Abstract
For many of us, our research drives our membership in professional societies. Although educational aspects are important in these organizations, the primary reason we join is often a discounted registration fee to present at a conference. AEESP is different because we are more than a research-driven group. This insight was brought home for me by a statement Belinda Sturm made during our strategic planning exercise a year ago. She pointed out that AEESP was the one professional organization where she could be her “whole self”—a teacher, a researcher, and an administrator. There was no need to take off or put on a certain “hat” in AEESP.
This particular insight showed me that AEESP should be working to help our members in all aspects of their careers. As an organization, we need to recognize that members will self-identify in different ways depending on their career stage, interests, expectations, and experiences. Our careers, however, are not the only defining aspect of our “whole selves.”
I have recently been exposed to a new context about how our professional identities could be defined and developed. Risien and Storksdieck (2018) present the concept of “professional impact identity.” They argue that by thoughtfully evaluating our own “discipline and scholarship; personal preferences, capacities, and skills; institutional context, and the various communities or social settings” in which we work, we can have deeper and more lasting societal impact from our endeavors. This would lead to a more rewarding professional career. Risien and Stoksdieck also assert that the broad integration of these practices has the potential to help in recruitment and retention to a given discipline.
Even this expanded definition of identity may fall short by not fully considering our social and cultural identities. I know that, as a White cis male, my experiences in daily life are very different than many (if not most) other AEESP members. I must do my best to understand each person's perspective, even though it will never be my own. I also appreciate that many of our colleagues and students, who come from all corners of the globe (how does a round planet have corners?), have distinct perspectives from those of us who were raised and educated solely in the United States. Without taking a position in another country, I will not be able to fully appreciate all it takes to leave family, culture, and familiarity behind. Being from a city, suburb, or rural community will also affect how a person approaches work and life.
Part of our identity is our knowledge. Although many of us in AEESP have similar disciplinary knowledge, each of our members' community and cultural knowledge is vastly different. Thus, this will also drive what each of us sees as societal needs and equity and justice impacts of our research and outreach. Having this diversity among our membership makes us stronger, and our drive to be an inclusive professional society requires us to work to understand, honor, appreciate, and hear the diversity of perspectives and experiences of our members.
As part of AEESP's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), the board of directors applied to be, and AEESP was accepted as, a participant in the second cohort of Amplifying the Alliance to Catalyze Change for Equity in STEM Success (ACCESS+; accessplusstem.com). The cohort consists of 14 professional organizations (including ASCE, ASEE, CUASHI, NSBE, SETAC, and SHPE; full list at https://accessplusstem.com/community-of-practice/). AEESP leadership will be engaging in collaborative activities over the next year to learn about ourselves, our strengths and weaknesses with regard to DEI, and methods for improvement. Being part of this community of practice is a fantastic opportunity for AEESP to share ideas and learn from colleagues in these other (larger) organizations.
As part of this process, we will be exploring our identity as an organization, and a key component of this is understanding the AEESP mental model. Mental models are “deeply held beliefs, assumptions, and taken-for-granted ways of operating that influence how we think, what we do, and how we talk” (Kania et al., 2018). Understanding our individual and organizational mental models offers a pathway to insight, change, and growth. The mental models of AEESP may implicitly constrain how we are organized and function (Leibnitz, et al., 2022), as well as what opportunities are available to members. Being part of the ACCESS+ cohort will help us identify our organizational barriers.
As an organization, AEESP needs to ensure that people of all personal, professional, social, and cultural identities feel welcome and are supported. By better understanding how and why we operate as we do, AEESP will be prepared for change. As a quote attributed to Mahatma Gandhi says: “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” As we embark on this year-long ACCESS+ process, recognizing that we will not reach all of our goals in one year, I am hopeful that AEESP will embrace the changes that come and make the organization one where everyone, no matter how they identify or what perspective they have, can be their whole selves.