Best Practices for Developing, Assessing, and Sustaining Inclusive Curricula: Proceedings of the 2017 Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience Workshop.

Every three years for the past 23 years the Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (FUN) has organized a summer workshop and conference. These events have brought FUN members together to learn new lab techniques, collaborate in the development of neuroscience curricula, share best practices and pedagogical innovations, and renew their passion for teaching through the camaraderie of the FUN community (Figure 1). This issue of JUNE presents some of the highlights of the 8th FUN workshop, which was held in July 2017 at Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois. Additional resources are posted to an internet archive of conference materials (https://funfaculty.org/conference/fun-2017/; see below). At the end of the previous workshop (2014 at Ithaca College), founding FUN member Julio Ramirez gave a rousing closing address, exhorting participants to remember that FUN is our home, our place to find inspiration, mentorship, and abiding friendship within a community of scholars and teachers. It is fitting, then, that the theme for the 2017 conference was inclusion—on working to make sure the sense of welcome and belonging that helped each of us find a place in the world of neuroscience is extended as warmly, equitably, and broadly as possible to our colleagues and students. This was an inspiring and timely topic. It was especially fitting that this theme was explored in partnership with Project Kaleidoscope, the division of the AAC&U dedicated to transforming STEM education for the betterment of all students. Project Kaleidoscope has been a partner in the development of the FUN workshops since their inception. In this issue, the theme of inclusion is represented by editorials and articles on inclusive teaching techniques (Penner), fostering diversity and inclusion at the administrative level (Martinez-Acosta and Favero), and reimagining faculty development with a foundational focus on cultural responsiveness (Mack). FUN members have often been at the forefront of efforts to broaden participation and success in the neurosciences (e.g., Ramirez and Tonidandel, 2009). The commentaries in this issue encourage us to continue and expand these efforts at every level. We hope their example in this issue will lead to more JUNE submissions related to this vital topic. Possible contributions include investigating equity of pedagogical outcomes, sharing best practices in student mentorship and professional development, and reporting on innovative programs that help promote inclusion. Figure 1. What is it like attending a summer FUN workshop? This is a word cloud produced from responses of 2017 participants to the prompt: “Give three words that describe your overall experiences at FUN 2017.”