What do we really value?

The Coalition of Feminist Scholars in the History of Rhetoric & Composition (CFHSRC) is pleased to invite proposals for hosting for the 2023 Feminisms and Rhetorics Conference. The CFSHRC’s Conference Committee and Executive Board seek hosts who are committed to creating a conference that is antiracist, inclusive, and accessible. We welcome interdisciplinary, as well as cross-institutional, collaborative hosting arrangements.

Proposals should be submitted to Jessica Enoch, Coordinator of the CFSHRC Conference Committee, at vice-president@cfshrc.org, by December 1, 2021.

What are we looking for in a site proposal?
Proposals for the 2023 conference should

• explain plans to “front themes of antiracist activism and center the work of feminists of color,” in keeping with the CFSHRC summer 2020 resolution.
• identify ways to amplify the voices of disabled scholars and emerging scholars
• articulate possibilities for antiracist, inclusive conferencing practices through conference planning, featured events, conference themes, and programming
• address how conference organizers will engage the complexity of their conference location, e.g., acknowledging racist or other exclusionary practices that inform the history of the campus and/or the local community
• describe strategies to ensure accessibility for all conference participants
• discuss steps to promote affordability: how will the costs of travel, lodging, food, etc. be approached in order to keep registration costs manageable for those who have limited or no funding? Feminisms and Rhetorics has traditionally drawn around 400 registrants and the conference has been held in the fall, historically starting on a Wednesday and running through Saturday afternoon. In the interest of affordability, we are happy to consider alternative time frames moving forward. Details about previous conferences, along with a hosting FAQ, can be found on our website: https://cfshrc.org/femrhet-conference-call-for-hosts/

Proposal Components
While there is no set format, we encourage proposers to address the following areas:

Conferencing Plans

• Possible theme(s)
• Potential keynote speakers and/or featured sessions
• Ideas for special events and/or social events, particularly programming that amplifies scholars of color, disabled scholars, and emerging scholars
• Ideas for programming that welcomes participants new to the Coalition and Feminisms and Rhetorics. Applicants might consider programming that moves beyond presenting formal papers to programming around mentorship, community-building, community outreach, pedagogical investments, mentoring, etc.

Venue Information

• Location: institution, cross-institutional, town/city, region
• Facilities: meeting rooms, exhibition space, technical resources
• Possibilities for community outreach and/or engagement with historical-present-day complexity of the site

Conference Details

• Tentative dates for the conference and for submission of abstracts/proposals from potential presenters
• Rationale for date selection and opportunities that come with these dates

Accessibility

• Access to local interpreters and CART services
• Connection to/collaborations campus/institutional accessibility office
• Identification of possibilities and opportunities to welcome and amplify the work of disabled scholars
• See note about Access Coordinator and Coalition Conference Committee below

Travel, Accommodations, and Commitments to Affordability

• Distance from international airport/s
• Estimated travel costs from a range of major cities
• Access by bus, cab, coach, train, etc. and costs
• Travel between conference venue and accommodation
• Lodging: university/hotel options, location in relation to conference venue, capacity, costs per person/night, discount rate options
• Meal options and costs
• Attention to affordability and cost-savings

Organization and Support

• Conference committee participants: Details about organizers, responsibilities, administrative support, etc.
• Institutional support: Level and nature of possible department/institution involvement and funding
• Additional support: Details of funds, facilities, sponsorship or other involvement from additional organizations

What can the CFSHRC offer site hosts?
Beginning with the 1997 “From Boundaries to Borderlands” conference at Oregon State, the Feminisms and Rhetorics conference has been a centerpiece of the Coalition, serving as an intimate, dynamic, and engaging gathering place for feminist scholars to exchange ideas, build community, and create support networks. To support the teams who make these conferences possible, the Coalition provides the following for FemRhet site hosts:

1. $2000 seed money, which does not need to be returned later, to conference hosts;
2. Funding for offsetting costs for graduate students (25% of any proceeds from the previous FemRhet conference). Conference hosts are to use these proceeds specifically to reduce expenses of attending the conference for graduate students;
3. Flexibility for scheduling the conference. As noted, Feminisms and Rhetorics has traditionally been a fall conference. We recognize that such scheduling may mean higher costs, particularly given greater demand on campus and community resources during the semester. Thus, we ask only that, when determining possible dates for the conference, potential site hosts  be sensitive to the dates of other, similar conferences;
4. Assistance from our newly established Conference Committee to help ensure  an antiracist, accessible, and inclusive conference experience for all. This committee will work with the Feminisms and Rhetorics Host Committee. Assistance from the Conference Committee includes
   • Funding and arranging for the training of a conference Access Coordinator. The Access Coordinator will be selected by and become a member of the local site host committee. Their work will involve coordinating the majority of access services for the conference, including an accessibility guide for the conference.
   • Providing guidance and support for inclusive conferencing practices such as  an antiracist, inclusive, anti-ableist proposal review process and the selection and engagement of featured speakers or sessions.
   • Creating a Rapid Response Team (RRT) tasked with collecting feedback and responding, in a timely fashion, to grievances relating to antiracism, inclusion, or accessibility during the conference.

The Conference Committee is happy to speak with potential site hosts. Please direct any questions about hosting or the site host proposal process to Jessica Enoch, Coordinator of the CFSHRC Conference Committee, at vicepresident@cfshrc.org.