CAUTG / APAUC

CSSG celebrates 35 years!

Since 1973 the Canadian Association of University Teachers of German (CAUTG) has been offering a university German language immersion program in Kassel, Germany called the Canadian Summer School in Germany (CSSG). What makes the program outstanding is the unique blend of intensive language instruction by Canadian and German professors, experienced host families (including third-generation host families), and study trips to cultural and historical sites in Germany.

The ‘Kassel Program’ was launched under the stewardship of Professor Bernd Maurach of the University of Ottawa. In 1978, Professor Herfried Scheer of Concordia University, Montreal became director of the program. When Dr. Johannes Maczewski of the University of Victoria became director in 1988, he renamed the program the Canadian Summer School in Germany. Dr. Maczewski directed the program until 2003, at which point Dr. Kim Fordham of the Augustana Campus of the University of Alberta took over the organizational leadership of the program.

CSSG offers three levels of instruction. The curriculum is designed based on the findings derived from two surveys conducted by Dr. Fordham in 2004 and in 2007 regarding course content, requirements, and teaching materials in all Canadian universities offering German. In addition to the intensive academic courses, the program also includes a series of different activities that enhance its primary goal of improving students’ language skills and intercultural competence.

When Evan Radford (2008) was asked what had changed for him after CSSG, he replied “I now have the confidence and comfort for speaking German fluently, at a regular pace, and all the while enjoying speaking the language. That doesn’t mean I’m not making grammatical mistakes, rather it means that I’m not letting said mistakes discourage me from using the language more and more frequently.”

Through the immersion of the students in the day-to-day life and culture of the German host families, students make rapid progress in their German language fluency and with intercultural skills. The host family experience is a vital component of this program and many families and students stay in touch long after the program is over.

During the past 35 years the Canadian Summer School in Germany has contributed to a better understanding of German language and culture for more than 1500 Canadian and international students. Students also gain a fresh perspective on Canadian culture as a result of their experience in Germany and share that understanding with their host families and tandem partners. Throughout the many years of the program, the organizers, teachers, students, and host families have been working together to make the program an unforgettable learning experience.

For more information on this program, please see our website www.cssg.ca or contact Dr. Kim Fordham at kfordham@augustana.ca.

Download the flyer (pdf, 1MB).

CALL FOR PAPERS

Canadian Association of University Teachers of German (CAUTG) (www.cautg.org)
Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, 23-26 May 2009

You are invited to submit proposals for papers to be given at the CAUTG annual meeting at Carleton University. Papers presenting original, unpublished research on any topic or period of German-language literature, cinema, cultural studies, German language and language pedagogy are welcome, in English, French or German.

A copy of your proposal or outline (maximum 600 words) should be in the hands of the program chair no later than 1 December 2008; late proposals will not be considered. Proposals are to be submitted electronically as a Word document or .rtf file. Because the proposals are refereed blind by an adjudication committee, the author’s name should not appear on the proposal itself. Please include your university affiliation and contact information in the e-mail with which you send your proposal. Decisions will be announced by the end of January.

The merit of each proposal will be assessed individually. Scholars wishing to present their papers together as a panel are invited to indicate this to the program chair who will determine whether such thematic grouping is feasible and desirable (the individual proposals having been found acceptable). Please bear in mind that the time for individual presentations is limited to 20 minutes, and that primary sources in German should be quoted in the original language.

The CAUTG meets as part of the annual Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences of Canada, organized by the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences (www.fedcan.ca). The largest multidisciplinary meeting in Canada, the Congress hosts the meetings of dozens of scholarly associations during an 8-day period, bringing together scholars from across Canada and around the world. The overall theme of the 2009 Congress is “Capital Connections / Nation, terroir, territoire.” Limited travel assistance will again be available to those reading papers. However, we strongly encourage presenters to seek funding at their institution.

Please note that presenters must be paid-up CAUTG members at the time of their presentation.

Submissions and inquiries should be addressed to:

Dr. James M. Skidmore, CAUTG Program Chair
E-mail: skidmore@uwaterloo.ca
Tel: 519.888.4567, x33687
Germanic & Slavic Studies
Faculty of Arts, University of Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1
Canada

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APPEL DE COMMUNICATIONS
Colloque annuel de l’APAUC (www.cautg.org)
L’Université Carleton, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, 23-26 mai 2009

Les membres de l’APAUC sont invités à soumettre leur proposition de communication en vue du Congrès annuel des sciences humaines et sociales qui se tiendra à l’Université Carleton à Ottawa. Nous sommes ouverts aux propositions qui se distinguent par l’originalité de la recherche et qui portent sur tout aspect ou toute époque de la littérature et de la culture allemandes, la langue allemande et l’enseignement des langues. Les propositions pourront être soumises en français, en anglais ou en allemand.

Vous devez faire parvenir une copie de votre proposition de communication (600 mots maximum) au coordonnateur, le 1 décembre 2008 au plus tard. Les propositions qui nous parviendront après cette date ne seront pas retenues. Vous devez acheminer vos propositions par courriel. Comme les propositions sont évaluées anonymement par un comité de lecture, elles doivent nous parvenir anonymisées et accompagnées d’une page-titre vous identifiant par nom, adresse, numéro de téléphone, adresse électronique ainsi que le titre de votre communication. La décision sera rendue le plus rapidement possible et une réponse devrait vous parvenir vers la fin janvier.

Bien que chaque proposition soit évaluée individuellement, les présentateurs qui désirent regrouper leurs propositions autour d’un thème particulier pourront faire parvenir leurs suggestions au coordonnateur qui en jugera, si bien sûr les propositions ont au préalable été retenues. Le temps alloué pour chaque communication est de 20 minutes. Des sources de prèmiere main en allemand doivent être citées dans la langue originale.

Le thème général du Congrès 2009 est le suivant : « Capital Connections / Nation, terroir, territoire ». Une aide financière pour couvrir les frais de déplacement aux présentateurs sera apportée selon les fonds disponibles. Nous encourageons toutefois les présentateurs à chercher des subventions auprès de leur université.

Veuillez prendre note que les présentateurs doivent être membres de l’APAUC et avoir payé leurs frais d’adhésion au moment de leur présentation.

Veuillez faire parvenir vos propositions au coordonnateur:

Dr. James M. Skidmore, CAUTG Program Chair
E-mail: skidmore@uwaterloo.ca
Tel: 519.888.4567, x33687
Germanic & Slavic Studies
Faculty of Arts, University of Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1
Canada

The Boeschenstein Medal is the highest honor of the Canadian Association of University Teachers of German (CAUTG) and intended to honor exemplary colleagues as teachers, scholars and humanitarians. In the case of Dr. Joldersma, these areas are seamlessly interwoven and enabled her to make exceptional contributions to German in Canada and academia as a whole.

(excerpts from the nomination)

Dr. Joldersma has been active and vocal for years in our association, the Canadian Association of University Teachers of German. … Dr. Joldersma was one of the few role models available to female Canadian Germanists back then. Not coincidentally, a few years later she became the first female president of our association. Under her leadership the association’s constitution was overhauled, graduate students were more than ever encouraged to present their work, and female PhD students or young faculty were better represented in the association.

Dr. Joldersma has always been interested in matters of gender and equality. In fact, a significant part of her research has dealt with issues of gender during the Middle Ages and in Early Modern Europe. As her Curriculum Vitae will detail, Dr. Joldersma’s research contributions to the field of women and song are exemplary. A high point of her career was the co-edited two-volume edition of the Antwerp songbook from 1544 that was published as part of the Deltariits, a government sponsored public program in the Netherlands that seeks to make available the most important work of older Dutch literature. The accompanying music CD (also 2 volumes – by the popular music group Camerata Trajectina) has now been awarded the “Edison Music Award.” Academic publications rarely make waves within the public sphere in the way this edition has done. Dr. Joldersma was subsequently named Chair for Early Netherlandic Studies in 2004-2005 at the University Utrecht.

In Calgary, returning from her duties at the Dean’s office to the Department, she naturally assumed the role of “éminence grise,” an authority figure who was and still is consulted by everyone regarding matters of university policy, strategic planning for the four departmental units, bargaining for positions, or individual career planning.

Dr. Joldersma’s influence radiates beyond the University of Calgary although she has done much here to put German back on the map of our senior administration. Dr. Joldersma has served as an external examiner on many graduate theses in Canada, and she served as reviewer of the undergraduate and graduate programs of many German departments. She has mentored, encouraged and supported many younger colleagues in the profession, and helped especially a younger generation of female academics to become confident, assertive, and productive members of the university community.

Dr. Joldersma held many important and high-ranking administrative positions. She was the Associate Dean Research, Acting Dean, and the President’s Advisor on Women’s Issues at the University of Calgary, to just name the most important ones. Yet her approach to administration reflects the humanitarian values that make her an ideal candidate for receiving the Boeschenstein medal. She always kept in mind that the institution is made up by real people with real lives – and real people need mentors who are approachable and human. Minnie saw herself in her various administrative roles foremost as a facilitator, someone whose main concern is that colleagues and peers are empowered to do what they do best, whether it be research, teaching, or managing. When others want to leave a personal mark behind, Minnie made her mark by enabling others to be what they wanted to be.