Letter from the Director

Dear all,

When I started teaching composition in the early 2000s, students turning in a major assignment meant that I was carrying around a Big Stack of Papers until the grading was done. I felt the weight of the Big Stack in my backpack and in my arms. Even when I put down the Big Stack, I was acutely aware of its presence in my office or apartment. Always in sight, always wanting my attention. I knew students were eager to get feedback and grades on their work, and I was curious to see how the class performed on the assignment we had been working on in the weeks prior. Still, with so many demands on my time, getting started on the grading could be hard.

In 2026, the Big Stack has morphed into a tiny red oval on my Canvas homepage that lets me know what is waiting to be graded. The weight of ungraded student work is more figurative than literal now, but it’s still heavy. The first major assignments in ENGL 1500 and ENGL 2500, the personal narrative and the rhetorical analysis, are coming in as I write this letter. All the hard work students and instructors have been doing in class throughout the first several weeks of the semester is coming to fruition, and the number inside the tiny red oval on Canvas is going up, up, up.

Getting started on grading a set of papers is arguably one of the most dreaded parts of a writing instructor’s job. To ease the difficulty and to build community at the same time, the ISUComm Foundation Courses program is hosting a “Grade and Grub” event soon after each major assignment in ENGL 1500 and ENGL 2500 is due this semester. Think writing groups and gym buddies, but for grading. The first gathering is this Wednesday, February 25 from 12pm-2pm.

At these events, Foundation Courses instructors are invited to Ross 412 to have lunch provided by the program and get started grading their students’ major assignments as soon as they come in; you may also spillover into the Graduate Student Lounge across the hall or to Ross 215 for a space without food. There will be no formal programming at these events, just food if you want it and a quiet space to grade alongside your colleagues. These events are come-and-go, so arrive when you can and stay as long as you are able. I hope to see you there!

All best,
Lesley