Dear Colleagues,
As a university, we have historically devoted a great deal of effort to teaching, but as a university we are also defined by the original research carried out by staff and faculty, and over the years this work has quietly accelerated.
With this in mind, President Cushman has asked for the reinstatement of a research colloquium series at UMA to build intellectual community among active scholars, to make the practice of research and presentation more visible to our students, and to tell the good story of research work at UMA more broadly. Two related efforts emerged in the Fall of 2023. One of these, a research support and development group for works in progress, is being developed by a group chaired by Dr. Amy Rahn, and news on this group is forthcoming soon. The second effort is the new UMA Research Colloquium (UMARC), a series in which UMA staff, faculty, and sponsored students may present and discuss completed works of original scholarship. The UMARC series will provide a forum for the presentation of all UMA research as defined by the Faculty Senate in 2010 including scientific investigations, innovations in education, creative works, and theoretical considerations.
The UMARC series will take place during the noon hour, connected by Zoom to our many campuses and Centers. The time reflects our commitment to inclusion, a traditional lunch hour for staff and the time between morning and afternoon classes for faculty and students. We anticipate roughly 40 minutes for presentation, with 20 minutes of ensuing discussion to promote the exchange of ideas and the development of relationships across colleges, programs, departments and disciplines.
We invite all staff, faculty, and sponsored students to apply to present in the new UMARC series, with meetings beginning in the Spring 2024 semester. Priority is given to new presenters and to applications that are more complete, but we strive to be inclusive in the series. To apply, please fill out the brief online form. We’ll then get in touch with you to ask questions to help shape and schedule a colloquium presentation for this semester.
Sincerely,
James Cook
Associate Professor of Sociology
james.m.cook@maine.edu