Pre-convention Workshop on Teaching Human Rights APSA Organized Section on Human Rights




September 2, 2015






This one-day workshop, held one day before the 2015 Annual APSA Convention, will focus on teaching human rights in Political Science.  Our goal is to share best practices and discuss challenges through a series of panel discussions and subfield-focused working groups.  One goal of the workshop is to create the basis for an online resource for all section members containing updated examples of syllabi (something we had done long ago but which has fallen aside) as well as links, ideas, and resources for teachers.






Tentative schedule of events:






12:45 pm         welcome and introductions
1:00-2:00         Panel A – Challenges of teaching human rights
(Three panelists will speak for no more than 10 minutes about some challenges they have faced in their courses; we then open up for a floor discussion).
2:00 – 2:15      Coffee break
2:30 – 3:30      Panel B – Best practices in teaching human rights
(Three or four panelists will speak for no more than 10 minutes about some innovative or effective practice or pedagogy they have developed for their human rights teaching; we then open up for a floor discussion).
3:30 -3:45        Coffee break
4:00-5:30         Subfield working groups.  Participants will split into subfield working groups (Theory, IR, Comparative Politics, American Politics) for more focused discussions on the challenges they face in their own areas.  The theory working group, e.g., will discuss the interest in a reader for courses in human rights theory and what the content and features of such a text might be.
5:30 pm           Wrap up and thanks






Participants will be paid an honorarium of $175 to cover one night of conference hotel.






Those who are interested should submit the application form listed below with a copy of their CV to both Zehra F. Kabasakal Arat, zehra.arat@uconn.edu and Michael Goodhart, goodhart@pitt.edu, by typing “Workshop on Teaching Human Rights” in the subject area, by April 26, 2015.






Please feel free to forward this message to all who may be interested.  Thank you.



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Application Form for
Pre-convention Workshop on Teaching Human Rights






Full Name:
Institution:                                                              Member of the Human Rights Section:  Yes
e-mail address:                                                        Phone number:
Please list the names of human rights courses, their level and number of times you offered them:
Course title	Level (e.g., grad, upper-level undergrad, undergrad intro.)	Number of times offered






Please check what applies to the role that you would like play during the panel sessions:



     I would like to be a speaker in the first panel (challenges in teaching human rights).
     I would like to be a speaker in the second panel (innovations in teaching human rights).
     I can be a speaker for either panel.
     I do not wish to be a panelist.



Please indicate which subfield group discussion that you would like to attend:



     American Politics
     Comparative Politics
     International Relations
     Political Theory



The Political Theory subgroup will work on the content of a possible reader for courses that focus on theories of human rights.  If you wish to attend another subgroup meeting, on what would you like the group to focus?






Would be interested in serving as the moderator for the subgroup session?   Yes   No
Do you have any comments or suggestions that would like to share with us?