Professional Organizations and Activities

SECTION 1 - GENERAL INFORMATION

V. Professional Organizations and Activities

A. Organizations

Graduate students should consider themselves members of the profession and should become professionally active early in their careers by joining the appropriate organizations and participating in national and local conferences, reading papers, chairing and organizing panels, etc.

i. The Modern Language Association

The Modern Language Association (MLA) is the major association for academics in the humanities. It sponsors an annual convention where most academic job interviews take place and publishes five major periodicals. A subscription to PMLA is included with membership dues. The PMLA annually includes a directory of members, listing of department chairs, list of grants announcements, and announcements of upcoming conferences and events. Members also receive numerous other mailings of interest. Graduate students engaged in a course of study leading to degrees in the fields of modern languages and literature may, for a maximum of four years, become student members at a nominal fee. Membership information is available from the Assistant Program Officer.

The MLA also publishes the Job Information List, which has become the central clearing house for listing job announcements in English, Foreign Languages, and Comparative Literature. It appears four times a year. The Comparative Literature Program maintains a subscription to the Job Information List, which can be consulted in the Program office.

ii. The American Comparative Literature Association

The American Comparative Literature Association (ACLA) is the national comparative literature association. It sponsors an annual convention and publishes a newsletter with job announcements, a listing of dissertations in progress, and announcements of awards and prizes. A subscription to the journal Comparative Literature is available at a discount to members. Membership information is available from the Assistant Program Officer. Students specializing in literatures such as Classics or Slavic languages should be aware of specialized organizations and national meetings in their disciplines, such as the American Philological Association or the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies. Many organizations are affiliated with the MLA and hold their annual conferences at the time of the MLA convention.

B. Activities

National symposia and other conferences of interest are held throughout the year. The ACLA has an annual conference, and a conference on Twentieth-Century Literature is held annually in Louisville, Kentucky. Information on these conferences is printed in the PMLA, and announcements may also be posted on the Program bulletin board.

i. The annual meeting of the Modern Languages Association and the American Comparative Literature Association

Students wishing to deliver papers at annual conferences should plan to do so well in advance of the conference date. Calls for papers or panels are usually issued nine months before the meeting.

ii. Publications

Students are encouraged to submit their superior work to the editors of various journals for publication. Faculty members can provide guidance with proposed publications and recommend the most appropriate journals.

When planning to submit an article for consideration by any journal, first examine a current issue, not only for the address of the editor, but for brief instructions on the masthead page about procedures. Most journals publish detailed "Notes for Contributors" in the back of at least one issue each year specifying stylistic and other requirements. Additionally, perusal of several articles in a journal may yield information about models of form to be followed. In all cases it is wise to be familiar with the interests and format of the journal and to supply a stamped, self-addressed envelope to expedite the return of a manuscript.

iii. Student and Program Activities

Comparative Literature colloquia are organized by students in the Program who schedule guest lectures, panel discussions, workshops, and social events.

The Comparative Literature Program sponsors lectures by visiting professors and CUNY faculty throughout the semester. Students are expected to make every effort to attend lectures and other Colloquium Committee (see p. 13) events. Their success depends on active student participation.

The Comparative Literature Program sometimes sponsors a one-day conference in the Spring semester. The theme of the conference and its participants are selected by the Colloquium Committee and other interested students. Students are encouraged to participate in organizing these conferences and to submit papers to be read.

The Graduate Center also hosts activities and conferences sponsored by other disciplines, which students are encouraged to attend. A list of the week's events is posted on our bulletin board. The biweekly GSUC newsletter is available in the lobby at The Graduate Center. Announcements are also posted outside offices of other language and literature programs. Events range from musical performances and plays to debates and conferences. Students are also entitled to participate in activities at the other colleges of the City University system.