​Midwest Winter Workshop 2026
Rhetoric Program
Indiana University Bloomington
Friday, February 6th – Saturday, February 7th, 2026
Call for Papers
The Rhetoric Program at Indiana University Bloomington, in coordination with its RSA grad student chapter, is pleased to be hosting the 15th Midwest Winter Workshop (MWW) in February 2026. We cordially invite all graduate students and emerging scholars interested in rhetoric (including rhetoric-adjacent and rhetoric-ish projects!), communication, or composition to join us on IUB’s campus on Friday, February 6th and Saturday, February 7th, 2026.
What is MWW?
MWW is a regional conference that brings together faculty and graduate students from the Midwest to collaborate on rhetoric and communication scholarship. On IU Bloomington’s campus, MWW participants will have the opportunity to attend interactive professionalization panels, hear from field-leading keynote speakers, and engage in focused workshop pods led by outstanding Midwest rhetoric and communication scholars. MWW’s generative tradition provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity to gather and network in an intimate setting with Midwest colleagues, a conference arrangement that often leads to future collaborations. Best of all, MWW is an admissions-free event, a tradition IUB is pleased to continue.
How can scholars apply?
By 11:59 PM EST on Monday, December 8, 2025, please submit a 250-word abstract including three keywords for a work-in-progress on the submission form of this website. Upon acceptance, authors will be sorted into thematically- or methodologically-determined focus groups. Then, two faculty leaders from institutions across the Midwest will lead a workshop session for each focus group. MWW offers a unique (and, again, admissions-free!) opportunity to receive feedback on projects of all types and at any stage. Submissions could include a working manuscript for a journal article, a seminar paper you’re revising into a conference presentation, a dissertation chapter you are working through, or other works-in-progress. All are welcome! Due to capacity constraints with our venues, however, spots may be limited. Plan to apply early to ensure your place at the conference.
Is funding available to help defray travel expenses?
​From its inception, MWW was designed to be an affordable and accessible professionalization event for graduate students in the Midwest, as most attendees are within driving distance of the hosting institutions.
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This year, thanks to the generous support of our sponsors—the IU Research Grant Program, IU College of Arts & Humanities Institute, IU Department of English, RSA, ISHR, and NCA—MWW is pleased to be able to offer a robust, albeit limited, number of conference stipends to graduate students traveling to Bloomington!
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Stipends will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so, again, please plan to apply early.
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What is the timeline for participants?
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Monday, December 8, 2025 - Submit your 250-word abstract to the submission page on this website by 11:59 PM EST.
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Monday, December 22, 2025 - Acceptances will be announced and participants will be placed in workshop pods.
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Monday, January 12, 2026 - Submit your work-in-progress manuscript (maximum of 30 pages) to the portal on our website. Manuscripts will be distributed to your faculty leaders and to the other members of your workshop pods. Before arriving on Bloomington’s campus in February, all group members should have read and commented on the projects they received and come ready to share their feedback during the workshops on Saturday, February 7, 2026.
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Friday, February 6, 2026 - Join us on IUB’s campus for drinks, heavy hors d'oeuvres, and a roundtable of rhetoric scholars. The reception starts at 5:30 PM with drinks and hors d'oeuvres, social hour at 6:00 PM, and speakers at 7:00 PM.
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Saturday, February 7, 2026 - It’s the big event! The day will begin with a continental breakfast and several rounds of professionalization panels; at lunch, we’ll enjoy a catered meal and a keynote speaker. In the afternoon, participants will engage in their workshop pods, and we’ll finish the day with a casual, closing reception in downtown Bloomington.