A Humanistic Enterprise:
Connection in the Classroom in an Age of Automation
|41st Annual Conference | Museum of Art History (MAH), Santa Cruz |
| Saturday, June 13th, 2026 |
| Deadline for Proposals | Sunday, May 10th, 2026 |
Final Day for Registration | Friday, June 12th, 2026 |
Call for Papers
The Young Rhetoricians’ Conference (YRC) on college rhetoric and composition—part pedagogical conversation, part convivial retreat—welcomes presentations on the teaching of college rhetoric and composition.
Recent developments in the technological and pedagogical landscape are inviting us to re-examine our fundamental approaches to writing instruction, and to the connections we cultivate with our students. Our theme this year, “A Humanistic Enterprise,” aims to draw attention to the central, and perhaps growing, role of in-person connection in the writing classroom in the age of AI. It also understands writing as an act shaped by students’ human thinking, agency, and presence.
Through this theme, we suggest that the writing classroom must reclaim its function as a space for genuine humanistic exchange, all while automated tools tempt us to outsource our writing and thinking. We invite presentations that explore how our role as writing instructors is shifting as we guide, model, and witness our students’ intellectual journeys to foster the discernment and critical thinking skills needed in our time.
Paper and panel topics might address themes such as:
- The significance of writing as a humanistic enterprise in an age of AI
- Ways to maximize the value of in-person connection, community, and class time
- New approaches to focus on the writing process and the work of composition, discernment, and self-awareness
- Ways to foster students’ agency and ability to generate engaging ideas
- New in-class activities and ways to assess humanistic learning in a time of automation
- Approaches to creating space and valuing student interchanges based in personal stories and experiences
- International and cross-cultural perspectives for how to sustain the humanistic impulse in writing programs
Participants with disabilities, neurodivergence, chronic illnesses, and other accessibility issues are welcome. Please see the CFP Google Form below to request disability accommodations as we are committed to maintaining the Young Rhetoricians’ Conference as a space with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in mind.
Email us with questions at youngrhetconf@gmail.com
Criteria for Proposals
We invite individual 15-20-minute papers, 30-60-minute workshop presentations, and 60-minute group presentations or roundtable discussions.
● Your proposal should include a title, a description of the presentation (75 words or less), and a summary of the presentation’s relevance to practice (250 words or less).
● We encourage you to engage directly or indirectly with the conference theme.
● We invite full and part-time/contingent faculty as well as graduate students to propose presentations.
Please submit a proposal using this Google Form by Sunday, May 10th. Notifications will be sent via email by Sunday, May 24th.
We also rely on volunteer moderators, at any stage of their academic careers, including graduate students. If you are willing to moderate, please check that you are interested in moderating a panel in the proposal form above (with or without submitting a proposal).e interested in moderating a panel.
Nominate a Rhetorician of the Year!
The Rhetorician of the Year award honors professionals in rhetoric, composition, and writing studies for their significant research, teaching, and academic contributions.
We’re interested in hearing about your nominations for this award! Add a name (or two) to this nomination form. See a list of past winners on the YRC website.
Registration Details
Registration information will be shared after the presenters receive their notification emails in late May. Registration will provide attendees access to all in-person talks and activities, including the Rhetorician of the Year. Complimentary coffee and snacks will be provided. The final day to register will be Friday, June 12th.
*Your institution may offer travel grants, professional development funds, or other opportunities to support your attendance. Please check the dates for your institution and save your registration receipts if you intend to request reimbursement.
About the Young Rhetoricians’ Conference
The Young Rhetoricians’ Conference (YRC) began in 1985 at San Jose State University. From its inception, YRC has been a place for those who teach rhetoric at the university level to share research about teaching rhetoric and techniques for teaching rhetoric. “Young” refers not to the age of the rhetoricians but refers instead to rhetors with a willingness, in the mind, to dance whenever possible. You can learn more about YRC at our website.
Join us for our 41st annual conference, to be held in Santa Cruz, California. We invite you to share your in-progress scholarship on the teaching of rhetoric!
Questions and Contact Information
If you want to learn more about the conference or have questions about proposals, registration, or accessibility, please contact us at any of the following:
| Email: youngrhetconf@gmail.com | Website: youngrhetoriciansconference.com | Instagram: @youngrhetoriciansconference |