The Composition Program at UNC Pembroke hosted a First-Year Plenary on March 20, 2024.  The First-Year Composition (FYC) Committee organized the event, which featured presentations, collaborative sessions, and a luncheon for English faculty members. The event was sponsored by ETWL, the Center for Student Success, and the University Writing Center.  

During the retreat, Dr. Lance Cummings (UNC Wilmington) explored some of the concerns as well as the positive aspects of Artificial Intelligence (AI).  Cummings is an Associate Professor of English in the Professional Writing Program at UNC Wilmington.  Cummings offered a balanced perspective on AI and how it will continue to affect academic and professional pursuits.   

The retreat also included Breakout Sessions facilitated by UNCP faculty members.  Dr. Cyndi Miecznikowski led a session on teaching with AI while Dr. Virginia Garnett presented about teaching with multimodality.  Dr. Nikki Agee and Deana Johnson offered information on teaching stretch composition courses.

“Events like today offer us an opportunity to both celebrate and improve what we do by inviting outsiders with new ideas that challenge or support our current vision but, more importantly, by inviting us to exchange ideas and problems and propose solutions that validate what we do and why and what we’d like to do or do better in ways only we ourselves (and maybe our students) could know or imagine because we are striving toward the same goals,” stated Dr. Cyndi Miecznikowski, Associate Professor.

The retreat also included a presentation by Dr. Enrique Reynoso who is Assistant Teaching Professor and Director of Composition at the University of Washington-Bothell. Reynoso described assignments used in Stretch Composition courses.  He also focused on strategies to assist students in beginning writing courses. 

            “We appreciate our faculty who attended the event. We are grateful to Mark Hunt, Director of Academic Advising, who spoke at the event. We thank, especially, Dr. Derek Oxendine, Dean of the University College and Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Success, who funded speaker honoraria and breakfast and lunch. I'd also like to thank Deana Johnson and FYC Committee members, Dr. Cyndi Miecznikowski, Dr. Elise Dixon, Dr. Robin Snead, and Dr. Virginia Garnett, whose hard work made this plenary successful,” added Dr. Nikki Agee, Assistant Professor and Director of First-Year Composition.