“We’re All Alone in This Together: The Music & Meaning of Pearl Jam” on 5/1 at 3:30 EST

Join us for “We’re All Alone in This Together: The Music and Meaning of Pearl Jam” on Thursday, May 1st, from 3:30-5:00 EST.

To register, use the QR code on the image to the right (click to enlarge) or download a copy of the flyer here.

Session Information: Pearl Jam helped define ‘grunge’ and gos rock music, and their music offers an ongoing reflection of how to nurture the solidarity that makes us human in a world that consistently undercuts it. This presentation explores the evolution of lyrical themes and politics around authenticity, intergenerational solidarity. democracy. environmentalism, and gender across a thirty year career that, at its core, centers the human need for connection.

Speaker Information: Dr. Brian Stipelman is the Associate Vice President/Dean of Liberal Arts at Frederick Community College in Maryland, and was previously an Associate Professor of Political Science at Dowling College in New York. He holds a PhD in Political Science from Rutgers University and is the author of two books: That Broader Definition of Liberty: The Theory and Practice of the New Deal (2013. Lexington Press) and the far more personal I Am No Guide: Pearl Jam Song by Song (2024, Fonthill Press), an exploration of the evolutionary themes in their music. He is also the President of the Community College Humanities Association Dean’s Committee.

“Émigréss and Extended Social Networks: The French Revolution…” on 4/9 at 3:30 EST

Join us for “Émigrées and Extended Social Networks: The French French Revolution in the Franco-Spanish Borderlands” on Wednesday, April 9th, from 3:30-5:00 EST.

To register, use the QR code on the image to the right (click to enlarge) or download a copy of the flyer here.

Session Information: During the early stages of the French Revolution, many people decided that it was better to leave France than to risk what an uncertain future might bring. For those near the border. Spain was an obvious choice of refuge. For these émigrés, survival during their emigration depended on how well they could activate their extended social networks. In almost all instances, these extended social networks were managed and maintained by women. My presentation looks directly at the role of women in the survival of émigré families in the Franco-Spanish borderlands.

Speaker Information: During the early stages of the French Revolution, many people decided that it was better to leave France than to risk what an uncertain future might bring. For those near the border. Spain was an obvious choice of refuge. For these émigrés, survival during their emigration depended on how well they could activate their extended social networks. In almost all instances, these extended social networks were managed and maintained by women. My presentation looks directly at the role of women in the survival of émigré families in the Franco-Spanish borderlands.

2025 National Conference Friday Plenary Speaker Announced: Dr. Kristine Rosen

Join us at the national conference in Eugene, Oregon, on Friday, October 3rd, for a plenary session featuring Dr. Christine Rosen. Dr. Rosen is a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and is author of the book “The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied World.

You can download the flyer about Dr. Christine Rosen HERE. You can click on the image to the right for more information, too.

Upcoming CCHA Events & Opportunities: CCHA Upcoming Events Calendar Now Available

Please see the calendar below and/or click here to get a copy of the PDF.

2025 CCHA Event Description Flyer (dragged)

2025 CCHA Event Description Flyer (dragged) 2

2025 CCHA Event Description Flyer (dragged) 3

2/20: Meeting at the Intersection of Literature, Language, & History: This Blinding Absence of Light

Meeting at the Intersection of Literature, Language, and History: A Critical Reading of Tahar Ben Jelloun’s This Blinding Absence of Light (Cette aveuglante absence de lumière)

3:30 PM – 5:00 PM EST / Presenter: Sean Geraghty

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88129425671?pwd=cKe7gmHRZM3DZCbu4LXtaEw1mgRr9k.1

Meeting ID: 881 2942 5671
Passcode: 980393

Tahar Ben Jelloun is an acclaimed francophone novelist of Moroccan descent. His 2001 novel This Blinding Absence of Light (Cette aveuglante absence de lumière) provides a fictionalized historical narrative inspired by experiences of soldiers imprisoned for two decades following a botched assassination attempt against the Moroccan King Hasan II and the failed coup targeting his government in 1971. This presentation will weave a critical reading of the novel with a brief history of Hasan II’s reign, the coup attempts he survived, and the closing of the notorious prison at Tazmamart in the Moroccan desert. Additionally, Ben Jelloun’s novel will be considered in the context of a long-standing debate among African intellectuals regarding the use of European languages in African literature. In this context, Ben Jelloun’s use of Frenchwill be juxtaposed with arguments by Kenyan novelist Ngugi wa Thiong’o to promote African fiction written in indigenous languages.

No registration necessary; join via the link HERE.

Call for Proposals: 2025 CCHA National Conference in Eugene, Oregon (10/1-10/4)

National Conference 2025

Wednesday October 2nd to Saturday, October 4th

Lane Community College, Eugene, Oregon

Call for Papers in the Humanities

The CCHA invites proposals from all community college humanities faculty engaged in innovative pedagogy, curriculum development and application, research scholarship, and progressive programs in student success and retention. Our progress in community colleges is defined by this simple formula: Faculty Innovation + Sharing (conferences, seminars, webcasts) = Growth for All. What are you doing at your college that we can learn from? We will have a diversity of tracks at this year’s conference, while also focusing on the conference’s theme (below). In this celebration of knowledge and information transfer, we invite submissions from faculty and administrators who teach or are engaged in projects that represent the following disciplines:

+ History + Literature + Philosophy + Writing + Media Literacy + Communications + World Languages + Religious Studies + Behavioral Social Sciences + Fine Arts + Interdisciplinary efforts that include the humanities + The Intersection of workforce development and the Humanities.

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Conference General Theme: The Evolving Workforce: AI, Community Colleges, and the Humanities

Along with the broad reach of our traditional celebration of the humanities, this conference also will feature the critical role community college humanities faculty and administrators play in preparing students for employment in the evolving AI landscape.

We seek proposals that probe the connection between the sensibilities and values revealed in humanities classrooms, and the skills and values required for the future workforce, a workforce sure to be influenced by the anticipated impacts of AI. What will this integration of AI look like? Will it be ethical? Will we still hold on to what we value today? What we call human? What we call civilization? Can community colleges leverage existing programs to create pathways for students to adapt to changing demands in the labor market? Will history become even more devalued than it is today? Can humanities leaders convince businesses and industry leaders to collaborate so that lessons from the past and present will be included in creating a better future? Will the humanities remain essential as the driving force for developing critical thinking, communication, creativity, and ethical reasoning? Will these highly valued skills continue to be valued in the age of A.I.?

Presentation Formats for All Submissions:

We invite proposals for presentations, workshops, and panel discussions that address:

Innovative pedagogy and curriculum development application in any humanities discipline;
Research scholarship (all humanities disciplines welcome);
Progressive programs in student success and retention;
The role of humanities in workforce skills;
Workforce development strategies for the 21st century; and

Presenting on the general theme? Areas of interest include:

AI literacy and digital skills development. What’s out there that’s new and promising?;
Ethical assessments of AI and automation. How much AI should we allow students to engage in for writing or presentation assignments?;
The important role of the humanities in the AI age. Most importantly, how will AI affect our notions of what it means to be human?; and
How might AI augment humanities education in community colleges, in and out of the classroom?

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Lane Community College

Yes! Oregon is beautiful, Lane Community College is one of our nation’s finest, and Eugene is happening with restaurants, museums, music, art, many cultural events, and more outdoor challenges than you can imagine.

Proposal Submission Guidelines and Deadlines:

Basic Presentation Forms:

Individual Presentation – 25 minutes (five minutes for discussion)
Panel Presentation – 50 minutes (ten minutes for discussion)

Proposal Submissions: All submission proposals will be evaluated in an ongoing process by the team at Lane Community College. Notifications of acceptance will also go out on an ongoing basis. Proposal deadline is May 30^th, 2025

Conference Submission Process: To submit a conference proposal, access the link (here) on the CCHA website and upload your proposal information into the information portals.

Conference Registration: All presenters, co-presenters, and panelists must register for the conference. Questions can be sent to GeneralCCHA@gmail.com.

Opportunity: Fulbright Scholar in Residence Program for AY26-27 (Deadline: 6/2/25)

Looking to globalize your campus?

The Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence (S-I-R) Program is accepting applications for U.S. institutions to host an international scholar for a semester or the full 2026-27 academic year. S-I-Rs provide students—some of whom may not be able to go abroad—exposure to international perspectives and experiences that expand their global awareness. S-I-Rs share their expertise in classrooms, campus events, and with local community groups.

Fulbright provides J-visa sponsorship, travel, and living stipends. S-I-Rs can provide support for the following internationalization efforts: