Disclaimer: Dr. Sabrina D. MisirHiralall is an editor at the Blog of the APA. The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of the American Philosophical Association or the Blog of the APA.
Higher education once provided a venue for undergraduates to focus on developing their intellectual abilities to become productive members of society. Currently, the college as a business model plagues many of our undergraduate institutions as many students focus on going through the necessary motions to attain a degree and pursue employment right after graduation. There is nothing wrong with focusing on a degree and not attending academic conferences. However, a college education could be greatly enriched by doing so. If professors do not encourage student participation at academic conferences, then they run the risk of devaluing undergraduate scholarship that places attention on the college as a business model. In addition, this approach may completely wipe out meaningful undergraduate scholarship. Despite this unfortunate occurrence, several undergraduates pursue rigorous scholarship. This has the ability to transform the public sphere. Professors should help undergraduates think about how their scholarship is transformative for the public sphere to create a more just society. Moreover, professors who see potential in their students should encourage these students to participate in rigorous scholarship at conferences when appropriate. This requires a particular kind of mentorship because academic conferences are uncommon in undergraduate education. I have mentored undergraduate students who participated in academic conferences. I would like to offer some advice based on my experiences.
To begin with, departments ought to advertise academic conferences among faculty who should then share with undergraduate students. In many instances, professors are a part of academic organizations that already have opportunities for undergraduates to get involved. Even when the organizations do not have opportunities, professors should advocate for undergraduate scholarship. For example, I am very proud that I was one of the founding Section Chairs of the Undergraduate Section of Mid-Atlantic Region of the American Academy of Religion (MAR-AAR). At the MAR-AAR, undergraduates are required, like other applicants, to submit a proposal. Upon acceptance, students develop and present their paper. This helps undergraduates not only to gain valuable feedback on their paper, but also allows them to engage within a scholarly community outside of the classroom. In addition, students frequently gain a sense of confidence as they participate in public speaking. Undergraduates have the opportunity to meet their peers as well as graduate students and faculty, which could help them to build connections. The Undergraduate Section of the MAR-AAR has grown throughout the years. Undergraduates who regularly attend the conferences eventually may become graduate student members of the organization. As graduate students, these individuals will have the chance to pursue their research with an already established sense of community.
Once undergraduates are aware of the opportunities to present at conferences, professors then need to encourage undergraduates to present. Professors should discuss what the proposal submission is like, the acceptance and rejection protocol, and the kind of presentation that the student will give if accepted. Some students assume that they need a full research paper to submit, whereas they frequently only need a short theoretical abstract. If accepted, some students believe that they will have to present to a crowd of a hundred people, whereas they will probably present a ten-page paper, for example, in a small conference room with about fifteen people. This is why it is usually helpful to meet with interested students, ask what their assumptions are, and then challenge and deconstruct the assumptions based on the culture of academic conferences.
In addition, it is crucial to discuss registration and lodging fees with students and advocate for them financially. It is disheartening that some undergraduates cannot afford conference costs. My community college students usually work part-time to support themselves while attending college full time. I would often reach out to my department and request funds for my students to attend conferences. Academic organizations should also consider subsidizing registration and lodging fees for undergraduates.
Also, my undergraduates almost always ask, “Professor, what do I wear to present?” This is always a difficult question because I do not want to be the fashion police. However, their question is valid. When I respond to the question of attire, I try to describe the dress culture of the academic organization. After this description of the dress culture, my students almost always decide to wear professional or business casual attire. This means that my students are not dressed in formal business attire but instead are dressed in modest, comfortable clothing that resonates with the dress culture of the conference. They frequently decide not to wear blue jeans, T-shirts with logos, pants with graphic logos, short dresses, short skirts, or shorts.
Before the conference, I like to arrange a mock presentation for my students. In some instances, we meet in a seminar room on campus to move through the presentations. I time my students to make them aware of how long they took to read their paper. We engage in a question and answer session. When a seminar room is unavailable, we meet on a virtual platform using the same format. My students repeatedly tell me that this kind of preparation helps them to feel more comfortable and confident as they prepare to attend the conference.
On the day of the conference, I urge my students to think of a strong philosophical question for each presentation that they view. We have done this during the mock presentations and so they have the experience of participating in question and answer sessions. Regardless of whether or not they ask the question publicly, I would like to be sure that they are thinking philosophically when listening to the presentations. Additionally, I ask my students to bring business cards or a small notepad to write their full name and email address on. Students share this with individuals that they would like to continue to engage in scholarly discussions with. I encourage my students to stay together and attend most of the conference events, including the plenary events and any receptions. The receptions provide an opportunity for students to ask presenters any philosophical questions that students may not have had an opportunity to ask during the Q&A session.
I have noticed that some academics do not believe undergraduates should be a part of academic conferences, possibly because they do not view undergraduates as serious scholars. The usual reasoning is that undergraduates belong in the classroom, whereas the conference space belongs to graduate students and faculty. However, if academics do not teach undergraduates about the opportunities to pursue their scholarship, then how will undergraduates learn? It is my contention that higher education needs to place a strong emphasis on an undergraduate education that values students as scholars. I, for one, can attest to the breadth and depth of my undergraduate students as scholars and I am very happy to learn with them as a co-inquirer. Some academics do challenge undergraduates combatively and put them down intellectually. I urge my students to be aware of this and keep their heads held high with dignity and intellectual rigor. My students are deserving of pursuing their scholarship.
Overall, I believe that one of my responsibilities, as an academic is to support undergraduates. I can help them as they navigate academia to find their place. Undergraduates may perhaps even discover or create their own purpose in life. If undergraduates present on topics that are meaningful to them, this may help them to reflect on who they are. They may understand why they do what they do as they become more in tune with themselves and the world at large. Because of the success that I witnessed from my students, I believe professors should enhance their role to include mentoring.
With the pursuit of undergraduate scholarship in mind, there are upcoming opportunities that I would like to share. First, as the Associate Editor of the Teaching Beat of the Blog of the American Philosophical Association, I would like to invite professors to nominate their undergraduate philosophy students who are APA members to participate in the APA Interview Membership Series. Second, the Mid-Atlantic Region of the American Academy of Religion invites undergraduates across academic disciplines to submit a proposal for the Undergraduate Section of the Mid-Atlantic Region of the American Academy of Religion’s Annual Meeting.
It is crucial not only to teach undergraduates but also to mentor undergraduates to be a part of academia. I urge all academics to consider the distinction. Undergraduates are capable of rigorous scholarship that can contribute to the academy. However, they frequently need a mentor to serve as a guide.
Sabrina D. MisirHiralall, Ed.D. is the Associate Editor of the Teaching Beat as well as the Work and Life Balance Beat of the Blog of APA. She currently teaches philosophy and religion courses online as an adjunct for the University of South Carolina Aiken and Three Rivers Community College in Connecticut. In addition, she teaches online courses as an adjunct for the Educational Foundations Department and the Religion Department at Montclair State University. She published Confronting Orientalism: A Self-Study of Educating Through Hindu Dance and served as the lead editor for Religious Studies Scholars as Public Intellectuals, which is published in the Routledge in Religion Series.
Dr. Sabrina D. MisirHiralall is an editor at the Blog of the APA who currently teaches philosophy, religion, and education courses solely online for Montclair State University, Three Rivers Community College, and St. John’s University.
