This roundtable builds on themes and discussion begun at the 2020 convention among early career scholars in French and Francophone Studies, taking into account the acute crisis brought about by the pandemic and its fallout. The same issues facing scholars in French and Francophone Studies remain: increasing precarity, job insecurity, downward pressures on enrollment, the need for diverse faculty and inclusive classrooms, and the need for connections to other scholars in our field(s) across campuses. These pressures have been exacerbated as the twin shocks of a global health threat and a drastic economic retraction play out in higher education. In keeping with the 2021 convention theme, “Tradition and Innovation: Changing Worlds through the Humanities,” this roundtable seeks participants who, in dealing with these changes on the ground—in their classrooms, departments, divisions, and research—are innovating to find more ways to be connected, compassionate teacher-scholars for our students, colleagues, and communities.
Possible lines of inquiry include: What aspects of this crisis are particularly hitting hard in French and Francophone Studies? What strategies have participants tried for recruiting and resisting cuts in French programs/departments? What has been successful, and where is more support needed? How can we leverage our expertise as humanities scholars more broadly in a time when we have been more isolated than ever, yet when solidarity is more needed than ever? What solutions for hurdles to equity and access can be found for online/remote learning specific to our field?
Chairs invite proposals for short (5 to 10 minutes) talks that address one or more of our central aims and will foster a collaborative discussion around current issues in our field. This may include topics related to research, pedagogy, professionalization, or the state of the discipline within the current crisis. NeMLA is accepting proposals for digital/remote presentations for the 2021 convention.
Abstracts are now due 11 October. Submit via NeMLA’s platform. Email Kristen_Stern [at] uml [dot] edu OR soldina [at] dickinson [dot] edu with questions.
This panel continues conversations begun at NeMLA 2020 which sparked the formation of an online community. We invite any scholars and teacher in French and francophone studies to join Résaux via Humanities Commons.
