STATESBORO — College writing professors and high school English teachers will converge on Georgia Southern University’s campus on Feb. 1, for the 10th annual Student Success in First-Year Composition Conference.

Sponsored by the University’s Department of Writing and Linguistics, the conference will feature presenters from throughout the southern U.S. The workshops and presentations will cover creative classroom approaches and applied writing theory in high school and college writing courses.

In addition, the conference will feature the presentation of the 2008 Golden Award, which recognizes the Georgia teacher or professor who sets the gold standard in composition-teaching excellence.

Established in 2000, the annual award honors the memory of Dorothy Smith Golden, professor emerita of writing and linguistics at Georgia Southern.

To qualify for the Golden Award, a teacher or professor must have at least five years of experience in composition; demonstrate specific techniques, approaches and qualities, which make their instruction outstanding; and make a significant contribution beyond the classroom to their school.

Nominations for the Golden Award must be submitted online by 5 p.m. on Jan. 25, which is also the deadline to register for the conference. The award will be presented at the conference’s keynote luncheon.

Everyone who makes a nomination for the Golden Award is encouraged to attend the conference. The registration fee is $75 per person, and it includes continental breakfast and lunch. To sign up, visit http://ceps.georgiasouthern.edu/conted/ssfyc.html or call (912) 682-5551.

For more information, contact J. Marie Lutz at seminars@georgiasouthern.edu or (912) 871-1763.

Georgia Southern University, a Carnegie Doctoral/Research University, offers more than 120 degree programs serving nearly 17,000 students. Through eight colleges, the University offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs built on more than a century of academic achievement. The university, one of Georgia’s largest, is a top choice of Georgia’s HOPE scholars and is recognized for its student-centered approach to education. Visit: www.georgiasouthern.edu.