Welcome to the Blog!
Whether you are a casual fan of the humanities or teach in the humanities in one of the nation’s community colleges, we would like to welcome you to the blog for the Community College Humanities Association. Feel free to poke around, read, and even submit content for future publication, which can be facilitated on this blog or in our Community College Humanities Review journal.
Please also note that the page you are currently viewing is a combination of both the Discourse Blog and the Member Discussions, either of which can be viewed separately.
Important CCHA Updates: Statements on the NEH and the 2025 National Conference
CCHA Statement on the NEH
We at CCHA are a nonpartisan organization that seeks to strengthen students’ understanding of the value of the humanities and how studying the humanities at a community college can lead to more successful, reasoned, and enriched lives. We have never seen the humanities as having a partisan identity, and we remain steadfast in this belief.
Uniquely positioned as we are, community colleges are often the first point entry into higher education for members of our local communities. This is often the first step towards being a future small or large business owner. It is the first step in becoming a nurse. It is the first step in becoming an HVAC technician, and it is the first step in becoming a teacher. Furthermore, the first classes most of these students take are humanities classes, where students learn how to write well, how to formulate an argument, and how to use logic to ensure a stance is sound. These are skills that are necessary for all jobs in our 21st century workforce, and they cannot be learned without robust support for the humanities.
It is from this resolute belief in the value of the humanities that we joined our colleagues at the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) and the National Humanities Alliance (NHA) in signing onto their joint statements regarding the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
Updated Conference Plans
Due to the uncertainty around funding at national and, by extension, institutional levels, CCHA is making the following decisions to support our members.
- We have decided the best approach for this year’s conference is to hold it virtually. While we would much prefer to see everyone in person, we have already fielded questions from concerned presenters who are understandably worried about access to funding. We believe this gives all members the best opportunity for presenters to share their work while expanding the pool of attendees who can access this content.
- The cost for the virtual conference attendance for our members can and will be scaled back significantly based on this change.
- We will continue the increased number of monthly webinars and PD opportunities and are re-allocating time and resources from in-person conference planning to offering year-round opportunities.
- To this end, we will be opening a new “proposal portal” where our members can propose ideas for future monthly webinars; more information on this will be forthcoming.
Lastly, we want everyone to know that we do not make these decisions easily or take this situation lightly, which is why we are trying to approach the macro-environment in a way that best supports all our members as well as possible. We thank you for understanding, and please be on the lookout for further communication from CCHA.
“We’re All Alone in This Together: The Music & Meaning of Pearl Jam” on 5/1 at 3:30 EST
Join us for the webinar “We’re All Alone in This Together: The Music and Meaning of Pearl Jam” with Dr. Brian Stipelman on Thursday, May 1st, from 3:30-5:00 EST.
Registration Information: To register, you can click HERE, or 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.
Registration Information: To register, you can click HERE, or 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. Christine 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.
More Conference Info HERE.
Submit a proposal today through the above link!
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.
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 30th, 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:
- Teaching
- Curriculum development
- Developing exchange partnerships
- Community engagement
Sign up to attend a live webinar to learn more about the program. All webinars will occur at 2:00pm Eastern Time.
- January 21, 2025: Fulbright S-I-R Program Overview and Application Walkthrough
- February 26, 2025: S-I-R Host Impact Panel – How can an S-I-R Exchange Contribute to your Institution’s Internationalization Efforts and Benefit your Campus Community?
- March 20, 2025: S-I-R Host Impact Panel – S-I-R Opportunities for Community Colleges and Minority Serving Institutions
For more information, email SIR@iie.org.
Apply at https://apply.iie.org/sirhost. The application will close on June 2, 2025, at 5:00 pm EST.
Opportunity: CAORC-NEH Research Fellowship for Overseas Research (Deadline: 1/15/25)
The CAORC-NEH Research Fellowship supports advanced research in the humanities and enables scholars to spend significant time in one country with a participating Overseas Research Center. Applicants must have a PhD or terminal degree, or have completed all PhD requirements, except for the actual conferral of the degree. US citizens and foreign nationals who have been resident in the US for at least three years at the time of application are eligible to apply. The deadline for applications is January 15, 2025.
NHA Virtual Events on Attracting Students to the Liberal Arts through Integrative Curricula
From the National Humanities Alliance (NHA):
We are pleased to announce two upcoming virtual events grounded in our new report, Attracting Students to the Liberal Arts Through Integrative Curricula.
Workshop: Documenting the Impact of Integrative Initiatives
December 17, 2024 | 2:00–3:00 PM EST
Join us for a workshop on documenting the impact of initiatives that integrate disciplines across fields of study. This workshop will highlight the data included in the new report and share how we conceptualized documenting the impact of these initiatives, survey questions we created to do so, and how you might implement these strategies in your own work.
Register for this workshop here.
Webinar: Integrating Liberal Arts and Business Education
January 14, 20254 | 1:00–2:00 PM EST
Join us for a webinar exploring undergraduate curricular initiatives that integrate liberal arts and business education to help demonstrate the value of a broad-based education to skeptical students. We will feature representatives from both sides of collaborations between business and liberal arts faculty and administrators highlighted among the report’s 12 case studies and 20 brief profiles.
Panelists:
- Jim Joseph, Dean, Madden College of Business, and Vice President, Advancement & Innovation, Le Moyne College
- Irene Liu, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Le Moyne College
- Elizabeth McCrea, Associate Professor of Management, Seton Hall University
- Joseph Spino, McNeil Assistant Professor of Applied Ethics, Le Moyne College
- Abe Zakhem, Professor of Philosophy, Seton Hall University
Register for this webinar here.
We will also be announcing an additional webinar on Integrating Liberal Arts and Engineering in the coming months.