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"Second-Class Scholars?: Outside the Ivory Tower, Off the Tenure Track" Roundtable [SAMLA Nov. 8-10] Abstracts by 4/30
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SAMLA 2013 Conference, November 8-10, 2013, Marriott Atlanta Buckhead Hotel & Conference Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30326
From MLA’s Profession and The Chronicle of Higher Education to Inside Higher Ed and #alt-academy: A Mediacommons Project, the decline of tenure-track research positions and the rise of alternate academic careers have been duly noted, but what are the implications for those post-graduates seeking to research and write? A recent issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education (21 Jan. 2013) highlighted the situation of independent scholars, and mentioned the Ronin Institute for Independent Scholarship as a potentially viable alternative to a bricks-and-mortar research university. This roundtable, then, seeks independent scholars and adjunct faculty interested in sharing their experiences of conducting research, attending conferences, presenting papers, and publishing on the margins of academia. Possible topics include: do you ever feel like a “second-class scholar”? Do you feel that you are met with bias in certain academic situations? Is this liminality productive, and if so, how? Do you work entirely on your own, or have you found supportive communities near you or online, for instance, through blogs or networking sites like academia.edu? What kinds of obstacles, if any, have you encountered in terms of accessing materials, applying for grants, and travelling to conferences? Have you faced challenges in getting work published? Are traditional publishing avenues, such as the refereed journal, important to you? Have you successfully collaborated on projects with tenured academics or with other independent scholars or adjuncts? How do you see older notions of scholarship changing, and do you welcome those changes (or not)? Personal accounts are welcome, as are thoughtful variations on the topic.
Proposals of 250-300 words, along with a brief CV, are due by April 30,2013, and may be emailed to email@example.com. For more information about the conference, please visit SAMLA's website: http://samla.memberclicks.net.