The Department of Political Science at the University of Windsor sits on the traditional territory of the Three Fires Confederacy of First Nations, which includes the Ojibwa, the Odawa, and the Potawatomi and invite all to reflect on the legacies of colonialism in Canada and around the world.
Our department continues to take steps to encourage a welcoming and accessible educational environment for all students, faculty, and staff. To that end, in 2020 we begun a new initiative to address racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination, including systemic barriers and practices we may not previously have questioned that have privileged some and disadvantaged or excluded others—particularly historically, persistently, and systemically marginalized individuals.
In 2021, we hosted a panel event ‘Starting a Conversation on Diversity and Inclusion in the Department of Political Science'.
The event allowed students and faculty to express their own stories and experiences of racism and discrimination and begin to brainstorm what we as a department can do. The event also launched an interim report commissioned by the department on this topic to gather knowledge about our own history and EDID initiatives at other universities and Political Science departments.
DOWNLOAD OUR APRIL 2021 INTERIM REPORT
The Department of Political Science has a permanent EDID Committee which includes faculty and students. They work together to strengthen our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion while recognizing the legacies of colonialism and deep injustices that continue to permeate society as a whole and have a specific and damaging impact on higher education.
The Department hosts events and develops initiatives to center anti-racism and anti-oppression in our daily activities and practices.
On a bi-annual basis, we are also conducting a survey of students and alumni to gather baseline data about our department and inform an updated report on actions and recommendations we can undertake. We remain committed to fostering a more inclusive and safer space for everyone in the department through ongoing dialogue, education, and action.
Dr. Greg Feldman will offer an in-person reading group for students, faculty, and staff exploring world renowned post-colonial novels. Possible novels include Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things, Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children, or David Diop’s Beyond the Door of No Return. Other possibilities include James Baldwin’s Notes of a Native Son or WEB Dubois’s The Souls of Black Folk. The reading group aims for open and thoughtful conversation about the moral complexities and dilemmas that we have all inherited from the colonial legacy. It also aims for a wider view of the “political” than is typically found in the social sciences.