CALL FOR PARTICIPATION
The 20th Anniversary of the Indiana University Women’s Studies/Gender Studies
Undergraduate Student Conference
“From Strength to Strength: Celebrating Our Founders, Celebrating Our Students”
You are cordially invited to attend and to encourage students to submit papers or creative work to the 2008 Women’s Studies and Gender Studies Conference to be held March 27th and 28th at IU South Bend. We will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of this event. The conference offers undergraduates from any IU campus the opportunity to present original research, artwork, or performance related to Women’s Studies or Gender Studies in a supportive and intellectually stimulating environment. Papers from related fields are also welcome, provided that they have a Women’s Studies or Gender Studies’ perspective.
The conference begins on Thursday evening, March 27th at 7:00 p.m. with a lively panel discussion on women and leadership at IU. IU South Bend Chancellor Una Mae Reck, IU First Lady Laurie Burns McRobbie, and IUPUI Professor Sandra Petronio will discuss how to navigate the competing demands of work, family, and university responsibilities. Professor Peg Brand (IUPUI) will moderate, and a reception follows.
Dr. Patricia McNeal, Professor of History and Women’s Studies at IU South Bend, delivers the keynote speech, “Women’s Studies: The Pathway to Success, at 1:30 on Friday 28 March. Dr. McNeal taught at IUSB from 1974 until 2007. She was the Director of Women's Studies from 1993 until 2003. Her leadership brought a Major in Women's Studies to IUSB in 1999. She founded this, the first all-IU undergraduate conference, "Celebrating Our Students," for all IU Women’s Studies undergraduates, in 1988. She has worked diligently to further Women's Studies throughout the 8 IU campuses.
McNeal holds a PhD in American history from Temple University. Her research is on peacemaking and women, and her book, Harder than War: Catholic Peacemaking in Twentieth Century America, was published by Rutgers University Press in 1992. She has written extensively on Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker Movement, and has published and presented her research in many scholarly venues.
The conference concludes with a performance of selections from this year's original production, "Michiana Monologues." These locally-written monologues about embodied womanhood in Michiana are inspired by Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues. We hope the production will inspire others to produce original, local Monologues, and there will be a Q and A session afterwards to exchange ideas.
Student-paper sessions on Friday will be divided topically and typically have three to four student presenters (15 minutes each) with a faculty moderator/discussant:
- Continental breakfast at 8:00 a.m.
- Paper sessions beginning at 9:00 a.m.
- Luncheon at noon with lecture by Dr. Patricia McNeal
- Final paper session ends by 3:15 p.m.
- Michiana Monologues from 3:30 to 5 pm
Students should send a 150-200 word abstract of their paper or creative work to Lesley H. Walker at lwalker@iusb.edu by Friday 15 February 2008. Please announce the conference to faculty and students who may be interested in attending or presenting a paper. Attendees (student and faculty) and presenters each need to complete and return the registration form by 15 March 2008. Students need not present a paper to attend the conference, but do need to complete a registration form. Make as many copies as you need. I look forward to your participation in this exciting and rewarding event. Feel free to contact me at (574-520-4199).
Transportation to the conference is often provided by faculty who carpool with students. In addition, the Conference itself will provide free housing (shared rooms) for those who would like to go up on Thursday night since the Conference starts at 9:00 a.m. Friday. Breakfast and lunch will be provided to all participants on Friday.
For more information on the speakers for our Thursday night the panel discussion, “Women and Leadership at IU,” see the following WebPages:
Una Mae Reck http://www.iusb.edu/~chncllr/
Laurie Burns McRobbie (http://www.indiana.edu/~pres/iu_first_lady.shtml)
Sandra Petronio (http://informatics.iupui.edu/people/petronio
Peg Brand http://www.iupui.edu/~philosop/peg_brand.htm
