My question for class is what exactly does historicizing writing program administration do for us?
I think Heckathorn and McLeod makes cases for why it should matter, and I don't think any of us would necessarily disagree. But when we discussed a WPAs "ways of knowing" I don't think that historical knowledge of the field was on the list. Was it? At the very least we (meaning us in this class) seem to be prioritizing other "ways of knowing" like curriculum development, placement testing, politics, and others above historical knowledge.
Maybe another way to state this is "where does historicizing writing program administration fall in terms of prioritizing WPA knowledge?" Is it essential? Is it a luxury?
TS
