About FATA

Fat and the Academy is presented in response to the current flourishing of scholarship in the multi-disciplinary field of Fat Studies. The conference seeks, through a diverse array of lectures, panels and discussion sections, to examine the intersections of fatness and academia, both in regards to how and why fatness is studied and to the experiences of fatness for students, faculty and staff in academic environments.

Fat and the Academy was first conceived in the spring of 2005, when members of Smith's anti-sizism org, Size Matters, began to brainstorm an event which could bring attention to the emerging field of Fat Studies, as well as highlight the issue of size-based prejudice in the college environment. In the fall schedules and speakers were finalized, and registration will open January 16th, 2006 for attendance for the conference April 7-9, 2006.

In planning a conference, one of the concerns for the students was that the focus be broader than just academic research; we wanted to talk about the experiences of being fat students, teachers, administrators and staff members, and how to improve those experiences. For this reason, FATA will feature both lectures in the field of Fat Studies, and panels, discussions and workshops geared towards understanding and improving those experiences.