Call for Proposals and Participation
Cultivating Our Discipline
50th Allerton English Articulation Conference
April 16-17, 2014
Extended Proposal Deadline: February 17, 2014
In cooperation with Liberal Arts and Sciences External Programming and the statewide Allerton Planning Committee, NIU’s Department of English is pleased to announce the 50th Allerton English Articulation Conference, to be held Wednesday and Thursday, April 16-17, 2014.
The Allerton English Articulation Conference, bringing together faculty from two- and four-year colleges and universities for discussions and presentations, 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.
In honor of our 50th anniversary, our theme will be Cultivating Our Discipline, in the context of articulation in English Studies at two- and four-year institutions. This year’s theme invites us to consider the ways we dig into our history, graft our best practices, uproot convention, and nourish our future.
Suggested proposal topics include but are not limited to composition, culture and diversity, English education, film, genre, literature, reading communities, and technology. Building upon the success of previous conferences at Allerton, we are inviting proposals for both panel and individual presentations. Rather than formal paper-reading, the Allerton conference has become known for its highly interactive sessions and/or informal discussion. We expect sessions to equally balance presentation with discussion. Please note that presenters are frequently paired within a single 60-minute session.
Keynote speakers will be Michael Day, Director of First-Year Composition at Northern Illinois University, and Robert Self, Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Northern Illinois University. Day and Self will present “The Rear-View Mirror and the Time Machine: Using our Past to Cultivate our Future” in a dialogic format.
We hope you’ll join us for convivial, productive conversation as we celebrate our connections at Allerton House. If you know of interested high school instructors 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 panel or individual presentation proposal to AllertonConference@niu.edu by February 7, 2014. Those accepted will be notified by March 1, 2014.
Find us on Facebook (Friends of Allerton English Conference) for conference planning updates and conversations with participants past and present!
We look forward to connecting with you at Allerton House in April!
Your Allerton Articulation Conference Planning Committee