Year-Round Programming

AAR’s Year-Round Programming aims to extend the mission and purpose of the organization beyond the in-person November Annual Meeting. Partnered with the Online June Sessions of the Annual Meeting, AAR’s Year-Round Programming includes a variety of online-based scholarly and professional programs, networking and mentoring opportunities, and professional development sessions throughout the year. AAR’s Year-Round Programming is organized in three primary categories:  WebinAARs, Mentoring & Networking, and Professional Development.

WebinAARs

AAR produces and sponsors webinars every month on topics related to the academic study and teaching of religion. These webinars may be single-session events, part of a webinar series, or components of AAR certificate programs. WebinAARs are hosted by AAR committees, program units, or in collaboration with other academic and professional development organizations.

The live WebinAARs are open to the public. Recordings of the WebinAARs are located on the AAR Webinars & Recordings page and typically require an AAR membership to view.

2024 WebinAAR Schedule

• January 31 | Recruiting Religion Majors: Strategies and Experiences 
  • Hosted by the AAR Academic Relations Committee
• February 28 | The State of Roman Catholic Small Liberal Arts Colleges 
  • Hosted by the AAR Academic Relations Committee
• March 2 | Interview with 2024 AAR Student Research Grant Winners
  • Hosted by AAR President Elect Leela Prasad
• March 27 | A.I. and the Classroom and Research 
  • Hosted by the AAR Academic Relations Committee
• April 16 | Retooling Graduate Education in the Study of Religion 
  • Hosted by the AAR Academic Relations Committee
• April 29 | How to Write a Compelling Book Review  
  • Hosted by Reading Religion
• May 14 | New Journal Launch — QTR: A Journal of Trans and Queer Studies in Religion
  • Hosted by the AAR Status of LGBTIQ+ Persons in the Professions Committee
• May 29 | The State of the Humanities 
  • Hosted by the AAR Academic Relations Committee
• June 3 | How Does the AAR Work & How Can I Get Involved?
  • Hosted by the AAR Governance and Leadership Development Committee
• July 17 | How to Get Published in the Journal of the American Academy of Religion 
  • Hosted by the AAR Publications & Graduate Student Committees
• July 22 | "Religious Themes and Human Tragedy in Films: A Pedagogy of ‘the Other’" Pedagogy Workshop with 2024 Teaching Award Winner Sheila F. Winborne
  • Hosted by the AAR Committee on Teaching & Learning
• July 23 | K-12 Religion Education: Private Right or Public Good? 
  • Hosted by the AAR Committee on Teaching & Learning
• July 24 | The State of the Humanities at HBCUs
  • Hosted by the AAR Academic Relations Committee
• July 31 | Graduates Students Today: A Guide for the Perplexed
  • Hosted by the AAR Graduate Student Committee
• August 7 | Wiki Education
  • Hosted by the Public Understanding of Religion Committee
• August
  • Interview with Teaching Award Winner (Hosted by the AAR Committee on Teaching & Learning)
• September
  • On Writing, Reviewing & Being Reviewed (Hosted by Reading Religion)
• September/October
  • Teaching Across Difference in Times of Trauma (Hosted by Rachel Mikva & Najeeba Syeed)
• October
  • Career Diversity 101 (Hosted by the AAR Applied Religious Studies Committee)
• November
  • Beyond the Professoriate: Careers Outside the Academy (Hosted by the AAR Applied Religious Studies Committee)
• December
  • Meet the New AAR President  (Hosted by the AAR Executive Director) 

Upcoming WebinAARS

Mentoring & Networking Programs

AAR Mentoring & Networking Programs aim to connect and support AAR members in various stages of their careers – both within and outside the academy. These programs target a variety of demographics including undergraduate and graduate students, minoritized scholars, emerging and contingent faculty, and others, connecting folks with experienced mentors who draw on expertise and skills in a broad range of fields.

Mentoring & Networking Events at November Annual Meeting 

• Cup of Coffee Mentoring Program
• Mentoring Lunch for Women and Gender Minoritized People
• Open Conversations Luncheon for Scholars and Students with Disabilities 
• Queer and Trans Scholars’ Mentoring Lunch
• Academic Labor and Contingent Faculty Mentoring Lunch

Year-Round Mentoring Programs

• Graduate Student Mentoring Program (forthcoming)

Networking & Writing Groups 

• Writing Group (forthcoming)
  • Hosted by the Status of Racial and Ethnic Minoritized People in the Professions Committee
• Dissertation Support Group (forthcoming)
• AAR Ambassadors Program (forthcoming)

Professional Development

AAR supports its members through a variety of professional development programs and resources aimed at providing educational opportunities beyond those offered within their own institutions. 

• Inclusive Pedagogy Certificate Program
  • Hosted by the AAR Status of People with Disabilities in the Professions Committee 
• Beyond the Professoriate
  • All AAR members are given complimentary access to this organization which aims to demystify the job market