Monday, August 16, 2021

CFP Balancing Acts: Finding Time for Work and Scholarship (Roundtable) (9/30/21; NeMLA 3/10-13/2022)

CFP Balancing Acts: Finding Time for Work and Scholarship (Roundtable)


Sponsored by the Association for the Advancement of Scholarship and Teaching of the Medieval in Popular Culture

For the 53rd Annual Convention of the Northeast Modern Language Association

To convene at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront, Baltimore, Maryland, from 10-13 March 2022

Proposals due by 30 September 2021


In connection with the conference theme of “Care”, this roundtable seeks to create a conversation about how we specialists of literature and languages might find a balance between our careers as teachers/workers with our lives as scholars/researchers. We face similar obstacles to achieving success. Can we work together to create a solution? 



Call for Papers


Like many, we specialists of literature and languages often stretch ourselves incredibly thin: as teachers/workers and as scholars/researchers. Many of us work multiple jobs as adjuncts, have temporary or precarious contracts, or teach overloaded schedules; others labor outside the academy. When, then, is there time for our own research, for conferencing, for writing, for publishing? 


This roundtable seeks to present a real-time discussion of these problems within English and language studies and hopes to try and find active answers to these questions. Rather than a presentation of papers, this is conceived as a traditional speaking roundtable: the presenters will have a few remarks prepared, but, ideally, this will serve as an academic conversation to jumpstart a larger, more necessary discussion amongst professionals about how and why finding a balance between working and scholarship is necessary, particularly in our fields. 


While this roundtable may appeal more to early-career academics, we encourage tenured and tenure-track faculty to participate in the conversation: Their contributions will only add to the greater picture of the emerging viewpoints of the field and can lead to some concrete solutions and suggestions for scholars to help find the balance that is necessary to be successful, both in one’s work and in one’s own research goals and agenda.



Guiding Questions:

  • How can you balance an overloaded course schedule with a research requirement?
  • How can you remain active in research and teach full-time/overtime?
  • How can adjuncts/temporary faculty find time to do anything other than find a job?
  • What do you do when your job isn’t in your field, and you can’t find time to do research or write?
  • Are there organizations that can help with these issues?
  • What do you do if you don’t have departmental support?
  • How do you find the time to write and do research?
  • How do you balance being a professional with your personal life? 
  • How do you balance teaching, research, and service with personal health?



Submissions should be made directly into NeMLA’s conference management program at https://www.cfplist.com/nemla/Home/S/19225. Potential presenters will need to create an account with NeMLA to submit a proposal (including a presentation title, brief abstract--not more than 250 words--of some talking points addressing our major questions, academic bio, and AV needs)and to become members of NeMLA should their proposal be accepted for the session. Notice of acceptance will be made after 1 October 2021. Please go to the website nemla.org for details about session types and presenter guidelines.


Please address any other questions to the session organizers at medievalinpopularculture@gmail.com. We also welcome suggestions for resources (in print or online) that might be of value to the panel and its audience. 



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