President’s Letter
December 14, 2011
Our annual conference this year, hosted by Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY, was a wonderful event. We are grateful to Skidmore for hosting not only the conference but the opening reception as well. Thanks to Sandy Welter, Associate Director of the Skidmore MALS Program, for her terrific organizational work, as well as to Michael Mudrovic, Director of the MALS Program, and to the Office of Special Programs at Skidmore College. The Gideon Putnam Resort provided fine hospitality for our stay.
Amid “the waters” of Saratoga we reflected on the historical, social and political meaning of the bodies of water on which we depend for sustenance and culture. This year’s pre-conference workshop was, from all reports, one of the most useful in recent years. Members of the Association can see the workshop materials (including those science syllabi!) by clicking on the Resources for Members link from the home page. Also available in the Resources for Members section is the complete text of Graduate Liberal Studies: A Guide for Directors, Faculty and Staff, a comprehensive handbook on every aspect of Graduate Liberal Studies, from starting a program to curriculum and assessment. Non-members can purchase a copy of the Guide by contacting the Association home office.
Our website has become even more rich in content since it launched just before the Saratoga conference. But we can still use news and images from our member programs. Please send these items to webcontent@aglsp.org. And please do check back frequently to see updated Blog items and news of our 2012 Annual Conference in Portland, OR, The Crisis of the Book: Worlds of Opportunity, Worlds of Change, hosted by the Reed College MALS Program. We will be posting the call for papers in January.
We wish you all a happy and healthy new year!
David L. Gitomer
President
Association of Graduate Liberal Studies Programs