{"id":5367,"date":"2024-07-02T22:12:20","date_gmt":"2024-07-02T22:12:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bars.ac.uk\/blog\/?p=5367"},"modified":"2024-07-12T11:14:06","modified_gmt":"2024-07-12T11:14:06","slug":"bars-elections-2024-2026-president-and-treasurer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bars.ac.uk\/blog\/?p=5367","title":{"rendered":"BARS Elections 2024\u20132026: President and Treasurer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Please see&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bars.ac.uk\/blog\/?p=5291\">our previous Blog post<\/a>&nbsp;for an explanation of the process.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Two posts were up for election this cycle (2024\u20132026): <strong>President<\/strong> (outgoing: Anthony Mandal) and <strong>Treasurer<\/strong> (outgoing: Cassie Ulph). We received two Expressions of Interest for the President position and one for the Treasurer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Please read the BARS candidates\u2019 statements below. Voting will be open to BARS members from Thursday, 4 July 2024 via email.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Presidential Candidates:<\/strong><br><a href=\"#Andrew McInnes - read Andrew's statement here.\">Andrew McInnes &#8211; read Andrew&#8217;s statement here. <\/a><br><a href=\"#Matthew Sangster - read Matthew's statement here.\">Matthew Sangster &#8211; read Matthew&#8217;s statement here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Treasurer Candidate:<\/strong><br><a href=\"#Mary Fairclough - read Mary's statement here.\">Mary Fairclough &#8211; read Mary&#8217;s statement here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"Andrew McInnes - read Andrew's statement here.\">President<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Andrew McInnes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I am standing for BARS President on a platform of care, community, and collaboration, as demonstrated by my wide-ranging contributions to Romantic Studies, nationally and internationally. I was lead organiser on the joint BARS\/NASSR conference 2022, &#8216;New Romanticisms&#8217;, working with the BARS and NASSR Executives from 2018 to plan this event. I have served as BARS Secretary from 2023, organising meetings and working with the Exec to elect PGR\/ECR representatives and award bursaries. My Co-Directorship of EHU Nineteen, Edge Hill University&#8217;s Research Centre Nineteenth-Century Studies, also demonstrates my commitment to early career support and development in its focus on mentorship and fellowship. Standing for President has led me to reflect on my BARS conference attendance for over a decade. Over this time, BARS has become my academic family (as acknowledged in the forthcoming <em>Reading the Romantic Ridiculous<\/em>, co-authored with Rita Dashwood) and I would be honoured to serve it as President.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have written my presidential manifesto alongside a memoir of BARS conferences from 2011 to 2024, completing a circle that starts in and returns to Glasgow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Enlightenment, Romanticism, and Nation<\/em> (Glasgow, 2011): For my first BARS conference, I pitched a panel on feminist approaches to nationhood in the Romantic period, responding to a gap in the CFP. We presented in a tiny, packed room in my introduction to the vibrant, exciting world of Romantic Studies! At the conference, I met Mark Sandy who remembers me as a (loud, distinctive) undergraduate he once taught: we have a picnic together!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>I will continue to identify gaps in Romantic Studies and work with others to fill them \u2013 picnicking where possible!<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>I will work with Carmen Casaliggi, our Research and Innovation Officer, to identify and work towards securing national and international funding streams under BARS aegis.<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Building on my own track record of successful grant capture at various levels, I want to see BARS run funding workshops and related events as part of its digital and in-person offering.<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>I will work with Jeff Cowton, our Outreach and Impact Officer, to align these funding events with public engagement and policy initiatives with an agreed aim to host a BARS Away Day at Wordsworth Grasmere!<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Romantic Imports and Exports<\/em> (Southampton, 2013): I was unable to attend the Southampton BARS because, as a PhD student in my writing up period, I couldn\u2019t afford it, even though I later discovered that the Southampton conference was designed to be as affordable as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>I will work to support postgraduate, early career, precarious, and alt-academic researchers to attend BARS events and provide space for researchers of all stripes to flourish and develop in Romantic Studies.<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>I will work with Gerry McKeever as Bursaries Officer and our new Treasurer to identify how best to support precarious staff, including events and opportunities for those working outside of conventional definitions of Romantic Studies (with Emily Paterson-Morgan, our Non-Academic Officer).<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>I aim to work with the new Schools Liaison Officer to attract teachers to BARS events as Continuing Professional Development (working with Yimon Lo, our Membership Secretary, to consider ways to attract teachers and other new colleagues into BARS). I would love to work with school students too (building on my experience as former secondary school teacher and more recently co-producing Lake District exhibitions on ridiculous Romantics with students, teachers, and curators).<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Romantic Imprints<\/em> (Cardiff, 2015): I wondered why a group of Romanticists were discussing the North American Space Agency only to slowly realise they were talking about our transatlantic friends and colleagues in NASSR \u2013 a dim intimation of my future as BARS\/NASSR lead organizer!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>I will continue to develop international links (which went a little over my head at this conference), maintaining our relationship with NASSR, and forging new connections around Europe and around the world.<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>I will work with Francesca Saggini as International Officer to identify and develop relationships with international colleagues and societies \u2013 with an aim to see a BARS conference hosted on mainland Europe!<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Romantic Improvement<\/em> (York, 2017): Our panel went out to a delicious tapas restaurant before we present. I met Rita Dashwood, later my postdoctoral fellow and now co-author extraordinaire, and mentor her about interviews and career development over patatas bravas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>BARS will continue to offer career development opportunities for postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers, over tapas where possible.<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>I will work with Kate Nankervis, Zooey Ziller, and Cleo O&#8217;Callaghan Yeoman as PGR\/ECR representatives to make sure the PGR\/ECR conference continues to incorporate career development alongside its growing number of exciting papers and panels!<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>I will support Jennie Orr as Vice President with her plans to develop a mentoring scheme for BARS colleagues.<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Romantic Facts and Fantasies<\/em> (Nottingham, 2019): When I started at EHU, I wanted to pitch us as a location for this conference. Mike Bradshaw, my Head of Department, suggested we needed a record of hosting Romantic symposia \u2013 so my trilogy of punning events were born: Edgy Romanticism (2016), Romanticism Takes to the Hills (2017), and Romanticism Goes to University (2018). It&#8217;s a fact that my favourite bit of this fantastic conference was its surprise karaoke evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>I will take the lead in presenting Romantic Studies as the embodiment of cutting-edge research in academic and non-academic circles.<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>As demonstrated by the form of this manifesto itself and my experience described below, I love organising conferences but also remain committed to making sure BARS functions as a home for Romantic Studies between biennial events, at the PGR\/ECR conference, and beyond.<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Karaoke should be a recognised element of any BARS conference!<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Romantic Disconnections\/Reconnections<\/em> (Online, 2021): I began my continuing attempt to host as many BARS conferences as possible, lending a Zoom room, offering technical support, and chairing a virtual pub session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>I remain dedicated to the inclusivity and accessibility of online events!<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>I would expand BARS digital offering to include roundtables and presentations from our Open and Presidential Fellows, as well as the funding workshops and school outreach mentioned above.<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>I will make sure that our initiatives are inclusive and accessible.<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>New Romanticisms<\/em> (Edge Hill, 2022): Hosting ca. 250 colleagues on campus and a further ca. 150 online, I became the Bride of Romanticism for four intense days and sleepless nights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>I am dedicated to making Romantic Studies a safe and welcoming space for all colleagues, leading from the front to develop an ethos of inclusivity, collegiality, and joy.<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>I look forward to working with the new <em>Review<\/em> and Website Editors to continue to open up the world of Romantic Studies to new members.<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Romantic Making and Unmaking<\/em> (Glasgow and online, 2024): As Secretary of BARS, I have been liaising with Matt Sangster and Amy Wilcockson especially on the online aspect of the conference \u2013 I am very much looking forward to chairing Eugenia Zuroski&#8217;s keynote: The daffodils <em>can<\/em> go fuck themselves!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>In what I take to be the spirit of Gena&#8217;s keynote, I argue that Romantic Studies must show how it is adaptable and active \u2013 activist even \u2013 in making room for new colleagues, new research, and new perspectives.<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>I present myself as candidate for President to work towards this future with you, together!<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If successful, I will use my Presidency of BARS to advocate for Romantic-period research \u2013 academic, public-facing, pedagogical, in all its forms! \u2013 nationally and internationally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"Matthew Sangster - read Matthew's statement here.\">President<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Matthew Sangster<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dear BARS Members,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I am writing to ask that you consider voting for me for BARS President.&nbsp; I began attending BARS events shortly after beginning my PhD and have cherished the association\u2019s conviviality and openness ever since.&nbsp; If elected president, I would maintain and enhance the association\u2019s supportive culture while seeking to build new opportunities for members through expanding the association\u2019s collaborations and digital initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have a strong record of service to BARS.&nbsp; I joined the Executive as a postgraduate representative in 2009 and was subsequently re-elected as an early career representative.&nbsp; In these roles, I co-organised four successful <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bars.ac.uk\/main\/index.php\/ecpg-conference\/\">Early Career and Postgraduate Conferences<\/a>: Romantic Biographies at Keele (2009), Romantic Identities at the Institute of English Studies in London (2011), Romantic Connections at Newcastle (2012) and Romantic Locations at the Wordsworth Trust (2014).&nbsp; I have attended every subsequent Early Career and Postgraduate Conference, chairing panels, participating in workshops and in one case serving as emergency cover for a member of the organising team.&nbsp; I\u2019ve learned a great deal from all these events; if elected president, I would continue to attend BARS\u2019 EC&amp;PG conferences to hear from and support early career members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2013, I took on the role of Website Editor, rebuilding the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bars.ac.uk\/main\/\">BARS website<\/a> and founding the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bars.ac.uk\/blog\/\">BARS Blog<\/a>, which celebrated its tenth anniversary last year.&nbsp; While editing the BARS Blog, I established the long-running <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bars.ac.uk\/blog\/?cat=11\">Five Questions interview series<\/a>, which provides a platform for Romanticists to discuss their approaches in exciting recent work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When the costs of posting the old <em>BARS Bulletin &amp; Review<\/em> became prohibitive, I was asked to come up with an online alternative.&nbsp; In response, I built the open access <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bars.ac.uk\/review\/index.php\/barsreview\"><em>BARS Review<\/em><\/a>, for which I have subsequently served as technical editor, completing final preparations for more than 300 reviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the COVID-19 pandemic, I served on the newly established Digital Events Committee to help the BARS community stay connected.&nbsp; For the past couple of years, I have chaired this committee, seeking to sustain the worldwide connections that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@barsdigitalevents3669\/videos\">Digital Events programme<\/a> has fostered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have recently served as lead organiser for two BARS International Conferences.&nbsp; When the pandemic mandated that New Romanticisms be delayed until 2022, I volunteered to chair a free digital conference, working with <a href=\"https:\/\/bars.ac.uk\/conference2021\/contact\/\">members of the BARS Exec<\/a>.&nbsp; <a href=\"https:\/\/bars.ac.uk\/conference2021\/\">Romantic Disconnections\/Reconnections<\/a> (2021) involved over 250 Romanticists from around the world, who participated across time zones in a diverse range of inspiring panels, plenary sessions, social meetings and salon discussions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When securing a venue for the 2024 conference proved to be a challenge, I offered to investigate the viability of a conference at the University of Glasgow.&nbsp; For the past year, I have been working with <a href=\"https:\/\/bars.ac.uk\/conference2024\/contact-details\/\">colleagues at Glasgow and on the BARS Exec<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/bars.ac.uk\/conference2024\/\">Romantic Making and Unmaking<\/a>, which will bring together over 330 Romanticists in Glasgow and online.&nbsp; For this conference, we are testing a new model incorporating three days of in-person sessions (with social events before and after), two days of live online elements and an archive of submitted recordings that will be available to delegates for a limited time.&nbsp; Streamlining the conference without compromising the quality of the programming has let us lower the costs for delegates, keeping BARS accessible at a difficult moment for many institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The presidency of BARS is primarily a co-ordinating role.&nbsp; If elected, I would be keen to ensure that BARS was led collectively by the Executive in consultation with the membership, with my foremost responsibilities being to maintain the core schedule of conferences and events and provide support for current funding schemes and new initiatives.&nbsp; There are, however, some priorities for the next couple of years that I would like to pursue if elected:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Outreach<\/strong>: As a national organisation, BARS is well placed to foster productive relationships with heritage organisations and other institutions, as our successful collaborations with the Wordsworth Trust and Chawton House Library demonstrate.&nbsp; As President, I would work closely with the Exec to ensure that BARS establishes connections with as wide a range of organisations as possible in order to benefit our members, drive new research and raise the profile of Romantic Studies.<\/li><li><strong>Digital Presence<\/strong>: The Digital Events programme has revealed that BARS members\u2019 research has a committed audience around the world.&nbsp; I would like to continue the existing programme while exploring how BARS can facilitate larger-scale digital engagement opportunities for its members.&nbsp; I would also like BARS to support a digital symposium on a key research topic in odd years to provide a chance for members to meet between the international conferences.&nbsp; To co-ordinate this work, I propose instituting a new Digital Events Officer role.<\/li><li><strong>Empowering Members<\/strong>: I am keen to provide further means for members to influence BARS policy.&nbsp; I therefore propose running an open digital Executive consultation every year, to which all members will be invited, and conducting a members\u2019 survey to clarify current priorities and concerns.<\/li><li><strong>Ensuring Sustainable Finances<\/strong>: BARS subscription fees have not increased since 2011, but the association has vastly increased the scale of its activities in recent years.&nbsp; Consequently, we need to consider a modest fee increase and explore whether fundraising from societies or publishers could provide supplementary support for BARS programmes.<\/li><li><strong>Constitutional Rework<\/strong>: Digital voting has enfranchised a considerably larger part of BARS\u2019 membership, but the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bars.ac.uk\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/BARS-Constitution-2015.pdf\">current constitution<\/a> allows for this possibility only awkwardly.&nbsp; If elected, I would consult on a reworked constitution in order better to reflect both current practices and members\u2019 priorities for BARS\u2019 future.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In all these things, I would be guided by BARS\u2019 primary aims, ensuring that the association continues to organise inspiring and convivial events; that members receive timely information on new developments; that the next generation of Romanticists are supported in realising their ambitions; and that BARS continues clearly to articulate the importance, diversity and relevance of Romantic Studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have any questions about my proposals, I\u2019d be very happy to talk \u2013 please just drop me an email (<a href=\"mailto:matthew.sangster@glasgow.ac.uk\">matthew.sangster@glasgow.ac.uk<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many thanks for considering my candidacy, and best wishes,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Matthew Sangster<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"Mary Fairclough - read Mary's statement here.\">Treasurer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mary Fairclough<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In my role as Treasurer of BARS, I would aim to provide robust, transparent and responsive financial support for the diverse activities of the society. This is an exciting and challenging moment for BARS, as we make the case for the importance of Romantic literary studies for universities and for broader publics and audiences, and we ensure that the society continues to be an exemplar of inclusive and innovative intellectual work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I would prioritise flexible and equitable support for the activities of postgraduate and early-career scholars, working closely with the Bursaries Officer to ensure efficient and generous provision for early-career research through the Copley scheme and BARS Fellowship programmes, and providing guidance and support for the BARS ECR conference. I would aim to maximise the fundraising potential of BARS through careful management of membership fees, liaising with the Membership Secretary. I would also investigate possibilities for further fundraising for discrete projects, perhaps in collaboration with partner organisations. I would aim to sustain and to build upon the robust financial and communications systems and procedures established by my predecessor in the role, to ensure strict compliance with financial regulations, and to set BARS on a strong financial footing into the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have been a member of BARS since 2007 and was on the BARS First Book Prize judging panel for 2024. I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the leadership of the society as a member of the BARS Executive. I was a member of the organising committee of the BARS conference \u2018Romantic Improvement\u2019 at the University of York in 2017, and have first-hand experience of the financial processes, decision-making, and safeguards involved in delivering a large and complex event for the society. More broadly in my career I have experience of handling the financial processes of grant and fellowship applications and delivery, managing the budget of a research centre, and organising conferences and events. I have a detailed working knowledge of financial processes and systems used at universities. I am keen to put these skills and this experience to work in the service of BARS.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Please see&nbsp;our previous Blog post&nbsp;for an explanation of the process.&nbsp; Two posts were up for election this cycle (2024\u20132026): President (outgoing: Anthony Mandal) and Treasurer (outgoing: Cassie Ulph). We received&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bars.ac.uk\/blog\/?p=5367\">Read more &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bars.ac.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5367"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bars.ac.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bars.ac.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bars.ac.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bars.ac.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5367"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.bars.ac.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5367\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6126,"href":"https:\/\/www.bars.ac.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5367\/revisions\/6126"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bars.ac.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5367"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bars.ac.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5367"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bars.ac.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5367"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}