RSA Pre-Conference Workshop for Contingent Faculty

Call for Applications

RSA is pleased to host a Pre-Conference Workshop for Contingent Faculty.

For RSA16, the preconference leaders will be Dr. Seth Kahn of West Chester University and Dr. Kathleen Feyh of Syracuse University. Dr. Kahn has served as co-chair of the CCCC Committee on Part-time, Adjunct, or Contingent Labor and co-chair of the CWPA Labor Committee, and has published on contingent labor and activist rhetoric. He teaches courses in writing and rhetoric in the English Department at WCU. Dr. Feyh has been a labor activist from her first union organizer job out of college through active union membership in a number of workplaces, fighting for and as contingent faculty, and as a member of the International Socialist Organization. Her scholarly work includes writing and teaching about social movements and other uncomfortable subjects, which she currently does as a Senior Lecturer in Communication and Rhetorical Studies at Syracuse University.

The pre-conference is called "Developing and Supporting Contingent Faculty Research.” The seminar will take place during the RSA16 conference and is scheduled for Thursday, May 26, 2016.

Applications should be submitted HERE by December 1, 2015. Space in the session is limited.

The primary focus of this session is helping contingent faculty find and/or enhance their ability to do research/scholarship. Depending on the needs of participants, we can help think through issues such as: developing a trajectory that's manageable given heavy teaching loads; accessing research funds, even on campuses that withhold them from contingent faculty; establishing collaborations and networks for scholarly activity; choosing and framing scholarly activities in pursuit of and independently of tenure-track positions; taking advantage of flexibility that contingent positions afford; and more.  Secondarily, given time and interest, the facilitators are experienced labor activists and organizers who can help contingent faculty strategize and advocate for improved working conditions.