About this Event
The content of international studies courses—the questions addressed within them and the cases explored to illustrate concepts—often bring with them increased forms of emotional and hidden labour. Such labour includes dealing with students’ emotional reactions to course content, managing heated debates between students on controversial topics, and increased demands related to supporting student mental health for students with lived experience on topics about which we teach. In extreme cases, faculty safety and wellbeing also need addressing when there is institutional or societal backlash to course content (for example, Critical Race Theory). Countless studies have shown that these forms of labour are not spread equally amongst faculty. Women, those from racialized groups and junior faculty undertake more of this work. Whilst these imbalances and the reasons they persist are increasingly documented, there are currently few studies exploring how to address this. This paper will review the emerging literature focusing on solutions, whilst also contributing new possibilities based on the authors own experiences and review of policies. Specifically, it will present concrete options that universities, departments and individual faculty members can undertake within four areas. These include several options related to institutional flexibility, workload metrics, incentives and dedicated faculty safety-wellness programming.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
665 Commonwealth Ave room 1646, 665 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, United States
USD 0.00
