Dana N. Thompson Dorsey, University of Pittsburgh
Lolita Tabron, University of Denver
The Division A Equity, Inclusion, and Action (EIA) Committee hosted one pivotal session during the AERA 2018 Annual Meeting in New York City, titled “Advocating for equity through teaching, research, and service: Social justice scholars offer mentorship on how it’s done.” This interactive session returned by popular demand and has become one of our signature events that allows us to highlight a core part of the committee’s mission – engaging senior scholars to help mentor junior scholars on successfully incorporating equity-focused work into their research, teaching and service. This year, the four senior scholar mentors were: Dr. Maria Luisa Gonzalez, Professor Emerita at the University of Texas at El Paso; Dr. Kofi Lomotey, Bardo Distinguished Professor in Educational Leadership at Western Carolina University; Dr. Ann Ishimaru, Associate Professor in Educational Leadership at the University of Washington; and Dr. Muhammad Khalifa, Robert H. Beck Professor of Ideas in Education in the Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy and Development at the University of Minnesota.
Based on feedback from session participants in previous years, the EIA Committee utilized a small-group workshop format, which allowed the attendees to talk and interact with each senior scholar for approximately 15-20 minutes before rotating into another small group with a different scholar. The scholar mentors graciously and candidly shared stories and advice that included personal ah-ha moments, philosophical food for thought, and practical nuggets of truth. For instance, one of the senior scholars opined that one “can’t do this [equity-focused] work until you own how you were complicit in the bias, stereotypes, and injustices happening in schools.” Another scholar stated that social justice teaching in higher education must include “moral leadership, moral courage, and moral outrage, which is channeled into something positive to bring about real change.” On the more pragmatic side of things, a senior scholar boldly proclaimed that “an [educational] institution is simply a tool in a tool kit that is preparing you for the job you want, so don’t allow an institution to make you into who you don’t want to be.”
These senior scholars shared their experiences and words of wisdom with approximately 20 session participants (excluding the EIA Committee members). While the majority of participants were Division A members, there were also members from Divisions G, J, and L represented at the session. Additionally, there were several participants from other countries, such as Canada and the United Kingdom. These participants were all in different stages of their academic and professional careers – some were new graduate students and recent doctoral graduates and others were junior faculty members or district-level school leaders. There were also other senior faculty and college administrators in attendance, as this session has become a meaningful opportunity for them to gain insight on how they can better tailor their support and expand their knowledge base of the contemporary issues junior scholars encounter in the field and in the academy.
Overall, participants left reenergized on how to intentionally and unapologetically pursue an equity-focused, social justice agenda in their research, teaching, and service. Some pictures below capture how engaged participants and senior scholars were in the small-group discussions.
The Division A Equity, Inclusion, and Action Committee is excited about the year ahead and remains committed to offering opportunities for authentic dialogue and action. We are thrilled to continue this work with three new members!
The Division A Equity, Inclusion, and Action Committee now comprises:
Chair – Dana N. Thompson Dorsey, University of Pittsburgh
Co-Chair – Lolita Tabron, University of Denver
Members:
Elizabeth Gil, St. John’s University (two-year term; Fall 2018-Spring 2020)
Daniel Liou, Arizona State University (two-year term, Fall 2018-Spring 2020)
Juan M. Niño, University of Texas at San Antonio (two-year term; Fall 2017-Spring 2019)
Katherine Rodela, Washington State University Vancouver (two-year term; Fall 2018-Spring 2020)
Because the EIA Committee utilizes a two-year term for members, we will be looking to replace two members after Spring 2019. If you are interested in joining the Division A EIA Committee, please contact Dana Thompson Dorsey ([email protected]), or Lolita Tabron ([email protected]).
Lolita Tabron, University of Denver
The Division A Equity, Inclusion, and Action (EIA) Committee hosted one pivotal session during the AERA 2018 Annual Meeting in New York City, titled “Advocating for equity through teaching, research, and service: Social justice scholars offer mentorship on how it’s done.” This interactive session returned by popular demand and has become one of our signature events that allows us to highlight a core part of the committee’s mission – engaging senior scholars to help mentor junior scholars on successfully incorporating equity-focused work into their research, teaching and service. This year, the four senior scholar mentors were: Dr. Maria Luisa Gonzalez, Professor Emerita at the University of Texas at El Paso; Dr. Kofi Lomotey, Bardo Distinguished Professor in Educational Leadership at Western Carolina University; Dr. Ann Ishimaru, Associate Professor in Educational Leadership at the University of Washington; and Dr. Muhammad Khalifa, Robert H. Beck Professor of Ideas in Education in the Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy and Development at the University of Minnesota.
Based on feedback from session participants in previous years, the EIA Committee utilized a small-group workshop format, which allowed the attendees to talk and interact with each senior scholar for approximately 15-20 minutes before rotating into another small group with a different scholar. The scholar mentors graciously and candidly shared stories and advice that included personal ah-ha moments, philosophical food for thought, and practical nuggets of truth. For instance, one of the senior scholars opined that one “can’t do this [equity-focused] work until you own how you were complicit in the bias, stereotypes, and injustices happening in schools.” Another scholar stated that social justice teaching in higher education must include “moral leadership, moral courage, and moral outrage, which is channeled into something positive to bring about real change.” On the more pragmatic side of things, a senior scholar boldly proclaimed that “an [educational] institution is simply a tool in a tool kit that is preparing you for the job you want, so don’t allow an institution to make you into who you don’t want to be.”
These senior scholars shared their experiences and words of wisdom with approximately 20 session participants (excluding the EIA Committee members). While the majority of participants were Division A members, there were also members from Divisions G, J, and L represented at the session. Additionally, there were several participants from other countries, such as Canada and the United Kingdom. These participants were all in different stages of their academic and professional careers – some were new graduate students and recent doctoral graduates and others were junior faculty members or district-level school leaders. There were also other senior faculty and college administrators in attendance, as this session has become a meaningful opportunity for them to gain insight on how they can better tailor their support and expand their knowledge base of the contemporary issues junior scholars encounter in the field and in the academy.
Overall, participants left reenergized on how to intentionally and unapologetically pursue an equity-focused, social justice agenda in their research, teaching, and service. Some pictures below capture how engaged participants and senior scholars were in the small-group discussions.
The Division A Equity, Inclusion, and Action Committee is excited about the year ahead and remains committed to offering opportunities for authentic dialogue and action. We are thrilled to continue this work with three new members!
The Division A Equity, Inclusion, and Action Committee now comprises:
Chair – Dana N. Thompson Dorsey, University of Pittsburgh
Co-Chair – Lolita Tabron, University of Denver
Members:
Elizabeth Gil, St. John’s University (two-year term; Fall 2018-Spring 2020)
Daniel Liou, Arizona State University (two-year term, Fall 2018-Spring 2020)
Juan M. Niño, University of Texas at San Antonio (two-year term; Fall 2017-Spring 2019)
Katherine Rodela, Washington State University Vancouver (two-year term; Fall 2018-Spring 2020)
Because the EIA Committee utilizes a two-year term for members, we will be looking to replace two members after Spring 2019. If you are interested in joining the Division A EIA Committee, please contact Dana Thompson Dorsey ([email protected]), or Lolita Tabron ([email protected]).
RSS Feed