Faculty participating in the Political Engagement Project (PEP) at Ferris State University meet on a bi-weekly basis at the PEP Faculty Roundtable. The Roundtable performs a number of functions which are vital for the academic integration and sustainability of the PEP. First of all it provides important logistical support for PEP bureaucratic tasks and planning of future activities.

Secondly, it allows the faculty to engage in a discussion of common readings and literature related to the pedagogies of politically engaged instruction. This has become most important for faculty outside of the social sciences who are incorporating politically engaged education in courses that do not typically incorporate that content.

Finally and most importantly, the Roundtables create a rare forum during which PEP faculty from many disciplines and colleges share a vision of getting students engaged. This sharing occurs in a climate within Academia, as well as the larger society, that does not usually foster dialogue across boundaries. As we come together at the same table to discuss our successes and limitations in the classroom, we are moving past the partisan discussion of politics in the academy and we are working together for a campus concerned with and working towards a more democratic society.

As a result, we see the roundtables moving us to a plausible change in the campus culture, rather than just a list of courses.