Call For Papers – NeMLA 2027 Panel -- Supporting the Well-Being of Students and Instructors in a Transitional Time
Virtual/Newport, RI
Organization: NeMLA
Call For Papers – NeMLA 2027 Panel -- Supporting the Well-Being of Students and Instructors in a Transitional Time
Northeast MLA 2027: March 6-9, 2027
Panel Title: Supporting the Well-Being of Students and Instructors in a Transitional Time
Modality: Virtual Only: All presentations will be delivered via Zoom regardless of whether the presenters are in-person
Format: 3-4 presentations/papers, 15-20 minutes per presenter
The past few years – which could be described as part of a larger cultural, political, and economic flash point -- have created true challenges for higher education. This transitional time has put pressure on all parties of our postsecondary community, as seen in the reported mental health challenges of undergraduates and the high rates of burnout amongst faculty and support networks in the sector (Mowreader; Pourasadollahi and Vincenti; Liu). In addition to these post-pandemic stressors, a host of broader concerns are also impinging on the postsecondary environment (see “The Trends Report” for one discussion). How can we empower our community – defined through instructors, students, and/or support services -- during such a transitional moment? This session will create a dialogue that touches on any of the following:
-discussions/studies of interventions and/or articulations of already established practices in supporting the well-being of students and/or instructors;
-the reflections of students, instructors, and/or support networks on the challenges of and responses to our contemporary moment. These challenges can include: the impact of budget cuts on postsecondary contexts, the fallout of declining academic freedom in the classroom, the impact (positive or negative) of Gen AI on the well-being of our community, the discord between instructor expectations and the reality of students.
References
Liu, Adrienne. “Higher Education is Exhausted.” The Chronicle of Higher Education, 10 Feb. 2025, https://www.chronicle.com/article/higher-education-is-exhausted.
Mowreader, Ashley. “Survey: Getting a Grip on the Student Mental Health Crisis,” Inside Higher Ed, 19 Aug. 2024, https://www.insidehighered.com/news/student-success/health-wellness/2024/08/19/experts-weigh-college-student-mental-health-crisis.
Pourasadollahi, Khatereh and Michele Vincenti. “Unveiling the Layers of Faculty Burnout in Canadian Private Universities during the post-COVID Pandemic Period.” Journal of Education and Learning, vol. 14, no. 2, 2025, pp. 43-52. https://doi.org/10.5539/jel.v14n2p43.
“The Trends Report 2026,” The Chronicle of Higher Education, March 2026, https://www.chronicle.com/package/trends-report-2026.
Submission Details
200-300 word abstract to the NeMLA portal (https://cfplist.com/nemla/Home/S/22639) by September 30, 2026
Please email any questions to Stacy Denton (sdenton@uwaterloo.ca)
https://cfplist.com/nemla/Home/S/22639
Stacy Denton