; Prescott-Brown; Natarajan; Toorenburgh &amp; Gaudet  community-building: Bell et al.; Cournoyea et al.; Toorenburgh &amp; Gaudet  writing  centre  practices  &amp;  associated  implications:  Bell  et  al.;  Cournoyea  et  al.;  Marcel  &amp;  Kang;  Mitchell; Natarajan  histories &amp; policies: Marcel &amp; Kang; Mitchell; Natarajan; Wright-Taylor  first-year writing: Toorenburgh &amp; Gaudet; Tremblay et al.   Discourse and Writing/Rédactologie  Volume 34, 2024  http://journals.sfu.ca/dwr     53     References Adler-Kassner, L., &amp; Wardle, E. (2015). Naming what we know: The project of this book. In L. AdlerKassner &amp; E. Wardle (Eds.), Naming what we know: Threshold concepts of writing studies (pp.  1  11). Utah State University Press.  Behrens, L. (2007). Writing and reading across the disciplines (Canadian ed.). Longmans.  Brydon, D. (2016). Experimental writing and reading across borders in decolonizing contexts. Ariel:  A Review of International English Literature, 47(1), 27  58.  Clary-Lemon, J. (2009). Shifting tradition: Writing research in Canada. American Review of  Canadian Studies, 39(2), 94  111.  Fladd, N., &amp; Marken, L. C. (2019). Introduction to the special section of conference proceedings from  the 2018 Canadian Writing Centres Association. Discourse and Writing/Rédactologie, 29, 184   195.  Gaudry, A., &amp; Lorenz, D. (2018). Indigenization as inclusion, reconciliation, and decolonization:  Navigating the different visions for Indigenizing the Canadian academy. AlterNative: An  International Journal of Indigenous Peoples, 14(3), 218  227.  Giroux, H. A. (2016). Writing the public good back into education: Reclaiming the role of the public  intellectual. In The new public intellectual (pp. 3  28). Palgrave Macmillan.  Gopalan, M., &amp; Brady, S. T. (2019). College students   sense of belonging: A national perspective.  Educational Researcher, 49(2), 134  137.Graves, R., &amp; Graves, H. (Eds.). (n.d.). Introduction:  Writing centres, writing Seminars, writing culture. In Writing centres, writing seminars, writing  Culture: Writing instruction in Anglo-Canadian universities (pp. 319  370). Inkshed Press.  Hall, B. L. (2009). Higher education, community engagement, and the public good: Building the  future of continuing education in Canada. Canadian Journal of University Continuing Education,  35(2), 11  23  Herteis, E., Wright, W. A., &amp; Abernethy, B. (2001). Learning through writing: A compendium of  assignments and techniques (Rev. ed.). Office of Instructional Development and Technology,  Dalhousie University.  Kalubi, J., Bertrand, Y., Dagenais, B., Houde, R., Marcoux, S., &amp; Bujold, M. (2020). Graduate students    mental health: Exploring experiences of isolation and loneliness. European Journal of Public  Health, 30(5).  Landry, D. L. (2016). Writing studies in Canada: A people  s history. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation.   Discourse and Writing/Rédactologie  Volume 34, 2024  http://journals.sfu.ca/dwr     54     Procter, M. (2011). Talking the talk and walking the walk: Establishing the academic role of writing  centres. In D. Starke-Meyerring, A. Paré, N. Artemva, M. Horne, &amp; L. Yousoubova (Eds.), Writing  in knowledge societies. The WAC Clearinghouse.  Robinson, G. J. (2000). Remembering our past: Reconstructing the field of Canadian communication  studies. Canadian Journal of Communication, 25(1), 105  125.  Schiele, B., &amp; Landry, A. (2012). The development of science communication studies in Canada. In  Science Communication in the World (pp. 33  63). Springer.  Smith, T. (2006). Recent trends in undergraduate writing courses and programs in   Canadian  universities. In R. Graves &amp; H. Graves (Eds.), Writing centres, writing  seminars, writing culture:  Writing instruction in Anglo-Canadian universities (pp. 319-370). Inkshed Press.  Strayhorn, T. L. (2012). College students' sense of belonging: A key to educational success for all  students. Routledge.  Williams, A. L. (2022, March 3). From combat to conversation and community: Reimagining  university writing. University Affairs/Affaires Universitaires. Retrieved July 25,2024 from  https://universityaffairs.ca/opinion/in-my-opinion/from-combat-to-conversation-andcommunity-reimagining-university-writing/

## Références

Adler-Kassner, L., & Wardle, E. (2015). Naming what we know: The project of this book. In L. Adler-Kassner & E. Wardle (Eds.), Naming what we know: Threshold concepts of writing studies (pp. 1–11). Utah State University Press.

Behrens, L. (2007). Writing and reading across the disciplines (Canadian ed.). Longmans.

D. (2016). Experimental writing and reading across borders in decolonizing contexts. Ariel: A Review of International English Literature, 47(1), 27–58.

J. (2009). Shifting tradition: Writing research in Canada. American Review of Canadian Studies, 39(2), 94–111.

N., & Marken, L. C. (2019). Introduction to the special section of conference proceedings from the 2018 Canadian Writing Centres Association. Discourse and Writing/Rédactologie, 29, 184–195.

A., & Lorenz, D. (2018). Indigenization as inclusion, reconciliation, and decolonization: Navigating the different visions for Indigenizing the Canadian academy. AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples, 14(3), 218–227.

H. A. (2016). Writing the public good back into education: Reclaiming the role of the public intellectual. In The new public intellectual (pp. 3–28). Palgrave Macmillan.

Gopalan, M., & Brady, S. T. (2019). College students’ sense of belonging: A national perspective. Educational Researcher, 49(2), 134–137.Graves, R., & Graves, H. (Eds.). (n.d.). Introduction: Writing centres, writing Seminars, writing culture. In Writing centres, writing seminars, writing Culture: Writing instruction in Anglo-Canadian universities (pp. 319–370). Inkshed Press.

B. L. (2009). Higher education, community engagement, and the public good: Building the future of continuing education in Canada. Canadian Journal of University Continuing Education, 35(2), 11–23

Herteis, E., Wright, W. A., & Abernethy, B. (2001). Learning through writing: A compendium of assignments and techniques (Rev. ed.). Office of Instructional Development and Technology, Dalhousie University.

J., Bertrand, Y., Dagenais, B., Houde, R., Marcoux, S., & Bujold, M. (2020). Graduate students’ mental health: Exploring experiences of isolation and loneliness. European Journal of Public Health, 30(5).

Landry, D. L. (2016). Writing studies in Canada: A people’s history. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation.

M. (2011). Talking the talk and walking the walk: Establishing the academic role of writing centres. In D. Starke-Meyerring, A. Paré, N. Artemva, M. Horne, & L. Yousoubova (Eds.), Writing in knowledge societies. The WAC Clearinghouse.

G. J. (2000). Remembering our past: Reconstructing the field of Canadian communication studies. Canadian Journal of Communication, 25(1), 105–125.

B., & Landry, A. (2012). The development of science communication studies in Canada. In Science Communication in the World (pp. 33–63). Springer.

Smith, T. (2006). Recent trends in undergraduate writing courses and programs in Canadian universities. In R. Graves & H. Graves (Eds.), Writing centres, writing seminars, writing culture: Writing instruction in Anglo-Canadian universities (pp. 319-370). Inkshed Press.

Strayhorn, T. L. (2012). College students' sense of belonging: A key to educational success for all students. Routledge.

Williams, A. L. (2022, March 3). From combat to conversation and community: Reimagining university writing. University Affairs/Affaires Universitaires. Retrieved July 25,2024 from https://universityaffairs.ca/opinion/in-my-opinion/from-combat-to-conversation-and-community-reimagining-university-writing/