Teaching Contentious Political Issues

Professor Ian Lustick, Department of Political Science

Convener Barbara Elias, CTL Graduate Fellow, Political Science

This workshop will discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by teaching politically controversial issues.  How do you facilitate productive academic discussion, avoid partisan cliches and maintain control of the classroom when faced with a hot button issue? Is it possible to keep your own biases out of the structure of the debate? What can you do if a student shares a perspective that is potentially offensive? How do you foster broad, honest classroom participation on issues people might not want to publicly discuss?

All graduate students and faculty are welcome but this event grows out of concerns in Political Science and so may be most useful to students in related fields.

Counts toward the CTL teaching certificate.

Friday December 4, 3-4pm Silverstein Forum, Stiteler Hall