Guidance for Faculty Leaders on Engaging With Difficult Topics
“This is a topic many of you indicated is very important to you as leaders,” said Sherilynn Black, associate vice provost for faculty advancement. “When we think about creating environments that promote engagement and constructive discourse, we want leaders to feel empowered to support the range of ideas and perspectives of their faculty, staff and student colleagues.”
In a workshop moderated by Adriane Lentz-Smith, associate professor of history, faculty leaders heard from experienced peers who regularly navigate charged situations as they work to move their units toward a space of constructive engagement. Here are edited excerpts.
Academic Freedom
“I think of academic freedom as a necessary and important tool to fulfill our mission across the university,” said Kerry Abrams, dean of the Law School. “It’s a tool, but it’s not the only tool we have. We also have pedagogical tools,” she continued. “For example, faculty will ask me, Can I say this in my class? My question [in response] is, What are you trying to achieve?”
Jay Pearson is associate dean of diversity, equity and inclusion in the Sanford School of Public Policy. “Academic freedom is a right that should be wielded responsibly,” he stated. However, he added, “I’m not saying I know where the line is. There are different sets of rules and regulations about how some people can behave in this space, even today. It’s at least as much an art as a science.”
Abdullah Antepli, director of Polis: Center for Politics, said that “academic freedom and freedom of speech are fundamental to the way we can function as a democracy. There’s a real danger here, but we are not becoming insular and afraid to talk. I hope we will live up to the challenge, have these difficult conversations and remain a community.”
Campus Speakers
Antepli suggested two key questions to ask when considering controversial speakers or talks on challenging topics. “Is it an academic speech on their area of expertise? Is it an outside speaker paid by Duke? They should be able to speak if they are able to back it with their level of expertise.”
The only exception, Antepli added, is about safety and violence. “For anything not inciting direct violence, the bar [for excluding speakers] should be high.”
Understanding Other Perspectives
“In my graduate class, we do positionality exercises,” Pearson said. “It’s hard for me to make objective claims. I try to make clear where my subjectivities might bleed over into these spaces. [We recognize the] value of different perspectives in academia. The richness of our research is where we can bring together people from different identity categories and synthesize a broad range of perspectives.”
“The further I’ve moved up in leadership, the further I have to put my own intellectual life to the side,” Abrams said. “Because [as dean] I’m supporting everyone’s work, a lot of it comes down to seeing things from multiple perspectives.”
Discomfort as a Part of Learning
Abrams said she tells students, “When I leave a yoga class or a weights class, I don’t want to say, ahh, I’ve never felt so comfortable! I want to grow and stretch, but I don’t want to get injured. To students, I say that you will feel discomfort as you grow and learn.”
“No growth is pain-free” Antepli agreed. “We should hold some discomfort for the sake of learning and growing.”
“Discomfort versus threat is [an important distinction],” said Pearson. “It might not feel good, but no one’s going to do anything to you in these spaces [of learning].”
Communicating Expectations
“The Law School is not a human being that has opinions,” said Abrams. “I have made it clear that I am not going to be making statements about the outside world on behalf of the school. I’ve moved very strongly in that direction, and I’ve communicated to students what they can expect from me. There’s a lot they can expect from me, but performative statements are not one of them. The same with faculty,” Abrams continued. “They need to hear that I support academic freedom and I’ve got their back, otherwise they could think the opposite.”
About the LAUD Workshop Series
The Leading an Academic Unit at Duke (LAUD) workshop series is designed for department chairs and other unit and program leaders across campus. Participants engage in dialogue with peers, experts and key leaders about issues relevant to academic leadership.
Sessions feature best practices and strategies to improve programs, as well as discussion topics such as managing finances, leading during crises, fostering a sense of community, and promoting an inclusive and supportive working, research and learning environment.
Upcoming Events from Duke Faculty Advancement
- Equitable Hiring Practices Workshop, Nov. 5, 1 p.m.
- Creating Innovative Cultures in Academic Units, Nov. 7, 1 p.m.
Main image, left to right: Adriane Lentz-Smith, Kerry Abrams, Abdullah Antepli and Jay Pearson