A Case for Arts in a Time of Crisis

In many parts of the U.S., disciplines which encourage critical thinking are facing (administrative and political) interference, parameterizing how learning should happen in classrooms. Additionally, art and design departments are having to continue to prove their worth in the general higher education curriculum. In Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative by Ken Robsinson, there is a clear argument that the creative skills taught in arts classrooms are invaluable across disciplines and increasingly important within a world that is driven by fast innovation. Despite mounting pressures, resilient educators continue to strive to provide the best for their students using creativity and care. Some of the most uplifting stories that humanity has to offer can be found buried within the oppressive mountain of doom news. This session wishes to create a space to promote these stories, replacing the crisis narrative with optimism and idea sharing.

This call invites proposals from educators and practitioners to address:

• Effective pedagogies despite teaching restrictions
• Supporting academic integrity and faculty liberties at an administrative level
• How teaching visual cultural theories is a productive interdisciplinary approach
• Increasing accessibility in fields that are inherently ableist
• Pedagogies that promote radical inclusivity in the face of political polarization
• Adjusting curriculum to meet societal standards of inclusivity, global citizenship, and advocacy
• Using the arts to teach critical literacies
• Rising mental health concerns among student and faculty populations
• Mounting student anxiety about global climate events

This call especially welcomes autoethnographic accounts from professionals and students, evidence-based classroom research, and sample lessons.