American Academy of Religion

May 2006 e-Bulletin

 

Content At a Glance:

  1. Annual Meeting News
  2. Undergrad Survey
  3. AAR Research Grant Program
  4. Syllabus Project
  5. Bard College Announces Endowed Professorship
  6. Editor sought for the Reflection and Theory in the Study of Religion Series
  7. AAR Website Redesign
  8. Twenty-Five and Still Counting
  9. Especially for Students
  10. Your Membership Status

 

 

  1. Annual Meeting News
    • Registration Opens: Washington, DC Annual Meeting Registration & Housing opens on May 15, 2006 at 9:01 AM EDT (online, fax, or surface mail). You must be registered for the meeting to book housing. The Annual Meetings website for registration and information is http://www.aarweb.org/annualmeet/. To register at the discounted member rate, your AAR membership needs to be current and you will need to log in to use this page, using your surname, "Gray," and member ID, "Z28679." The 2006 Annual Meeting Registration & Housing information was mailed in the May issue of Religious Studies News. It is also available to download at http://www.aarweb.org/annualmeet/.
    • EIS Registration: Registration for the Employment Information Services (EIS) Center opens May 15. You can register for EIS immediately after registering for the Annual Meeting. Candidates will have the option to upload your CV to the EIS Web site, making your credentials available to employers in advance of the Annual Meeting. For more information about EIS and to register, see http://www.aarweb.org/eis/.
    • Find a Roommate: The AAR provides an AAR members-only bulletin board service for "do-it-yourself" online roommate finding for the 2006 Annual Meeting. Go to http://www.aarweb.org/annualmeet/roommate/list.asp if you are seeking a roommate.
    • Travel Discounts: Discounts on air and train travel with United Airlines and Amtrak are offered to all AAR members. For more information, visit http://www.aarweb.org/annualmeet/2006/airfares.asp.
    • Digital Dollars:  When registering online for the Annual Meeting, why not also contribute to the Academy Fund?  Your gifts enrich the community of religion scholars through first-rate programming and publications.  Additionally, they help us reach the wider public to enhance their appreciation of the study of religion.   You can visit our web site or contact Cynthia Walsh at cwalsh@aarweb.org to learn about further giving opportunities.
    • Additional Meeting Schedule?: For anyone wishing to schedule an Additional Meeting at the Annual Meeting, Additional Meeting Request forms are available online. Please see http://www.aarweb.org/annualmeet/2006/addmtg/.
    • RSN Annual Meeting Brochure: The May issue of Religious Studies News was mailed April 29. A brochure for Annual Meeting and hotel registration was included in this issue. You can also read this issue online at http://www.aarweb.org/publications/rsn/current.asp.
    • Africa Focus at the 2006 Annual Meeting: For our upcoming meeting in Washington, DC, the international focus is African contributions to the study of religion. We are soliciting partnerships with departments and institutions that can cosponsor an African scholar. Cosponsorship will allow your group to hear from one of these fine scholars while they are already in the United States to attend the Annual Meeting. To learn more about the benefits of cosponsorship, please contact Aislinn Jones at ajones@aarweb.org.
    • DC Tours: AAR is sponsoring several tours to local Washington, DC museums and locations. You can register for the tours in the online registration and housing system.
    • Child Care: Child care at the Annual Meeting will be provided by KiddieCorp. Please send an e-mail to annualmeeting@aarweb.org if you’d like to receive more information on registering for child care.

 

  1. Undergrad Survey: We need your input! Visit this page to see if your department/program has filled out the online questionnaire: http://www.aarweb.org/surveys/undergraduate/status.asp. If you see that the survey has not been completed, please notify your department chair that her/his participation is crucial. The chair can contact Kyle Cole, Director of College Programs, at kcole@aarweb.org or 1-404-727-1489, for more information. The survey will track our field and its change since 2000, giving us, for example, an accurate picture of the impact of 9/11. We all need data about our field to make the case for religion to our deans and presidents and to the public. Please do your part!

 

  1. AAR Research Grant Program: Since 1992, the AAR has awarded over $500,000 to members for individual and collaborative research grants. Applications are due August 1. See http://www.aarweb.org/grants for eligibility requirements and application information.

 

  1. Syllabus Project: The AAR posts searchable syllabi at http://www.aarweb.org/syllabus/. The Teaching and Learning Committee asks that you please submit your syllabi to this popular page. If you already have, and have any changes to your syllabi, you are invited to update them.

 

  1. Bard College Announces Endowed Professorship: Bard College has received a $2 million gift for the creation of an endowed chair in honor of AAR member and former AAR President Jacob Neusner. The internationally renowned religion scholar and Bard faculty member will hold the chair beginning July 1, 2006. Upon his retirement, the holder of the endowed chair will be named the Jacob Neusner Professor of the History and Theology of Judaism. Congratulations to Jack for this honor!

 

  1. Editor sought for the Reflection and Theory in the Study of Religion Series, published by AAR in cooperation with Oxford University Press. E-mail inquires, nominations (self-nominations encouraged) and applications (a letter of interests and qualifications, and current C.V.) by a Word attachment or a PDF file to Francis X. Clooney, Publications Committee Chair, at fclooney@hds.harvard.edu. Application deadline is September 1, 2006. Further information can be found in the March and May issues of Religious Studies News, and at: http://aarweb.org/publications/books/.

 

  1. AAR Website Redesign: We are redesigning the AAR website to make it more user-friendly and attractive! To help us make it what you want, the web designers will conduct interviews with a sampling of members. If you are willing to spend some time reviewing the current website and spending a half-hour on the phone with the designer, please send an e-mail confirming your interest to Joe DeRose at jderose@aarweb.org.

 

  1. Twenty-Five and Still Counting: We’ve heard from many of you whose AAR membership has been active without a break since at least 1982. Are there others? Unfortunately, our records date back only to the late 1980s. Please send an email to firstyear@aarweb.org to let us know when your continuous membership began. Thank you!

 

  1. Especially for Students
    • Student Liaison Group Decennial: In commemoration of the 10-year anniversary of the formation of a Student Liaison Group (SLG), this year's Annual Meeting will include programming and a reception in honor of its student members. We would love to hear from current and previous Student Liaisons as well as former Student Directors about their experience with the SLG. How has participation in the SLG shaped your life in the academy? What are your "dearest hopes" for the future of student participation and formation in the fields of religious studies and theology? Please send your comments to Student Director, Davina Lopez (dl313@columbia.edu).
    • Contacting Student Liaisons: Student members at PhD-granting institutions are enthusiastically invited to contact their Student Liaison (SL) with any questions, concerns, and future programming ideas. It is the SL's role to be an active link between students and the AAR, and many SLs go "above and beyond the call of duty" by working at their respective schools to plan educational programs on critical issues facing doctoral students in religion, theology, and related disciplines. Such programs range from occasional e-mail updates, to information sessions on how to navigate the Annual Meeting, to organizing ride-sharing and housing, to "mock interview" sessions for job candidates, to initiating wider conversations on what's happening in the field. For Student Liaison contact information (including institutional and regional affiliation), visit http://www.aarweb.org/students/slglist.asp.

 

  1. Your Membership Status: Your membership is current for 2006. Thank you. Membership resources are available at http://www.aarweb.org/membership/.