2015 Urban Affairs Association Conference

A detailed schedule of the workshops and a link to the application form are available on the UAA web site:
http://tinyurl.com/mndd4zt

The deadline to apply for the 2015 Graduate Student Workshops has passed. Late applications are not accepted.
NOTE: Only students who applied for the workshops on/before December 2, 2014 AND whose applications were accepted will be able to participate in this workshop series.
  
Overview of Workshops
The Urban Affairs Association (UAA) is committed to promoting the professional growth and success of persons engaged in urban research. Historically, the UAA annual spring conference has offered short discussion roundtables that focus on professional development topics. In recent years, we have been pleased to jointly sponsor a full-day of professional development workshops with Routledge Publications. Student feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. The 2015 workshops are once again designed to equip students with a variety of academic and professional insights that are beneficial to research, teaching and/or policy-related careers. Participants leave with a digital resource packet that includes faculty presentations, links to valuable materials, and biographies of all participants in order to continue networking throughout the conference.

Interested? Please Apply for the Workshop
There is no fee for this workshop. We do however require that each participant complete a brief application form. This form will allow us to plan for the size of the group and determine our space needs. Please fill out this brief interest form so that you can be added to our contact list. The application deadline is February 23, 2015.

Questions? Please contact Barbara Ferman (bferman@temple.edu)

Summary
There is an emerging consensus among policy scholars, advocates, and policy makers, that education has become the civil rights issue for the 21st Century. Competing views of “rights” have created a divided landscape of policy reform. Growing inequities in funding across school districts, increases in the opportunity gap across racial lines, contested definitions of what constitutes “quality education,” and fervent debates over the “corporatization” of public education have inspired significant advocacy efforts in many larger urban areas. Paralleling these progressive efforts, but rarely intersecting them, are scholarly investigations of a myriad of issues in education. This workshop represents an attempt to bridge that chasm. It poses the overall question of how we, as researchers, can contribute work that supports a larger agenda of educational equity. Specifically, we are seeking researchers whose work addresses the following areas:

• school financing (how money is spent on various educational agendas such as vouchers, test preparation business; standardized test administration; state take-over administration and the like);


• composition of the teaching body (what does it look like and how can we diversify it to reflect the student population in public schools, changes in the preparation/experience base of the teaching labor force);


• standardized testing (its impact on teaching and learning; pedagogy and issues surrounding the common core);


• education policy and urban inequality


• market-based reforms (e.g., vouchers, charter schools, teacher accountability policies)

Through this workshop we hope to bring together scholar activists who are conducting or want to conduct research in one of the areas listed above and related areas. Participants will briefly discuss their research, identify others who are conducting similar research with whom we can network, explore ways to support and collaborate with activists and identify venues for disseminating the work in ways that reach audiences beyond the academy. In addition, the workshop discussants will describe strategies for navigating the academic tenure/promotion system while engaging in policy advocacy and direct engagement outside of the academy.

Hosted by the UAA Membership Committee This breakfast roundtable is organized to facilitate an open discussion between UAA members, UAA staff and the UAA membership committee to identify member concerns and obtain suggestions for the direction of the organization. Conveners will also discuss ways members can increase their involvement in UAA. Conveners Margaret Wilder UAA Executive Director Marla Nelson UAA Membership Committee

Students at US colleges and universities have ‘gone abroad’ since the 1920s, with many of these experiences taking places in cities around the world. Yet, often times these experiences are framed by disciplinary approaches or topics that diminish their urban context. This session will focus on pedagogical approaches, ‘classroom’ techniques, and programmatic structures that effectively integrate study abroad experiences into a broader Urban Studies curriculum. Speakers will explore linkages between international urban academic programs and critical thinking about local urban processes, challenges and context; world cities, cosmopolitan subjectivities, and intercultural competence; integrating structured educational activities and informal experiential education into course curriculum; and the academic and social objectives of international urban academic programs. Speakers will also reflect on institutional challenges and invite colloquy participants to contribute experiences.

The colloquy is part of the special track on activism, organized by Kitty Kelly Epstein and Barbara Ferman, and inspired by their 2014 workshop in San Antonio. Within this track, the "Design, Activism and Research" colloquy focuses on investigating--both theoretically and via case study analysis--two key aspects in the context of urban affairs. One is illuminate an understanding of each of the terms: "design," "activism" and "research," while the second is to articulate different types of relationships between the three terms. The idea is to acknowledge, but also transcend conventional and limited notions of design, activism and research. The short presentations and discussions will be led by four scholars who have pursued these themes in their academic and activist pursuits. The scholars represent different disciplinary backgrounds [i.e. architecture, environmental psychology, landscape architecture, urbanism] as well as a range of geographical engagements [i.e. Rio de Janeiro, New York City, Seattle, Sao Paulo]. Each of the scholars will critically reflect upon theoretical framings of the terms as well upon the projects they are directly engaged in. Each presentation will end with 1 or 2 thoughtful questions to segue into the discussion portion of the colloquy. The audience will be divided into smaller groups around each set of questions in order to have a more focused and in-depth discussion. There are multiple goals for this colloquy: (a) for each presenter to critically reflect upon and articulate the ways in which design, activism and research overlap and intersect in their own work, (b) to generate a set of questions that reflect the contingent quality of this work and ongoing challenges, and (c) to partner with the audience to generate deeper insights and future strategies.

Transition to a tenure track position in higher education is often filled with stumbling blocks. One challenge is the transition from a focus on research (as a PhD student) to the three legged stool of research, teaching, and service. The process of managing these demands can be quite daunting and new Assistant Professors feel out of balance. This colloquy will discuss strategies for successfully maneuvering the landscape of research, teaching, and service. Panelist will provide strategies and engage in dialogue regarding pitfalls to be avoided during the tenure process in relation to teaching and service. Topics to be addressed include mentorship, use of technology, peer and student teaching evaluations, new course preps, types of service, and good department citizenship.

Hosted by the UAA Membership Committee This breakfast roundtable offers institutional members an opportunity to discuss key issues and concerns facing their institutions. Conveners will facilitate a discussion on how the Urban Affairs Association can best represent and promote institutional member interests. Conveners: Marla Nelson Associate Professor Department of Planning and Urban Studies University of New Orleans Jacob Wagner Associate Professor Department of Architecture & Urban Plan & Design University of Missouri at Kansas City

This roundtable is presented by 3 seasoned professors who have received significant grants over their academic lives. Tips and insights will be offered.

It has been said that "publications are the currency of tenure" and academics are all too familiar with the phrase "publish or perish." For new faculty, the publishing process can be quite opaque and daunting. This colloquy will provide a discussion of strategies for developing a high quality research agenda that results in publications. Panelist will discuss approaches and pitfalls for initiating or continuing a research, writing, and publication process.

This colloquy is organized by the editors of the Journal of Urban Affairs. Panelists will discuss "how to" and "what not to do" to publish successfully in the JUA along with particular topics and methods of interest. The panel will also discuss the role of reviewers and how to be a good reviewer.