Exploratory Seminars & Faculty Fellows
Exploratory Seminars
Bok Exploratory Seminars offer faculty a collaborative space to deliberate the most urgent problems and potentially transformational opportunities in Higher Education, with the primary goal of developing interventions that will chart the course of future teaching and learning at Harvard. Inspired by the Exploratory Seminars of the Radcliffe Institute, each seminar is led by a Faculty Fellow whose current or future teaching is highly informed by the seminar’s theme. The Bok Center provides funding for a graduate student research assistant to assemble relevant background materials and to assist in writing follow-up documents. The outcomes of the seminar receive support from the Bok Center for implementation.
In the 2020-21 academic year, Bok Exploratory Seminars will focus on anti-racist or critical pedagogy; race, racism, and colonialism in the university curriculum; and/or intersectional and critical approaches to inclusive teaching. Each Exploratory Seminar will likely consist of several meetings, and will lead to the creation of materials to disseminate to other instructors, with the goal of having a measurable impact on teaching and learning at Harvard.
Past Exploratory Seminars
Bok Exploratory Seminar on Improving the Social Science Curriculum for Data Science - May 10, 2019
Bok Exploratory Seminar on Fostering an Inclusive Environment in the Classroom - February 8 & March 1, 2019
Bok Exploratory Seminar on Case Teaching - April 26-27, 2017
Bok Exploratory Seminar on Data Literacy - April 6-7, 2016
Faculty Fellows
In 2020-21, the Bok Center will appoint a Faculty Fellow to lead each exploratory seminar. The Faculty Fellow will be responsible for determining the goals of the seminar, setting the agenda, and identifying appropriate guest speakers. The Bok Center Faculty Fellows program was originally created to allow a small number of faculty to focus on interesting and impactful ideas in teaching and learning. The Bok Center provides faculty fellows with the context, human support, and resources to enable them to pursue their projects.
To apply to lead an Exploratory Seminar, and become a Faculty Fellow, see the Call for Applications above.