Laney College faculty member Dr. Meryl Siegal co-authored alongside Betsy Gilliland (from the University of Hawai'i Mānoa) new book published by University of Michigan Press. The book, titled Empowering the Community College First-Year Composition Teacher, takes a deep dive into the issues confronting educators undergoing the challenging process of being part of a student's first experience of higher education.
This is Dr. Siegal’s third edited volume on the subject of community college composition which includes volumes on multilingual students and gen 1.5; she has published extensively in the fields of education and applied linguistics.
From the book's description:
"Community colleges in the United States are the first point of entry for many students to a higher education, a career, and a new start. They continue to be a place of personal and, ultimately, societal transformation. And first-year composition courses have become sites of contestation.
"This volume is an inquiry into community college first-year pedagogy and policy at a time when change has not only been called for but also mandated by state lawmakers who financially control public education. It also acknowledges new policies that are eliminating developmental and remedial writing courses while keeping mind that, for most community college students, first-year composition serves as the last course they will take in the English department toward their associate’s degree.
"Chapters focusing on pedagogy and policy are integrated within cohesively themed parts: (1) refining pedagogy; (2) teaching toward acceleration; (3) considering programmatic change; and (4) exploring curriculum through research and policy. The volume concludes with the editors’ reflections regarding future work; a glossary and reflection questions are included.
"This volume also serves as a call to action to change the way community colleges attend to faculty concerns. Only by listening to teachers can the concerns discussed in the volume be addressed; it is the teachers who see how societal changes intersect with campus policies and students’ lives on a daily basis."
The book can be ordered now via University of Michigan Press. Enter code EMPOWER121 for a 30% discount at checkout. The code is good through February 11, 2021, and includes free shipping anywhere in the US.
Congratulations Professor Siegal on the publication of this important book!
