Nine complete papers and 32 abstracts are contained in this special issue drawn from the proceedings of the fifth annual meeting of writing supervisors within the City University of New York (CUNY). The first complete paper surveys basic writing programs over the decade and points to difficulties overcome, accomplishments,and future needs. The second and third papers detail the development of theoretical knowledge concerning language development, while the fourth and fifth discuss new programs within CUNY colleges that are designed to train both college and high school faculty. The sixth paper details an early major experiment in interdisciplinary education, while the seventh presents a new approach to that topic. The eighth paper considers problems that the CUNY Writing Assessment Test may pose as teachers attempt to meet the broader needs of students, while the ninth contains comments by a former CUNY instructor comparing her new situation with her old one. The 32 abstracts are presented in alphabetical order according to the presenters' names and deal with a variety of topics, including ESL and freshman composition, motivating nontraditional students, writing from the self, student responsibility in writing, and writing topics. (FL)