In recent years, we’ve witnessed a growing emphasis in academia on fostering greater
diversity, equity, and inclusion, including developing a clearer sense of one’s
positionality and commitment to such initiatives. Writing effective narratives, such as
specific syllabus policies, diversity statements, land acknowledgments, and positionality
statements, is crucial in promoting a more inclusive academic environment.

As we approach the 2024 Children's Literature Association’s conference themed
“Looking Back, Looking Forward: 50 Years of ChLA," the ChLA Membership Committee is
hosting a panel to explore diverse approaches to crafting these narratives, offering
insights, strategies, and discussions on their impact both in and outside of academia.

Topics may include but are not limited to:

● Syllabus Policies:
○ Strategies for sensitive conversations with students.
○ Thoughtfully integrating statements around topics such as AI and
technology, trigger and/or content warnings, among other policies.
○ Navigating policy language in communities where limitations have been
imposed.

●Diversity Statements:
○ Strategies for crafting compelling diversity statements.
○ Reflecting personal experiences and commitments to diversity.
○ Integrating diversity narratives into academic and professional contexts.
○ Aligning diversity statements with organizational values and goals.
○ Best practices for addressing systemic barriers and promoting inclusivity.
○ Why have a diversity statement?

● Land Acknowledgements:
○ Understanding the significance of land acknowledgments.
○ Ethical considerations in acknowledging Indigenous lands.
○ Incorporating land acknowledgments into academic contexts.

● Positionality Statements:
○ Defining and exploring the concept of positionality in academic writing.
○ Navigating power dynamics and acknowledging biases.
○ Integrating positionality statements in research and teaching contexts.
○ Why have a positionality statement?

● “Syllabus as Vibes”
○ Understanding the impact of aesthetics and presentation of the document
(visual syllabi versus plain text, digital versus printed, etc)
○ Considering how formatting, tone, language and structure might affect
student interpretations and accessibility of the text
○ Considering the diverse readership of syllabi (international students,
students with limited internet access, students with disabilities)

Submission Guidelines:
This panel will be held in person during ChLA’s 2024 Conference from May 30 - June 1,
2024, in Madison, Wisconsin. The format for this panel includes a selection of 5-minute
lightning talks followed by organized breakout tables for attendees to workshop
materials (e.g., syllabi/statements) that they want to write and/or improve.

Interested scholars, practitioners, and researchers are invited to submit abstracts
(150-200 words) by March 1, 2024 to this Google Form. Submissions should include the
presenter's name, contact information, the presentation title, and the abstract.

For this session, we hope to hear from scholars from a variety of standpoints and
career stages and have them propose a topic they wish to explore. We particularly
encourage BIPOC scholars, Indigenous scholars, disabled scholars, 2SLGBTQIA+
scholars, graduate students, and early career scholars to apply. Presenters will be
welcome to participate in this panel in addition to delivering a regular conference
paper.

If you have any questions, please contact Rebekah Fitzsimmons
(rfitzsim@andrew.cmu.edu) or Jeremy Johnston (jjohn387@uwo.ca) from the ChLA
Membership Committee.