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WHO OWNS THE WORDS? 85

the writing classroom at levels that correspond to specific institu-
tional and curricular goals. In the computer-enhanced classroom,
this knowledge helps compositionists understand the margin-
alization that often occurs when an instructor's pedagogical prac-
tices are at odds with the institution's or the program's positions.
Moreover, by thinking along the lines presented in the model men-
tioned earlier, faculty who use computers extensively in their
courses and who teach at the fringes of their departments can dis-
cover how to frame their discussions regarding student assessment
of online texts in ways that allow them flexibility without being con-
sidered too lenient or unorthodox in their standards.
Although this outlined approach probably will not increase
teachers' adopting online methods for their own classes, neither
will it stop institutional marginalization for many instructors who
believe that teaching in computer-enhanced classes is the future.
However, for junior faculty or future faculty in graduate schools
who will soon face the tenure wars, using the model to frame argu-
ments in recontracting and tenure packets could prevent the in-
creasing denials of tenure and promotion for innovative, creative,
progressive professors who find themselves unable to articulate
what they do in their writing classes and how it meshes with or ad-
vances present institutional and programmatic goals.
In time, and with many voices from across the college curricu-
lum joining in with those who now teach in computer-enhanced
writing classes, the idea that genuine assessment requires more
than the writing teacher's perspective will gain strength. Al-
though this move doesn't suggest that grades, placement require-
ments, and barrier exams will be eliminated from either campus
culture or Composition's culture, it does hold the hope that the
students' role will be encouraged to grow in assessment contexts
beyond establishing a few minimal criteria or writing reflective
letters or memos after completing an assignment. Perhaps
through Composition's coming to value electronic writing and
the e-texts students create, an authentic assessment plan can de-
velop that respects the rights of the author.
At the beginning of this chapter I asked who owns the words in
writing assessment. If instructors examined the history of writing
assessment, the answer would be obvious. The professor owned the
words. Regardless of whether the measurement of a student's ability
was grounded in indirect or direct holistic assessment models, the