In the 2005 APSA Teaching and Learning Conference's Diversity Track,
some 30 participants representing a wide range of colleges and
universities came together to discuss issues related to teaching and
learning about diversity. Diversity-focused pedagogy recognizes
commonalities of individual and group experience defined by race,
gender, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, age, and ability, but
it touches much broader circles. One of the most important aspects
of the track was the diversity of its participants—not usually one
of the discipline's strong points. The wide range of backgrounds and
experiences reflected by the track's participants highlighted the
value of diversity to the profession, as well as the fact that
political scientists carry different burdens at a wide range of
institutions. Participants in this track found that our senses of
what defines diversity, the importance of teaching about diversity,
and what teaching techniques effectively illustrate diversity were,
well, diverse.