How PSA’s Inclusion Shift Cracked the Ivory Tower Culture and Led to New Governance Challenges

Abstract

PSA’s shift to inclusion began in the 1990s as a response to the declining membership and the domination of the association by scholars from the Ivory Tower universities--those institutions focusing primarily upon research. Cracking the Ivory Tower refers to this inclusion which involved encouraging student participation; inviting faculty from teaching-focused colleges; expanding program topics on teaching or issues of gender, race, sexual orientation; hosting inclusive receptions; and electing some officers from non-elite schools. As inclusion has dramatically increased membership and promoted more representative participation, governance now faces new challenges, especially the executive director's workload.