Newberry Seminar: Research in the Humanities - Fall 2011
- Positions available: Two Faculty Fellows
- Appointments for: Fall 2011
- Location: Newberry Library in Chicago, Illinois
- Application deadline: March 1, 2010
The Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) seeks faculty co-directors for its Fall 2011 Newberry Seminar: Research in the Humanities Program.
The ACM offers faculty members an opportunity to teach in residency at one of the world’s great research centers, the Newberry Library in Chicago. The two instructors for the Newberry Seminar in the Humanities lead a group of 15-20 select ACM and GLCA students in a Humanities seminar and oversee their work in substantive independent research projects. Faculty from any ACM or GLCA humanities discipline are eligible to apply; co-instructors need not be from the same institution.
The Seminar
The goal of the Newberry Seminar is to guide students through independent research in a major humanities library. The seminar begins with common readings and class sessions focused on a theme proposed by the Fellows, designed to teach students research and inquiry methods in the humanities. Since the seminar involves team-teaching, Fellows should draw on expertise in their own discipline as well as on their ability to exchange insights with students and specialists in other disciplines.During these opening weeks, Library staff also introduces students to the Newberry’s collections. As students become oriented, they devote increasing time to pursuing independent research, which evolves from the seminar theme and interactions with the library and seminar communities, with the support and guidance of the faculty. By the end of the semester, students produce a substantial research paper, which they present to the Seminar group and to the Newberry community.
The semester-long seminar provides intense involvement with a small and selected group of students. Since students are living off-campus, often for the first time, instructors must be ready to provide personal support in addition to intellectual guidance.
The Faculty
Two Fellows team-teach the seminar. (Applicants are encouraged to apply as a team, but individual inquiries are also welcome; the ACM Program Officer will work to suggest pairings between applicants.) The goal is a team with complementary interests who support student research in a variety of areas, and with cooperative and interdisciplinary teaching styles. Students come from a wide variety of disciplines; most are in literary or historical fields. Although Fellows are drawn from a wide range of academic disciplines, it is often useful to have one Fellow with an American specialization since the library has rich resources in that area and many students wish to research American topics. Fellows report to the ACM Program Officer for the Newberry Library and work closely with the Newberry Office of Research and Education. Fellows are responsible for the overall success and academic quality of the Seminar and for the safety and well-being of students.
The Library
One of the country’s foremost research centers in the humanities, the Newberry Library in Chicago offers humanities researchers impressive resources. The Newberry collections focus on the history and literature of Europe and the Americas from the medieval period to the early twentieth century. Specific strengths of the European collections include the Renaissance, the French Revolutionary era, Portuguese and Luso-Brazilian history, and British literature and history. Strong collections for Americanists cover the American West, European exploration and settlement of the New World, local history and genealogy, Native American history and literature, and the literature and history of the Midwest. The Newberry also has world-renowned collections in the history of cartography, the history and theory of music, the history of printing, and early philology and linguistics.
The Newberry is not just a library; it is also a thriving community of scholars who have the opportunity to reflect on one another’s work through weekly colloquia and informal conversations. The Fellows have the opportunity to establish valuable, long-term relationships with researchers in a variety of disciplines.
Compensation
The Fellows each receive one-half of their annual base salaries for the fall seminar. The program also provides a housing allowance for the Fellows. Fellows receive a mileage allowance for round-trip from their home campus to Chicago and some compensation for additional moving costs. Fellows with sabbaticals or leaves from their home institution may arrange for office space at the Newberry Library continuing through spring semester, but ACM does not provide housing during that period.
Fellows are expected to be in residence by August 1 at the latest, but many arrive as early as July 1. The extra time allows them to familiarize themselves with the library and prepare for the seminar which usually begins the first week of September.
The Proposal
Instructors for the Newberry Seminar are chosen through a competitive process, on the basis of written proposals. Since the heart of the seminar is individual research on the part of the students, proposals should describe how Fellows will guide and support student work. It should also describe the Seminar topic for the common readings and discussions. The proposed Seminar topic should provide sufficient focus to encourage productive dialogue but should also cut across different disciplines, time periods, and national boundaries to encourage a variety of research projects. The strongest topics have been those most robustly connected to the Newberry’s holdings and most accommodating to the range of scholarly interests students bring to the seminar.
Applicants preparing proposals should closely examine the Newberry’s collection through its web site (www.newberry.org) or visit the library. (Small travel grants providing two nights housing in Chicago are available for faculty preparing a proposal.) See the ACM website for past Seminar topics. John Ottenhoff, ACM Vice President and Program Office for the Newberry Seminar, can discuss possible topics and review draft proposals.
Applications should include the following:
- A curriculum vitae for each team member;
- The names of at least three references;
- A letter from the chief academic officer endorsing the application; and
- The proposal, as outlined above.
Proposals for the Fall 2011 Seminar are due by March 1, 2010 and should be sent to:
John Ottenhoff
Associated Colleges of the Midwest
205 W. Wacker, Suite 220
Chicago IL 60606