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Michigan Meeting:

Academic Engagement in Public and Political Discourse

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan

May 13-15, 2015

Register now: http://graham.umich.edu/mm/

What is the role of the academic scholar within the discussions of the global challenges that are relevant to society, such as sustainability, health care, gun control, fiscal policy, international affairs, etc.? How do scholars engage in a world in which knowledge is becoming democratized through social media and the proliferation of knowledge sources (both credible and biased) clouds public debate? What are the social, professional and institutional obstacles to such engagement?

This 2015 Michigan Meeting is a culmination of an 18 month dialogue on an issue of interdisciplinary and global importance: the engagement of the academy in creating informed decision-making with the public and political realms. In particular, we are interested in stimulating a dialogue on faculty attitudes and best practices that cover a span of external engagement activities, including but not limited to: Congressional testimony, assistance to government agencies, board service, public presentations, media interviews, K-12 education, blogging, editorial writing, social media and political activism - all activities that lie outside the "standard" notions of scholarly pursuits.

In addressing these questions, this meeting builds upon two preliminary activities that provide its foundation: (1) A survey of attitudes among University of Michigan faculty around academic engagement in public and political discussion that was conducted in the fall of 2013; (2) A series of three brownbag lunches for faculty to discuss their experiences, desires, and/or fears in engaging in public and political discussion were conducted in the winter of 2014. With these preliminary activities completed, we are now convening a national conference on the role and rules of engagement for academics to enter public and political discussion.