This article examines one department in the midst of establishing an independent writing major and program. The situational constraints are analyzed in the context of professional concerns regarding tenure, and in the context of current disciplinary concerns regarding the recognition of computers and composition labor. Given the local situation, and the constraints and possibilities therein, the authors argue for the necessity of establishing tenure and promotion guidelines that will reward faculty who are able to contribute to the creation of equity and access for the larger regional community. The possibility to shape, to some degree, the guidelines for tenure and promotion, enables the authors to explore potential strategies for recognizing alternative forms of labor within and against tenure traditions.