Academic work has never been more precarious. Between the neoliberal austerity measures that undercut higher education funding over the last decade and the COVID crisis that amplified the inequalities produced by this system, we face the very real prospect of the end of scholarly labor.
The abolition of the existing higher ed model is something to aspire to: the racist, ableist, and exploitative university labor system deserves to be destroyed. In its place, and in the meantime, we must pursue egalitarian forms of knowledge production with an eye toward public access to scholarship. That starts with transparent institutions and freely accessible work.
We must build a better, livable, and equitable normal. We must create the scholarly community that we all deserve; one that is supportive, antiracist, and acknowledges that the future we build together is shaped by historical processes we study.
To help facilitate egalitarian systems of knowledge production, The Activist History Review will host a digital symposium, “Remaking the University in Our Image,” for early career, independent, and contingent scholars. Paper and workshop proposals should address the work of building a scholarly community that is active and engaged in the world in which we all live, work, and struggle. We solicit proposals that use theory and historical example to lay out potential journeys toward or models for abolitionist, cautionary, and utopian visions of the future of higher education informed by the past.
Papers and chapters from scholars engaged in broadly defined activist historical work are also welcome. We encourage the submission of work from undergraduates, staff, faculty, and all members of the community.
Proposals should be no more than 250 words for papers, panels, or workshops, and should be emailed to activisthistory@gmail.com by August 10, 2020 at 11:59 PM. Please also include a short bio of no more than 100 words.
Conference date: Saturday, September 12, 2020, 8:30am-12:00pm ET.
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