Colleagues,
Our nation’s attention is riveted on the upcoming election, at both the national and the local level. Whether you have been actively engaged in specific political issues or not, we all understand that the election outcomes will have an impact locally, statewide, and nationally.
I know from speaking with a number of you that students in your classes have raised questions about election topics, whether about individual candidates, the pros and cons of various ballot measures, or how the U.S. political system operates. To support our students and community during this important pre-election period, I write to share some resources that you may find helpful.
For faculty and staff, the Office of Academic Innovation created a resource entitled Supporting Students Through Political Discussions that just went live today. Other general resources for facilitating classroom discussions that are recommended by OAI include the following:
In addition, OAI offers one-on-one consultations for just-in-time situations, so please feel free to reach out to them if you would like to schedule a consultation.
I know that some of you are hosting conversations at the unit level as well. For example, the School of Social Work is hosting “Bracing for Impact: Election Uncertainty Survival Strategies,” a series of one-hour gatherings within the SSW.
Our colleagues at universities around the country—including the University of Michigan—are also providing materials that you may find of value.
Helping students to frame the outcome of the election
Important contributions from PSU
PSU faculty are contributing in many ways to election analysis. For example, Stephanie Singer of the College of Urban and Public Affairs recently received an NSF grant to study election security. She is studying the role of data science in election verification in order to build tools for indicating if investigations into fraud or ballot discrepancies are warranted.
In a country with increasingly polarized dialogues, universities remain one of the most valued conveners of open and rigorous conversation, debate, and exchange of ideas. It is important to not only sustain these spaces but to serve as models for engaging in discussion that yields informed outcomes.
Sincerely,
Susan Jeffords
Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs
