Background
In the Fall of 2020, the DDGC held two public Town Halls on September 26th and November 16th responding to the ongoing job-market crisis impacting German Studies and the Humanities more broadly. During the first town hall, contingent faculty and graduate students shared their experiences of the current academic job market, made connections between economic precarity and broader initiatives to diversify and decolonize German Studies, and clearly articulated their needs and concerns in this dire moment. The second town hall brought together people working at all levels in and around German Studies to identify the key problems facing contingent faculty and graduate students, to articulate shared commitments and principles, and to discuss specific short- and long-term projects around certain topics which could improve the current conditions of academic labor and employment in German Studies.
DDGC Action Groups
The collaborative and productive discussions in these two town halls led to the formation of the following Action Groups. Each Action Group is focused on one particular issue of importance to the future of German Studies. They operate autonomously, setting their own goals, organizational structures, and meeting times, but also meet regularly in private and public forums to share progress, solicit feedback, and coordinate on issues of interest to multiple Action Groups. These Action Groups have become not only a space to imagine a better future for German Studies, but also networks of support and solidarity where people working in and around German Studies can come to know each other and recognize shared interests and struggles. These groups are always open to new members, so if you are interested in joining any of them, please feel free to reach out to any of the contacts listed below:
Ethical Hiring Action Group
Point of contact: Claire Scott (scott4@kenyon.edu)
External Communications Action Group
Point of contact: Jason Groves (jagroves@uw.edu)
Graduate Programs Action Group
Point of contact: Kyle Frackman (kyle.frackman@ubc.ca)
Members: Anke Finger, University of Connecticut, Elizabeth Nijdam, University of British Columbia (biz.nijdam@ubc.ca), Joscha Klueppel, University of Oregon (joschak@uoregon.edu), Ellwood Wiggins, University of Washington (wiggins1@uw.edu), Lynn Wolff, Michigan State University (lwolff@msu.edu), Martha Sprigge (msprigge@ucsb.edu), and others.
Mutual Aid Action Group
Point of contact: Emily Frazier-Rath (emfrazierrath@davidson.edu)
Members: Paul Dobryden, Emily Frazier-Rath, Kiley Kost, Ervin Malakaj, Nichole M. Neuman, Derek Price, Maggie Rosenau, Beverly Weber, and others.
Why/Whether German Action Group
Points of contact: Meyer Weinshel (weins096@umn.edu) and Rebekah Slodounik (ras073@bucknell.edu)
If you have any other questions about these Action Groups, or want to propose your own, feel free to get in touch with Derek Price at derek.t.price@vanderbilt.edu.
In the Fall of 2020, the DDGC held two public Town Halls on September 26th and November 16th responding to the ongoing job-market crisis impacting German Studies and the Humanities more broadly. During the first town hall, contingent faculty and graduate students shared their experiences of the current academic job market, made connections between economic precarity and broader initiatives to diversify and decolonize German Studies, and clearly articulated their needs and concerns in this dire moment. The second town hall brought together people working at all levels in and around German Studies to identify the key problems facing contingent faculty and graduate students, to articulate shared commitments and principles, and to discuss specific short- and long-term projects around certain topics which could improve the current conditions of academic labor and employment in German Studies.
DDGC Action Groups
The collaborative and productive discussions in these two town halls led to the formation of the following Action Groups. Each Action Group is focused on one particular issue of importance to the future of German Studies. They operate autonomously, setting their own goals, organizational structures, and meeting times, but also meet regularly in private and public forums to share progress, solicit feedback, and coordinate on issues of interest to multiple Action Groups. These Action Groups have become not only a space to imagine a better future for German Studies, but also networks of support and solidarity where people working in and around German Studies can come to know each other and recognize shared interests and struggles. These groups are always open to new members, so if you are interested in joining any of them, please feel free to reach out to any of the contacts listed below:
Ethical Hiring Action Group
Point of contact: Claire Scott (scott4@kenyon.edu)
External Communications Action Group
Point of contact: Jason Groves (jagroves@uw.edu)
Graduate Programs Action Group
Point of contact: Kyle Frackman (kyle.frackman@ubc.ca)
Members: Anke Finger, University of Connecticut, Elizabeth Nijdam, University of British Columbia (biz.nijdam@ubc.ca), Joscha Klueppel, University of Oregon (joschak@uoregon.edu), Ellwood Wiggins, University of Washington (wiggins1@uw.edu), Lynn Wolff, Michigan State University (lwolff@msu.edu), Martha Sprigge (msprigge@ucsb.edu), and others.
Mutual Aid Action Group
Point of contact: Emily Frazier-Rath (emfrazierrath@davidson.edu)
Members: Paul Dobryden, Emily Frazier-Rath, Kiley Kost, Ervin Malakaj, Nichole M. Neuman, Derek Price, Maggie Rosenau, Beverly Weber, and others.
Why/Whether German Action Group
Points of contact: Meyer Weinshel (weins096@umn.edu) and Rebekah Slodounik (ras073@bucknell.edu)
If you have any other questions about these Action Groups, or want to propose your own, feel free to get in touch with Derek Price at derek.t.price@vanderbilt.edu.
