Engaged Scholarship in the Academy: Reflections from the Margins

Abstract

This paper represents a series of reflections on collective and individual efforts of diverse women scholars to reconcile alternative views of scholarship within the academy. We document our collective experience with embedding the concept of the “scholarship of engagement” in our practice of research, teaching, and service through a process of collaborative inquiry. In addition, we discuss individual efforts to challenge university colleagues and students (many of whom are teachers in training) to interrogate issues of social justice, diversity, and marginalization in their academic environments. Our experiences provide a critical examination of the supports needed for diverse women faculty who engage in critical dialogues that challenge traditional institutional structures while on the tenure path.

Notes

1. This is a communication tool, rooted in Native American tradition, that encourages non-hierarchical, non-competitive dialogue within groups. Literally, the group sits in a circle and an object is passed several times around. Participants speak only when holding the object, and others practice listening and contemplation of everyone's views. The objective is to “stimulate multicultural awareness while fostering respect for individual differences and facilitating group cohesion” (Running Wolf & Rickard, 2003, p. 39).