About Us - JOIN!
Anyone interested in the teaching of English during the first two college years, all persons engaged in the teaching or administration of English courses at any two-year college, and all others interested in such teaching are eligible to join TYCA. Membership in TYCA-Midwest supports the annual conference and pays for your subscription to the Midwest Messenger. If you attend an annual conference, then your registration fee pays for your membership for one year. We encourage ongoing membership even if you cannot attend the October conference.
If you want to be a part of TYCAMW, but don't necessarily want to attend the conference, please fill out this form; you'll be added to our mailing list where you'll receive cool information monthly. Here is a brochure with more information.
Intrigued by what we offer and wonder how you can be involved? Check out our Board & Minutes page for a list of positions, OR click here for fancy pamphlet to view and print!
Curious about what sorts of content are covered at TYCAMW conferences? Check out our Member Resource page that links to a repository of awesome stuff.
Two-Year College English Association: Midwest
What is TYCA-Midwest?
The Two-Year College English Association was formed in 1996 to establish a national voice within the National Council of Teachers of English and the Conference on College Composition and Communication. TYCA coordinates the work of seven long-standing regional conferences serving every section of the United States and many Canadian provinces to seek resources, develop strategies, and advocate on behalf of its members’ professional needs and concerns.
The members of this association teach in every variation of the two-year college: lower division campuses of state universities, comprehensive community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, private two-year colleges, and combined community and technical colleges. The Midwest region covers colleges in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Manitoba, Canada, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The organization’s focus is on the concerns – content, pedagogical, and institutional – of instructors of lower division English courses.
The sponsorship of the TYCA-Midwest Conferences in the recent past has been as diverse as the members’ institutions. Madison Area Technical College, the Saint Louis Metro Community Colleges, the College of Lake County are recent sponsors. If you have any questions about TYCA-Midwest or would like to sponsor the annual Conference, please contact us at tycamw@gmail.com.
Mission and Goals Statement
Mission: TYCA serves to promote the teaching and study of English in the two-year college, to advance the theories and practices of teaching English in the two-year college, and to provide a national voice for the two-year college in postsecondary education.
Recognizing the unique institutional character of the two-year college, open to all students, TYCA is further committed to student diversity in culture, age, background, ability and goals, and the critical role of literacy required in a democratic society.
Purposes:
To identify and articulate the best theories, practices, and pedagogy in teaching English in the two-year college;
To establish multiple channels for the communication of these theories, practices, and pedagogies and for discussion and effective change by the members of National TYCA and the TYCA Regionals;
To influence the future of English studies.
Goals:
To promote excellence in the theory and practice of of teaching English.
To encourage scholarship and research that inform the teaching of writing, literature, and language.
To provide a forum for shared professional concerns.
To recognize and support diversity in the classroom and in the profession.
To promote awareness of the distinctively open academic and social environment of the two-year college.
To promote awareness of the effectiveness and adaptability of the two-year college in meeting community needs
To encourage subscriptions to Teaching English in the Two-Year College (hereafter referred to as TETYC).
To establish, affirm, and strengthen ties to groups that share our professional commitments.
To encourage the participation in TYCA of teachers of English in the first two college years through meetings, conferences, publications, and other professional activities.