Suggests it is commonplace among rhetoric and composition faculty to expect those who assume discipline-related administrative positions to become vulnerable at tenure time. Looks closely at the problem of gaining tenure in English departments when one is not a literary specialist. Suggests several possible approaches to establishing a successful…

Suggest junior English department faculty may be setting themselves up for failure by identifying more with the values of the computers and writing community than those of their home institutions. Argues that junior faculty should not consider seeking value for work unless it impacts pedagogy, service, or publication. Cites various guidelines for…

Addresses the "community" within an English department. Considers what image of the department the author can have that allows the possibility of forgiving one another. Discusses what metaphors describe the department: a lifeboat; a hive; a monastery; an ecosystem; or a minefield. Considers how metaphors account for the best and the worst things…

Notes that four computers and writing specialists and one librarian who had found work in a variety of nontraditional, nonteaching positions were asked to meet at LinguaMOO and talk about their careers. Contains a version of that conversation as edited for print purposes, and the annotations and responses made after the fact by the participants.…

Looks at various issues set before English departments by recent federal legislation uncapping the mandatory retirement age. Examines the "worst case" scenario of unlimited tenure. Argues that while it is too early to predict the effects of this legislation, preliminary indications show that incentives for early retirement are working.…

Lists guidelines to help department administrators reduce their liability and strengthen their position when faced with grievances or lawsuits. (AEA)

Examines one English department in the midst of establishing an independent writing major and program. Analyzes situational constraints in the context of professional concerns regarding tenure and in current disciplinary concerns regarding recognition of computers and composition labor. Argues for establishing tenure and promotion guidelines that…

Raises questions about the evaluation process for composition faculty who use computer and Internet technologies in the classroom and for distance learning. Discusses the "panoptic" effect made possible by the accessibility of class Web pages to administrators. Concludes with a set of practical recommendations for faculty and their departments on…

Looks at the complexity of the "technorhetorician's" place within traditional academic institutions. Points out the shortcomings of current positionalities assigned to technorhetoricians. Argues that these scholars are a diverse and multilayered group whose members occupy many positions, emphasizing the shifting and sometimes contradictory nature…