History Beyond the Classroom: Undergraduate Mentorship in the 2020s
History Beyond the Classroom: Undergraduate Mentorship in the 2020s
Clio and the Contemporary Series 2023
“I love history, but what can you do with that?” Sound familiar? This refrain, often from business, computer science, or engineering majors, conveys a common misconception that career options for history majors are limited to teaching K-12 or pursuing graduate school in history. Clio and the Contemporary is launching a new series, “History Beyond Teaching,” focused on mentoring undergraduate students in research, writing, critical thinking, public history, and digital skills developed in the discipline of history.
The series, by and for instructors, solicits two types of contributions:
1) short pieces about student-serving aspects of mentorship, including syllabi, assignments, or lesson plans designed to cultivate historical thinking and sharpen students’ skill sets;
2) longer pieces including “how-to” advice pieces about successful mentorship strategies that faculty or departments could adopt; argument-driven reflections on the importance of prioritizing specific skill-development; or “think pieces” about how to keep the history major relevant to the needs and interests of students in the 2020s.
Contact Mallory Szymanski at clioandthecontemporary@gmail.com with your pitch. Include "History Beyond the Classroom" in the subject heading. Our editorial team is happy to workshop ideas with our authors and offer robust copyediting. We want to hear from you!