The following resolutions and sense of the house motions were passed at the CCCC Annual Business Meeting held on Saturday, March 27, 2004, in San Antonio:
Resolution 1: Honoring Doug Hesse
Whereas Doug Hesse has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to students and teachers of composition and to developing ethical writers, readers, and discourses; and
Whereas he has always asked difficult questions and has helped us to understand why we should too; and
Whereas he has brought us a challenging program of presentations, workshops, and opportunities for conversation followed by San Antonio Rock ‘n’ Roll;
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the 2004 Conference on College Composition and Communication thank Doug Hesse for inviting us to explore the ways we make composition matter to our students, institutions, and fellow citizens.
Resolution 2: Applauding Sue Hum and Linda Woodson
Whereas Sue Hum and Linda Woodson have organized a determined and gracious Local Arrangements Committee, which has warmly welcomed us to San Antonio and its fiesta lifestyle; and
Whereas they have invited us to enjoy the Riverwalk, local restaurants, and the cultural treasures of their city; and
Whereas they have continued the “Bring a Book” and “Send Supplies” projects, allowing conference goers to contribute to local literacy programs;
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the 2004 Conference on College Composition and Communication applaud and thank Sue Hum, Linda Woodson, and the Local Arrangements Committee for their hard work, enthusiasm, and hospitality.
Resolution 3: Honoring Kathleen Blake Yancey
Whereas Kathleen Blake Yancey has given us access to the organizational conversations of the Conference on College Composition and Communication through her chair’s weblog and has introduced many members to “blogging,” just as she recently introduced many of us to the digital portfolio; and
Whereas she has challenged us to reconsider what we mean by “composing,” suggesting that we think of writing as “interface” in response to the current “moment”;
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the 2004 Conference on College Composition and Communication honor Kathleen Blake Yancey for her leadership, tireless efforts on our behalf, and longstanding commitment to rhetoric and composition.
Sense of the House Motions
S1. The intentional manipulation of public discourse for political and commercial purposes has intensified in recent years. In light of this, we urge NCTE to sponsor a national reading and writing assignment for fall 2004 on Orwell’s 1984 for colleges, high schools, communities, and libraries. In support, the NCTE should create resources, forums, and websites for student, teacher, and community projects.
S2. Whereas the U.S. war in Iraq has brought needless deaths and economic degradation to both countries, and the exaggeration and untruths used to justify the war are tactics that teachers of communication in a democracy must condemn, the CCCC calls for an immediate end to the U.S. occupation of Iraq.
S3. Be it resolved that the CCCC opposes the trend of eliminating first-year writing courses without the input of the faculty who teach those courses.
S4. Be it the sense of this house that CCCC express its profound opposition to changing the U.S. Constitution to define marriage in a manner that abridges and/or diminishes the civil rights of any American.
