On Friday October 27, the afternoon panel titled Career Conversations will run on the unconference model. Read the FAQs below to learn more.
What is an unconference session?
An unconference session is lightly organized; participants propose and facilitate sessions that are meant to be free-flowing discussions (i.e., no prepared formal presentations and no Power Points).
What kinds of sessions can I propose?
You can propose anything related to questions, issues or challenges related to careers in the public humanities. Proposals can be field-specific (i.e., topics in the field of museum education, public history, preservation, etc.), they can be geared toward participants at a certain point in their careers, or they can provoke discussion of broad themes — it’s up to you.
How are sessions chosen?
All participants will vote for the sessions they want to see. We will tape all of the session proposals to the walls or tables in the Seminar Room and participants will cast a vote for a top choice by assigning it one tally mark; votes will be tabulated and the three most popular sessions will be assigned to different rooms of the house. If there is overlap between session proposals, we might ask the proposers if they’d like to combine forces and address both related topics in one session. If enthusiasm is spread evenly over more than three proposals, we can run more than three sessions.
When should I propose a session?
You can propose a session during the welcome reception on October 27 that runs from 2:30 to 3:30pm. We will have proposal forms printed; all you need to do is write in a session title, your name and a short description and hand it in by 3:15pm so that voting can occur at 3:30pm and the sessions can start quickly thereafter.
Any tips on starting things off if my session gets chosen?
Yes — begin with introductions, and you might consider starting with a prompt/exercise/question related to the session topic if you wish.
Will I be able to present material on a laptop if my session is chosen?
No. If you would like to bring handouts for a session, you can bring paper handouts that can be given out if your session is chosen.
What happens at the end of the Career Conversations session?
Before the cocktail reception begins at 5pm, we will all gather at 4:50pm in the Lecture Room to hear recaps of what transpired in each session.