Friends and colleagues:

Below are notes from large pages of brainstorming toward conference sessions from Theatre as  Liberal Arts participants and presenters:

I will post these here on our TLA blog and will carry them over to the forum, as well, to capture some conversation.

1. We wanted to encourage group members to consider serving as point people / session coordinators.  We will want to use the forum to gather conversation and connections.  
2. We will also extend a call for papers that are in need of a session.
3. First production of a play by a dead playwright 
   • Kaarin Johnston's initials were attached to this topic.
4. Labor of the department within other programs - service across institutions. 
   • Shawna Gifford's initials were attached to this topic.
5. Faculty service as part of faculty load / experience
6. Diversity
   • systemic problems but still needing to do the work
   • Permission to take some steps even when imperfect
   • "not racist but" was a phrase that captured some attention
   • recruitment
   • Are the Liberal Arts TOO white
   • A note in the margins said to reach out to Vanessa Stallings @ Oracle Theatre
7. Artistic Literacy - a continuation of previous discussions
   • a suggestion was made to reach out to N. Kindelan
8. Advocating for and supporting our part-time faculty and the collegial relationships
   • a note indicates this could be a good joint panel with another focus group
9. Documents / strategies for articulating expectations for guest artists
10. Creative Practice Workshop - There were a number of Devising related prompts under this part of the group discussion:
    1. Basic Devising
       • for majors as well as for non majors
       • in classes as well as for production
       • Siouxsie Easter was noted in the margin as a possible point person for this particular topic.
    2. "Accidentally Devising"
       • "I think we're devising...." was the attached scenario / quotation
    3. Directing with devising
    4. a double session with a bunch of techniques to try and explore
11. Holocaust theatre - in partnership with Religion and Theatre focus group
12. Appropriate Effort
    • Peter Harrigan was interested in serving as a point person for this session
    • Life / Work Balance
    • Proactive tips
    • Strategies for saying NO
    • Technology support / access (original note was excess, but that might not be what the speaker meant)
    • Sufficient distribution
    • Quantified achievements
    • Measurements - of student work as well as faculty
    • The Fall of the Faculty, by Benjamin Ginsberg, 2011, was mentioned in this discussion
13. How to prepare for Actual Jobs in the smaller liberal arts institutions
14. Inviting first year faculty to TLA -  developing mentoring relationships
15. Mission statement -- theatre makers
    • Kathy Privatt identified herself as a point person for this topic
16. "How to run a box office with your PhD"
17. Theatre and Dance partnerships in programs
    • Staying  together instead of being 2 separate bodies together
    • Kellee Van Aken self-identified as a point person for the topic
18. Similarly, BA's and BFA's working together effectively within a program        
19. And again Visual and Performing arts department combos that work effectively

Respectifully submitted,

Janice Pohl, TLA Conference Planner