CFP: Re-Shaping the Future of Graduate Education in the Humanities

Call For Papers: “Re-Shaping the Future of Graduate Education in the Humanities”; A Symposium February 9-10, 2017; (Abstracts due December 1, 2016)

Contact Information:

Stephanie Derisi: sderisi@mail.usf.edu

Will Forde-Mazuri: willfordemaz@usf.edu

John Lennon, PhD: jflennon@usf.edu

The University of South Florida is pleased to announce a call for presentations for its Symposium on “Re-Shaping the Future of Graduate Education in the Humanities.”

There is no shortage of experts declaring the death of the Humanities on university campuses throughout the United States. Politicians question the “value” of a humanities-based graduate education while students uneasily balance a need for professionalization with a desire for intellectual exploration. A defeatism has often hampered students and professors as they both struggle to understand the shifting dynamics of graduate education in the Humanities.

That defeatism has been combated by many activists, intellectuals and educators who, across campuses and fields, are working toward re-inventing what it means to engage in humanitarian work both inside and outside the academy. The “crisis” within the humanities includes facing national massive budget cuts, threats of departmental closures, and uncertainty of job security among faculty and students. But “crisis,” as Cedric Johnson reminds us, is fundamentally about agency—creating narratives to respond to issues that arise. This symposium is intended to move away from the defeatist and paternalistic attitude of those who are controlling the “crisis” narrative and instead dialogue with graduate students, faculty and administrators who are using this moment to intervene and shape the humanities in ways that respect and evolve our discipline. Innovation, creativity, and further advocacy of humanities education will restore its relevancy in the current technologically dynamic century and create new narratives that show the active role(s) Humanities play in academia and our society.

Although we believe most participants will be graduate students, we also envision this conference as being productive for, and enriched by, faculty and administrators who are interested in higher education reform.

THE SYMPOSIUM:

Our conference is intended to move away from traditional modes of delivery and panels and move to one that is more collective and communal. Instead of having numerous panels where presenters give isolated talks, our vision is one of multiple conversations. Over the course of two days, we will have four guest plenary speakers that will begin the discussion of reshaping Graduate Education. After each plenary, participants will then have the opportunity to attend, of their choosing, one of three roundtable break out sessions for further dialogue. All participants will present short statements of introduction and guided conversations by session chairs which will evolve from the issues brought up by the participants.

Day #1

1. Break out session #1: Graduate Activism: “What Grad Students Care About”

2. Break Out Session #2: Curriculum reform

3. Break Out Session #3: Digital Humanities

4. Roundtable Sessions: Jobs within Academy

5. Plenary: Graduate Concerns and Education Reform

6. Break out session #1: Community-College State College Opportunities

7. Break out session #2: Tenure Track Realities and Strategies

8. Break out session #3: Transitioning from MA to PhD Programs

Day #2

1. Plenary: Non Academic Job Market Prospects & Opportunities

2. Break out session #1: Non-Academic Career Opportunities

3. Break out session #2: Administrative Positions Inside and Outside Higher Education

4. Break out session #3: Alternative Academic Positions

5. Roundtable Sessions: Learn from Experience: Advice from Within​

6. Break out session #1: Alumni Panel: Experiences on non-academic job market

7. Break out session #2: Preparing for careers: Experiences & Resources

8. Break out session #3: Practical advice for Transitioning from Academic to Alternative Jobs

During these two days, there will be ample breaks over food and coffee for participants to meet together, strategize and informally converse on pertinent topics. On hand will also be advisors who will meet in one-on-one or small sessions and conduct CV and resume workshops.

Application: To be considered for admission to the conference, please send a 250-word abstract on a)who you are b) why you are interested in attending the workshops and c)which breakout sessions for which you are MOST interested in presenting: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/reshape/