NCPTW at 40:
Where are we now?
Though many things have changed in the forty years since the first National Conference on Peer Tutoring in Writing in 1984, key issues and questions from the concurrent sessions at the very first NCPTW conference would be familiar to an attendee in 2024. In 2024, we’re still considering how to engage with students in the complexity of their lived experiences and we’re still thinking about how technology is part of our work, but our specific concerns have changed somewhat over time. The concept of peer tutoring has grown, not only in writing centers but also in what is now known as student support services more broadly and that has affected our work. Specific aspects of identity have come to the forefront of our work in new ways. We’re more likely to be thinking about the effects of AI on our work than on whether students are using a personal computer to do their composing for class. And, of course, we are continuing to evolve from a pandemic that challenged the work of peer tutoring and of our institutions themselves. What hasn’t changed is the belief that peer tutors have much to offer to each other and that there is great benefit in offering a conference that enables these important connections.
Check out the conference schedule!
Enjoy in-person exchange with peer tutors and writing center professionals from around the country, in beautiful Tacoma, Washington!
Learn
Discover new questions and ideas to enrich your writing or learning center praxis!
Connect
Reconnect with colleagues and meet new ones–whether this is your first NCPTW or your 40th!
Explore
Walk down to the Puget Sound and look for a harbor seal, look up at Mt. Rainier, or visit a museum, all within blocks of the conference!
You’ll Like Tacoma
(Click here to see why!)
NCPTW will be held on the University of Washington-Tacoma campus, which is located in downtown Tacoma in an inviting and architecturally appealing group of repurposed warehouse buildings. There are several hotels within easy walking distance with rooms reserved for the conference, as well as restaurants and shops and museums.
We’d love to see you! Please register as soon as you can.
- To register, go to ncptw.info
- Registration rates–Students: $145, Professionals: $250
- Write ncptw2024@gmail.com with questions.


- The Hotel Murano, Courtyard Tacoma Downtown, Marriott Tacoma Downtown, and Holiday Inn Express and Suites Tacoma Downtown are all within easy walking distance of the conference.
- There are a variety of ways to get from SeaTac to downtown Tacoma. Click here for more information about airport transportation.
- Concurrent session options will include free excursions to nearby locations, such as the University of Puget Sound Center for Writing and Learning, the UW-Tacoma Teaching and Learning Centers, Tinkertopia, the Museum of Glass, and a walking tour by Pretty Gritty Tours.
- Sessions at the conference will run from 8AM on the 18th, the plenary session with keynote Dr. Wonderful Faison, through noon on the 20th. Here is the full schedule at a glance.
- The registration desk is in Cherry Parkes Lobby, which is at 1922 Pacific Avenue, and it will be open throughout most of the conference as a home base.
- Thursday night is free night at Tacoma museums within walking distance of the conference! Most museums are open until 8PM.
- Here are some restaurant recommendations. You are encouraged to make reservations on Friday and Saturday night.