Curriculum

The Equip program encompasses 9 comprehensive modules, and 5 additional modules for faculty, covering a range of topics that include, but are not limited to, models and frameworks, overviews of unconscious bias, microaggression, racial inequity and ways inclusive pedagogy can create opportunities for student centered teaching in person and online. You select one, or two (and for faculty up to 3)of the parts described below to create a customized training for your students, staff and faculty, for a total of 3 hours, 6 hours or 9 hours of training.

Part 1

Core models and frameworks around navigating diversity

Introduction and competencies: We introduce the course to you, and go deeper into the 10 core competencies that the content is built around.

Culture and Identity defined: We critically review a developmental model, and introduce concepts of culture and identity through a student’s story on campus. Through other case studies with faculty, staff and students we learn about cultural appropriation and how to avoid it.

Ambiguity in judging and stereotyping: We learn how to allow for ambiguity and reduce judgment. We further learn more about stereotypes and how to avoid having a single – reductionist – story about someone‘s identities that are different from ours.

Bias and microaggressions:: We learn about various types of microaggressions and various biases. We also approach these issues systemically through exploring the cycle of socialization.Finally, we examine allyhood and what it means to be an ally; and ways to challenge discrimination and empower marginalized groups.

Personal leadership: We focus on internal processes when something happens around us, “a something is up moment,” that causes us to react.  How do we respond to these moments? How can we effectively deal with challenging situations?

Part 2

Specific identities and their historical context

Race: Starting with the 1400s through post -civil rights, we offer a U.S. historical context to the issue of racism, systemic racism and structural inequities that continue to exist today.

Religion: Religion is sometimes an overlooked aspect of diversity on campus, and educators might feel uneasy discussing it in class. We bring some context to support those conversations.

Gender, sexuality and intersectionality: We go through the history of the acronym LGBTQI2SA+. We further discuss intersectionality in terms of how people with various (marginalized) identities experience the world. Finally, we explore saliency, or how some identities rise more to the surface based on context.

Identity traits that can change over time: We explore the following three identities: age, class, disability and health.

Part For Faculty

Application

Inclusive syllabus and backwards design: We start at the very beginning: how can we design courses in a way that fosters inclusion. We explore how the syllabus can be used as a powerful tool of inclusion.

Creating norms: We learn about the hidden norms that often govern our learning spaces and that create exclusion and division. We explore the idea of “group norms” as a tool to foster an inclusive environment and increase ownership of the learning environment among students.

Inclusive pedagogy and student-centered teaching: We focus on two questions: What is the difference between a marginalizing classroom climate versus a centralizing classroom climate? How can student-centered teaching help reduce stereotype threat while providing practical tips on inclusive pedagogy?

Difficult dialogues: We explore how challenging situations can be turned into “teachable moments”. We further talk about and share existing alternatives to open up a classroom conversation on a difficult topic.

Online Teaching: We learn through Aliyah’s experience how online teaching can enhance differences in privilege among students and explore strategies to reduce these inequities through the way we structure courses online and by seeking to connect with students from afar.