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.
Thank You, Austin! Hello, Knoxville! National Conference News and Updates
We are pleased to announce that CCHA will be partnering with Pellissippi State Community College to hold the 2024 National Conference in Knoxville, Tennessee! The specific dates are still being settled, so be on the lookout for more information.
We would also like to take a moment to thank the good people of the Austin Community College District for their hard work in putting on an incredible conference experience! Additionally, a big thank you to all of you who joined us for a great conference punctuated by some great nightlife. Thank you, Austin!
Call for Submissions: MLA’s “Committee on Community Colleges” Blog Opportunity
Call for Submissions
The Modern Language Association’s Committee on Community Colleges invites submissions for its monthly blog. We seek brief articles or reflections on themes germane to community college humanities education. Topics can include, but are not limited to:
- innovations in curriculum development and pedagogy
- professional development and scholarship
- cross-disciplinary collaboration within and beyond the humanities
- community partnerships
- public humanities programming
- connections with community college reform initiatives
- relevance of the humanities to underserved and underrepresented student populations
- intersections of humanities education and career readiness
Please send submissions (400-1200 words) to Mike Jacobs at mjacobs20@monroecc.edu
2023 Conference Attendees: A Message from Executive Director Rusnak
From the CCHA Executive Director, Andrew Rusnak
CCHA National Conference, Austin Community College, October 12-14th
Austin City Limits Music Fest will be in full swing as community college humanities professors from around the country descend on Austin Community College and the Hilton Embassy Suites October 12-14 to celebrate CCHA’s 2023 National Conference. A vibrant, cultural city, Austin is perfect for foodies and music lovers. Our very gracious hosts at Austin Community College are working extremely hard to bring you a memorable academic and social experience. We hope that when you depart, it’s with lots of useful takeaways, connections to new friends, meaningful experiences, and reconnections with old acquaintances.
For planning, several items I would like to bring your attention to as well as ask for your patience:
- If you plan to attend the Thursday night reception at the host hotel and wish to imbibe, please bring cash, as it’s a cash bar only.
- On Friday, starting at 7am and running until 6pm, there will be a 40-seat bus that circulates from the hotel to ACC’s campus. The distance is about 2.5 miles on the street and one run will take approximately 7 minutes depending on traffic. On Saturday, a 24-seat bus will run from 7am to 3pm. Since it is a very busy weekend in Austin, shuttle services were limited, and this is all we could secure. There will be no shuttle service for Thursday workshops. The walk is estimated to be 21 minutes. Directions for hikers: Austin Community College: Highland Campus to Embassy Suites by Hilton Austin Central – Google Maps.
- Since we will not be able to have lunch concurrent with the plenary sessions on Friday and Saturday, we ordered a variety of sandwich type options for both days in order to expedite the one-hour time we will have to actually dine before moving into the plenary session area. ACC has a great on-campus catering service and will provide a number of meat and vegetarian options.
- Transportation from the Airport. There are a number of public options: “There are several bus services available at the airport, including Capital Metro, Greyhound, and Megabus. Capital Metro offers several bus lines that run from the airport to downtown Austin, including Route 20, Route 100, and Route 350. These lines operate daily and have frequent departures throughout the day.” There also are shared ride options that are allowed to pickup near your gate: “Rideshare Pickup/Dropoff Instructions for Austin Bergstrom International Airport. Rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft can drop you off at the departure level, along side regular passengers and taxis. Notify your driver of the airlines and preferably the terminal upon entering the airport premises.”
- We hope that you make time to get out and explore the wonderful City of Austin. Getting around the city, there are a number of options: “The best way to get around Austin is by bus and light rail. Some travelers recommend a car; however, the expense and pains of one are enough to encourage many visitors to use Capital Metro – Austin’s public transit system.” Here is the link to the city’s Bus, Metro Rail, and Express Options, a great site for scheduling: Schedules & Maps – CapMetro – Austin Public Transit. Uber and Lyft also are available, as well as cab service:
Cost of a taxi in Austin
- Base fare: $2.50 (€2.20)
- Price per km: $1.50 (€1.30)
- Yellow Cab Austin: +1 512 452 9999
- Austin Express Cab Service +1 512 666 41410
- Pronto Rides: +1 512 580 3779
You won’t have to go far to explore much of what Austin has to offer. As mentioned above, the music festival will be in full throttle the weekend of our conference. Build in “sitting in traffic” at peak times. Austin ranks very low when it comes to overall and violent crime in major US cities and is considered one of America’s safest. That said, always be cognizant of your immediate surroundings. Practice situational awareness and follow all necessary protocols for guarding your safety and personal possessions. Here are a couple of ideas for fun:
Austin Visitor Guide
Digital Austin Visitor Guide
Sixth Street (Music Row)
Sixth Street is distinctly Austin. With its colorful and bustling array of bars, restaurants and entertainment venues, it’s a sure bet for experiencing local characters and the vibrancy of the city.
Guide to Austin’s 6th Street (6street.com)
Austin Attendee Guide
Attendee Guide
Austin restaurants and Bars Guide
Best Austin Restaurants & Bars Guide – Cookie and Kate
21 Best Restaurants in Austin
The 21 Best Restaurants in Austin for an Epic Meal (timeout.com)
Austin Museums
10 Cool Museums to Visit in Austin | Visit Austin, TX (austintexas.org)
Cool Things to Do
Things To Do in Austin, Texas (austincityguide.com)
Discounts Around the City
Austin Insider Deals
CCHA’s Deans’ Committee hosts a Humanities Leadership Forum: August 3rd, 3:30-4:45
Please join CCHA’s Deans’ Committee on August 3rd, 3:30-4:45, for its Humanities Leadership Forum. This virtual event provides a platform for community college Humanities leaders to discuss a range of timely and consequential issues germane to the success of our students, colleagues, and institutions. Our inaugural event will focus on two such topics:
- The impact of artificial intelligence in the humanities classroom
- Best practices in leadership development
While the forum will be moderated by members of the Deans’ Committee, it will not comprise structured presentations. Rather, it will center the ideas and questions brought forth by attendees, thus helping us cultivate strategies for tackling the myriad challenges we face at our respective institutions.
Participation in this meaningful event is free and open to any and all community college humanities deans, chairs, and faculty leaders. Please REGISTER HERE for this event.
We look forward to seeing you on August 3rd!
NHA Summer Virtual Workshop: Documenting the Impact of the Humanities in Higher Ed
The National Humanities Alliance is offering a summer virtual workshop opportunity with a discount available to our members. Documenting the Impact of the Public Humanities in Higher Education: A Toolkit will be offered on two dates this June, on the 22nd and 25th. This workshop will offer attendees the opportunity to consider impact research as it relates to their own work and to the humanities more broadly. While the toolkit focuses on public humanities projects (including internship programs, publicly engaged courses, reading and discussion groups, and oral history projects), they anticipate that it will also be relevant to those carrying out a wide range of humanities work.
Visit the NHA workshop page HERE for more information.
Call for Proposals: The National Council on Public History Annual Meeting 2024
Download the PDF version of this flier HERE.
CAORC Community College Faculty Development Seminars: Applications Being Accepted
The Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) is proud to announce its Faculty Development Seminars for 2024. These fully-funded seminars are designed for faculty and administrators at US community colleges and minority-serving institutions. The aim is to help participants gain international experience and develop and improve curricula at their home institutions.
The awardees will participate in a short-term academic seminar that includes round-trip travel, accommodations, meals, and site visits. The 2024 series includes seminars presented by Overseas Research Centers in Cambodia, India, Mexico, Mongolia, Palestine, and Senegal. For more details and application links, please visit the Faculty Development Seminars page on the CAORC website.
Call for Proposals Submission Deadline Extended and Acceptance on a Rolling Basis
DEADLINE EXTENDED: Proposals accepted on a rolling basis through June 15th.
Baltimore, MD. May 1, 2023 – According to conference organizers, this year’s Community College Humanities Association’s (CCHA) National Conference theme of “humanistic inquiries …[into] questions of value, power, community, identity, race, justice, healing, conflict, and transformation” is already providing a solid foundation to programming with many intriguing proposals that will surely inspire colleagues.
Now, in collaboration with organizers at the Austin Community College District which opened up more space, CCHA has a new opportunity to expand this year’s conference forum and celebrate a broad range of unique proposals that extend to every reach of the humanities in community colleges. So, please consider submitting a proposal and joining us for the conference.
Continue reading Call for Proposals Submission Deadline Extended and Acceptance on a Rolling Basis
Season Two of the NHA’s Podcast “What Are You Going to Do with That?” Now Available
The NHA is excited to announce a new season of What Are You Going to Do with That?, a podcast where we explore everyday folks’ decisions to study the humanities as undergraduates and their pathways to fulfilling careers!
This podcast is designed for students, as well as those who advise them, including parents, academic advisors, career counseling staff, and high school teachers and guidance counselors. Please spread the word!
The new season features 8 stories about diverse professionals with humanities backgrounds who not only do well for themselves but do good for the world. It is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever else you may get your podcasts.
Episodes include:
Continue reading Season Two of the NHA’s Podcast “What Are You Going to Do with That?” Now Available
Call for Proposals: NHA National Humanities Conference in Indianapolis, IN (10/25-29)
The 2023 National Humanities Conference Call for Proposals is open until April 3rd!
Co-hosted by the National Humanities Alliance and the Federation of State Humanities Councils, the National Humanities Conference brings together representatives from colleges, universities, state humanities councils, cultural institutions, and other community-based organizations to explore approaches to deepening the public’s engagement with the humanities. The conference will be held October 25-29 in Indianapolis. With the help of our partners at Indiana Humanities, we look forward to a conference that offers ample opportunities to engage with local and regional culture and history.
In keeping with the state motto of Indiana, “The Crossroads of America,” the 2023 conference theme is “Crossroads.”
Crossroads are places of choice and possibility—creative, reflective, and forward-looking—and we invite proposals that consider how the public humanities have arrived at their current place, what that place looks like to us today, and where we wish to go from here. We especially encourage proposals that engage humanities practitioners, professionals, and scholars/academics to discuss shared or aligned destinations as well as proposals that explore and delineate how and why we diverge.
We encourage you to submit proposals and recruit others to do the same! Please contact Edward Moreno at events@statehumanities.org with any questions or for support in submitting a proposal.