The NeMLA C.A.I.T.Y. Caucus welcomes members allied with the concerns of scholars whose work in higher education extends outside tenure-track positions at four-year institutions. The Caucus organizes panels and fosters communication networks among diverse faculty on such topics as pedagogy, balancing research and multiple commitments, and non-traditional career paths in academe.
Saturday evening, the C.A.I.T.Y. Caucus will be hosting a meet and greet and business meeting. This is an opportunity for Contingent, Adjunct, Independent, and Two-Year faculty to meet and discuss questions relating to the position of various non-tenured faculty and scholars within the larger academy. We will focus on ways to expand and strengthen the Caucus’s membership, and we will develop session ideas and initiatives for the year. This is also the Caucus’s business meeting, so we will hold elections. Please come and share your ideas from across the institutional spectrum. NeMLA’s Executive Board has graciously provided appetizers for our meeting.
The C.A.I.T.Y. Caucus is sponsoring the roundtable “Best Practices for Professional Development and Support of Contingent Faculty” (Session 15.19), chaired by our Secretary, Rhonda Filipan.
NeMLA awards an annual prize for the best essay developed from a paper presented by contingent faculty, adjunct instructors, independent scholars, and two-year college faculty members at any of the Convention’s sections.
The submission deadline for the annual C.A.I.T.Y. Caucus Paper Prize is December 15. The competition is limited to papers presented by C.A.I.T.Y. members at a session during the NeMLA convention earlier in the year. Contingent faculty, adjunct instructors, independent scholars, and two-year college faculty are invited to send 20-25 page versions of their essay to the caucus secretary.
Submissions should be between 7,000 and 9,000 words, with a maximum of 10,000 words including notes and works cited. We cannot consider unrevised paper presentations. The author’s name, address, and academic affiliation should appear only on a separate cover sheet.
Each caucus prize offers a $100 cash award. Prize-winning essays will automatically be considered for publication by Modern Language Studies; all essays are subject to MLS’s double-blind review.
The NeMLA C.A.I.T.Y. travel awards are open to contingent faculty, adjunct instructors, independent scholars, and two-year college faculty who have been accepted to present at the annual Convention. The online application is available during the month of January prior to the convention; we will not accept applications by mail, fax or e-mail.
You can apply for a travel grant using the C.A.I.T.Y. Travel Award Application Form.
Awards for which C.A.I.T.Y. members are eligible but that are also open to other NeMLA members include:
Nominations for leadership positions within our Caucus are accepted at the annual C.A.I.T.Y. Meeting/Reception. Elections are held shortly after the Convention through SurveyMonkey. Officers include the following:
Oversees the caucus and is elected triennially. The President serves on the NeMLA board, and attends both fall and spring board meeting (the fall board meeting is typically held at the upcoming convention site). Other responsibilities include organizing convention C.A.I.T.Y. events, and assisting with the C.A.I.T.Y. Paper Prize and Travel Awards.
Assists the President with caucus business and is elected biennially. The Vice President organizes and chairs the Travel Grant Committee, manages caucus emails and surveys, and assists with the C.A.I.T.Y. Paper Prize.
Oversees the C.A.I.T.Y. Paper Prize.