H-Afrteach Needs Editors

H-Net Vice President of Networks Discussion

Greeting H-AfrTeach.

As H-Net Vice-President for Networks I have been interim editor for H-AfroAm for a time. It strikes pretty important network: new subscriber join almost daily bringing the subscription base to over 700. More importantly, teaching about Africa is an important and timely endeavor that I think deserves what a robust H-AfrTeach can provide. The problem here is: H-AfrTeach has no field experts running it. I’m just a fill-in but H-AfrTeach needs a dedicated team of editors whi know the field and profession to moderate posts and develop resources and original content.

I put out a call for new editors in February and received no responses. If this call is equally unproductive, H-AfrTeach will likely face de-commissiong and disappear. Since the time of that call, new teaching resources have developed on H-Net that demonstrate the strong projects H-AfrTeach could provide. 

H-Diplo has an expansive syllabus archive organized by subject.

H-Urban's teaching center contains syllabi, articles related to teaching and pedagogy, teaching aids, commentary, and more. 

H-Net has the tech training and support to help editors build resources like these for H-AfrTeach. Further resources could include everything from videos of lectures, online discussions about teaching, to using H-AfrTeach as a platform for student projects and other classroom activities. We also have a strong core of African Studies networks with a wealth of subject area expertise.

I'd also love to find volunteers to take over other parts of this network. These could include

  • working as a moderator of posts from subscribers, and/or reviewing the many posts that come in daily to H-Announce for cross-posting to H-AfrTeach
  • commissioning academic reviews of books relevant to H-AfrTeach to revive its long dormant book reviews project
  • developing new publications, from informal to peer-reviewed, for digital first open access publication on H-AfrTeach
  • blogging and/or organizing bloggers
  • working with professional associations to develop new resources, publications, etc.
  • working with archives to support and host digitization projects to store as unique resources on H-Afro-Am

I’m looking for people interested in using the range of tools available on H-Net. You need not be tech-savvy—if you have an interest and a vision, H-Net will provide training and support—but I would say tech-comfortable would be good. Ideally, multiple people will apply to form a team of editors: no one is expected to do everything. Editing H-Net networks provides valuable service to the field and a unique line to your CV. Those who apply will find a blank slate to work with and a ready-made audience already in place. 

If you are interested or have, contact Patrick Cox at vp-net@mail.h-net.msu.edu and we can talk about the position.

Thanks.

Patrick Cox

H-NET Vice-President for Networks