Workshops
Workshop sessions involve extensive interaction between presenters and participants around an idea or hands-on experience of a practice. These sessions may also take the form of a crafted panel, staged conversation, dialogue or debate – all involving substantial interaction with the audience. [45 min. each]
Increasing Diversity in Graduate Education: Two Models of High-Impact Programs
Workshop Presentation Noro Andriamanalina, Simone Gbolo, Joel Mixon
This highly interactive workshop will discuss two programs in the U.S. that focus on increasing diversity in graduate education on two levels—nationally and locally. Nationally, the Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Program promotes inclusion and full participation of underrepresented groups in public service and advances their leadership roles throughout civic institutions serving domestic and international affairs. Through PPIA's Junior Summer Institutes, students engage in rigorous preparation for graduate school in public policy and international affairs hosted by top graduate school programs nationally. The PPIA Graduate School Consortium, comprised of 40 to 50 institutions and professional associations, ensures that future public service leaders reflect our increasingly diverse population to address the societal challenges of our time. Locally, the Community of Scholars Program (COSP) at the University of Minnesota, was recognized by the National Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals for innovative practices in supporting graduate students of color, across disciplines, by building strong networks that promote timely degree completion. COSP initiatives include high-impact mentoring programs utilizing the Individual Development Plan (IDP)—a structured communication tool for student mentees to pursue academic and professional goals with guidance from faculty and staff who serve as mentors. Through small and large group discussions, workshop participants will (1) discuss successes and challenges with current diversity initiatives at their academic institutions, (2) create their own IDP to identify goals to diversify their institutions, and (3) explore strategies to implement goals using a list of effective resources provided by workshop facilitators.
The Why and How of Potential Strategies to Embed Diversity and Inclusion in American Universities
Workshop Presentation Lisa liseno , Keisha John
“Diversity” and “Inclusion” are currently popular buzzwords at most institutions of higher education. However many of us struggle with how to meaningfully embed these principles into our work, as educators, researchers, policy makers, and administrators. The first question to ask is why it is important to concern ourselves with these two different, but related, notions, and only after answering this, consider how we will do so. The directors of programs from two American universities (Florida State University and the University of Virginia) will share the why and how of strategies they have employed to embed diversity and inclusion into teaching, mentoring, research, and policy implementation at departmental and institutional levels. Two specific examples that will be discussed are; a summer experiential learning initiative for underrepresented students, and a grant-based campus-wide symposium and book club for faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students that explores why and how to incorporate diversity and inclusion strategies into both teaching and research. The speakers will each present their strategy/example, and attendees will experience samplings of each approach via hands-on demonstrations. The workshop will also include discussion regarding why and how each strategy was implemented, the outcomes, evaluation results, lessons learned, and future plans. Participants will be asked to participate in this discussion, give evaluative feedback, consider how similar approaches may work at their institutions, and share examples of ways they already do, or could incorporate their own strategies for immersing diversity and inclusion at their institutions.
