Sean Corp, Content Strategist

A new series of workshops launching in September will provide scholars at the University of Michigan an opportunity to explore how their anti-racist research can be better understood and amplified using different modes of public engagement. The workshops will also showcase the variety of on-campus partners available to support scholars who study race in ways to engage different groups.

The series, “Amplifying the Impact of Your Anti-racist and Racial Justice Work,” is a partnership between the National Center for Institutional Diversity (NCID)’s Anti-Racism Collaborative and the Center for Academic Innovation (CAI). The first workshop in the series is scheduled from 2:30-4:30pm EST on December 7 (updated 11/10 with new date and time).

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The interactive workshop will explore the Michigan Public Engagement Framework and offer a combination of reflection activities, small group discussions and large group discussions. The workshop shows the full spectrum of support available to scholars, and the shared belief in a holistic approach to supporting faculty between NCID and CAI made the two organizations natural partners in supporting anti-racist research. 

Organizers of the event said they hope the workshop not only shows U-M faculty what assistance is available to them and creates a true peer network, but can serve as a model for other institutions on how to best support the work of faculty with a wide range of resources and partnerships.

“A theme that has emerged in conversations we have had with faculty across campus engaged in anti-racism research is an interest in developing or enhancing professional skills to support effective public engagement and impact. We are excited for this series that will support research dissemination and application to a broad range of publics, while also catalyzing interdisciplinary scholarship and scholarly collaborations,” said Tabbye Chavous, NCID director, professor of psychology and education, and associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.

The NCID’s Anti-Racism Collaborative is an infrastructure and set of coordinated activities to support research engagement among existing U-M faculty/researchers dedicated to conducting and using research to advance anti-racism, racial equity, and racial justice in society. 

The series aligns with the Provost’s Anti-Racism Initiative, which includes support of innovation and collaboration not only in research but also in approaches for engaging anti-racism research with diverse public domains — from impacting policy to working with local communities.

“Many scholars studying racism and antiracism are doing that work in order to drive changes to make society more equitable. CAI and NCID are partnering to develop this programming because faculty think about their public engagement and scholarship through different lenses and therefore we need to create multiple pathways for faculty to build their skills. Antiracist scholarship can impact our society through a range of channels, including through policy changes, shifting structural paradigms in education, in partnership with community organizations, or raising awareness of issues via the media,” said James DeVaney, associate vice provost for Academic Innovation and founding executive director of the Center for Academic Innovation.

The next workshop in the series is scheduled for Dec 7. and will feature editors of The Conversation advising faculty on how to create engaging articles for the platform, which works to publish informative articles written by academic experts on relevant issues and edited by a team of professional journalists. For more information and for registration information, visit the NCID website.