June 23, 2022
English department co-hosts seminar for national association
Last week, the Department of English in the College of Arts and Sciences co-hosted with Truman State University and the University of Missouri the 2022 Summer Seminar Midwest for the Association of Departments of English, or ADE, part of the Modern Language Association.
ADE Summer Seminars provide training and support to faculty leaders in departments of English and related disciplines located in the U.S. and Canada. Held only online in 2020 and 2021, in-person seminars returned as part of this year's programming.
The seminar's theme was "A Moment of Reinvention: Building Just Programs and Initiatives."
Six faculty from the Department of English attended the seminar, June 16-18 in Kansas City, to lead or participate in pre-seminar workshops, plenary sessions, and discussion groups:
- Cameron Leader-Picone, director of graduate studies and associate professor of English, co-leader, pre-seminar workshop on "The Master's Degree and the Future of English Studies."
- Lisa Tatonetti, professor of English, co-leader, pre-seminar workshop on "Centering Social Justice in the English Curriculum."
- Karin Westman, department head and associate professor of English, seminar discussion leader, "Being Human Again in the Humanities: Life after Zoom."
- Tanya González, professor of English and interim associate provost for institutional effectiveness, plenary session, "Pedagogies of Care."
- Anuja Madan, associate professor of English, pre-seminar workshop and seminar participant.
- Tom Sarmiento, associate professor of English, pre-seminar workshop and seminar participant.
The complete program for the seminar is available on the ADE website.
"For over 20 years, our department has benefited from the research, leadership expertise, and perspectives shared at ADE Summer Seminars, sending at least two faculty members each year," said Westman. "It was a pleasure to welcome colleagues once again from across the nation to Kansas City for this year’s seminar, as we did in 2015, and to leave with strategies for greater inclusion and diversity for faculty, students, and staff as we face current challenges in enrollments, budgets, and access.
"My thanks to all who attended the 2022 seminar, to our partnering institutions and to the planning team at the ADE and the Modern Language Association for another great event."
For more information about the department of English in the College of Arts and Sciences, visit the department's website, its social media feeds — Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram — and the department's blog.