New York Archives Conference, Virtual Conference, June 11, 2021

Preserving Activism Beyond and Between the Gates: Collaborative Models for Archival Engagement in an Academic Setting

This session will highlight practical approaches to archival engagement through collaborations between archivists, faculty, and students. These collaborations have helped the archives amplify existing records of BIPOC student-involvement, document current student-led equity and inclusion initiatives, and advocate for further access and outreach initiatives. Archivists, faculty, and students from Pratt Institute will demonstrate the ways in which they’re using student activism records in instruction sessions, course development, student employment, and research fellowships to foster civic engagement and develop students’ critical research skills while creating a historical record that is inclusive of student experiences and increasing awareness of university archives.

Presenters:

Cristina Fontánez Rodríguez, Institute Archivist and Visiting Assistant Professor, Pratt Institute

Rebecca Krucoff, Visiting Assistant Professor, Art & Design Education and Historic Preservation, Pratt Institute 

Anisha Kar, M.S. ’21, Historic Preservation, Pratt Institute

History of Education Society, Virtual Conference,  November 5–8, 2020

Adaptation to Crisis: Blended Methodologies in a Digital Humanities Project

This interactive presentation analyzes the methodological challenges of teaching a master’s level course designed to uncover and make accessible silenced institutional history, especially during the disruption of the COVID crisis. Given the recent shift in our collective teaching and research to digital formats, we are sharing reflections on our work-in-progress in the areas of archival research methodology, digital platforms, and their relationship to on-line teaching. Because both of the projects are ongoing and grew out of and continue to shape course design and pedagogy, they integrate pedagogy, content and research methodologies. 

Presenters:

Rebecca Krucoff, Visiting Assistant Professor, Art and Design Education and Historic Preservation

Heather Lewis, Professor, Art and Design Education

Cristina Fontánez Rodríguez, Virginia Thoren and Institute Archivist, Visiting Assistant Professor Library, Information, and Library Science

Panel Discussant:  Steven Brier, Professor, Urban Education, The Graduate School and University Center, CUNY

Pratt’s Earth Action Week, September 21, 2020

Preserving Activism Beyond and Between Pratt’s Gates

This panel presented project research to-date, and featured members of the project team along with two Pratt alumni from the 1970s, Connie Harold and Patricia Cummings, whose oral histories of activism in the Black Student Union in the 1960s and 1970s are now part of Pratt’s Archives. We brought the alumni together in a fascinating conversation with the current head of the Black Student Union, Sarah Kanu, B.F.A. ‘21, Communications Design. More than fifty Pratt affiliates and friends joined us for the session.

Watch the recording…