The Commons is a venue where scholars and artists at every stage of their careers can connect with each other, offer their expertise, and share resources and complements work already underway by ATHE, MATC, ATDS, and other organizations in our field. We welcome input from members about features and functions the Commons might offer in the future. Write to us at commons@astr.org.

Access the Commons

During the first phase of the Commons, we aim to:

• Connect guest lecturers, especially BIPOC scholars, contingent faculty, and graduate students, with instructors seeking in-class guests or speakers for virtual colloquia.
• Connect faculty and graduate students navigating changing formats and environments for teaching with peers who have relevant pedagogical experience (e.g., in online course design and instruction).

The spirit of the ASTR Commons is to foster visibility, connections, and experience for scholars with insufficient resources and/or whose work has been undervalued. Often, instructors invite friends and known colleagues to serve as guest speakers and artists; we encourage ASTR members to use the opportunity of guest lectureships to invite new voices into our programs and classes, particularly during this time when it’s possible to welcome and learn from guests from around the world. We hope the ASTR Commons will function as a space of mutual benefit for those providing and seeking resources.

We believe that guest lecturers, speakers, and those providing pedagogical development should be paid for their time and labor. We recognize that different institutions have different budgets, and that many departments and institutions are in financial peril. We urge faculty--especially tenured faculty--to commit to and advocate for paying those providing resources through the ASTR Commons and to think creatively about how to compensate their guests if regular sources are currently unavailable. Some possibilities might include the reallocation of production budgets and the use of proportional and/or sliding scales of compensation.

How it Will Work:

We encourage you to join us! Completing the form is not a commitment to participate but an expression of your interest. If you are looking to connect with someone who has resources to share, or if you would like to share your research or pedagogical guidance, please fill out this Google form. To submit more than one piece of information (such as a request and an offer to share), just fill out the form multiple times.

The information entered on this form will populate a spreadsheet that will live on the ASTR website in a members-only area. ASTR membership (which includes a pay-what-you-choose option this year) is required to access the information on the sheet. Colleagues can then reach out directly to one another by email to discuss opportunities, compensation, and next steps.

A note regarding data and privacy: Because it will be in a members-only area of the ASTR website, the spreadsheet will not be available to search engines or accessible by the general public. Current ASTR members who choose to open the document will be able to view your information. If there is any information you do not wish to share, just leave the questions blank. If there is information that you would like to share privately, please reach out to us at commons@astr.org.