February 25, 2020

Evans School Receives Diversity Seed Grant to Enhance Equity and Inclusion in Curriculum

Thanks to a new grant from the University of Washington, faculty from the Evans School, the Foster School and the I-School will come together for a deep dive into how to infuse issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion into their teaching and courses. By participating in the interactive multi-day workshop, faculty will learn and share best practices for inclusive teaching.  

Faculty in these schools face common challenges in teaching professional school students about current issues of equity and inclusion facing public and private, US and global institutions. Leadership from all three schools agreed that faculty are best positioned to create inclusive and equitable learning environments for all students and design courses and curriculum that can incorporate critical issues of equity, power, and privilege. By working across school boundaries, academic partners hope to share resources and knowledge, create a rich learning environment for faculty, and deepen faculty understanding of race, equity, and inclusion. 

Through the four-day workshop, faculty will focus on teaching and classroom strategies that effectively and equitably engage all students. Potential sessions include leading difficult classroom discussions, positionality statements and actions, and inclusive grading and assessment. The workshop will also incorporate expert speakers on the session topics (including students), group discussion, and self-reflection.

The workshop will be an intensive learning opportunity for faculty, who often do not have time devoted to learning about pedagogy or content on equity and inclusion outside of their area of expertise. The desired result is a framework for better-designed classroom activities, student assessment, and course content that extends beyond the core workshop group to other faculty, teaching assistants, and associates as faculty share their new methods and materials.