CALL FOR PAPERS: The CEA Critic, Special Issue: “Impediments to Student Success”

For the past year (and more), teachers at all levels, across disciplines, and, indeed, around the globe have been working overtime to ensure their students’ success in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID presented a set of obstacles new to most of us. At the same time, COVID called our attention to obstacles that have interrupted our students’ paths since long before the pandemic. These obstacles, which have only become more obvious, are what we now wish to explore.

For this special issue of The CEA Critic, we seek essays that examine various obstacles to student learning in higher education. To be clear: we are not interested in essays that deal with teaching in the time of COVID per se—our special COVID issue took on that subject. Rather, now that the end of COVID seems not far off, what other obstacles are inhibiting the success of students? For instance, are there social, emotional, or cultural factors to be considered? What about logistical and financial hardships? How do we handle students who have been at some level traumatized? And, of course, what are the effects of class size, course scheduling, advising, or other institutional practices? Moreover, are there current pedagogical  practices working to form obstacles to student success as well? Whatever the central question, how can we address these challenges in our own practices, programs, or institutions? We invite you to explore these kinds of questions.

For this special issue, we welcome two categories of submissions:

• Shorter, narrowly focused, conference-length essays of 2500-3000 words
• Longer, traditional essays of 6000-8000 words

Regardless of length, all essays should be scholarly in nature and grounded in current research and best practices.

Submission deadline: Jan 30, 2022

Please email submissions in MS word format toCRITICUNCO@gmail.com.

• Traditional essays must be accompanied by a 150-word abstract.
• Submissions should conform to the parameters of MLA 8th edition.
• Authors are responsible for both the accuracy of quotations and for representing source material fairly.
• Authors are responsible for securing any copyright releases involving graphs, tables, or illustrations.