Tips For Newcomers To The 2018 CCCC Convention

From the Newcomers’ Orientation Committee

Welcome! Here’s a quick list of tips that newcomers over the years have found helpful.

For Starters...

  • Wear your yellow ribbon so that others can welcome you to the conference as a newcomer!
  • The Newcomers’ Welcome Table is the place to ask questions, give suggestions, and use as a meeting point with colleagues. The table is located near registration.
  • Attend the Newcomers’ Orientation to kick off your convention experience. Wednesday, March 14, 5:15-6:15PM.

Resources...

  • Download the CCCC Convention App at https://cccc2018.zerista.com
  • Use our Bookmark as a handy way to see important events and your schedule.
  • Use hashtag #4C18 to follow trending topics, sessions, speakers, and other useful information.
  • Explore local information to find nearby restaurants, transportation, and more! https://4cskc.weebly.com

Engage...

  • Register and attend half-day or all-day workshops, Wednesday, March 14 . Links at ncte.org/cccc/conv
  • Start your day at the Newcomers’ Coffee Hour , Thursday, March 15, 7:30-8:15AM.
  • Our Think Tank will help you plan proposals for CCCC 2019. You can talk with experienced presenters and network with others who have similar interests. Join us Thursday, March 15, 10:30-11:45AM .
  • The Career Quest, Thursday, March 15, 12:15-1:30PM, is designed to help newcomers and early career attendees develop a plan to locate opportunities at the conference and within the organization that can play an
  • important part in their career development.
  • SJAC (Social Justice and Activism at the Convention) All-Attendee Event. Thursday, March 15, 1:45-3:00PM.
  • Scholars for the Dream, Thursday, March 15, 6:00-7:00PM encourages scholarship by historically underrepresented groups. Winners of this award are newcomers, too! Please come and celebrate!
  • Anzalduá Awards Reception, Thursday, March 15, 7:00-8:00PM. The Lavender Rhetoric and the Gloria Anzalduá Awards honor significant scholarship in queer rhetoric and composition. Winners of the Gloria Anzalduá Award are graduate students or first-time presenters.
  • KC (Kansas City) Cultural Event, Thursday, March 15, 8:00-11:00PM.
  • You are invited to attend the Annual Town Hall Meeting on Saturday, March 17, 8:00-9:15AM. You will learn about a diverse range of issues with which we are involved: publishing, policy, national/state legislation, leadership, conference feedback, and member action items.

Mix It Up...

  • Make friends and socialize! CCCC is a great place to meet like-minded colleagues. The opening session, feature events, parties, exhibits, special interest groups (SIGs), caucuses, awards, and main events are all great places to connect with others.
  • Join in! Participate in discussions. Stick around, introduce yourself to others, and talk to speakers following their presentations. Our speakers love meeting new colleagues and are eager to hear about your own research and ideas.

General Tips...

  • Pace yourself. It’s okay to skip sessions and take a “time out” each day; it’s not a good idea to skip meals.
  • Seek quiet spaces. Feel comfortable leaving the conference to find places that relax your mind, body, and spirit. Within the Marriott, the Quiet Room is in the Taft Room on the Main Level Lobby, Muehlebach Tower.
  • Stay well hydrated! Throughout the conference, carry energy snacks, drink plenty of water, and bring your own reusable coffee cup or water bottle to reduce waste.
  • Exchange contact information. Hold business cards in the back of your nametag lanyard .
  • With a wide variety of sessions, feel free to choose what truly interests you. If you plan to leave a session early, try to sit toward the back or near an aisle to avoid distracting others.


Plan to Come Next Year...

  • Join us for CCCC 2019 in Pittsburgh, PA, March 13-16, 2019. Submit a proposal!

 

Events for Newcomers

Newcomers’ Orientation: Wednesday, March 14, 5:15-6:15PM, Kansas City Marriott, Colonial Room.
Orientation provides you will an opportunity to learn and discuss how to navigate the convention, use the program information effectively, participate in the convention’s many events, and how to meet and network with others.

Newcomers’ Coffee Hour: Thursday, March 15, 7:30-8:15PM, Kansas City Marriott, Imperial Room.
Enjoy a light breakfast with colleagues and special speakers. Start the first full day of activities with professional conversations that have made this convention one of the high points of the year for each of us.

Think Tank: Session A.01, Thursday, March 15, 10:30-11:45AM, Kansas City Convention Center: 2502 A.
This is a special session designed for newcomers to learn about proposals, presentations, and panels for the 2019 CCCC. At this session, you will have the opportunity to brainstorm initial ideas regarding papers and sessions, meet with other newcomers interested in similar topics, and also meet with established scholars in our field with expertise in the various program clusters in rhetoric, composition, and communication studies. These scholars serve as facilitators, helping you conceptualize and frame your proposals.

The Career Quest: Session B.06, Thursday, March 15, 12:15-1:30PM, Kansas City Convention Center: 3501 D.
This year, we are hosting “Career Quest: Navigating a Future in Composition, Rhetoric, and Writing Studies." This interactive session is designed for newcomers and early-career attendees; its goal is to help develop a plan in which opportunities at the convention and within the organization can play an important part in career development.