College of Humanities and Fine Arts Book Symposium

The Dean of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts is pleased to announce The College of Humanities and Fine Arts Book Symposium. This new initiative will support a public symposium centered on a recently published single or co-authored book by an HFA faculty member. Through a competitive selection process, one book will be chosen for a symposium to be held in the Spring 2027 semester.  Applications are due November 1, 2026

This initiative is designed to:  

  1. Recognize and extend the impact of a recently published single or co-authored book by HFA faculty.  
  2. Foster public engagement and intellectual exchange. 
  3. Bring HFA faculty scholarship into public conversation with leading academics in the field. 
  4. Facilitate interdisciplinary dialogue and foster campus and community discussion on cutting-edge issues. 

Eligibility 

All full-time HFA faculty, including those on administrative appointments, and full-time lecturers on continuous appointments are eligible to apply. 

Eligible projects should be based on books published within the three years preceding the application deadline (a publication date between November 1, 2023, and November 1, 2026). The series is intended to support public critical engagement with a completed work. It is not intended for manuscript development, completion support, subvention, indexing, permissions, or production costs.  

Invited panelists should be leading scholars with relevant expertise, preferably from outside UMass Amherst. Applicants may request an exception for a qualified UMass Amherst faculty member during the application process, with supporting justification. 

Book Symposium Structure 

The HFA faculty member who receives this award will organize a public-facing panel discussion in which invited respondents engage the book’s arguments, methods, creative contributions, field-shaping interventions, wider relevance, etc.  

  1. Session Introduction (10 minutes) - Moderator provides context and introduces speakers. 
  2. Respondents’ Remarks (30-40 minutes) - Each speaker will have 7-10 minutes for their remarks. 
  3. Author Remarks (15-20 minutes) 
  4. Q&A (30 minutes) 

Allowable expenses include respondent honoraria, travel, lodging, meals, and related event costs up to a maximum of $5,000 total per award. Faculty must work with their department's business manager to submit a Summit report to the HFA Business Office for reimbursement by June 25. Extensions and repurposing of funds are not permitted. 

Application Procedure  

Applications are due November 1, 2026. The application form will be available through the UMass InfoReady portal. 

The following materials are required at the time of application: 

  • A one-page description of the published book, including its contribution to the field, discipline, or creative practice. 
  • Publication information (publisher, publication date, length). 
  • A hard copy of the book (submitted if the book is chosen). 
  • A one-page proposal for the Book Symposium event, including the proposed format, intended audience, and intellectual goals of the public discussion. 
  • Confirmed list of proposed respondents, bios and affiliations, brief descriptions of respondents' expertise and relevance to the book. 
  • A proposed Spring 2027 event timeline, including approximate dates for the respondents’ visit and public panel. 
  • A one-page budget outlining anticipated honoraria, travel, lodging, meals, and related event expenses. 

Program Timeline 

September 1, 2026: Application cycle opens through the UMass InfoReady portal. 

November 1, 2026: Applications are due. 

November 2026: The HFA Research Council reviews submissions and makes recommendations to the Dean. 

December 2026: In the 2026-2027 cycle, only one award will be given. Faculty may begin immediately to plan and spend funding on eligible expenses. 

Spring 2027: Selected faculty host their Book Symposium event on campus. Each event should include a public panel discussion with invited respondents. The format should include brief remarks by each respondent, a response from the faculty author, moderated discussion, and audience Q&A. 

The award recipient is responsible for coordinating guest respondent visits, event logistics, travel, lodging, honoraria, and publicity in collaboration with their department. Recipients must share event details, including date, time, location, and a promotional description, with Emma DeFelice, HFA Director of Marketing and Communications, before the event is held. 

Applicants are encouraged to review the HFA Event Promotion Resources for guidance, promotional channels, and event-marketing templates. 

Faculty must work with their department's business manager to submit a Summit report to the HFA Business Office for reimbursement. 

June 25, 2027: All expenses must be fully processed by the department business manager. No extensions will be granted. 

Award Management 

The recipient is required to work closely with their department's business manager to ensure all expenses are fully processed. 

The recipient’s department business manager, in collaboration with the award recipient, must submit a Summit report to the HFA Business Office for reimbursement of eligible expenses by June 25, 2027. The department business manager should direct any questions about this requirement to the HFA Business Office, business [at] hfa [dot] umass [dot] edu (business[at]hfa[dot]umass[dot]edu) on behalf of the award recipient. 

Expenses eligible for reimbursement include respondent honoraria, travel, lodging, meals, and related event costs up to a maximum of $5,000 total per award. 

Award monies are to be used only to support the originally approved Book Symposia event. Extensions and repurposing are not permitted.  

Who to Contact 

Amy Fleig, afleig [at] umass [dot] edu (afleig[at]umass[dot]edu), Director of Faculty Development & Programs 

Pari Riahi, priahi [at] umass [dot] edu (priahi[at]umass[dot]edu), Associate Dean for Research & Engagement