history

Literacy Studies originated as a Working Group of the Institute for Collaborative Research and Public Humanities in Summer 2004. The group, led by Harvey J. Graff, the newly-designated Ohio Eminent Scholar in Literacy Studies and Professor or English and History, began by organizing public programs and related activities in an effort to initiate a campus-wide conversation, or set of conversations, about literacy and literacy studies.

The Ohio State University has always been an intellectual leader in literacy studies, but it quickly emerged as one of the most prominent universities at which a large number of scholars actively interrogate the nature of literacy from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. Here was a foundation on which to build Literacy Studies.

From the beginning, the group found an unanticipated degree of welcome, interest, support, and participation. It quickly became evident that the time and the place were right for an initiative to promote interdisciplinary, critical, and comparative perspectives and approaches to exploring literacy. Mike Rose's visit in May 2005 capped the first-year experience. Meetings led by the Provost's office led to Literacy Studies' designation as a university-wide initiative.

During 2005-2006, the group maintained interest and enhanced participation through campus-wide, focused public programs and discussion groups. This included the History of the Book Reading and Discussion Group, which began meeting in Fall 2005. In addition, the group launched an Interdisciplinary Graduate Student Seminar in Literacy Studies and proposed a Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization in Literacy Studies. The group also began working on a Ohio Researchers Series: a series of programs and lectures at OSU featuring literacy scholars from other institutions in Ohio. The Series launched that fall with Morris Young, Miami University (Ohio).

The agenda and events calendar for 2006-2007 emphasized collaboration, from economist John Murray's Ohio Literacy Researchers Series presentation on intergenerational transmission of literacy in nineteenth-century America to considerations of "civic literacy" on the eve of unusually important mid-term elections. Literacy Studies also cosponsored a public lecture by the eminent linguistic William Labov, continuing its practice of joint ventures with others at OSU.

The Literacy Studies website, via the Institute for Collaborative Research and Public Humanities' website, launched in October 2006. The campus-wide graduate student Interdisciplinary Seminar and History of the Book faculty and graduate student group began their second years.

Following a final planning meeting in early December 2006, the newly authorized University Council on Literacy Studies (UCLS) began its efforts to foster communication, coordination, and cooperation on issues relating to literacy and literacy studies across programs, colleges, and schools across the OSU campus. Associate Provost Randy Smith is the founding chair, with representatives from Education, English, and other active sectors of the university community.

No less importantly, OSU committed substantial support for the continuation and expansion of Literacy Studies programs and activities, and the initiation of new ones through at least 2010, including the creation of an office in Knight House with the cooperation and continuing association with the Institute for Collaborative Research and Public Humanities.

Literacy Studies embarked on three long-term developments in Fall 2007. First was the new Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization in Literacy Studies. The Council on Research and Graduate Education approved the proposal for the GIS in Literacy Studies in February 2007. A grant from the Graduate School enabled Literacy Studies to commission the development of new graduate seminars in Health Literacy, Science Literacy, Visual Literacy, and Spatial Literacy as part of the Interdisciplinary Specialization. The GIS was approved by the Council on Academic Affairs in June 2007.

The other major new initiative was planning for a major international, interdisciplinary conference on literacy studies for graduate students. OSU Literacy Studies graduate students are organizing the conference. It will take place at OSU in Spring 2009.

The third development was a special annual lecture, presenting major new work in literacy studies, begins in 2008 with funding from the Arts and Sciences Colleges, matched by the College of Dentistry, the College of Art, the College of Biological Sciences, the University Libraries, and the Department of Entomology. John Duffy, University of Notre Dame, will present the inaugural lecture in early March 2008, based at least in part on his important new book Writing from These Roots: The Historical Development of Literacy in a Hmong American Community (University of Hawaii Press 2007).