[Vwoolf] Graduate students and Woolf conference

Thu Oct 23 12:26:50 EDT 2014

Some of the best papers I have seen at the Woolf Conference have been by
graduate students, so I would agree to treat graduate submissions exactly
as faculty and common reader submissions.  I have also seen some awesome
papers by undergraduates, but I agree that having a separate panel or two
for them can make the process less intimidating.

Diana Royer and I had a graduate class linked to the 17th annual conference
and the class + conference experience was a big success.  Some of the class
participants are on this listserv, so they can correct me if I am
misrepresenting their experience.

best,

Madelyn

On Thu, Oct 23, 2014 at 10:56 AM, ANNE Fernald [Staff/Faculty [A&S]] <
fernald at fordham.edu> wrote:

> It's an exceptional undergrad who can acquit her/himself well on a panel.
> I think that's fine and, in fact, terrific: if s/he wants to apply in the
> rank-blind CFP and gets in, all the better. However, a special panel or
> stream for undergrads gives them a chance to taste the conference w/o too
> much intimidation.
>
> As for grad students, I think they should be treated like every other
> professional.
>
> I would add that in the 2009 conference, I tried to create a couple other
> opportunities for grad students linked to the conference: a special course
> that led into the conference, and I worked with grad students not only at
> Fordham but in the area, who attended at a reduced rate in exchange for
> helping work the tables, chair a session, escort a plenarist, etc. I think
> this helping/organizing work was, in some cases, more valuable
> professionalization than the paper alone--and in fact, several of the
> people who helped me there have gone on to great things.
>
> On Thu, Oct 23, 2014 at 9:41 AM, Barbara Green <bgreen at nd.edu> wrote:
>
>> > Dear Julie,
>>
>> Liz Evans and I are organizing our graduate class this term so that we
>> can help our students develop conference papers.  At least one member
>> of our group intends to submit an abstract to the 2015 Woolf
>> conference.  We'd be delighted if our student has a chance to
>> experience the Woolf conference, since the community is so
>> consistently generous toward graduate students.  It would be an
>> excellent place for her to grow.
>>
>> Thank you, Julie, for giving us a chance to consider this important
>> professionalization question.
>>
>> Best,
>>
>> Barbara
>>
>> Barbara Green
>> Department of English
>> University of Notre Dame
>>
>> >
>> >
>> > I would like the input of the Woolf community on a few things about the
>> Woolf conference. The website and structure of the conference is beginning
>> to come together, and I've purposely left a few things blank because I
>> don't know how to proceed.
>> >
>> > Take a look at
>> >
>> > woolf.bloomu.edu
>> >
>> > You'll notice I have a separate section for high school and
>> undergraduates. I took the organizational handbook at its word and used the
>> conference as an opportunity to pull university and community together. The
>> deans put in money for this because they (and I) want to make a statement
>> about the importance of the humanities at our institution and in the
>> community.
>> >
>> > The high school students, community members, and undergraduates will
>> attend events like the theater performance, art opening, and plenaries, but
>> will have sessions and discussion groups in a separate building from the
>> academic conference on Saturday afternoon.
>> >
>> > The piece I can't figure out is graduate students. Do you feel the
>> conference would be weakened or strengthened if I made a push for faculty
>> to encourage and bring their graduate students? As I see it, the only
>> disadvantage would be that the papers might not be the quality we want
>> (some conferences have been taken over by graduate students).
>> >
>> > However, there are tremendous advantages. As I talk to faculty about
>> conferences, many of them are under pressure to professionalize their
>> graduate students and would like to include them. From listening to people,
>> I believe we wold attract more professors if we let people know they could
>> also bring their graduate students and have them present. But I don't want
>> to put them in a separate session or area (as the undergraduates are).
>> >
>> > How do you think I should handle this?
>> >
>> > Thanks (I have another question), but I'll save that one for next week).
>> >
>> > Julie
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Julie Vandivere, Ph.D.
>> > Professor of English
>> > 119 Bakeless
>> > Bloomsburg University
>> > Bloomsburg, PA 17815
>> >
>> > jvandive at bloomu.edu
>> >
>> >
>> >
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>
>
> --
> Anne E. Fernald
> <http://www.fordham.edu/academics/programs_at_fordham_/english/faculty/english_faculty/anne_fernald_28537.asp>
> Director of Writing/Composition at Lincoln Center,
> Associate Professor of English
> <http://www.fordham.edu/academics/programs_at_fordham_/english/index.asp>
> and Women's Studies <http://www.fordham.edu/womens_studies>
> Fordham University
> 113 W 60th St.
> New York NY 10023
>
> 212/636-7613
> fernald at fordham.edu
>
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-- 
Madelyn Detloff
Director of Graduate Studies, English Department
Associate Professor of English and WGS
Miami University
Oxford, OH 45056
(513) 529-1395

Please note that Miami has changed its domain name to miamioh.edu.  My new
email address is detlofmm at miamioh.edu.
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