Call for Proposals and Participation
Social Responsibility and Accountability Within Our Discipline(s)
54th Allerton English Articulation Conference
April 18-19, 2018
Allerton Park and Retreat Center
Monticello, Illinois
Proposal Deadline: February 1, 2018
In cooperation with Northern Illinois University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences External Programming and the statewide Allerton Planning Committee, NIU’s Department of English is pleased to announce the 54th Allerton English Articulation Conference, to be held Wednesday and Thursday, April 18-19, 2018.
The Allerton English Articulation Conference, now in its tenth year of NIU sponsorship, brings together faculty from two- and four-year colleges and universities for discussions, presentations, networking, and co-mentoring, and takes place at the Allerton Park and Retreat Center in Monticello, Illinois. In keeping with tradition, our two-day format will include plenty of opportunities for collegiality, entertainment, and woodland walks.
This year’s theme, Social Responsibility and Accountability Within Our Discipline(s), invites us to consider our own senses of accountability and responsibility to the various stakeholders in English Studies, composition, and higher education in an age of austerity and incivility. How do we meet those responsibilities in a time of shrinking budgets and waning political support? How do we find the spirit and equanimity to support our students and colleagues through our work in English Studies? Since our theme is suggestive, meant to invigorate rather than limit our discussions, proposals need not adhere strictly to our thematic invitation. As always, suggested proposal topics include but are not limited to composition, cultural studies, diversity, English education, first-year experience, English language learning, film, genre, literature, developmental writing, reading, cognition, collaboration, technology, placement, assessment, and writing across the curriculum.
Building upon the success of previous conferences at Allerton, we are inviting proposals for both individual and group presentations, both of which must be interactive. In your proposal, be sure to explain how you plan to equally balance presentation with discussion; that is, tell us what participants in your session will DO. Please note that presenters are frequently paired within a single 60-minute session.
We hope you’ll join us for convivial, productive conversation as we celebrate our connections at Allerton House. We offer reduced registration rates for students, high school teachers, and contingent faculty. Historically, about half of our conference attendees have joined us because of a recommendation from a colleague; if you know of interested colleagues who might help us shape these discussions, we would be grateful if you would pass this invitation on to them.
Please email a title and one-paragraph abstract of your individual, group, or poster presentation proposal to submitallerton@gmail.com by February 1, 2018. Those accepted will be notified by March 1, 2018. (Abstracts for accepted presentations will be printed in the conference program.)
Find us on Facebook (Allerton English Articulation Conference) for conference planning updates and conversations with participants past and present!
We look forward to connecting with you at Allerton House in April!