Rooted: Integrated Humanities Pedagogy Conference and Workshop

Humans depend–and have always depended–upon the land. Our relationship with the land and the things which live upon it have long been a source of and target for humanistic inquiry. Inviting students into humanistic inquiry often means inviting them into consideration of this relationship with the land or one of the other long-standing sources and targets of humanistic inquiry–aesthetic expression, scientific inquiry, health, technology, and beyond. 

The Rooted Conference and Workshop is organized around the theme of inviting students into integrated humanistic inquiry–the humanities as a way of exploring and evaluating the central experiences and relationships which form and shape human existence. 

To that end, we invite abstracts of 250-300 words for presentations of around 30 minutes which explore pedagogical approaches and techniques aimed at helping students to engage in integrated humanistic inquiry. Presentations can take a variety of forms, including:

• A discussion of new or revised courses which integrate the humanities with other disciplines;

• Innovative activities or experiences which invite students into integrative humanistic inquiry;

• Connections and interactions with organizations in the community who are doing integrative humanistic work;

• Broad curricular initiatives aimed at integrating the humanities across other disciplines; 

• Academic research about the value and importance of integrative interdisciplinary experiences;

• And so on. 

We welcome presentations from humanities faculty members (broadly construed) as well as other disciplines whose work deeply integrates humanistic inquiry into their courses. We have special interest in joint presentations between faculty in the humanities and an outside discipline. 

In addition to presentations from accepted abstracts, the conference and workshop will also feature presentations from faculty at Morningside University who recently received a grant (from the National Endowment for the Humanities) to create a new minor in “Agricultural Humanities.” These faculty will present about new and revised classes, in-class activities, and experiences with local community organizations, and so on which have been central to the conceptualization, implementation, and success of the grant project. 

To help support the costs of conference attendance, the conference organizing committee has arranged to pay for a limited number of hotel rooms for conference presenters. More details will be made available upon abstract acceptance.