Society for Photographic Education
2005 National Conference Review

PASSAGE

42nd National Conference – March 17-20, 2005
Portland, Oregon at the Hilton Portland & Executive Towers

2005 Academic Practicum Workshops and Mentor Program Review

Mentoring Program

This year Portland played host to the fifth session of the SPE Mentoring Program. The program again provided one-on-one consultation for photography and new media professionals at all stages of their teaching career. Prior to the conference, Program Coordinator Liz Lee matched candidates seeking advice with veterans in the field to discuss all aspects of the teaching profession, from the initial application process to tenure and promotion. Candidates applied for the Mentoring Program in January and submitted their materials for review prior to the conference. Candidates sent their dossiers to faculty mentors who reviewed the contents of the candidates’ research and teaching portfolios.

At the conference, the candidates and mentors met for 45 minutes. The mentors provided insight and practical advice for job-seeking candidates on writing a successful cover letter and resume, organizing the application materials as well as getting through an interview. This year, 18 candidates met with 14 mentors over a two-day period. The Mentoring Program is extremely valuable to graduate students because, as one candidate commented, “This kind of feedback is not typical in the university setting. Reviewers made suggestions on improving my writing skills as well as pointing out where emphasis should be placed to draw attention, so I could become a better candidate for job opportunities.”

The Mentoring Program is currently under revision as it relates to the Academic Practicum Workshops and may adjust its format for the 2006 conference in Chicago. However, Liz Lee is always looking for volunteers to help mentor in the program. If interested, please contact Liz per email at lizlee@myway.com.

Academic Practicum Workshops

Larry Volk addresses conference attendees during a session of the Academic Practicum Workshops

At the end of the 2004 SPE conference in Newport, Mentoring Program Coordinator Liz Lee and 2005 Conference Chair Phil Harris had dinner with a group of conference panelists and regional board members where they discussed how SPE could better serve its members in terms of more practical career and pedagogical advice. From that discussion Lee and Harris developed the Academic Practicum Workshops as part of the Thursday pre-conference events. The inaugural session of the Academic Practicum Workshops (APW) exceeded all expectations with over 120 participants in the four events which focused on two very specific aspects of photographic education: meeting academic career expectations and (re)considering the future of photographic education.

The ‘academic career’ track of the APW began with “Experiences in Academic Survival” a panel composed of academic administrators Michael Ensdorf of Roosevelt University, Ken White of the Rochester Institute of Technology and Gary Kolb of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, who discussed ways to survive and prosper in the academic world. The panel focused discussion on attaining and retaining academic appointments, but also included surviving academic politics and soliciting funding for projects from upper administrators. The panel was followed by a “Dossier-building” seminar lead by Robin Dru Germany of Texas Tech, Susan Dunkerley of Baylor University and Dornith Doherty of the University of North Texas. Participants and the workshop coordinators sat in a circle and discussed every aspect of the teaching profession from building successful resumes and writing compelling narratives for tenure and promotion to actively pursuing venues and activities that will secure academic success.

The ‘pedagogical’ track of the APW was filled with standing-room-only crowds, proving that many SPE members are concerned with the digital aspects of photographic education and its effects on the discipline. The day began with a panel discussion “Transitions in Photographic Education: Changes in Imaging Technologies and Curricular Structure” with panelists Larry Volk of Endicott College, Neal Rantoul of Northeastern University and Ron DiRito of Montserrat College. The panel centered on what has occurred in several programs across the country and what appears to be the most pressing issue in photographic higher education as well as the trials and tribulations of the conversion. The panel was followed by the seminar, “Curriculum 101,” but the popularity of the session did not allow for any a hands-on construction as originally planned by the workshop organizers, Susan Smith Evans of the College of the Desert, Barbara Houghton of Northern Kentucky University, Libby Rowe of Vanderbilt University, and Samantha Stengel-Göetz of Washington State University. The enormous turnout required that the seminar be held as a panel presentation. Discussion centered on adjusting curriculums to the new advancements of digital technologies, syllabus preparation for introductory courses to include new technologies, and the development of stand alone digital courses; as well, the organizers exhibited successful project examples.

The popularity of the Academic Practicum Workshops illustrates a need for the Society to very specifically address the changing needs of the disciplines in relation to career and pedagogical strategies with practical ‘how-to’ advice and individual examples. With the great success of the APW as a trial run, we hope to refine the program with panels that again focus on career aspects and educational goals of the profession, with even more break out sessions on specific topics related to those themes. Keep your eye out for the pre-conference activities in Chicago and plan to come to the conference one day earlier in order to participate in the Academic Practicum Workshops in 2006.

Liz Lee
APW Program Coordinator

2005 Conference Review, a summary by the SPE Executive Director
Smooth Passage, conference feedback compiled by Sandy Sorlien
Barry Lopez keynote address, available to conference attendees on dvd
Special thanks to conference planners, speakers, sponsors and more

photographs courtesy of Ryan Flathau and Harris Fogel