Anthropology of Higher Education TIG

August 1, 2019

The Anthropology of Higher Education TIG had another very successful meeting this past spring in Portland. We had over 30 sessions with 100+ papers and other contributions. We are also a very large group with now over 500 affiliates. 

At the capstone session at the Portland meeting, three closely related themes emerged as areas for cluster sessions:

(1)  How do different higher education sectors compete (e.g., research, regional comprehensive, public/private, CCs) with one another for students, in the political arena, and an overall lack of collaboration in telling the compelling higher education story? 

(2)  How do relations between faculty and administration play out (e.g., trust, values, disciplinary and professional perspectives)? 

(3)  How do we navigate the often conflicting demands placed upon us by diverse constituencies (donors, trustees, accreditors, legislators, employers, disciplinary organizations, parents/students, etc.)? 

While these are broad areas we would like to pursue, this list in no way limits the myriad of possible sessions that the TIG can sponsor. Collectively we are working to craft a comprehensive understanding of the complex dynamics of today’s higher education. 

Please let us know your thoughts about how you might contribute to the meeting or anything else related to the upcoming Albuquerque meeting. The 2020 meeting will be held March 17-21 at the Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town. The theme is “Cultural Citizenship and Diversity in Complex Societies.” It’s a great match for the Anthropology of Higher Education TIG. For more information go to sfaa.net. The deadline for submitting paper or session abstracts is October 15^th, 2019. The cost of registration increases after that date. 

We look forward to hearing from you!

Brian Foster, Emeritus Provost and Professor of Anthropology, University of Missouri-Columbia 

Lauren Herckis, Simon Initiative Research Faculty, Carnegie Mellon University 

James McDonald, Professor of Anthropology, University of Montevallo 

Karla Davis-Salazar, Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of South Florida