Diversity: Faculty and other academic personnel
Dialogues Across Difference: Solutions to Disruptive Speech in the Learning Environment
UC Davis, 2021-2022
Project Principal Investigators
Raquel Aldana, Law Professor
Project Abstract
Negative workplace climate and racial trauma both contribute to loss of productivity among faculty and to faculty turnover. Dialogues Across Difference advances faculty retention by addressing the negative impact of disruptive speech in learning environments. This project defines disruptive speech as politically provocative, harassing, or hate speech, including the display of symbols or objects that adversely affect teaching and learning. This project has three phrases. The first will document the extent of this problem in these politically polarizing times. The second will build communities of faculty from across campus to generate a collective awareness and structure composite stories. In the third, project leaders will write and produce performance pieces based on these stories that reflect experiences of and responses to disruptive speech. Once produced, these pieces will be offered in synchronous and asynchronous environments as part of broader programming to empower faculty, graduate students, and other instructional staff and to inform policy.
Project Link:
Scholarship Publication:
Contact
- Thomas O’Donnell, Principal Analyst, Office of Academic Diversity