NYCEA NEWS

 
 
Dearest NYCEA members:

In April we welcome new President, Juliet Emanuel and a new Vice President, Deborah Vanderbilt. Juliet will serve as President from 2010 to 2012, at which point, Deb will step forward as the new President from 2012-2014. The terms are always two years, beginning and ending in April.

I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome Juliet and Deb in their new roles; both Juliet and Deb are long-time Board members. Juliet is the current Vice President--she has also organized many successful conferences throughout the years. Deb has been on the Board since 2003, the same year she organized a FABULOUS conference for NYCEA. In fall 2010, Deb and her Department at St. John Fisher will also be hosting another conference--details TBA in the coming months.

The Board's continuing responsibility is to nominate and vote on the next candidate for Vice President by fall 2011. According to NYCEA by-laws, the Vice Presidential term is two years; at the end of a given term, the Vice President will step forward as President for another two years. It is essentially a four-year commitment but very well worth the effort. I am now completing my fourth-year of the same commitment made in 2006. During my years as Vice President and President, we have seen some changes.

The biannual conference has been a NYCEA tradition since John Mulryan, an honored past President, turned this organization around from a fledgling regional affiliate of College English to the nationally-recognized organization it is today. In the last five years, we have found it increasingly difficulty to find conference hosts given increased demand on time and funding for faculty and their home departments. Of course, a NYCEA conference really pays for itself; we even give a $200 stipends six months before the given conference to help defer early costs like mailings and purchases of conference materials. The host-campus usually receives all the registration fees for a conference and then has access to those funds to pay for things like the Friday night dinner (which is often optional to help lower conference fees for those traveling from far away places), the Saturday morning breakfast, coffee breaks, and the Key-note Luncheon. The average conference fee in the last several years has topped out at around $65/person for full-time faculty; adjuncts, independent scholars and graduate students will have a reduced conference fee--usually around $10 less than the fee for full-time faculty. Typically, the host-campus arranges for reduced rates at nearby hotels to help reduce the overall costs even further. In today's world, you simply can't attend a conference for less than $300 with typical registration fees around $125 or more and the cost of your hotel room at about the same--unless you attend a NYCEA conference. WE strive to serve the academic community in New York State and beyond by providing venues to present research for peer review and development between campuses large and small; this helps to further the professional growth of all those interested in the many facets of the English discipline.

My first conference--ever--was a NYCEA conference. It was in the late 1990's--Iona College near NYC. I presented my work there and found the encouragement and support from both seasoned and newer faculty alike simply astounding. The people I met at that conference have been my treasured colleagues for well over a decade now. In fact, most of my Professional References on my Curriculum Vitae are colleagues met through NYCEA. And, the feedback I received has produced major research and writing, leading to countless publications over the last decade--something close to 45 books, book chapters, articles, essays, book reviews, and encyclopedia entries. NYCEA is not like other disciplinary organizations; while most of us start our careers through other organizations, we often find our way to NYCEA to really make the important connections with not just our colleagues, but with our research and writing.

Angela Belli, a current Board member from St. Johns and honored past President, helped to crystalize my idea for my Doctoral dissertation. Recently retired Board member, Monica Weis, SSJ from Nazareth was one of my PhD Examiners. Elaine Ognibene, Joseph Pestino, Deborah Vanderbilt, Gertrude Hamilton, Charles Ernst, Maryann Janda, Fr. Michael Callaghan. Lauren De La Vars, James Scannell--all treasured colleagues who have made it a real pleasure for me to not only be involved in the organization, but who have become good friends as well. In academia, we don't always have the ability to build these types of relationships with like-minded individuals. It's become a very competitive marketplace and so, our time is extremely limited, overwhelmed with professional obligations. At a place like NYCEA, you sit amongst friends and can have meaningful discussions about your work and theirs in a way that INCREASES your productivity as a faculty member. NYCEA provides a venue for those who want MORE than what other professional organizations can offer, and I for one, have gratefully reaped the many benefits of all that NYCEA has to offer.

And so, it is with bittersweetness that I spend my last few days as NYCEA President. I will remain on the Board through 2011 during the next transitional year and will then step down, making room for younger, fresher minds.

Some notes from our last Board meeting in October 2009: The Board made a majority vote regarding the biannual conference, shifting to an annual conference beginning in fall 2010 through 2012 as a temporary measure during the economically challenging times we now all find ourselves in. The discussion ensued after we learned the spring 2010 host-campus had to cancel; we had been discussing other possibilities for conference venues outside of college-campuses, including hotel conference facilities. Though the idea was sanctioned by the Board in spring 2008, the proposal was withdrawn in fall 2009 with concerns about increased cost. Another point of action was to give retiring Board members of ten years or more service, a five-year membership to NYCEA. Other issues discussed were the Graduate Student Prize, the continuation of NYCEA NEWS, and the upcoming fall conference generously hosted by our friend and colleague, and now Vice President Deb Vanderbilt at St. John Fisher in Rochester. James Scannell reported that our membership has increased and unlike others in today's economy, NYCEA's fiscal-responsibility has paid off. Joe Pestino and Charles Ernst also reported on the CEA national conference, which happens every spring. All NYCEA presenters are encouraged to submit proposals for panels or for individual presentations. NYCEA members are also welcome to submit to the CEA journal for publication. 

Please be sure to check the "Graduate Student Prize"and "Essays, Editorials & More" pages for the publication of the latest winner of the NYCEA Graduate Student Prize, Amanda Lagoe's excellent paper on James Joyce's work, as well as brief abstracts from the runner-up and two Honorable Mentions, a co-authored paper by Ashley Kelley and Allan MacDougall, an essay by Brendan Stapely, and a wonderful look at Nabokov by Brazilian Doctoral student, Ligia Winter.

Look for the forthcoming Call for the fall 2010 conference on www.nycea.org and right here, as well as the usual listservs like UPenn  Until we next meet, I wish you a joyous spring: Pesach Somaach! And a very happy Easter!

Best wishes,

Rebecca Housel, PhD

 
 
Dearest NYCEA Colleagues:

What's all the twitter about Twitter???  Well, Twitter is a site that offers public space for short blogs, brief blogs, terse sperses, and essentially, any little  thing you want to express in 140 spaces or less at a time. Twitter is the hottest thing to hit the internet stage since Facebook opened to the public.  Well, welcome to the 21st century, NYCEA--you're on Twitter!  If you have a Twitter account, search for "NYCEA1" and choose to follow NYCEA on Twitter.

More?  Of course. Facebook--yes, we're an official Facebook group.  How do you find us?  Log in to Facebook and type "New York College English Association" in the search box.  You can join the group by following the prompt on the opening page.

We're all looking forward to the Buffalo conference at the end of the month.  If you're interested, I 'll be signing my latest book, Twilight & Philosophy (Wiley-Blackwell) at the Amherst Barnes and Noble on Saturday, 10/24 at 7pm.

The time has come for me to say goodbye in April 2010; I'd like to congratulate Deborah Vanderbilt on her nomination to Vice President, 2010-2012, which goes into effect in April when Juliet Emmanuel, our BMCC colleague and current Vice President, steps forward as Presient for her 2010-2012 term. We thank both Juliet and Deb for their service to NYCEA.

While I'm thanking people, I'd like to thank our own James Scannell for his selfless service as our Secretary, Treasurer, and Webmaster of our mother-site: nycea.org. Jim's the guy who also coordinates conferences, send out email notifications, keeps track of membership, and makes sure our organization keeps running smoothly. So thanks to Jim for his years of service and hard work on behalf of NYCEA!

The subject of a fall '10 conference at the Brookwood Inn in Pittsford, New York as an experimental change of pace has been hotly discussed over the last year. The intention was to try it and see if such an event was a viable option for future conferences. The future of NYCEA conferences in general may depend on such diversification with the increase in demands of academic life.  Speaking of which, I must now announce my retirement from NYCEA when I step down in April 2010. It is with great regret that I inform you all of this difficult decision. My path is leading me away from academia and possibly even New York. It has been a wonderful twelve years with NYCEA, and I will sorely miss my many colleagues, now friends. As many of you know, I am a long time cancer survivor, 18 years this September. Life is very short for some of us.  With the advent of the 'Twilight & Philosophy' book, my writing has become my career. I have also received some intriguing offers that will lead me even further from academia and into totally new opportunities for growth. I want to thank all of my Board, Lauren De La Vars, our Executive Director, Michael Callaghan, Mary Ann Janda, Joseph Pestino, our recent past Presidents, and my NYCEA mentors, Monica Weiss, SSJ, Elaine Ognibene, Charles Ernst, and Gertrude Hamilton for their continued support throughout my long life with NYCEA. James Scannell has been an invaluable resource and will continue to be for Juliet and Deb as our incoming President and Vice President for 2010-2012.

The Brookwood conference will be on the table again at our Board meeting at 8am on Saturday, 10/24/09 at NCCC in Buffalo. I look forward to seeing you all then!

Best wishes,

Rebecca

 
 

Before I begin talking about our wonderful conference opportunity at St. John's this upcoming weekend generously organized by three of our long-time Board members and good colleagues, I wish to pay tribute to a special NYCEA Board member who recently retired from the Board last week, Dr. Monica Weiss, SSJ. Monica is not only an exceptional Thomas Merton scholar, or educational innovator in her creation of the Masters in Liberal Studies program at Nazareth College, or a professor of the highest caliber beloved by her many, many students, or generous and kind soul through her work as a Sister of St. Joseph: Monica is a most trusted and dear friend.  She helped to guide many of us, including me, a fledgling Board member as of October 2003.  Through the years, Monica has been more collegial than I may articulate with any eloquence in the space of this brief page. She was a light at our Board meetings, an active participant who kept us all on track with her meticulous notes and understanding of NYCEA bylaws. Monica Weis has left an indeliable mark on our organization, a mark of excellence.  We thank Monica for her many years of stellar service and wish her only the best in her future endeavors. Thank you, Monica, for all you have given to NYCEA.  You will be missed!

Tomorrow is the start of our spring 2009 conference at St. John's University Manhattan campus. On behalf of all the NYCEA members, let me thank Michael Callaghan and Angela Belli (both former NYCEA Presidents), and our current Vice President, Juliet Emmauel (BMCC), as well as their wonderful commiittee, for all their many efforts.  Having biannual conferences is a feat in our intensified academic community with greater focus on teaching, research AND service; as a regional affiliate of College English Association (CEA), we take great pride in our conferences and the opportunity those conferences provide to share scholarship and create a collegial atmosphere that helps us all meet the increasing demands of academic life with both honor and excellence.

To that end, let me say a brief word about our Graduate Student Prize (GSP): It has traditionally been offered biannually but we have seen a wane in submissions in the last year.  The GSP is a terrific opportunity for Graduate Students who wish to make strides toward a full life of rich scholarship, showing excellent potential to not only research worthwhile topics, but also to publish.  Yes, we publish on this very site and often give Honorable Mentions to other exceptional submissions. Please see 'Graduate Student Prize' page for Kara Manning's paper from the St. Bonaventure fall 2008 conference.  Kara was also an Honorable Mention in the fall 2007 competition.  The Prize itself is judged by a revolving committee of volunteer readers from the NYCEA Board.  The Prize is typically $100 to the best paper presented at the conference and is bestowed on the winner at the Saturday key-note luncheon.  Winners must be present at the luncheon to receive the Prize; if a winner is not present, the Prize goes to the next best submission. Please see 'Editorials, Essays & More' for the full CFP for the fall 2009 conference and details on the GSP submission.

A summer meeting is in the works for late June--location in Rochester TBA. As far as our agenda for the spring Board meeting, we hope to discuss upcoming conferences, membership, budgetary issues, and other new business.  In our fall 2008 meeting, we brought forward a motion to have a conference off campus at a hotel conference center, like our parent affiliate, CEA.  The motion was discussed and voted in.  The first conference of its kind in NYCEA history to take place off campus will be held at the Brookwood Inn in Pittsford, New York, just two miles from scenic Casa Larga vineyards, right off the NYS Thruway with easy access by airport shuttle, and nestled in quaint Bushnell's Basin near some of the area's best restaurants and shopping.  The conference will take place in October 2010 and will be collectively organized by area Board members.  We look forward to hearing from you about this potential opportunity for growth in our organization.  Having a conference off campus allows for shared responsibilty among several area campuses interested in participating but unable to solely host a conference with campus calendars filling up all too quickly from an increased need to garner student interest in these trying economic times. The most recent MLA-advertised faculty searches had more than fifty job cancellations in English/Writing for the 2009-2010 academic year because of loss of funding.  Hosting conferences on single campuses is an expense many departments are smply unable to negotiate at this time. The NYCEA Board is faced with either limiting our biannual conferences, or, branching out to new opportunities.  We hope many of you will embrace this change and attend the fall 2010 conference at the Brookwood Inn.  Please send any comments to Rebecca Housel: housereb@rochester.rr.com

And now, on a personal note: I have been on medical leave from RIT and will (most unfortunately) not be returning to teaching in fall.  I will attempt to update this site as often as possible. As President, I feel it is every members right to know the condition of your leadership. I will continue in my role as President, though sadly, I am regrettably not well enough to attend the St. John's conference this weekend.  I am happy to report that my health issue will most likely be a temporary bump in the proverbial road; I plan on organizing the June Board meeting and attending the NCCC conference in fall.  My time as President ends one year from now in spring 2010, at which time, Juliet Emmanuel, our Vice President, will step forward as the new President.  And so, we are looking for Vice Presidential nominations from now through September 30, 2009.  Nominees should be Board members for at least one full year.  Please send your nominations to: housereb@rochester.rr.com For a complete listing of the Board, please see our mother-site: www.nycea.org

My best wishes to all for a happy spring and productive (yet relaxing) summer!  This weekend promises to be warm and wonderful for the St. John's conference--stroll Central Park, take a cab to Serendipty for Frrrozen Hot Chocolate and enjoy every moment of this most wonderful conference organized by our most wonderful colleagues!

Until next time...

Rebecca A. Housel, Ph.D., President 2008-2010

 





 



 
 

Our Executive Director and long-time Board member, Lauren De La Vars will host the fall 2008 conference on close readings at St. Bonaventure from 10/24-25.  Please see our sister-site for further details: www.nycea.org

The deadline for panel proposals and abstracts is September 15th; Graduate Student Prize submisions of no more than nine double-spaced pages are also due on September 15th to Rebecca Housel: housereb@rochester.rr.com

NYCEA membership is required for conference participation; membership is $10 for one year or $40 for five--a bargain in the sea of rising professional dues. Membership dues help to defer conference costs, provide funding for the biannual Graduate Student Prizes and contribute to our national affiliate, CEA, through NYCEA sponsored panels at the annual national conference. Please see the website mentioned above on how to become a NYCEA member.

I would like to take a moment to thank the 2006-2008 President and 2004-2006 Vice President, Fr. Michael Callaghan, for his service these past four years.  Michael is a fearless leader, eloquent speaker and warm colleague--we were fortunate in his leadership.  We wish you all the best with your future endeavors, Michael! One of which will be the spring 2009 conference at St. John's University, co-hosted by former NYCEA President, Angela Belli and our new Vice President, Juliet Emmanuel! A warm welcome is also offered to Juliet, who generously accepted a nomination as Vice President for 2008-2010; in 2010, Juliet will become President and I will have completed my administrative tenure with NYCEA.  I can only hope to fill Michael's shoes as best I can and plan to continue working with our Executive Director, active Board, and lively members to maintain the positive impact of NYCEA through sponsored CEA panels at the annual conference, biannual regional conferences in New York State, the Graduate Student Prize offerings, and our new e-zine.  I invite members to contact me anytime with comments, solutions, or ideas: housereb@rochester.rr.com

Best wishes for a wonderful fall!

Rebecca



 

 
 

Great question, n'est pas?  I'm in Rochester, just 90 minutes or so from the Canadian border and brrr(!), it's cold outside!  In two days, we leap into March from a fairly frigid February--so let me take this opportunity to remind everyone to check out the CFP for Juliet Emmanuel's BMCC conference, April 11-12, 2008 in glorious Manhattan at our sister-site: www.nycea.org as well as the H-net and UPenn listservs.  The deadline approaches for proposals.  Please plan on sending something to Juliet. 

I'd like to wish our CEA colleagues the best of luck with their upcoming March conference, Joe Pestino and Charles Ernst, as well as any other NYCEA-member representatives who may be attending.

I also wanted to point out that there have been updates to the "Graduate Student Prize" and "Editorials, Essays & More" pages.  You'll find fall 2007 Graduate Student Prize winner, Mary Foltz's contribution, as well as Honorable Mention, Kara Manning's piece under "Editorials..." following Dr. Howard Wolf's key-note speech from the Daemen 2007 conference.

Speaking of Dr. Howard Wolf, I'd like to give a shout-out for his latest work, FARAWAY PLACES.  It's a beautiful blend of experience articulated in eloquent poetic prose that take the reader on a literal adventure of a lifetime, spanning Hong Kong, the middle East, England, and more.  A wealth of knowledge is within this gem of a read.

We have a conference opening (again!) for fall 2010--if there is any kinder colleague in western or upstate New York willing to lend us your institution, college, or university for a night and a full day beginning on a Friday in October 2010, please contact me as soon as possible.  Thank you.

I hope you are all well and wish each of you the very best for March, movig strongly, boldly, toward a much-missed springtime.

Until April, my friends--au revoir!

 

 
 

Winter is here!  Snow is on the ground, and the air is crisp, if not down-right chilly. I want to wish my far-flung colleagues the best at this time of year.  Whether you celebrate Chanukah, which began at sundown on December 4th, Christmas, or Kwanzaa, please know that I send my warmest regards for a happy, healthy holiday season to you! 

If you're staying indoors to stay warm, please think about submitting a proposal to Juliet Emmanuel (see nycea.org for more details) for the BMCC conference, taking place on Friday, April 11th through the 12th in glorious New York City!  Springtime in NYC--think Serendipity for some frozen hot chocolate, and Macy's and Bloomingdales, the park, MOMA, the Museum of Natural History--oh, there's just so much to do and see!  I'm looking forward to seeing it all, but especially, to seeing you at the conference.

Happy 2008!  Until next time....

 

 
November Updates 11/05/2007
 

Please check out our featured Graduate Student Prize essay of the month, the Daemen key-note speech by Dr. Howard Wolf under "Editorials...", a Kudos! shout-out to Deb Vanderbilt, and the new link to our mother-site on the Home page.

Just a quick reminder to folks who attended the Daemen conference, paid conference fees, but did not send in their membership dues to please do so.  See www.nycea.org for more information.

Wishing you all the best for a filling Thanksgiving and peaceful holiday season!

 

 
 

For our far-flung members who couldn't make it, the Daemen Conference, hosted by Dr. Peter Siedlecki and Margee Weiss, was a terrific success!  The food was great, the entertainment was awesome, and the presentations were engaging and informative!  Everyone enjoyed spending the time together--including our newest Board members, Ellen, Theresa, and Suzanne--Suzanne winning the book raffle at Dr. Howard Wolf's plenary-talk!

Keep watch for future blog-details on the spring conference at BMCC in exciting Manhattan, hosted by Dr. Juliet Emanuel and her team on Friday, April 11-12, 2008.  Juliet is also nominated for the upcomimg position of Vice President for fall 2008-2010. 

The readers from the Buffalo Irish Theatre were so wonderful!  They had us all at Joyce...with reeling renditions of Beckett, too!  We were a lucky audience at Daemen this weekend--perhaps lucky enough to have found this pot-o-gold treasure at the end of the rainbow, right in our own backyard, in Buffalo, New York!

 
 

A Blog, or web log, can function as a mode of accessible communication to a larger audience about pertinent information, relevent to a particular topic.  The NYCEA NEWS Blog space will be used as a way to impart quick updates to members.

In June 2007, Ellen Higgins was officially granted a position on the Board, as well as Theresa Desmond.  We welcome both Ellen and Theresa, and wish them good tidings as our newest Board members!

 
First Post! 10/04/2007
 

Suzanne Buffamanti is welcomed as a new member of the NYCEA Board!  Suzanne will be joined by Ellen Higgins and Theresa Desmond at the October Board meeting held at Daemen College to be inducted--best wishes to all three of our new Board members!