Dear university colleagues,
One thing that I have heard over and over again since I became the American Classical League Vice-President is that the folks that attend our annual Summer Institute would like to see and interact with more college and university faculty at the Institute, to hear presentations about what’s new in the field, to explore new approaches to ancient texts, and to develop relationships between K-12 and university faculty. In short, they (and I) invite you to attend the 2017 ACL Summer Institute in Grand Rapids, MI, hosted by Grand Valley State University, June 29-July 1, 2017. See attached flyer.
If you have never attended a Summer Institute, it is an experience unlike any other Classics conference, one that enables Latin teachers and Classicists to mingle, interact, and genuinely get to know each other. Presentations at Institute range from 30 to 60 to 90 minutes so that everyone there has a chance to let a new idea really take root and to give plenty of time for everyone to ask questions or to truly do a workshop. In between sessions, there are frequent opportunities to see others in the break rooms and gathering spaces. Pre-Institute workshops are scheduled for either three or six hours (divided between two days), encouraging participants to delve more deeply into a topic and offering them a hands-on experience to learn a new skill or develop a new teaching unit. If one chooses to stay in the residence halls, there is ample opportunity for people to sit down at a meal with a new group and just begin to get to know colleagues across the country and close to home. And every evening there is a reception for more mingling, toasting, and unwinding after a full day. Best of all, you live within driving distance of this year’s Institute. In addition, we have special registration rates for grad students and undergrads.
If you would like to build your own Classics program, there is no better way than forging bonds with the teachers who can send you their students. If you want to see innovative ways to teach Latin and make the ancient world come alive, Summer Institute is an excellent way to get a short course in pedagogy. And if you have new research to share that would appeal to a wide spectrum of our profession, Summer Institute is the place. I encourage you to submit an abstract, either for a Pre-Institute workshop or an Institute presentation. The Institute is organized in part around themes that attempt to capture critical discussion in the profession. Proposals connected to these themes are very welcome. For more information, feel free to contact me or visit the 2017 ACL Summer Institute website.
I look forward to seeing you in Grand Rapids this June.
Best wishes,
John Gruber-Miller
Vice-President, American Classical League
Classical and Modern Languages
Cornell College
Mount Vernon, IA 52314
319-895-4326
www.tcl.camws.org