Workshop: Advancing Inclusion and Diversity: San Diego, CA: April 17, 2019

University Of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore MD

Investigators

Abstract

This workshop will bring together scholars interested in issues related to diversity and inclusion in the profession of political science. The goal of the workshop will be to develop suggestions for best practices regarding inclusion that would serve as models for departments and organizations. The workshop will build on previous workshops on related topics to develop strategies for improving practices concerning various problems of exclusion in the political science profession, with a focus on advancement in the profession of people of color and women. The project will thus contribute to developing mechanisms for broadening participation by members of underrepresented groups in the academy. The recommendations that arise from the workshop will be posted on the WPSA website, which will serve to both signal commitment by the organization to promoting inclusion and disseminate information for other institutions and organizations. Diversifying the profession of political science has contributed to diversifying knowledge, and can contribute to better including students from different backgrounds. This project is a complement to extant efforts in the profession to promote diversity. Specifically, the workshop will contain three parts. First, it will draw upon previous workshops and documents from other disciplines to come up with prescriptions for best practices for encouraging inclusion. Second, the workshop will incorporate insights from a university's mediation office about appropriate resources for conflict management. Third, the workshop will meet with the Latinx pre-conference workshop to brainstorm ideas for dealing with diversity issues in the workplace Overall, through these steps, the workshop will seek to address managing rejection and hostility, and provide recommendations for gatekeepers. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.