Proposal to Host Computers and Writing 2007
Wayne State University
 Virtual Urbanism/Digital Cities
The conference theme situates computers and writing with contemporary city life, the urban, and the virtual encounters we create when technology and writing are juxtaposed in our places of work, study, and pleasure. Detroit, Michigan offers a unique opportunity to consder the effects of rhetoric and writing on the urban experience, particularly when that experience is shaped by emerging and existing technological issues. Detroit is the birthplace of major technological moments connected to areas as diverse as the auto industry and techno music. This relationship cannot be undervalued; the place where techno music and automotive production juxtapose is also a place for participants to think about the complex ways technology, community, and communication come together. In addition, Detroit is also the site of new technological developments like Digital Detroit and Wayne State University's concept of TechTown. With these new developments in mind, we encourage participants to generalize outward from Detroit to think in new ways about relationships created among city spaces, writing, and technology.

As an urban environment, Detroit offers a highly unique site for Computers and Writing. Computers and Writing 2007 will integrate these issues with those concerns writing and rhetoric professionals face today. Keynote speakers will include both new media scholars and artists/ activists who explore the assemblages of technology, writing, and city space. Particiapnts may speak on any topic normally relevant to the conference, but we will encourage papers which speak to the issues raised by the juxtaposing of the urban, technoloy, and space.

Background Information:
1. Date Application Posted
November 17, 2005

2. Name of Applicants
Richard Grusin
Professor of English
Chair, Department of English

Richard Marback
Associate Professor of English
Director of Composition

Jeff Rice
Assistant Professor of English

3. Institution
Wayne State University

4. Postal and Email Address
Department of English
Wayne State University
5057 Woodward Room 9408
Detroit, MI 48202

email: jrice@wayne.edu

5. Phone
(313) 577-2450

6. Year to host Conference
2007

7. Proposed Date for Conference Weekend
May 24 - May 27, 2007.

Conference Funding
1. Source of funding
Funding will come from the following sources:
Department of English
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Wayne State University Humanities Council
Conference registration
Publisher/exhibitor sponsorship
Corporate Sponsorship from local industry
Grants

2. Amount of funding
Funding amounts are expected to be as follows
Internal university funding:
Department of English
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Humanities Center
Vice President for Research
 $5,000
$5,000
$2,000
$2,000
Conference registration (300*$75.00) $22,500.00
Publisher/exhibitor sponsorship $6,000.00
Grants (internal) $7,000
Corporate sponsorship (Ford Motor Co., GM, Daimler Chrysler) $10,000
Total $59,500.00

3. How will you allocate funding? (Please attach detailed preliminary budget)
Preliminary budget
Conference Center Room Rental $750/day/4 days
$3,000
Beverage service (coffee, juice, rolls) $15/day/4 days/300 attendees $18,000
Lunches $18/day/3days/300 attendees $16,200
Banquet, Detroit Museum of African American History $9,000
Brunch $17.00/300 attendees $5,100
Keynote speakers (three keynote speakers) Honoraria $1,500/ speaker/3 speakers ($4,500)Travel $350/speaker/3 speakers ($1,050) Accommodations $300/speaker/3 speakers ($900) $6,450
Printing (Programs, registration forms, attendee information packets ) $500
Mailing (Acceptances, registrations) $100
TOTAL $58,350

4. Approximately what will you charge for registration? What will additional events (e.g., special tours or trips) costs?
We are interested in reducing the cost of the conference to participants as follows:
Full Conference Registration Faculty: $110
Graduate Students/Adjunct Faculty: $65

Late registration:
Faculty: $140
Graduate Students/Adjunct Faculty: $95

Conference registration will cover coffee and refreshments throughout the conference, lunch on Friday and Saturday, the Friday banquet and a to be named entertainment event.

Conference Facilities
1. In the past, up to 400 people have registered for the Conference on Computers and Writing. Please list hotel(s) and number of rooms to be set aside for attendees.
Main facility providing accommodations:
Ferry Street Inn
84 East Ferry Street
Detroit, MI 48202
Number of rooms reserved: 40

St. Regis Hotel
3071 West Grand Boulevard
Detroit, MI 48202
Number of rooms reserved: 100

Hilton Garden Inn Detroit
351 Gratiot
Detroit, MI
Number of rooms reserved: 100

Wayne State University Dorms
60 rooms to be offered at a rate lower than area hotels.

More rooms can be reserved at downtown hotels as the conference date approaches. Hotel space is readily available within a two mile radius of the university campus.

2. What will you do to provide a location and adequate exposure for exhibitors? How will you guard against uneven placement and ensure traffic for the exhibits?
All exhibitors will be located in the same exhibit hall. The physical space and layout of the hall will provide each exhibitor the same amount of display space. Exhibitor space will be organized into rows with open ends to allow traffic both up and down the rows. The hall will be located in close proximity to sessions. In addition, the hall will be near a reception area where attendees can gather for coffee and to check email.

3. What will be the cost of hotel or university accommodations for attendees?
Approximately:
Ferry Street Inn: $110.00/night
Hilton Garden Inn Detroit $90/night
Hotel St. Regis: $90/night
Wayne State University Dormitory $35/night

4. Why are you a good site for the conference in terms of excellence of faculty planners, computer/conference facilities, accommodations, and travel? How far is the conference site from a major airport? Identify any potential travel agency connection.

Faculty planners
Both Richard Marback and Jeff Rice have extensive experience in hosting and organizing academic conferences. Marback has organized the Graduate Student Conference on Digital Literacy and New Media: Definition, Methodology, Use. For the past four years, he has organized an annual regional conference for post-secondary teachers of writing. Each conference was attended by seventy to ninety people. Keynote speakers brought in for these conferences have included: David Jolliffe, Lester Faigley, Linda Adler-Kasner, and Min Zhan Lu. Rice has organized Souths: Global and Local, an interdisciplinary conference held at the University of Florida which featured Guillermo Gomze-Pena as a keynote speaker and was attended by 150 participants. At the University of Florida, Rice also organized the online colloquium Composition and Digital Art which featured Victor Vitanza, Kathleen Blake Yancey, Michael Spooner, Diane Gromola, Michael Joyce, Mark Amerika, Christy Sheffield Sanford, Rosemary Joyce, and Carolyn Guyer as featured speakers. Rice is also actively involved in the computers and writing community. Richard Grusin has access to resources, as well as to individuals and institutions, within the broader communities of new media and humanities scholarship. Together, the faculty planners have the practical experience and disciplinary knowledge necessary to successfully plan and host an event for computers and writing scholars.

Computer/conference facilities
The primary conference facility on the Wayne State University campus is McGregor Conference Center. McGregor is a modern facility equipped with digital, analog, and overhead projection in all rooms. Panel presentation rooms have seating for approximately fifty people. McGregor serves as the main conference venue on campus and has been used by a number of events and conferences over the years.

The exhibit hall will be located adjacent to McGregor in either the Alumni House or Fine Arts building. Both buildings are adjacent to McGregor Conference Center.

Keynote speakers will present in Bernath Auditorium in either the David Adamany Undergraduate Library, located across Gullen Mall from the McGregor Conference Center, or the Fine Arts Auditorium, adjacent to McGregor.

Computer facilities will be available for conference attendees at several locations across campus. Conference attendees will have access during business hours to the two faculty computer labs in the English Department. Attendees will also be provided access to the ninety wireless laptop computers available in English Department classrooms in State Hall. For twenty four hour access, conference attendees will be able to use the computer facilities in the David Adamany Undergraduate Library.

Accomodations and travel
Conference attendees staying in the newly built student residence halls will have ethernet access in their rooms. They will also be on campus in close proximity to the conference center. Attendees staying at Ferry Street Inn will also have ethernet access in their rooms and will be within two blocks of campus. Ferry Street consists of six Victorian mansions located two blocks from the Wayne State University campus. The redesign of the mansions as a bed and breakfast won a National Preservation Honor Award in 2002. The Wayne State University campus and Ferry Street Inn are located in the heart of Detroit's cultural center, close to the Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit Historical Society Museum, International House, and Charles Wright Museum of African American History. The cultural center also boasts many coffee shops and restaurants, all within easy walking distance.

Conference attendees staying at the Hotel St. Regis will be located approximately six blocks form campus in the New Center area, which boasts the Fischer Theater and several restaurants. Between the New Center area and the Wayne State University campus is the NextEnergy research corridor, where the university, in partnership with the Big Three auto makers, is conducting research on alternative fuel sources.

Conference attendees staying at the Hilton Garden Inn Detroit will be located in Harmonie Park near the entertainment venue of Greektown in a hotel recently built in preparation for the 2006 Super Bowl in Detroit. Harmonie Park is just over a mile from the university campus. Transportation from Harmonie Park to Wayne State costs between $3 - $5 for a taxi cab ride. The other accomodations are within walking distance to campus, so no shuttles are necessary.

Detroit, Michigan is one of the most interesting cities in the United States. It holds a unique place in our imaginations for its rich musical history, automotive beginnings, and cultural diversity. Computers and Writing has yet to take place in a city with such rich traditions.

Detroit is conveniently located in the heart of the Midwest. It is half a day's drive from such major cities as Chicago, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh.

The city's driving distance is important; unlike some recent conferences which were either outside the mainland U.S. or on the West coast, many attendees will be able to come to Detroit at minimal cost if they choose to drive. The parking situation in the city is quite good; and driving is more relaxed than most metropolitan cities.

Detroit Metro Airport serves as the main hub for Northwest Airlines. The airport is easily accessible from most major airports through direct flights or brief layovers in Chicago or Memphis. Wayne State University is 18.3 miles from Detroit Metropolitan Airport. We will try to provide shuttle service, but attendees can also take a cab from the aiport to the city, as they have done in most other Computers and Writing conferences.

5. What computer support can your provide for attendees drafting papers, printing documents, checking email, and so forth? Are labs available on campus? What kind of local dial-up access will be available?
We will provide full Internet access in rooms for delivering papers. Labs can also be used for checking email. We will also provide temporary access for using computers in the library and other campus locations for printing and email purposes.

Much of Wayne State is equipped with Wi-Fi access. The computer classrooms we will use all have Wi-Fi. The library and area around where we hold events also have Wi-Fi access. In addition, many of the bars and cafes in the Wayne State area offer free Wi-Fi.

All of the hotels and the dorms offer free Internet.

6. The ideal site will be in a location that offers a safe environment for conference attendees regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, and cultural background. To your knowledge, are there any legal, social, or cultural reasons that your site may pose a problem?
The Cultural Center, New Center, and Harmonie Park are all safe environments for all persons. Metro-Detroit is a diverse area, with a large number of ethnic groups represented. For example, the area is home to one of the largest Arab-speaking populations outside the Middle East.The area around the university is safe, stable, and conducive to pedestrians.

7. The ideal site will also have facilities that are accessible to the disabled. How does your site ensure accessibility?
As a public university, Wayne State University buildings are in compliance with state and federal regulations regarding accessibility.

Conference Program and Events
1. Past conferences have sponsored as many a s 55 one-hour-15-minute sessions over a two- or three-day period. These are concurrent sessions with approximately four speakers for each session. Conferences have commonly begun with workshops, registration, and keynote on Thursday, held concurrent sessions all day Friday and Saturday and on Sunday morning and ended with a brunch or lunch and final speaker on Sunday. Briefly describe your plans for the conference program--its structure and focus.

We plan to follow the formats previously held in past Computers and Writing Conferences. We plan on offering the Research Network Forum the day before as well as pre-arranged workshops on technology and writing. We can accommodate up to ten concurrent sessions for the duration of the conference.

A tentative schedule is as follows:
Thursday:
All day: Registration
9:00-12:00 Half-day workshops
1:00-4:00 Half-day workshops
9:00-4:00 Full-day workshops
9:00-4:00: Graduate Research Network
5:00-6:30: Opening reception with Keynote Speaker at McGregor
7:00 - Brew Crawl:
Welcome to Detroit Brew Crawl throughout The New Center/Downtown area. Attendees can visit Detroit brew pubs Traffic Jam, The Motor City Brewery, The Detroit Brewing Company, and Stoney Creek Brewing.

Friday:
Concurrent sessions: 8 - 10 sessions (3 participants each) and/or 2 round tables will be featured for each session slot.
Town Hall I: 8:00 - 8:50 "Working On (the) Line: Reflections on Real and Virtual Spaces."
Session A:9-10:15
Session B:10:30-11:45
Lunch: 12:00-2:00
Keynote speakers: Detroit Bloggers Roundup. Address will feature popoular webloggers whose blogs have earned local and national attention: DetroitFunk, Detroit Blogger, and the Detroit Yes! Message Board
Session C:2:15-3:30
Session D:3:45-5:00
Dinner/Keynote speaker: 6:00-7:30
After dinner events:
The Heidelberg Project tour
Bowling at Garden Bowl or
Tour of Greektown and casinos

Saturday:
Town Hall I: 8:00 - 8:50 "Enjoy Your Modem: The Pleasure of the Digital."
Concurrent sessions:
Session A:9-10:15
Session B:10:30-11:45
Lunch: 12:00-2:00
1-2 Keynote speakers
Session C:2:15-3:30
Session D:3:45-5:00
Banquet: 6:00-8:00. To be held at the Detroit Museum of African American History with Keynote speaker
After banquet: Gallery tour of the museum
DJ/Hip hop - Techno Night

Sunday:
Concurrent sessions:
Session A:9-10:15
Session B:10:30-11:45
Brunch: 12:00 - 1:30. Keynote speaker

We plan on inviting notable scholars in the areas of computers and writing, new media studies, and visual studies to give keynote talks during lunches and the banquet. Speakers already at Wayne State University who will give talks during the conference include: Richard Grusin, Steve Shaviro, and Barrett Watten.
Grusin is a well known author in media studies and is the co-author of Remediations
Shaviro is widely published in critical theory and digital studies; his most recent book is Connected: Or What it Means to Live in the Networked Society.
Watten's work covers the areas of digital culture and poetics. His recent book is The Constructivist Moment: From Material Text to Cultural Poetics

Other speakers we are interested in contacting to speak at the conference include those whose work intersects with the areas of rhetoric, writing, space, and technology: Geoffrey Sirc, W.J.T Mitchell, Cynthia Haynes, Greg Ulmer, Lev Manovich, Victor Vitanza, Mark Hansen, David Weinberger, Paul Miller (DJ Spooky), Derrick May (techno pioneer), and Carl Craig (techno pioneer). We will also invite Detroit digital artists, rappers, and webloggers to speak at the luncheons.

We also plan on holding special events/talks on space and new media which will include talks on urban encounters with technology, weblogs, design of new Web applications, and multimedia.

2. Who will you ask to review proposals to ensure high quality?

We will contact individuals who have reviewed proposals in the past and who are actively engaged in the Computers and Writing community.
Jeff Rice has served as a reviewer in the past, and he will also draw upon his experience with other reviewers in order to solicit participation.

3. Are you planning on sponsoring other events (dinners, tours) that attendees might participate in? If so, please list, with cost above in the Funding section

We intend on holding a banquet for attendees.

Detroit is a vibrant city with a rich heritage. Possible events we plan for conference participants include:

  • Dinner banquet at the Detroit Museum of African American History (located adjacent to Wayne State University)
  • A tour of The renowned public art project The Heidelberg Project, an assemblage of found art in a nearby neighborhood.
  • A tour of Hitsville USA (the Motown Museum),where the Motown sound was born.
  • Opportunity to visit the Detroit Institute of Arts which is across the street from Wayne State.
  • Opportunity to visit nearby Detroit Science Center
  • Opportunity to visit Fox Theater, one of a few remaining movie palaces in the country.
  • Talks by local artists, webloggers, and urban figures.
  • A Techno/Hip Hop night

    4. What specific features are you planning to make your meeting unique or to improve or enhance the Computers and Writing Conference?

    Specific features:

  • Community Literacy Project demonstration by English Department faculty Ruth Ray and Gwen Gorzelsky.
  • Support from neighboring universities Eastern Michigan University and the University of Toledo. This support gives our conference a regional make-up and also insures active participation from faculty and graduate students in nearby institutions.
  • Inclusion of artists/others who have presented digital representations of Detroit online
  • Diverse social opportunities drawing from Detroit as venue
  • A keynote speaker everyday of the conference
  • A published program Graduate Research Network
  • Extensive involvement from our graduate students, many of whom work in the areas of technology, writing, literacy, and ciritical theory.
  • Coordination with online conference

    The Wayne State University Campus is across the street from the Detroit Institute of the Arts whose collection includes 65,000 pieces of art dealing with the Middle East, Pacific Culture, Contemporary Art and the Graphic Arts. The DIA also screens independent films several times a week.
    The English Department is next door to the Detroit Historical Museum whose extensive collections cover urban, consumer, and automotive history.

    Wayne State University also is within walking distance of the Max M. Fisher Music Center, home of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the Majestic Theatre Complex, a popular venue for rock, popular music, and other musical acts.

    In addition, the Metro area surrounding Detroit and within easy driving distance maintains vibrant dining and shopping areas for participants.
    Because Computers and Writing is typically not held in a major city, we hope to utilize our city's attractions and resources in order to provide a unique conference experience, one which taps into the urban environment and gives participants a venue for discussing and thinking about the relationship between digital culture and space, the ways technology affects representations, entertainment, and writing.

    Conference Management and Staff

    1. What kind of help or advice from past organizers would you find most useful?
    We welcome any advice regarding how the last big city conference (Fort Worth) managed to keep the event intimate yet still open to the city's offerings. We also welcome any advice regarding how to coordinate with the online conference so that events and ideas work in conjunction with one another.

    2. Would you be willing to serve on the CCCC's Committee on Computers and Composition for the year preceding and following your sponsoring the conference, to receive and then provide counsel about sponsoring the conference?
     Yes. Richard Marback and Jeff Rice are both willing t o serve on the committee.

    3. Which previous Computers and Writing Conferences have you and/or your Co-Chairs attended?
    Jeff Rice has attended Computers and Writing conferences held at the University of Florida, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Texas Womenís University (Fort Worth), Ball State University, and Purdue University. Richard Grusin also has attended several Computers and Writing conferences.

    4. Please add any other comments you might have regarding plans for the Conference on Computers and Writing.
    We want to use our hosting of Computers and Writing to emphasize the urban relationship to writing and technology. The urban is a theme not explored in any of the past conferences, and we hope we will be able to turn the theme into a stimulating and exciting event for participants.