Engaging Students with Diverse Identities: A Summer Institute for Faculty Sponsored by the Office of Academic Affairs and
the Center on Diversity and Community (CoDaC) September 9 – 12, 2008
The Office of Academic Affairs and the Center on Diversity and Community (CoDaC) are pleased to announce “Engaging Students
with Diverse Identities: A Summer Institute for Faculty.” The institute will take place from September 9-12, 2008 and is
designed to help faculty explore best practices on how to effectively engage and work with a diverse student population.
Faculty invest years developing knowledge and expertise in their chosen disciplines. Yet few have had sustained opportunities
to consider what is involved in teaching effectively within multiculturally complex environments. This institute will provide
the opportunity for faculty to explore how to best teach a diverse group of learners; and build relationships and share
ideas with colleagues about teaching.
This Institute has three main goals:
- Enhance the self-awareness needed to create and teach thoughtfully and reflectively in an inclusive classroom.
- Increase knowledge needed to create and teach in an inclusive classroom.
- Learn and practice the skills needed to create and teach effectively in an inclusive classroom.
Among the topics that will be explored include:
- Exploring your own self-awareness about issues related to diversity
- Models of college student identity development
- Engaging students in a large class
- Creating and structuring the inclusive classroom: From syllabus to the first day of class
- Managing conflict amongst diverse students in the classroom
- Facilitating “hot button” discussions among diverse students
- Recovering when mistakes are made
Applicants may use the institute for a variety of projects related to inclusive teaching—restructuring an existing class,
creating the framework for a new course, writing a grant for submission, or other related activities.
The institute will take place from Monday, September 9 through Friday, September 12th. Activities will begin at 9:00 a.m.
and conclude at 4:00 p.m. except on Friday when we will end at noon. Lunch will be provided Monday through Thursday. The
location of the institute will be announced later.
The institute will be composed of specific workshop sessions, open time for individual work on project development and redesign,
and university faculty sharing their own experiences creating and teaching in an inclusive classroom.
Prior to the institute, successful applicants will be asked to schedule a time to meet with a colleague from the Center
on Diversity and Community (CoDaC) to discuss their goals and plans for the week-long institute.
Participants will be asked to turn in a final report describing their final project and an individual assessment of the
experience. Participants will also have the opportunity for follow-up consultations throughout the year with representatives
from CoDaC.
Completion of the one-week commitment will result in a payment of $1500 either as pay or research support.