The Business of Old English (A Panel Discussion)
Sponsoring Organization(s)
Old English Forum, Modern Language Association
Organizer Name
Stephen J. Harris
Organizer Affiliation
Univ. of Massachusetts-Amherst
Presider Name
David F. Johnson
Presider Affiliation
Florida State Univ.
Paper Title 1
Journals
Presenter 1 Name
Stephen J. Harris
Paper Title 2
Teaching
Presenter 2 Name
Matthew T. Hussey
Presenter 2 Affiliation
Simon Fraser Univ.
Paper Title 3
Administration
Presenter 3 Name
Andrew P. Scheil
Presenter 3 Affiliation
Univ. of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Paper Title 4
Books
Presenter 4 Name
Thomas A. Bredehoft
Presenter 4 Affiliation
Independent Scholar
Start Date
14-5-2016 10:00 AM
Session Location
Bernhard 106
Description
We are all expert in the ways that narratives shape perceptions of reality. Competing narratives about the “field of Old English” are no exception. Some are fashioned from a handful of examples, others, extrapolations from a personal story. These are contextualized within narratives about the decline of American education, increasing monetization of the university, lack of sufficient respect for teaching, and inequalities of wage, status, and opportunity. The MLA Old English Forum welcomes four speakers to describe the shape of the field based on statistically significant samples. We hope to discuss historical narratives of institutional change that account for changes in population and demographics, the evolving status of advanced degrees in the marketplace, funding models in private and public schools, tectonic shifts in publishing and distribution, digital delivery, teaching methods, assumptions about student preparedness, changes in pedagogical goals, and so forth. Four areas will be addressed: 1) Journals, 2) Administration, 3) Teaching, and 4) Books. Presentations are ten minutes, followed by a collaborative discussion.
Stephen Harris
The Business of Old English (A Panel Discussion)
Bernhard 106
We are all expert in the ways that narratives shape perceptions of reality. Competing narratives about the “field of Old English” are no exception. Some are fashioned from a handful of examples, others, extrapolations from a personal story. These are contextualized within narratives about the decline of American education, increasing monetization of the university, lack of sufficient respect for teaching, and inequalities of wage, status, and opportunity. The MLA Old English Forum welcomes four speakers to describe the shape of the field based on statistically significant samples. We hope to discuss historical narratives of institutional change that account for changes in population and demographics, the evolving status of advanced degrees in the marketplace, funding models in private and public schools, tectonic shifts in publishing and distribution, digital delivery, teaching methods, assumptions about student preparedness, changes in pedagogical goals, and so forth. Four areas will be addressed: 1) Journals, 2) Administration, 3) Teaching, and 4) Books. Presentations are ten minutes, followed by a collaborative discussion.
Stephen Harris