Conferences

CFP: Locating the HEART and SOULS in Higher Education: An International Conference on the Future of the Humanities (deadline: 11 Jan. 2020)

Deadline for submissions: January 11, 2020

full name / name of organization: Bishop’s University contact email: jriddell@ubishops.ca

CFP: HEART Conference

“Locating the HEART and SOULS in Higher Education”:

An International Conference on the Future of the Humanities

11th Annual Conference 

Bishop’s University, Sherbrooke, QC

March 13 – 14, 2020

HEART: Humanities Education and Research in Teaching

This international conference seeks to build capacities in scholarly teaching and supports research around learning in higher education within the field of the humanities. Standing at the intersection of disciplinary knowledge and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), this conference makes the case for the classroom experience as a rich site of knowledge production and, in doing so, challenges the typical disciplinary division of “real” research from its less-valued cousin, “just” teaching. 

How can we understand classrooms as generative spaces brimming with fresh insights into the cultural, historical, and critical importance of the humanities? We believe that this is a crucial question in the fraught global climate of the 21st century, and higher education is one key space where we help foster and support future global citizens. 

In exploring both the delight and the rich sites of research in teaching, this conference advocates for a pedagogical-scholarly practice grounded in and motivated by our experiences in forging intentionally designed, ethical, and curiosity-driven classrooms. 

 *We have dedicated panels to explore experiential learning in the humanities, and encourage submissions to identify this as a stream in their abstracts if it is applicable.  

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

There are three submission options

1. Research paper (15min paper presentation): We invite proposals for single paper presentations on the conference theme – teaching in a humanities classroom. The goal of these papers is to share knowledge and to encourage critical dialogue among conference participants. Paper proposals should be submitted by the first author and will last a maximum of 15 minutes each, including at least 10 minutes for questions and discussion. Papers will be grouped into sessions of two or three. The abstract part of the proposal text should be between 300 and 400 words.

2. Panel Proposal (1 hour 15min session): Panel discussions are particularly appropriate for topics that benefit from multiple perspectives and presenters, including disciplinary, institutional, and national perspectives. The goal for panel discussions is to provide panelists and audience members the opportunity to exchange insights, engage in discussion, and learn from each other’s experiences. Panel proposals should be submitted by the panel organizer and should feature two to four panelists, and last 60 minutes, with at least 15 minutes for discussion with the audience. 

The abstract part of the proposal text should be between 500 and 1,000 words, describing the panel as a whole (may also include descriptions of individual contributions and titles within the panel as well as brief bios of the panel members).

3. Welcome to my classroom (1 hour session): “Welcome to my classroom” is an interactive session that simulates a teaching experience. Presenters give a sample interactive class suitable for students and/or a general audience. The 60 minute sessions would consist of two components: a presentation of a teaching moment, innovation or style, and a discussion of the pedagogy behind the presentation. The second part is intended as a forum for the audience to ask questions and relate the enacted elements to their own teaching experiences. 

DOUBLE BLIND PEER REVIEW PROCESS

All submissions will undergo a double-blind peer review process. We are also working a special journal issue on teaching and learning in the humanities to publish some of the papers following the conference. 

Submit easily with our online platform at: https://form.jotform.com/53208388541256

Deadline for submission is January 11th, 2020.

Deadline to register as a presenter or a delegate is February 15, 2020.

For more information, please visit our website at www.heartandsoulsconference.com

ABOUT

Since its inception in 2009, QUEUC (Quebec Universities English Undergraduate Conference) has blossomed into the most successful English Undergraduate conference in Canada. This conference is held at Bishop’s University (in the beautiful Eastern Townships, 1.5 hours southeast of Montreal). Bishop’s University is located on Traditional and Unceded territory of the Abenaki People.

This year marks the 11th anniversary of QUEUC, which started as a small, Quebec-based, student-run conference in September 2009. Now, in its 11th year, we have updated our name – and our guiding vision – to champion undergraduate research and undergraduate teaching excellence in the Humanities.

This year, we have created two streams for the conference, one for showcasing undergraduate research (SOULS), and a new stream focused on research related to teaching in the humanities (HEART). This conference invites students and faculty from across Canada and around the world to consider taking part in rich conversation about the importance and urgency of learning and teaching the humanities in the 21st century.

Thanks to their strong commitment to undergraduate research and teaching, Bishop’s University and the Maple League of Universities are supporting the conference with significantly subsidized registration fees. Registration for students is $25 and $75 for faculty. This includes 2 dinners, 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, coffee and snacks, two keynote speakers, one literary event and 1 wine and cheese reception. Travel and accommodations are not included, but we coordinate billets, car pools, pick-ups (when available) from the airport and bus stations, etc. We have made great efforts to ensure this conference is inclusive and affordable for all members of our learning communities.

QUESTIONS? Contact us:

Dr. Jessica Riddell

Stephen A. Jarislowsky Chair of Undergraduate Teaching Excellence

Executive Director, The Maple League of Universities 

Associate Professor, Department of English, Bishop’s University

3M National Teaching Fellow (2015)

Bishop’s University

jessica.riddell@ubishops.ca

Dr. Andrew Nurse

Interim Dean of Arts

Purdy Crawford Professor of Teaching and Learning

Mount Allison University

anurse@mta.ca

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