31st Annual Association for Integrative Studies Conference

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

"Creativity and Play Across the Disciplines"

October 8th - 11th , 2009

Hosted by the University of Alabama

http://aisconference.ua.edu/index.html

 Dramatic changes in the knowledge economy make urgent approaches to learning, scholarship, and engagement that activate the creative capacities of higher education communities.   From Richard Florida's accounts of the emergence and dominance of a new "creative class" to Daniel Pink's insistence that "right brainers will rule," scholars and students alike are being encouraged to discern and highlight the role that creativity can and should play in giving meaning and depth to learning and understanding.  This not only means celebrating and enhancing  the traditional role of the arts in building cohesive learning communities, but a fuller investigation of how the paradigm of creativity can lead to a compelling vision of integration and interdisciplinarity.

To facilitate this consideration, we welcome proposals for presentations in multiple formats, including, but not limited to, roundtable discussions, integrated panels, single papers, and performances that address issues such as:

• Creativity as Core Educational Value - creativity as assessment outcome; arts participation and general education; creative capacity as distinct intelligence; creativity and empathy; creativity as introduction to diversity; creativity and the integrative learning process; creativity and interdisciplinarity; leadership and the arts; the arts in the non-arts classroom; creativity and professionalism
• Creativity and Collaboration - building innovative campus collaborations amongst artists and engineers, scientists, designers, and others; creativity as a paradigm to bridge the "divisions" of humanities, natural and social sciences; interdisciplinary research on creativity; creativity, entrepreneurship and career development; invention, innovation, and economic growth
• Creativity as a Means of Integrating Campus and Community Economies - community/campus arts partnerships; confronting deficiencies in K12 arts education; supporting students as arts entrepreneurs; creativity and community renewal; creativity and the knowledge economy; culture as an economic base

While the program committee welcomes the sharing of best practices, we are especially interested in presentations, events and conversations that self-consciously consider the complex and dynamic relationship among creativity, interdisciplinarity, and integrative learning.   As always, the Association for Integrative Studies welcomes more general presentations that advance its mission to promote the interchange of ideas among scholars and administrators in all of the arts and sciences on intellectual and organizational issues related to advancing integrative and interdisciplinary studies.

Proposals (250 words) should be sent to AISconference@bama.ua.edu  by March 15th, 2009, and we expect  to respond to proposal writers by May 15th, 2009.

James C. Hall
Director, New College
University of Alabama
Box 870229, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0229
205-348-8408 (O)
205-248-6708 (H)