<div dir="ltr"><span id="gmail-m_-2520234376067259515gmail-m_-4929586176807949482gmail-docs-internal-guid-4e58c2ae-7fff-e3cf-433f-8ccdf1f2e064" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Dear members of ATTW-L,</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The Graduate Committee of the Writing Program Administrators Graduate Organization (WPA-GO) is excited to announce a special election for </span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">three</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> Executive Board positions. Please find attached and shared below a cover letter from our Chair, Gabbi Kelenyi, explaining the impetus behind this special election and the impact we hope it has on our organization. Also attached to this message are the calls for the three positions we have available: Vice Chair, Diversity & Outreach Chair, and Treasurer. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The deadline for submitting an application for these positions is 11:59PM CST on September 30, 2020. WPA-GO Graduate Committee members are happy to answer any questions. Additionally, we will be hosting virtual information sessions on </span><a href="https://uwmadison.zoom.us/j/99806329780" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Thursday, September 17, from 6-7pm EST/ 3-4pm PST</span></a><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">, and on </span><a href="https://meet.google.com/qwp-yzjj-cfm" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Tuesday, September 22, from 6-7pm EST/ 3-4pm PST</span></a><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">. Please drop-in to ask questions, hear more about the available positions, and chat with Graduate Committee members!</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Best,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Gabrielle Kelenyi, on behalf of WPA-GO’s Graduate Committee</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> --</span></p></span><span id="gmail-m_-2520234376067259515gmail-m_-4929586176807949482gmail-docs-internal-guid-a040b22e-7fff-cc13-abfb-67608fa202c5" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Dear WPA-GO Members, Followers, and Graduate Students at large, </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">My name is Gabrielle (Gabbi) Kelenyi, and I am the new Chair of the Writing Program Administrators Graduate Organization (WPA-GO) for the 2020-2021 academic year. </span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">I am writing to announce that we are opening a special election to our general membership to fill the executive board positions of Vice Chair, Diversity & Outreach Chair, and Treasurer on the Graduate Committee. </span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Whereas normally these executive board positions are open to current Graduate Committee members only, we are hoping to recruit more leaders to positively impact WPA-GO for years to come. This cover letter serves to contextualize the special election in light of our organization’s current trajectory.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The WPA-GO Graduate Committee (GC) is a team of supportive individuals who work together to devise plans to provide support to graduate students nationwide in accessible, intentional, and engaging ways, and bring those plans to fruition. Over the summer, the WPA-GO Graduate Committee embarked on a path to work through some of the cognitive dissonance between what we as members expect from WPA-GO initiatives/ programs and what we experience. In an effort to better respond to the needs of our membership, support graduate students interested in WPA scholarship and practice, and become leaders in actively anti-racist and inclusive organizational practice, we are engaging in intense reflection and planning to make ongoing improvements to WPA-GO. One of the best ways to begin this work is to make structural changes. We begin that work with this special election. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">To that end, </span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">WPA-GO is seeking leaders who are committed to making lasting structural changes within our organization</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">--</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">reliable self-starters who will not only bring ideas to the table but will also help envision how to execute those ideas in actively anti-racist, inclusive, and accessible ways. </span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">We’re looking for innovative leaders with ideas to help WPA-GO really address the emergent needs of graduate students across the country. Beyond that, we’re looking for creative thinkers who are solutions-oriented and enthusiastic about working in teams to get things done and done well. We plan to develop ways to sustainably offer more regularly scheduled and free programming to graduate students--both virtually and in-person. We want this programming to provide social support, professional development, networking opportunities, a greater sense of connection and community within our membership, and we want the programs we start this year to feasibly continue next year and beyond. To accomplish these programmatic goals, we need ambitious leaders who are dedicated to building lasting relationships and structures that can easily be passed down and improved upon from one Graduate Committee to the next. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Most importantly, WPA-GO demands identity-conscious representation that will amplify underrepresented voices in academia.</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> To be quite frank, the current nine-member Graduate Committee severely lacks racial, ethnic, and gender diversity. One of the first steps toward building a more equitable organization is becoming an organization in which graduate students from a variety of backgrounds can </span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">see</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> themselves; that begins with leadership. Furthermore, the Writing Studies field in general is one in which many members of nondominant communities, including myself, struggle to see themselves. WPA-GO can help begin to change that perception of WPA work by electing leadership that actually represents people of a wide variety of colors, genders, sexualities, abilities, statuses, classes, etc. </span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The statement instructions in our applications to run for these executive board positions specifically ask about race, gender, class, ability, migrant status, and sexuality in order to build an equitable organization, not because these aspects of identity define individuals but because these are the primary axes of oppression and privilege. Thus, WPA-GO specifically encourages people from nondominant communities to run for these executive board positions on the GC, and </span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">the election process for each position will not move forward until at least TWO people from nondominant communities apply</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">WPA-GO typically receives 3-5 applications for positions on the Graduate Committee each year. We hope that this cover letter encourages many, many more. </span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">However, we understand that graduate students lead very busy, multi-faceted lives, and our current context does not allow for business as usual. As an organization of graduate students, we are very aware of the explicit and implicit demands for increased pandemic productivity, and we do not intend for this call to add to those demands. Thus, we encourage you to read the calls for Vice Chair, Diversity & Outreach Chair, and Treasurer carefully to determine if any of the positions are the right fit for you and your plans this year.</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> WPA-GO Graduate Committee members will be hosting virtual drop-in information sessions on </span><a href="https://uwmadison.zoom.us/j/99806329780" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Thursday, September 17th, from 6-7pm EST/ 3-4pm PST</span></a><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">, and </span><a href="https://meet.google.com/qwp-yzjj-cfm" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Tuesday, September 22nd, from 6-7pm EST/ 3-4pm PST</span></a><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> to answer questions, share experiences, and hopefully help interested parties determine how/ if positions fit their plans and schedules. If you have individual questions or concerns about WPA-GO, this special election, or any of the positions, or if you can’t attend one of the information sessions, please feel free to contact me directly at the email address below or reach out to any of the current </span><a href="http://wpacouncil.org/aws/CWPA/pt/sp/wpa-go" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Graduate Committee</span></a><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> members. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Sincerely,</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Gabrielle Kelenyi</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Chair, Writing Program Administrators Graduate Organization (WPA-GO)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="mailto:kelenyi@wisc.edu" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line:none"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">kelenyi@wisc.edu</span></a><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br></span></p></span><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><font color="#073763">Gabrielle Kelenyi, Chair<br></font></div><div><font color="#073763"><span>Amanda Presswood</span><span style="font-size:small">, Past Chair</span></font></div><div><ul><li><font size="1" color="#073763">WPA-GO <a href="http://wpacouncil.org/wpa-go" target="_blank">Website</a><br></font></li><li><font size="1" color="#073763"><a href="https://twitter.com/wpa_go" target="_blank">Twitter</a> & <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wpa_go" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: @wpa_go<br></font></li><li><font size="1" color="#073763"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/wpa.go/" target="_blank">Facebook</a></font></li></ul></div><div><font color="#073763"><img src="https://docs.google.com/uc?export=download&id=0B7c758dHd0P_SVZLblFud3Fqajg&revid=0B7c758dHd0P_SkRCTDRxM29GYjNoU3pqdS8yaTFrRzVQNXY0PQ" width="200" height="50"></font><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>