Making Administrative Work Visible: Data-Driven Advocacy for Understanding the Labor of Writing Program Administration

Making Administrative Work Visible is a collection of essays that explore the challenges and contributions of writing program administrators (WPAs) in higher education. The book highlights the lived labor experiences and research methodologies of WPAs, and advocates for recognizing and accounting for their work.

Format: Hardback
Length: 322 pages
Publication date: 01 April 2023
Publisher: University Press of Colorado

Making Administrative Work Visible is a groundbreaking collection that brings together diverse voices from graduate students, associated faculty, administrative staff, and tenured and tenure-track faculty at community colleges, regional state universities, liberal arts colleges, private colleges, and research-intensive institutions across the United States. The book aims to shed light on the challenges, both named and unnamed, faced by those who undertake writing program administration work.

The authors of this collection explicitly highlight the importance of this work and delve into the lived labor experiences and research methodologies of WPAs to gain a comprehensive understanding of the scope of their contributions to administration, labor in higher education, and the broader disciplines' collective obligation to advance social justice and advocacy.

The book is organized into three parts, each focusing on the most confounding challenges facing WPAs as well as the most compelling sites of their contributions. The first part, titled "Advocating through Representations of WPA Labor," explores how WPAs advocate for their work and the challenges they face in representing their contributions to administration, labor in higher education, and the disciplines. The authors use data to share and track the various work functions, job titles, grand narratives, program assessments, tenure and promotion, email practices, and other activities undertaken by WPAs in their administrative capacities.

The second part, titled "Advocating by Accounting for Time and Labor," emphasizes the need to account for the time and labor invested by WPAs in their administrative roles. The authors argue that recognizing and valuing the work of WPAs is crucial for sustaining this foundational area of higher education. They provide insights into the narratives for future data and studies that other scholars can undertake to further explore the range of WPA work and its invisibility.

The third part, titled "Advocating in and through Complex Institutional Contexts," explores the complex institutional contexts in which WPAs operate. The authors discuss the challenges and opportunities that arise from working within different types of institutions, such as community colleges, regional state universities, liberal arts colleges, private colleges, and research-intensive institutions. They highlight the ways in which WPAs navigate these contexts and advocate for data-driven strategies needed to sustain their work and promote social justice and advocacy.

Contributors to the book include Kamila Albert, Brooke Anderson, Sheila Carter-Tod, Amy Cicchino, and Ana. Each contributor brings their unique perspectives and experiences to the table, contributing to a rich and comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by WPAs in their administrative roles.

Overall, Making Administrative Work Visible is a valuable resource for anyone interested in writing program administration, higher education, and social justice advocacy. The book provides a platform for WPAs to share their experiences, insights, and strategies, and for others to gain a deeper understanding of the critical work that they undertake. By advocating for the recognition and valuing of WPAs' work, the book contributes to the ongoing efforts to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in higher education.

ISBN-13: 9781646424467