Writing and Learning

Connect. Collaborate. Achieve.

Guest Lecture from Renowned Social Linguistics and Literacy Scholar in Conjunction with Global Accessibility Awareness Day

The Office of Writing and Learning is pleased to host Dr. Suresh Canagarajah on Thursday, May 18, from 3:30 to 4:30 pm in the Advanced Technologies Laboratory (Building 07, Room 02). Please join us for this special event!

Crip Writing:
Communication through a Disability and Decolonial Lens

Pedagogies for teaching language and writing often impose the language and rhetorical norms of privileged social groups onto minoritized and multilingual students and treat deviations from those norms as linguistic or cognitive deficiency. This talk will propose an alternate way of thinking about language and ability by drawing on how the speaker’s cancer diagnosis and resulting impairments transformed his writing practice, as well as on his research on the writing and communication practices of international STEM scholars. The talk will argue that diverse languages and proficiencies motivate people to cultivate the dispositions needed to practice relational ethics and vulnerability when interacting with each other, and that these practices are crucial for successful communication.

Photo of Suresh Canagarajah

Dr. Suresh Canagarajah is the Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Applied Linguistics, English, and Asian Studies at Penn State University and author of multiple award-winning publications on World Englishes, multilingual writing, decolonization, and disability studies. He formerly served as president of the American Association for Applied Linguistics and editor of TESOL Quarterly. 

Cal Poly's first-year composition program coordinator, Dr. Jay Peters, has compiled an interactive annotated bibliography of recommended publications, video lectures and interviews that provide a basic synopsis of Canagarajah's career trajectory of the past twenty-five years. Visit the Recommended Resources webpage to learn more about Canagarajah's work.

Accessibility and Accommodations

This event is accessibly designed, featuring an ASL interpreter and CART real-time captioning. Attendees may contact John Lee (jlee245@calpoly.edu) with questions about event accessibility or requests for disability-related accommodations such as wheelchair access, large print materials, assistive listening device, or remote attendance via Zoom. 

Global Accessibility Awareness Day

Thursday, May 18, 2023, marks the 12th Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). The purpose of GAAD is to get everyone talking, thinking and learning about digital access and inclusion, and the more than one billion people with disabilities/impairments. We invite you to learn more about this important annual event by visiting the GAAD webpage.  

Thank You to Our Contributors

The Office of Writing and Learning would like to thank the following campus partners for their co-sponsorship of this event: 

Related Content

Special Events

Join us for a talk with renowned social linguistics and literacy scholar Dr. Suresh Canagarajah in conjunction with Global Accessibility Awareness Day on May 18, 2023:

Crip Writing: Communication through a Disability and Decolonial Lens

For more information, visit our Special Events webpage.

Academic Preparation and Transitions

The CSU has established procedures regarding first-year enrollment in General Education written communication and mathematics courses, including the assessments used to inform academic placement and support. The Office of Writing and Learning plays an integral role in help incoming first-year students prepare for a successful college experience through the Supportive Pathways for First-Year Students program. More information is available on the Academic Preparation and Transitions webpage

Academic Support

The Writing and Learning Initiatives Office offers a comprehensive menu of academic resources designed to ensure optimal educational opportunities for diverse student populations: peer consultants offer free tutoring in any course or subject, peer-led supplemental workshops and study sessions provide support for STEM-specific courses, and the online Study Strategies Library offers a collection of resources to help you achieve your learning goals. More information is available on the Academic Support Programs webpage

Graduation Writing Requirement

All degree-seeking Cal Poly students, including a Master's degree or teaching credential, must fulfill the GWR. Undergraduate students must complete 90 units before they can attempt to fulfill the requirement and should do so before the senior year. The two pathways to GWR completion are 1) in an approved upper-division course and 2) via the GWR Portfolio. More information is available on the GWR webpage