Site Application for the Onsite C&W
Conference
Virtual Worlds - Onsite
Note: We are also submitting an application to host C&W Online 2010. We have kept the applications
separate, for the most part, but this application does reference some aspects of the online conference, and
vice versa. Because we're proposing to host both onsite and online versions and because the conference
management and staff will be parallel, some information in the applications may be repeated.
Background Information
1. Date Application Posted
November 1, 2008
2. Name of Applicants (Co-Chairs)
David Blakesley
Director of Professional Writing and Professor of English
Samantha Blackmon
Director of Composition and Associate Professor of English
3. Institution
Purdue University
4. Postal and Email Addresses
Department of English
Purdue University
500 Oval Dr.
West Lafayette, IN 47907
blakesle@purdue.edu
blackmos@purdue.edu
5. Phone
765.494.3730 (Professional Writing and Introductory Composition office)
765.494.3772 (Blakesley's office)
765.409.2649 (Blakesley's cell)
765.494.3742 (Blackmon's office)
6. Year to host Conference
2010
7. Proposed Date for Conference Weekend
Thursday, May 20 — Sunday, May 23
These conference dates are ideal because they fall a full one week before the Rhetoric Society of America's
biennial conference, which has posed conflicts in the past (2008, for example) and one week before the
Indianapolis 500. Space in our main conference facility has already been reserved for all conference
activities, meals, and plenaries.
Conference Funding
1. Sources of funding
Purdue: Professional Writing, English, Liberal Arts, ITaP
In addition to support from Professional Writing, which has a modest budget, we will secure support from
the College of Liberal Arts to cover (at least) the conference registrations of all graduate student planners.
Professors Blakesley and Blackmon share a full-time secretary, who will assist throughout the planning
process. The Department of English has also agreed to provide .25 graduate assistance to support the
conference co-chairs during conference planning. We have received positive responses regarding support
from Information Technology at Purdue (ITaP) as well, in part because of the Teaching, Learning, and
Technology (TLT) division's interest in emergent technologies and virtual worlds.
Conference registration fees
We are sensitive to rising registration costs and so we have adopted a fee structure that allows us to balance
the budget and still keep fees low, as they have been at past conferences. Most meals during the conference
will be provided (with vegetarian and vegan options). There will be no added costs for special conferencerelated events. Guests of attendees (family, friends) will be able to purchase meal and event tickets
individually.
Vendor sponsorship
Vendors will sponsor some meals and special events and printing of the program. Vendors will also provide
goodies (like t-shirts and gift bags). All conference attendees will also receive gift bags in Second Life for
their personal inventories. Rather than charge vendors high prices for exhibit space and displays, we will
encourage other forms of sponsorship, which will lead to greater participation. We also will offer vendors
the opportunity to feature products in self-sponsored demonstration sessions. One publisher (Parlor Press)
has already agreed to provide support for an event.
2. Amount of funding
Purdue: Professional Writing ($5,000); Department of English (.25 graduate assistant @ ~ $7,000 per
year); Liberal Arts (20 registrations @ $175 each = $3,500; ITaP/TLT (free space, equipment, and support
for free wireless access; dollar amount not fixed)
Registrations: $85,680
Funding Summary
Category
Number
Amount Total
of
Attendees
Regular Registrations
250
$200
$50,000
Late Regular
Registrations
50
$250
$12,500
Student/Adjunct
Registrations
75
$150
$13,125
Student/Adjunct Late
Registrations
25
$175
$ 4,375
Half-Day Workshop
Registrations
50
$50
$ 2,500
Full-Day Workshop
Registrations
20
$80
$ 1,600
Weekend Registration
Only
10
$100
$ 1,000
Miscellaneous (guest
meals)
30
$20
$ 600
Professional Writing
Donation
$ 5,578.72
Total $91,258.72
3. How will you allocate funding? (Please attach detailed preliminary
budget)
This breakdown is based upon a budget estimate prepared by Purdue's Division of Conference Services,
which will manage registration, catering, room setup, and other events. For the actual working budget sheet
and background information presented by Purdue Conference Services, see the PDF document,
CWbudget.pdf (618 KB) or view it in iPaper right here. The Conference Services budget projection and
scheduling details will be modified as we move forward and are based in part on the arrangements made for
C&W 2003, which was hosted at Purdue.
Funding Allocation Summary
Signs & Posters
$100.00
Name badges
$112.50
Keynote speakers honoraria
$2,500
Travel
$1,500.00
Lodging
$750.00
Thurs. continental breakfast for 150
$1,487.50
Box lunches for workshop participants (150 x $12; Einstein's, delivered)
$1,800
Thursday Reception will be vendor-sponsored at a location near the Purdue
campus.
$0
Fri/Sat/Sun continental breakfasts for 400 x 3 days
$10,040.64
Fri/Sat am liquid only breaks for 300 x 3 days
$3,500.00
Fri/Sat pm liquid only breaks for 400 x 2 days
$3,500.00
Fri Lunch for 400 @ $19 each:
$7,600.00
Friday Banquet for 400 @ $25 each
$10,000.00
Sat.Lunch Picnic for 400 @ $19 each
$7,600.00
Sat. Dinner Hog Roast/Party for 400 @ $30 each
$10,000
Sun.contintental breakfast for 200 @ $8 each
$1,600.00
Sun. box lunch for 150 @ $10
$1,500
Parking Passes: 100 @ $2.00
$200
Conference registration confirmation letter
$247.50
AV Rental Thurs (LCD and microphones)
$302.24
AV rental Fri/Sat: (LCD and microphones)
$1,813.44
AV rental Sun. (LCD and microphones)
$755.60
Equipment rental (laptops, speakers)
$6,000
Promotion
$2,000.00
Awards & Entertainment
$4,000.00
Conference Division
$12,349.30
Total $91,258.72
4. Approximately what will you charge for registration? What will
additional events (e.g., special tours or trips) cost?
We anticipate that conference fees will breakdown as follows.
Category
Before April 20,
2010
After April 20, 2010
General Registration Fee
$200
$250
Student/Adjunct Registration Fee
$150
$175
Pre-Conference Half-Day
Workshop
$50 (in addition to
conference fee)
$50 (in addition to
conference fee)
Pre-Conference Full-day
Workshop
$80 (in addition to
conference fee)
$80 (in addition to
conference fee)
Graduate Research Network
Free
Free
Weekend Registration Only
$100
$100
As indicated in the preliminary budget, conference fees will cover refreshments throughout the conference,
continental breakfasts on Thursday through Sunday, lunch on Thursday through Sunday, the Friday
banquet and entertainment, and the Saturday evening hogroast. The Thursday evening opening reception
will be vendor-sponsored. Special events (tours, entertainment) will be free. All meals will be provided and
housing will be inexpensive (especially at the residence halls; see "Conference Facilities" for more details
about housing options). As mentioned above, the School of Liberal Arts has in the past covered a certain
number of registrations for local graduate students as well. We expect that will happen again.
Conference Facilities
1. In the past, up to 400 people have registered for the Conference on
Computers and Writing. Please list hotel(s) and number of rooms to be set
aside for attendees.
We are projecting 400 registrants.
Purdue Union Club Hotel
Attached to the Purdue Memorial Union, the Union Club Hotel is a convenient home away from home for
many Purdue University guests. With 192 rooms in a variety of configurations including luxury and family
suites, guests enjoy all of the modern amenities in their rooms including high speed internet, voice mail,
coffee maker, and much more. Guests also enjoy complimentary campus parking. The Union Club Hotel is
connected to the main conference facility in Stewart Center
2008 Group Hotel Rates*:
North Wing Queen $ 92.00
Deluxe Double $110.00
* Prices are per night and do not include 5% innkeepers and 7% IN sales tax.
Number of rooms to be reserved: 100
University Residences
For groups convening in the summer months, Purdue’s University Residences offer a variety of
accommodations for groups as large as 8,000 people. From air conditioned rooms with semi-private
bathrooms to the traditional residence halls, Purdue takes great pride in meeting the needs of every group
with well-maintained, convenient accommodations. Amenities available to groups in University Residences
include private phone lines, linen and towel services, kitchen facilities, meeting rooms, and much more.
2009 Summer University Residence Rates*
Air conditioned Suite Style Rooms Double $32.00
Air conditioned Traditional Rooms Double $27.00
* Prices are estimated per night and do not include 5% innkeepers and 7% IN sales tax.
Number of rooms to be reserved: 150
We also have overflow availability in the Holiday Inn Express, a 10-minute walk to campus and next to
new restaurants and shopping.
2. What will you do to provide a location and adequate exposure for
exhibitors? How will you guard against uneven placement and ensure
traffic for the exhibits?
Most conference events will be held in Stewart Center, which is a state-of-the-art conference facility. We
have reserved an entire floor for the conference, with ballroom-sized rooms for exhibitions, keynote
addresses, and banquets, so everything will be in close proximity, including the ongoing vendor exhibit.
One portion of the exhibitor area will include equipment for poster displays and laptops for use by
attendees throughout the conference, so the exhibit space will be a hub of activity.
Links: Purdue Memorial Union, Stewart Center, Purdue Conference Division
3. What will be the cost of hotel or university accommodations for
attendees?
Cost per room in the Union Club Hotel in 2008 is $92.00 per night (single) and $110 (double), + tex. In the
Residence Halls, average cost per room per night is $32.00 (double, suite style) or $27.00 (double,
traditional).
4. Why are you a good site for the conference in terms of excellence of
faculty planners, computer/conference facilities, accommodations, and
travel? How far is the conference site from a major airport? Identify any
potential travel agency connection.
Purdue is home to well-established programs in rhetoric and composition, professional writing, and
linguistics, with a proud history of sponsoring important conferences, such as the 1999 WPA Workshop
and Conference and, importantly, Computers and Writing 2003, "Discovering Digital Dimensions." (View
the archived website from the 2003 conference.) Because of the range and scope of our programs and
academic specialties, faculty and student planners can generate interest for the conference among many
constituencies, including (of course) people working in computers and writing, but also those working in
writing program administration, technical and professional communication, rhetorical and visual studies,
academic publishing, writing center theory and administration, second language writing, and more. Purdue
is also home to important publications in the field, each of which will play an important role in
disseminating information about the conference and in post-conference discussion and publication,
including The Writing Instructor, KB Journal, the Journal of Second Language Writing, and others. We
have served as the institutional home for the Council of Writing Program Administrators since 2005, and
we also host the Council's website, "Digital WPA." We have a large contingent of graduate students who
have been mainstays at Computers and Writing conferences in past years, so interest in the field is high.
Parlor Press, a scholarly press operating out of West Lafayette and Purdue, will also play a role as a
sponsor and with special events related to scholarly communication and multimedia publishing.
Professional Writing runs all of its course and program technologies on a virtual private server (VPS)
through Liquid Web, one of the most reliable hosting services available. We have immediate access to and
control over the technologies that will support the conference, the conference registration and proposal
submission, and pre- and post-conference publications. We are committed to open source technologies,
such as Drupal, and can respond flexibly to the interests of the C&W Community. Both Professional
Writing, Introductory Composition, and the Writing Lab have technology coordinators who can help ensure
that all supporting technologies are efficient and state-of-the-art.
Professional Writing also partners with ITaP and Purdue Libraries as co-owner and host of "Purdue Island"
in Second Life, which gives us access to this virtual world community for hosting online events.
Specifically, the following faculty and graduate students have already formed planning teams in the areas
of Promotions and Marketing; Logistics, Space Management, and Special Events; Communication
Management; On-Site Hosts and Speaker Liaisons; Online Conference; Vendor Relations; Program
Planning; Web Development; Constituency Liaisons and New Members; and Installations and Visual
Experience:
Jennifer Bay, Linda Bergmann, Samantha Blackmon (Co-Chair), David Blakesley (Co-Chair), Tracy Clark,
Tammy Conard-Salvo, Richard Johnson-Sheehan, Linda Haynes, Alexandra Hidalgo, Mark Pepper, Terry
Peterman, Laurie Pinkert, Ehren Pflugfelder, Thomas Rickert, Shirley Rose, Ethan Sproat, Michael Salvo,
Pat Sullivan, Tom Sura, Jeremy Tirrell, and Irwin Weiser
The undergraduate Professional Writing Club will also play an important role before and during the
conference, as it did in 2003 when students provided technology support, created an installation, helped
manage signage and exhibit space, and more.
Finally, West Lafayette is conveniently located, 60 miles north of Indianapolis International Airport, with
convenient shuttle service via Lafayette Limo for a round-trip cost of $50. We are also a two-hour's drive
south of downtown Chicago, with convenient Interstate access. ExpressAir offers round-trip shuttle service
to O'Hare for $65 one way. The O'Hare trip takes about 2 1/2 to 3 hours because of traffic. Stewart Center,
which will host most program events and is within 100 feet of the main conference hotel, offers first-class
accommodations for conferences. The Purdue Memorial Union houses newsstands, restaurants, a copy
center, and more.
5. What computer support can you provide for attendees drafting papers,
printing documents, checking email, and so forth? Are labs available on
campus? What kind of local dial-up access will be available?
We will provide a computing center near the exhibitor area where people can check email, prepare
presentations, and more on laptop stations. The English Department's Gaming and Multimedia Lab will be
open for use as well and offers 8 machines equipped with all the software and peripherals needed for
advanced multimedia authoring and digital video production. Purdue University Computing Centers will
also be available across campus, some open 24 hours. There is a copy center in the main hotel and within
100 feet of the main conference center. High-speed Internet connections will be available in all hotel
rooms.
We have made arrangements for workshops and a certain number of concurrents sessions to be held in
computer labs on campus near Stewart Center.
Purdue is a fully accessible wireless campus, and all attendees will receive a free guest account for easy
access. Additionally, most coffee shops and restaurants in the immediate vicinity offer free WiFi access.
Alas, for dial-up access, we'd have to check on that. (-:
6. The ideal site will be in a location that offers a safe environment for
conference attendees regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation,
religious beliefs, and cultural background. To your knowledge, are there
any legal, social, or cultural reasons that your site may pose a problem?
No.
7. The ideal site will also have facilities that are accessible to the disabled.
How does your site ensure accessibility?
The conference center and hotels are fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Conference Program and Events
1. Past conferences have sponsored as many as 55 one-hour-15-minute
sessions over a two- or three-day period. These are concurrent sessions
with approximately four speakers for each session. Conferences have
commonly begun with workshops, registration, and keynote on Thursday,
held concurrent sessions all day Friday and Saturday and on Sunday
morning and ended with a brunch or lunch and final speaker on Sunday.
Briefly describe your plans for the conference program--its structure and
focus.
The theme of the conference will be "Virtual Worlds." At present, we do not plan on altering the basic
structure of the conference, but we do want to enhance the diversity of presentation formats in a number of
ways. We will have workshops (including the GRN), registration, and a keynote address on Thursday, then
concurrent sessions, poster sessions, meals, and keynotes on Friday and Saturday. The conference would
conclude with a Sunday morning Town Hall meeting and closing session. We will plan social events in the
evening after the dinners, including a tour, bowling night, and a pub crawl.
Added features to the traditional program include installations, a poster session, TED-like talks, and a
Gaming Center. Installations and poster sessions will give attendees opportunities for to interact with
various technologies on site. People will be able to propose poster sessions as an alternative to panel or
individual presentations. Poster sessions would be scheduled so that they wouldn't conflict with panel
presentations and would thus draw a larger audience.
For the TED-like talks, we will provide people with the option of proposing such a session themselves.
After reviewing all submissions, we will also select a handful that can be developed for this format. TED
talks are short, inspiring events with a precise focus and are meant to energize an audience around new,
exciting ideas (see http://www.ted.com for many examples.) These talks will be carefully selected, and
presenters will be coached prior to the conference in presentation methods that will ensure enthusiastic
audience response.
The Gaming Center will provide space for attendees to try-out games developed for our tied to the
conference theme and, importantly, to the serious pursuit of teaching writing and rhetoric in interactive
spaces. In the exhibits area, we will have multiple platforms available for testing and ongoing
demonstrations.
The proposal submission process will be handled through a Drupal site, which allows for easy upload,
revision, review, and publication of content. The same Drupal site will manage content and networking
across the onsite and online conferences.
2. Who will you ask to review proposals to ensure high quality?
We plan to involve a substantial number of people in the review of proposals, including specialists in the
field who have previously served as C&W proposal reviewers. David Blakesley (Co-Chair) has substantial
experience facilitating peer review, as both an editor (TWI, KB Journal, WPA, and Parlor Press) and a
conference chair (2002 Triennial Conference of the Kenneth Burke Society and Computers and Writing
2003). Samantha Blackmon (Co-Chair) has served C&W as a proposal reviewer for many years as well.
Our aim is to involve a sizable team of reviewers from a variety of institutional settings, nationally and
internationally, tapping the goodwill and expertise of past C&W proposal reviewers. Members of the
conference planning team will also serve as reviewers.
3. Are you planning on sponsoring other events (dinners, tours) that
attendees might participate in? If so, please list, with cost above in the
Funding section
In addition to the regularly scheduled meals and Saturday picnic (probably to take place at Purdue's Birk
Boilermaker Golf Complex or Happy Hollow Park), we may repeat (from C&W 2003) the fun tour of Wolf
Park, provided there is sufficient interest. Wolf Park is home to a behavioral research center for the study of
the wolf's reproductive and inter-pack social behavior and offers visitors up-close observation opportunities
on "Howl Nights."
4. What specific features are you planning to make your meeting unique or
to improve or enhance the Computers and Writing Conference?
The opportunity to host a second C&W conference, with a close link between the onsite and online
conferences, means that we can learn from past successes and create an even better experience for the
C&W community. We're excited about the venue in Stewart Center because vendors, panel sessions, and
meals will all be close together, allowing for ongoing interaction. One key goal will be to create new and
highly interactive opportunities for attendees to network and learn so that everyone will return from the
conference energized and informed. We also want to ensure that the conference provides sufficient time for
community-building, so there will be a number of plenary sessions, which can give people common points
of reference at the conference and afterward.
Specifically, and in addition to the TED-like talks, we plan to coordinate a number of events through/with
Second Life, allowing us to coordinate events with the online conference and provide onsite conference
attendees with the resources, training, and pedagogical discussion to explore new applications of virtual
world technologies. Professional Writing owns and will continue to develop its presence on Purdue Island
prior to the conference. [Note: during the 7Cs review of our proposal, we would be pleased to meet with on
Purdue Island to talk more about our conference plans! Dave's avatar name is "Entelechy Gumbo"
Samantha is "Saffista Writer." Send us your avatar name so that we can invite you to the island, which is
presently walled off during early development.]
The Gaming Center will be a place for those interested in serious games research and pedagogy an
opportunity to network and learn from others. (We will set some limits on game play so that die-hards don't
miss the entire conference playing Oblivion or WoW.
Conference Management and Staff
1. What kind of help or advice from past organizers would you find most
useful
We're interested in learning what feedback has been received regarding types of program events. We have
already spoken with some vendors, who have in the past sometimes not been pleased by high costs and
inattention. We also need as much help as possible ensuring that attendance is high, so promotion and
marketing will be critical.
2. Would you be willing to serve on the CCCC's Committee on Computers
and Composition for the year preceding and following your sponsoring the
conference, to receive and then provide counsel about sponsoring the
conference?
Yes, absolutely. Samantha and Dave are both willing. Dave has served this way in the past.
3. Which previous Computers and Writing Conferences have you and/or
your Co-Chairs attended?
Dave has attended six C&W conferences and chaired one. Samantha has attended a half-dozen as well.
Members of the conference planning team have attended many as well, especially Michael Salvo.
3. Please add any other comments you might have regarding plans for the
Conference on Computers and Writing.
We're very excited about the prospect of hosting C&W 2010. We found that the C&W 2003 energized our
various programs, motivated further development of new technologies, created lasting networks of interest,
and inspired graduate and undergraduate students. We also want to say that, although we have hosted the
conference previously, we are very amenable to suggestions of the 7Cs. We're not set in our ways, in other
words, simply because this would be Round Two. We are especially interested in involving more of Purdue
in hosting the conference, which can help us bring both onsite and online conferences to a bigger stage and
wider community.
— Respectfully Submitted,
David Blakesley and Samantha Blackmon