DIG DEEPER, REACH HIGHER
THE ñ STRATEGIC PLAN, 2016-2020
Adopted (unanimously) by the ñ Board on April 17, 2016
Executive Summary
For the past five years (2011-2015), ñ has been well guided by the Strategic Plan adopted by the Board of Trustees in April 2010. But ñ is a constant work in progress, so there is always more to be done. ñ’s goals for the next five years (2016-2020) are (I) to build on the accomplishments realized between 2011-2015 in four key program areas (Strategic Goals Nos. 1-4), and (II) to undertake four new initiatives that serve ñ’s increasingly diverse membership (Strategic Goals Nos. 5-8).
The four key program areas addressed in Strategic Goals Nos. 1-4 are the ñ Annual Meeting, ñ Publications, ñ’s relationships with its affiliated Overseas Research Centers, and the ñ’s Fellowships and Grants programs. Between 2011-2015, ñ significantly enhanced the quality of each. Going forward, ñ aims to achieve still more in these key program areas and to respond to several emerging challenges: for instance, integrating digital publications into our Publications program.
Strategic Goals Nos. 5-8 comprise new initiatives that address ñ members’ increasingly diverse interests, as well as the membership’s increasingly diverse constituencies. For example, Strategic Goal No. 8, which concerns cultural heritage, addresses ñ members’ increasing interest in heritage protection, preservation, and presentation. Strategic Goals Nos. 5, 6, and 7, which concern fostering the next generation, greater enfranchisement of ñ’s international members, and public outreach, address the interests of student members, members who are just beginning their professional careers in the study of the Near East and wider Mediterranean, members whose professional expertise lies elsewhere, and international members. In addressing diversity, ñ also intends better to enfranchise ethnic and minority communities that have been traditionally underrepresented within the organization.
Accomplishing these goals will require hard work, the development of expertise in emerging areas (such as digital publishing), and sufficient funding. Yet though our plans are ambitious, ñ’s 115+ years of success assure us that our aspirations can be realized. By 2020, ñ will have advanced its long-standing position as a premier international organization dedicated to exploring, understanding, presenting, and preserving the history and cultures of the Near East and wider Mediterranean.
STRATEGIC PLAN 2016-2020 (outline)
Part 1 Programmatic– I. Strengthening ñ’s Key Program Areas
(Strategic Goals Nos. 1-4)
Strategic Goal No. 1: ñ’s Annual Meeting
Our goal: Conduct an exceptional professional meeting dedicated to scholarship on the history and cultures of the Near East and the wider Mediterranean world.
1A. Promote the Highest Quality Content in the Academic Program
1B. Maintain the Current Number of Paper-Presentation Sessions
1C. Increase Annual Meeting Revenue
1D. Re-Evaluate the Annual Meeting’s Time and Location
Strategic Goal No. 2: Publications
Our Goal: Enhance ñ’s monograph publishing program and develop new publishing venues appropriate to the twenty-first century.
2A. Expand the Monograph Publication Program
2B. Develop a Digital Publication Program
2C. Expand Open Access
2D. Determine the Structure for Publications Oversight
Strategic Goal No. 3: ñ’s International Affiliations
Our Goal: Strengthen relationships with ñ’s affiliated Overseas Research Centers and develop more robust organizational ties both with other Overseas Research Centers and in regions and countries where overseas research centers are not currently found.
3A. Enhance Relationships with ñ’s Affiliated Overseas Research Centers
3B. Form Stronger Relationships with Other Overseas Research Centers
3C. Establish More Overseas Committees
Strategic Goal No. 4: Fellowships, Grants, and Other Forms of Support for ñ Members
Our Goal: Increase the fellowships, grants, and other forms of support available to individual ñ members and to the faculty, students, and staff of institutional member schools.
4A. Assess Membership Benefits for the Twenty-First Century
4B. Fund More Fieldwork and Fieldwork-Related Research Grants
4C. Create Other Fellowships and Grants that Support ñ Members
4D. Develop In-House Resources in Support of Archaeological Fieldwork
Part 2 Aspirational– II. Serving ñ’s Diverse Membership (Strategic Goals Nos. 5-8)
Strategic Goal No. 5: Fostering the Field
Our Goal: Advocate frequently and forcefully on behalf of the scholarly study of the Near East and wider Mediterranean within the academic community and elsewhere, and through this advocacy and other means, engage vigorously in processes and programs that promote the success of the next generation of scholars of the Near East and wider Mediterranean world.
5A. Champion the Study of the Near East and Wider Mediterranean
5B. Secure the Success of the Next Generation
Strategic Goal No. 6: An Increased International Identity for ñ
Our Goal: Expand ñ’s increasingly large community of international members (about 22% of our membership, from 35 countries outside North America) and enhance ñ’s engagement with them.
6A. Increase International Members’ Access to ñ
6B. Ensure ñ’s International Members are Fully Enfranchised
Strategic Goal No. 7: Outreach
Our Goal: Expand our outreach efforts to, and engagement with, the general public.
7A. Strengthen Current and Future Outreach Efforts
7B. Provide Staffing Support
Strategic Goal No. 8: Cultural Heritage
Our Goal: Participate energetically in worldwide efforts to protect, preserve, and present to the public all aspects of the cultural heritage of the Near East and wider Mediterranean.
8A. Protect and Preserve Cultural Heritage
8B. Promote Site Preservation, Documentation, and Presentation
STRATEGIC PLAN 2016-2020 (full text)
Preamble
For the past five years (2011-2015), ñ has been well guided by the Strategic Plan adopted by the Board of Trustees in April 2010. In fact, ñ has achieved many of the goals identified in the 2011-2015 Strategic Plan, especially with respect to the ñ Annual Meeting, ñ Publications, excavation fellowships, programs in public outreach and education, and the promotion of the highest ethical standards of scholarship and public discourse.
ñ also successfully implemented the organizational restructuring that the 2011-2015 Strategic Plan put forward and realized many of the Strategic Plan’s fund-raising goals, through the enormously successful “Building a Foundation for ñ Campaign.” This campaign raised $1.7 million (approximately 30% more than our $1.3 million goal) between July 2011 and June 2014.
These accomplishments all provide ñ with the solid infrastructure it needs to move forward. ñ’s goals for the next five years (2016-2020) are (I) to build on the accomplishments realized in four key program areas—the ñ Annual Meeting, ñ Publications, ñ’s relationships with its affiliated Overseas Research Centers, and the ñ Fellowships and Grants program (Strategic Goals Nos. 1-4)—and (II) to undertake four new initiatives that serve ñ’s increasingly diverse membership. Hereby, it is affirmed that ñ values diversity, both the diverse interests of its membership, as well as the membership’s many diverse constituencies.
Strategic Goals Nos. 5-8 address this diversity. For example, Strategic Goal No. 8, which concerns cultural heritage, addresses ñ members’ increasing interest in heritage protection, preservation, and presentation. Likewise, Strategic Goal No. 5, which concerns fostering our field and the next generation, speaks to ñ members’ growing apprehensions about the diminishing support (in institutions of higher education and elsewhere) for the study of the Near East and wider Mediterranean and outlines strategies for sustaining the ñ constituents who are most vulnerable in the face of this crisis: ñ’s student members and members just beginning their professional careers.
Strategic Goals Nos. 6 and 7, which concern the greater enfranchisement of ñ’s international members and public outreach, address the needs of ñ’s international constituency and of members whose professional expertise lies elsewhere than the Near East and wider Mediterranean. In addition, ñ commits to making its diverse constituencies—including members from ethnic and minority communities that have traditionally been underrepresented within ñ—better represented among ñ fellowship and grant awardees and Annual Meeting session chairs and in ñ committees and other governing bodies.
Who We Are and What We Do:
ñ’s Mission Statement
ñ, founded in 1900, is an international organization whose mission is to initiate, encourage, and support research into, and public understanding of, the history and cultures of the Near East and wider Mediterranean, from the earliest times, by:
- Fostering original research, exploration, and archaeological fieldwork;
- Encouraging scholarship in the region’s languages, texts, traditions, and histories;
- Disseminating research results and conclusions in a timely manner, through a robust publication program, annual meeting, and other venues;
- Adhering to the highest ethical standards of scholarship and public discourse;
- Upholding the highest academic standards in interdisciplinary research and teaching;
- Promoting educational opportunities for undergraduates and graduates in institutions of higher education around the world;
- Developing engaging programs of outreach for the general public;
- Supporting and participating in efforts to protect, preserve, and present to the public the historic and cultural heritage of the Near East and the wider Mediterranean and to raise awareness of its degradation.
I. Strengthening ñ’s Key Program Areas
(Strategic Goals Nos. 1-4)
Strategic Goal No. 1: ñ’s Annual Meeting
Our goal: Conduct an exceptional professional meeting dedicated to scholarship on the history and cultures of the Near East and the wider Mediterranean world.
1A. Promote the Highest Quality Content in the Academic Program
The current quality of the academic program is high. Applications to present papers exceed the number of sessions available, with the result that only the best papers are accepted. Maintaining the current number of sessions for paper presentations (below) will guarantee that the quality of this aspect of the academic program continues. To guarantee this further, the Program Committee will review the Annual Meeting’s “ñ-Sponsored Sessions,” to make certain they best represent ñ members’ primary areas of scholarly interest and engagement. Session chairs are also encouraged to recruit paper presenters whose contributions will enhance the quality of the academic program.
Members’ research is also productively disseminated through mechanisms other than papers, and ñ will expand opportunities for poster presentations, roundtable discussions, and similar events at its Annual Meeting. In addition, the ñ staff will follow the model of other learned societies and enhance the co-curricular component of the Annual Meeting program, by offering museum visits, networking opportunities for various interest groups, movie events, and similar activities.
1B. Maintain the Current Number of Paper-Presentation Sessions
The current number of paper-presentation sessions (approximately 96 sessions over the course of a three-day meeting) should remain roughly as is (i) to preserve the intimacy of the meeting, and (ii) to allow meeting participants to attend most (or all) of their desired sessions, with minimal scheduling conflicts.
1C. Increase Annual Meeting Revenue
The Annual Meeting is not financially self-sustaining. To be self-sustaining, ñ would need to raise the meeting’s registration fees, and/or attract more exhibitors, sponsors, and advertising, and/or grow Annual Meeting attendance by 15-20%. Preserving the intimacy of the Annual Meeting, however, is a priority (above), and considerations regarding the meeting’s affordability, especially for scholars who might struggle financially to attend (e.g., junior scholars, international scholars, non tenure-track scholars, independent scholars, retirees), are a priority as well (below).
The ñ staff will be tasked with developing strategies for increasing Annual Meeting revenue while keeping competing priorities in mind: for example, incrementally growing Annual Meeting attendance in a way that enhances the meeting’s quality by bringing in papers about geographic regions and chronological periods in which ñ members increasingly work (central Asia, the western Mediterranean, medieval archaeology). Increasing the number of exhibitors and sponsors would also increase the quality of the Annual Meeting.
1D. Re-Evaluate the Annual Meeting’s Time and Location
Given the reunification of the American Academy of Religion (AAR) and the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), and the consequence—ñ’s increasing inability to access hotel space reasonably close to the AAR/SBL meeting—ñ must re-evaluate whether meeting at the same time and in the same location as AAR/SBL remains a viable prospect. Alternatives include (i) meeting on our own; (ii) meeting in conjunction with AAR/SBL every other year; or (iii) meeting in conjunction with another learned society: for example, the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA), the Society for American Archaeology (SAA), the Middle East Studies Association (MESA), or the American Oriental Society (AOS).
ñ will appoint an ad hoc Annual Meeting committee to address this issue. This committee—which will include, among others, representatives from the current Program Committee—will be charged with (i) evaluating the meetings in Atlanta (2015) and San Antonio (2016), to gauge the impact of the lack of geographical proximity to AAR/SBL and the number of ñ members affected, and (ii) making recommendations about the way forward. These recommendations should be made in time for ñ to implement potential schedule changes for 2020 (currently scheduled for Boston) or 2021 (currently scheduled for San Antonio). This committee will also consider whether ñ should approach other organizations, such as the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE) or the American Research Institute in Turkey (ARIT), to assess whether these organizations are interested in participating in ñ’s Annual Meeting.
Strategic Goal No. 2: Publications
Our Goal: Enhance ñ’s monograph publishing program and develop new publishing venues appropriate to the twenty-first century.
2A. Expand the Monograph Publication Program
ñ reaffirms its historic commitment to monograph publishing, as this investment in knowledge production and knowledge dissemination is an important service ñ provides to its members and to our discipline. As part of this commitment and investment, ñ will continue to publish three monograph series—the Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research (Añ), the Archaeological Reports Series (ARS), and the Journal of Cuneiform Studies Supplement Series—and will seek to resume publishing the ñ Books Series.
In order to facilitate members’ publication efforts, ñ will seek funding for grants to subsidize subventions for members who publish in ñ’s monograph series. Consideration should be given to using the (historically modest) revenue generated by the ñ Books Series as seed money for this subvention fund.
2B. Develop a Digital Publication Program
ñ acknowledges that publishing in the twenty-first century, especially the publication of archaeological data, requires digital modes of publication that make possible the presentation of hypermedia, videos, three-dimensional reconstructions, and animated fly-throughs and that allow for the presentation of the voluminous bodies of evidence now collected during archaeological excavations.
ñ will thus investigate developing a high-quality digital publishing program that makes possible the publication of scholarly works incorporating evolving digital media. ñ will also investigate the digital publication of classroom resources, such as state-of-the-art textbooks or course modules on various aspects of the archaeology and history of the Near East and wider Mediterranean.
2C. Expand Open Access
In 2015, ñ made available through Open Access 65 volumes from its various monograph series that were previously available only to Hathi Trust subscribers. Indicated here is ñ’s deep and fundamental commitment to broad-based knowledge dissemination, which dictates that as appropriate and as economically feasible, ñ will expand its Open Access offerings. This is especially important in the case of ñ monographs, for while ñ journals are widely (albeit not universally) available in electronic form, the monographs are not.
2D. Determine the Structure for Publications Oversight
The Committee on Publications (COP) will continue to oversee ñ’s scholarly publications (the three journals and the monograph series).
ñ’s outreach publications (currently News@ñ, The ANE Today, the ñ Blog, and the ñ website) are central to ñ’s presentation of itself to academics and the general public—all of whom are prospective new members and sources of support. It is critical that the content and presentation of these outreach publications be engaging and of the highest quality. It is also important that distribution of the outreach publications steadily increase. Responsibility for their oversight must be determined to ensure excellence and a wider distribution. The Chairs Coordinating Council (CCC) should decide whether this responsibility should be assigned to the Committee on Publications (COP), to the Membership and Outreach Committee, to the Friends of ñ subcommittee, or another body.
“Oversight” of our outreach publications also must be precisely defined. For example, once oversight responsibility for these publications is determined, the designated committee must make decisions regarding the need for a periodic review of the editor of The ANE Today, limits to this editor’s term of service, and editorial policy for the ñ Blog.
Strategic Goal No. 3: ñ’s International Affiliations
Our Goal: Strengthen relationships with ñ’s affiliated Overseas Research Centers and develop more robust organizational ties both with other Overseas Research Centers and in regions and countries where overseas research centers are not currently found.
3A. Enhance Relationships with ñ’s Affiliated Overseas Research Centers
ñ’s relationships with its affiliated Overseas Research Centers (ORCs)—the W. F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem, the American Center of Oriental Research in Amman, Jordan, and the Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute in Nicosia, Cyprus—are foundational and distinguish ñ from many other learned societies. ñ enthusiastically endorses these relationships and commits itself to exploring how to make them more effective, functional, and mutually beneficial to both ñ and the affiliated ORCs.
For example, ñ will provide its excavation fellowship recipients in Israel, Jordan, and Cyprus with information about each country’s affiliated ORC, so that the fellowship recipients might stay at, or otherwise connect with, the affiliated ORCs and so the ORCs could help ñ cultivate a fellowship alumni network (below). Connecting excavation fellowship recipients with the affiliated ORCs also sends recipients a powerful message that “ñ is there for you in-country.”
In addition, ñ and the affiliated ORCs—in conjunction with the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC)—will explore working together on funding projects: for example, permanent funding to support the Directors’ Exchange program, funding for multi-center fellowships for ñ members, and funding to bring the affiliated ORCs in-country associates to the ñ Annual Meeting. Also, we will explore ways that ñ could pair its commitment to protecting and preserving cultural heritage (below) with the affiliated ORCs’ in-country infrastructure to establish programs in sustainable archaeology and heritage protection and preservation (including programs that offer employment opportunities in-country).
ñ will also explore using the affiliated ORCs as part of ñ’s outreach initiatives (below): for example, developing a travel program that used the affiliated ORCs for lodging and/or other sorts of programming.
3B. Form Stronger Relationships with Other Overseas Research Centers
While ñ assigns high priority to enhancing its relationships with its affiliated ORCs, ñ also seeks to develop stronger relationships with ORCs located in other regions where ñ members work: for example, the American Academic Research Institute in Iraq (TAARII), the American Academy in Rome (AAR), the American Institute for Maghrib Studies (AIMS), the American Institute for Yemeni Studies (AIYS), the American Institute of Iranian Studies (AIIrS), the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE), the American Research Institute in Turkey (ARIT), the American Research Institute of the South Caucasus (ARISC), the American School of Classical Studies at Athens (ASCSA), and the Palestinian American Research Center (PARC).
Facilitating relationships with these ORCs—especially if paired with posting information about them on the ñ website—would inform ñ members about the resources of these various centers, as well as informing the ORCs about each other’s resources as they relate to ñ.
3C. Establish More Overseas Committees
ñ seeks to expand its formal organizational ties in regions and countries beyond those with affiliated and non-affiliated ORCs (e.g., Sicily, Lebanon, and Libya) by establishing overseas committees within its governance structure, analogous to the already extant Baghdad Committee, Saudi Arabia Committee, and Damascus Committee. These overseas committees could especially help develop programming for relevant sessions at the ñ Annual Meeting.
Strategic Goal No. 4: Fellowships, Grants, and Other Forms of Support for ñ Members
Our Goal: Increase the fellowships, grants, and other forms of support available to individual ñ members and to the faculty, students, and staff of institutional member schools.
4A. Assess Membership Benefits for the Twenty-First Century
ñ thrives because of its dedicated individual and institutional members, whom ñ strives to support by providing them with tangible benefits. Historically, these benefits have included subscriptions to ñ journals. Now, given the ready access many ñ members have to electronic resources such as JSTOR, and even more so in a world of Open Access, this benefit is no longer as attractive. ñ must thus identify and provide new and different membership benefits to sustain and grow its individual and institutional membership base, including significant new fellowships and grants. As these fellowships and grants are developed, ñ will need to determine mechanisms for vetting applicants and awarding funding.
The ñ staff will also conduct a review of its membership fee structure, in order to ensure ñ’s membership fees—especially for students and recent graduates—are compatible with the realities of the contemporary academy.
4B. Fund More Fieldwork and Fieldwork-Related Research Grants
ñ has excelled in developing fellowship funds that support students engaging in archaeological fieldwork (approximately $270,000 in endowed funds raised since 2012). However, ñ has not met the goal outlined in the 2011-2015 Strategic Plan to fund fieldwork grants to support dig directors. ñ thus seeks to augment its current Harris Grant program (which awards about $6000 in funding per year) by raising comparable funds to facilitate key yet discrete activities to benefit dig directors’ archaeological fieldwork: for example, funds to purchase a special piece of equipment, to pay the fees for otherwise unfunded laboratory tests, or to cover the cost of hiring a particular specialist. The Joe D. Seger Excavation Fund, inaugurated in November 2015 with an endowment of $50,000, marks an important initial step in this development project.
ñ also seeks to raise funds for grants to support archaeological fieldwork in other ways: for example, grants for subsidizing publication subventions, especially for ñ monographs (above); grants that help subsidize pre-publication work; and grants demonstrating ñ’s commitment to the communities and countries in which ñ members work by supporting fieldwork projects that engage surrounding communities or otherwise enhance ñ’s engagement with local or national interests. ñ’s increased commitment to cultural heritage protection and preservation (below) also suggests the development of grants to protect and preserve sites that are at risk.
4C. Create Other Fellowships and Grants that Support ñ Members
ñ seeks to raise funds for fellowships and grants to support the work of its members in areas beyond fieldwork-related projects, such as (i) “travel to collections” grants (e.g., funding to conduct work in museum collections; fellowships to work in the ñ archives); (ii) grants to support travel to and registration for the Annual Meeting, especially for junior scholars and international scholars, as well as for non tenure-track scholars, independent scholars, and similar scholars who otherwise lack the funds to attend; and (iii) grants to support publication of non-fieldwork related scholarship (e.g., publications in the reinvigorated ñ Books monograph series).
4D. Develop In-House Resources in Support of Archaeological Fieldwork
To encourage the proper archiving of fieldwork records, and to meet the challenge of digital archiving and data recording, ñ will work to develop and promulgate standards for archiving documentary records in all forms. In order that these archives be of maximal use, and maximally accessible, ñ will also develop a database documenting the location of fieldwork records, especially the records of ñ-affiliated projects.
In addition, ñ will develop web resources to facilitate the work of fieldwork projects by, for example, providing a place for directors to list fieldwork projects that are looking for volunteers, or by providing directors with advice on best practices about running a field school and about the increasingly important issue of site curation (including long-term site preservation and public presentation). ñ’s website will also provide links to the guidelines and regulations of various Departments of Antiquities that are available on the Internet.
ñ’s web resources will also serve all ñ members and the members of “Friends of ñ” by functioning as a clearinghouse for information about archaeological fieldwork in the Near East and wider Mediterranean world.
II. Serving ñ’s Diverse Membership
(Strategic Goals Nos. 5-8)
Strategic Goal No. 5: Fostering the Field
Our Goal: Advocate frequently and forcefully on behalf of the scholarly study of the Near East and wider Mediterranean within the academic community and elsewhere, and through this advocacy and other means, engage vigorously in processes and programs that promote the success of the next generation of scholars of the Near East and wider Mediterranean world.
5A. Champion the Study of the Near East and Wider Mediterranean
ñ is acutely aware that in contemporary institutions of higher education, programs dedicated to the study of the Near East and wider Mediterranean increasingly find themselves under threat. ñ thus commits to advocate on behalf of academic colleagues whose departments face cuts by their institutions’ administrations. Moreover, ñ will continue to support the development of new programs and the advancement of existing programs dedicated to the study of the Near Eastern and wider Mediterranean world.
ñ will also seek to promote the study of the Near East and wider Mediterranean by regularly and consistently engaging the national humanities community. For example, ñ will work with the National Humanities Alliance to advocate on behalf of the field of Near Eastern and wider Mediterranean studies and to assert the overall value of the humanities.
In addition, ñ will in addition increase its involvement in public advocacy in the federal arena: for example, by speaking out in support of (i) continued or increased NSF funding available to the social sciences (and so to archaeology); (ii) continued or increased funding for the ECA grants that help support ñ’s affiliated ORCs; and (iii) continued or increased NEH funding available for humanities research. ñ also will speak out, as appropriate, about funding decisions that negatively affect our mission: for example, the recent NEH decision to cease funding overseas summer institutes and seminars.
In undertaking these efforts, ñ will seek to work together with other organizations that share these same goals: for example, scholarly organizations such as the AIA, SAA, MESA, AOS, and SBL and like-minded federations such as CAORC. ñ will also seek to work with individual scholars whose interests intersect with those of ñ: for example, ñ will seek to engage cultural resource specialists in discussions about ñ’s work to safeguard and preserve cultural heritage.
5B. Secure the Success of the Next Generation
The threats to programs dedicated to the study of the Near East and wider Mediterranean in contemporary institutions of higher education (above) affect most profoundly and alarmingly the career prospects of scholars within these programs, especially the scholars of the next generation. ñ is thus committed to doing all it can to advance the careers of these scholars.
For example, in addition to raising funding support to help these scholars participate in ñ’s Annual Meeting (above), ñ will look for ways to increase the involvement of graduate students and junior scholars in the Annual Meeting as part of their training and development as academics. In particular, ñ will explore ways of enhancing graduate students’ and junior scholars’ engagement in modes of research presentations (poster presentations, roundtable discussions) that are emerging alongside traditional paper presentations (above).
ñ will also increase the number of junior scholars who serve as session chairs, perhaps pairing them with more established chairs to increase mentoring and networking opportunities. ñ also stands ready to support its junior scholars at their home institutions by, for example, writing in support of junior faculty members’ reappointment and tenure cases.
At the same time, ñ recognizes that faculty positions in institutions of higher education are no longer as likely a career option for scholars in Near Eastern and wider Mediterranean studies. ñ thus seeks opportunities to support the professional development of scholars who may not pursue, or who are no longer pursuing, a career as a faculty member in an institution of higher education. ñ will present programming on various career tracks at its Annual Meeting: for example, NGOs, government agencies, IT, consulting, cultural resource management, museum work, and publishing and journalism. ñ will also explore using its various publications as venues for discussing careers outside the academy.
The Junior Scholars discussion at the Annual Meeting is another place where conversations about different career tracks is likely to take place, and this event will be better publicized. ñ will in addition work to enhance its job posting site by using part of the site to post non-academic jobs and to link to other sources for non-academic careers (e.g., , to search for federal positions available in archaeology).
Finally, ñ recognizes that the “next generation” includes not just current graduate students and recently minted Ph.D.’s, but undergraduates and K-12 students. As part of its expanded outreach programs (below), ñ aims to build on the very successful teacher educational workshops that have been held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting to develop resources that individual members and regional societies can use in other contexts: for example, to reach out to local K-12 schools. Excavation scholarships are the primary way ñ reaches out to undergraduates (as well as graduate students). ñ will increase its engagement with those students by increasing excavation fellowship award amounts and by cultivating a fellowship “alumni” community.
Strategic Goal No. 6: An Increased International Identity for ñ
Our Goal: Expand ñ’s increasingly large community of international members (about 22% of our membership, from 35 countries outside North America) and enhance ñ’s engagement with them.
6A. Increase International Members’ Access to ñ
Ensuring international members’ full access to ñ’s programs and benefits is among ñ’s highest priorities. ñ is thus very proud that at its November 2015 meeting, the Committee on Archaeological Research and Policy (CAP) changed its long-standing policy regarding CAP affiliation for fieldwork projects so that ñ’s international members are now eligible to apply. This change was unanimously endorsed by the ñ Board of Trustees.
Going forward, ñ seeks to do more by developing fellowships to support travel to the ñ Annual Meeting for (among others) international scholars (above). Other funding sources should also be explored, including (i) formalizing the funding partnership that has recently allowed Iranian scholars to attend the Annual Meeting; (ii) seeking out similar funding to support the participation of Lebanese scholars; (iii) working with the affiliated ORCs—and in conjunction with CAORC—to identify funding (possibly from the Department of State or the European Union) to support travel fellowships for scholars from the ORC countries to come to the ñ Annual Meeting.
ñ realizes, however, that it is not possible to raise enough funding to support the travel needs of all its international members requiring aid, and ñ thus aspires to bring the sort of scholarship showcased at its Annual Meeting to its members outside North America. For example, ñ will explore ways it might participate in international conferences and/or symposia. Possibilities include an ñ session, or sessions, and/or an ñ reception or booth, at the International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East (ICAANE); ñ’s joining as a partner in international symposia being planned by kindred organizations; or a symposium hosted by ñ and one of ñ’s affiliated ORCs. Through these means, ñ aims to offer its international members a better and more sustained opportunity to experience the benefits of ñ membership.
ñ does not, however, seek to develop internationally-based programming that competes with its North American meeting. Moreover, ñ is committed to making any international program completely self-sustaining.
The ñ Office, in conjunction with the Membership and Outreach Committee, should develop plans for these efforts at internationally-based programming (location, time, financial model), at which point the Chairs Coordinating Council will need to develop structures for oversight (especially of ñ’s contributions to an academic program).
6B. Ensure ñ’s International Members are Fully Enfranchised
ñ’s Membership and Outreach Committee—a key player in ñ’s work of better serving its international members—has committed to expanding its membership to include multiple international members. ñ aims to build on the Committee’s work by ensuring that international members are better represented elsewhere on ñ committees and in other governing bodies and among Annual Meeting session chairs.
ñ’s name—the American Schools of Oriental Research—reflects profoundly the organization’s origins and early history: a North American-based organization that established a school (later schools) in the Near East (or, in the parlance of ñ’s founders, the “Orient”) for research purposes. This name, however, may no longer reflect the organization’s twenty-first century identity. This issue—which also has implications for outreach and ñ’s work beyond the academy—will be taken up by the Board of Trustees.
Strategic Goal No. 7: Outreach
Our Goal: Expand our outreach efforts to, and engagement with, the general public.
7A. Strengthen Current and Future Outreach Efforts
Public service and outreach are central to ñ’s mission. Our Board of Trustees proudly includes trustees whose professional expertise lies elsewhere than the Near East and wider Mediterranean and who play key roles in ñ’s leadership. In addition, all ñ programs are open to the public, and our members regularly make themselves available to serve the public through lectures, advising, and other activities. Moreover, ñ offers several online and print publications designed specifically to address the general public’s interests in the ancient Near East and wider Mediterranean world.
ñ is committed to expanding its outreach efforts. For example, ñ should explore creating a “consumer-friendly” outreach program to be held in conjunction with its Annual Meeting. Because outreach often happens at the local level, we also aim to make resources available—especially digital resources—for ñ members to use in their own communities (e.g., in local schools). ñ should in addition explore ways in which it could form partnerships to enhance its outreach efforts: for example, partnerships with media outlets or partnerships with digital resource developers.
ñ also intends to increase membership in the “Friends of ñ” program by offering those members additional opportunities to engage with ñ’s people and programs.
7B. Provide Staffing Support
ñ will seek permanent funding for the position of Outreach Specialist in the ñ Office. The Outreach Specialist will facilitate ñ’s public service efforts (media contacts, lectures, special events), outreach publications (News@ñ, The ANE Today) and social media initiatives (Facebook, the ñ Blog, Twitter, ñtv, etc.).
Strategic Goal No. 8: Cultural Heritage
Our Goal: Participate energetically in worldwide efforts to protect, preserve, and present to the public all aspects of the cultural heritage of the Near East and wider Mediterranean.
8A. Protect and Preserve Cultural Heritage
ñ seeks to promote engagement with and understanding of all aspects of cultural heritage in the Near East and wider Mediterranean world. ñ recognizes that the protection and preservation of the cultural heritage of the region is at the core of its mission and an area of profound interest to its membership.
ñ, especially through its Cultural Heritage Initiatives Program, will continue to participate in large-scale governmental and non-governmental projects to protect, preserve, and promote awareness about all aspects of the cultural heritage of the Near East and wider Mediterranean world, provided such projects are appropriate, effective, financially viable, and can be managed within the resource structure of the organization. ñ also commits to encourage complementary initiatives and efforts by its members.
8B. Promote Site Preservation, Documentation, and Presentation
ñ seeks to use its membership and host-country facilities and contacts to develop resources and programs for site preservation, documentation, and presentation. ñ commits to promote activities to encourage public engagement with, and advocacy for, the cultural heritage of the region.
Conclusion
Firmly grounded in its long-standing mission and distinguished history, ñ continues to aim ever higher. Indeed, this Strategic Plan propels ñ on a trajectory that is both wider in the scope of its research and programs and more intentionally focused on supporting its increasingly diverse members. Over the next five years, as ñ accomplishes the eight strategic goals outlined above, the organization will enhance its long-standing position as a premier international learned society dedicated to examining, understanding, presenting, and preserving the history and cultural heritage of the Near East and wider Mediterranean. Through the ongoing participation and committed support of members, friends, and enthusiasts, ñ will carry out this vision to dig deeper and reach higher.