1. Announcements
Plans for some kind of return to campus in Fall 21 remain under discussion at all levels. It may be that some departments return in a more prominent way than others. The University is working on plans to ensure social distancing in classrooms. All of which means that at this point, I don’t have much definitive information. But when I know, you will know.
2. Opportunities
The Department of English is hosting a three-panel career development series for English and other Humanities majors and alumni, generously supported by English M.A. alum Kathy Leslie. We hope you and your students with join us for the first panel, The Current State of the Publishing Industry: Realities and Opportunities, from 1:00-3:00pm on February 27, 2021. Registration is free, but please RSVP here.
The Faculty Technology Center (FTC) continues to offer workshops on a variety of Canvas features, as well as on Zoom and Panopto (the lecture capture software). Descriptions and calendar are here.
Submissions are invited for inclusion in Dynamic Activities for First-Year Composition. The editors will accept both online and face-to-face engaging activities for the first-year composition classroom. Contract is expected with NCTE. Deadline is April 6th, 2021. The call is here; please send activities and questions to: DynamicActivitiesFYC@gmail.com
The University Library Black History Month Planning Committee announce its Black History Month event lineup, spotlighting social justice, changemakers, culture, and the pursuit of equality and peace. Information about events and exhibits is available at https://library.csun.edu/events/bhm-2021?type=event.
Submissions for the 4th Annual CDSC Social Justice Student Research Conference is open! This year’s conference, “Envisioning Just Communities,” will be hosted via Zoom on Tuesday, April 27, 2021. The organizers welcome submissions concerning scholarship, activism, and art that draw upon or envision just communities as well as any other aspect of social justice. Abstract submissions are due Friday, March 5, through the following Google Form: https://tinyurl.com/y2r6yut5
The CSU Entertainment Alliance offers students great opportunities to connect with professionals in the field. A variety of events in February 2021 will connect you to outstanding industry events. Information and registration is available at https://www2.calstate.edu/CSUEA/events/Pages/default.aspx.
There’s just too much going on at Faculty Development for me to list here. Check out their resources and events for Spring 21: https://www.csun.edu/undergraduate-studies/faculty-development.
3. Achievements
On December 19th, Irene Clark and Jessica Stewart (MA) gave presentations at the CCCC Regional Conference 2020, Building Diverse Communities Through Writing, which was held virtually at USC. At the panel was titled “Fostering Cultural, Social, and Textual Awareness through Narrative,” Irene spoke on “Reevaluating the Role of Narrative in Writing Classes,” and Jessica’s paper was titled “Stories of Innocence and Experience: Personal Narrative as an Act of Persuasion.”