Call for Papers
Academics on Fire: Controversies over
(Re)Naming Educational Institutions
an organized session at the 2027 annual meeting of the
Linguistic Society of America
San Francisco, California
6-9 January 2027
The American Name Society is now inviting proposals for an organized session at the 2027 annual meeting of the Linguistic Society of America. Throughout the world, names have been strategically used by decision-makers to communicate important messages to members and visitors about the unique history, culture, and values of their educational institutions. From the names of buildings, campuses, memorials, and halls, academic programs, and scholarships, to social or service-based organizations such as fraternities, sororities, and honor societies, these institutional names are ubiquitous markers of everyday campus life. However, these institutional names are more than simple signposts. They are part of the academic curricula that may surreptitiously inculcate the norms of the educational institution and the surrounding social environment. It is precisely for this reason that retention or abolition of these names can become the catalyst for heated public debate. As recent years have demonstrated, controversies over the official values and political orientations of many educational sites have ignited blistering debates over long-standing institutional names. The purpose of this Session is to invite papers which specifically examine the role which naming and renaming can play in these fights over institutional identities in educational settings. Suggested topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Uncovering the history institutional namesakes and discussion of the contemporary fall-out over the (dis)continued use of their names for educational institutions
- Discussing the (dis)advantages of eponyms as institutional brand names
- Examining strategies used by educational institutions to decide whether to retain or change controversial institutional names
- Comparing the demographic profiles of persons or corporations whose names have and have not been chosen to label an educational institution
- Contrasting the assortment of institutional names used by different educational bodies
- Identifying diachronic or synchronic variation in the institutional names selected or rejected across or within various educational bodies
There are no restrictions regarding the time period, methodological approach, theoretical framework, language, country, or level of educational institution examined. Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method investigation are all equally welcome. However, the analysis presented must be clearly focused on names and naming. Any use of artificial intelligence (AI) should be disclosed at the end of the proposal.
Proposals require these elements:
- Name and affiliation of presenter(s)
- Title of proposed paper
- Up to 250-word abstract
Proposals should be submitted to the American Name Society via email at: abstracts@americannamesociety.org. For organizational purposes, place “LSA2027” in the subject of your email.
The DEADLINE for receipt of abstracts is August 31, 2026.
All proposals will be subjected to blind review. Notification of proposal acceptances will be sent by September 15, 2026. Following acceptance, authors must be current members of the ANS and register for the Linguistic Society of America annual meeting. Please contact us at the above email address if you have any questions or concerns.
Scheduling of the symposium by the LSA will be announced in October 2026. Pre-registration for the meeting will open in late September 2026.
We look forward to receiving your submission!
