Churn: Life in the Increasingly Diverse World of Higher Education

On Feburary 4, 2022, the Faculty Advancement Network hosted Churn: Life in the Increasingly Diverse World of Higher Education and How to Make It Work, with acclaimed Stanford psychologist and former Columbia University Provost Claude Steele. Speaking with moderator Dennis Mitchell, Steele discussed how "churn” describes the stress we can feel when communicating across differences – and churn’s impact on interactions throughout our universities. The discussion explored possible approaches to set the groundwork for building trust in an academic department.

Read the full recap on the Faculty Advancement Network website.

Dr. Steele is best known for his work on stereotype threat and its application to minority student academic performance. His earlier work dealt with research on the self (e.g., self-image, self-affirmation) as well as the role of self-regulation in addictive behaviors. In 2010, he released his book, Whistling Vivaldi and Other Clues to How Stereotypes Affect Us, summarizing years of research on stereotype threat and the underperformance of minority students in higher education.

The Faculty Advancement Network (FAN) is an Ivy Plus consortium organized to advance diversity and inclusion in the professoriate, and Columbia is a founding member.