Our Services
The Association provides services to its members, as well as colleges and universities seeking to establish Graduate Liberal Studies programs, and students seeking information about existing programs. The association is a community dedicated to interdisciplinary adult learning and supports its members in a variety of ways. Through workshops, conferences, listserv communications, and publications, the association enables members to come together to address the practical issues in directing their programs, from advising students to developing curricula, from recruitment to assessment.
*Denotes services only available to Institutional Members. Join now!
Annual Conference
Our Annual Conference explores issues of both academic and societal concern, and offers students and faculty opportunities to present their research.
In conjunction with the Annual Conference, the Preconference Director’s Workshop* provides a full day of targeted presentations and in-depth discussions with other program directors and AGLSP Board members.
Awards
The Annual Faculty Award gives members a way to honor and bring national recognition to the achievements of their faculty and their programs. We also offer Student Writing Awards which may be given to any current student or recent graduate (up to one-year post-graduation) of an AGLSP institutional member program in good standing. Students are nominated by their home program director.
Directors’ Dialogues
Started in the fall of 2020 after our first successful virtual conference, the AGLSP offers monthly zoom sessions for program directors and administrators from across the country to come together and share best practices, challenges and new ideas. This has been an extremely valuable interaction for our member programs.
Honor Society
The AGLSP National Honor Society is open to liberal studies students who have met the criteria set by the member institution and the AGLSP Honor Society. The member institution must have an AGLSP approved chapter. The criteria are: Students who have earned a minimum of 3.75 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale, have at least 24 credits toward their master’s, doctoral degree or 16 credits toward a certificate of advanced graduate study. They must have demonstrated leadership in the classroom and in the greater community, and have been selected, approved and invited to join the Honor Society by their enrolling institution.
Publications
Confluence: The Journal of the AGLSP is a national, peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal that reflects the best scholarly and creative work produced within and beyond AGLSP member institutions. Publishing scholarly essays and creative work such as short stories, poetry, creative nonfiction, and visual art, Confluence stands as a demonstration of and an inspiration to the kind of interdisciplinary engagement that is constitutive of a liberal education, while emphasizing the fundamental relations that transcend the boundaries of discipline and form that must be engaged and explored.
Institutional members also have access to the Guide for Directors, Faculty, and Staff*, which addresses all facets of Graduate Liberal Studies and includes a section dedicated to starting a GLS program, Curriculum Guides* of core and interdisciplinary courses designed and taught within graduate liberal studies programs, AGLSP Survey Data*, and AGLSP Business Meeting* notes.
The AGLSP’s program review guide offers program members directives and tools for self-study and on-site peer reviews, providing formative evaluations and advocacy. The AGLSP can assist with obtaining data regarding Peer or Aspirant programs, and provide a list of external reviewers.
The Association can also connect those wishing to explore starting a new program with experienced GLS administrators and faculty.
Student Symposia
Since 2007, GLS programs on the West Coast have gathered each summer at symposia for the presentation of student and alumni papers. Participating programs have included Dominican University of California, Marylhurst University, Mount St. Mary’s College in Los Angeles, Reed College, San Diego State University, Simon Fraser University, Stanford University, University of Southern California, and Maastricht University-Netherlands. Since then, Student Symposia have been held in the Mid West, Texas, and East Coast regions. Student-centered, these symposia have been well-received by programs, students, and alumni as an effective and stimulating way to foster scholarship, offer students and alumni presentation opportunities, recognize outstanding student work, and build community among GLS students, alumni, and faculty across programs. Although not an AGLSP initiative, the Association supports these symposia and posts information when available.
AGLSP Repository Project
Currently in development, the AGLSP Repository Project plans to collect completed Theses, Capstones, and Dissertations from Institutional Member Programs. All published projects have been accepted by the submitting member institution as partial fulfillment toward a Master of Liberal Studies, Master of Arts in Liberal Studies, Doctorate in Liberal Studies, or similar degree.