You've heard all the talk about how our population is changing; how we as educators must rise to the challenge by developing culturally relevant content and pedagogies to meet the educational needs of an increasingly diverse student body. You've seen all the reports about #blacklivesmatter and wondered what you can do to promote racial healing and increased understanding among your students.

The DEC has ideas for you...starting on the first day of class and continuing throughout the quarter. Contact us to find out how you can get involved--and try one of these ideas, all recommended by our students. Let us know how it goes!

1. DAY 1: DON'T CALL ROLL verbally. This creates a lack of safety for trans* and gender-non-conforming students. See this video for more ideas.
2. Day 1: Find a way for students to self-identify which gender pronouns they use. You might share your own: "I'm ___, and I use she and her pronouns," to model this practice, then ask them to let you know in writing what pronouns they prefer. Explain that we cannot assume a person's gender by how they look.
3. Week 1: Learn your students' names and how to pronounce them correctly. 
4. Week 1: Facilitate small group formation for at least several weeks. Studies show that students who identify as "minorities" often find themselves left out or excluded from small group work. You can help by structuring small groups--and monitoring large group discussions so certain students don't dominate.
5. Week 1 and anytime: Stop by the DEC to say hi! It is so powerful for students who use the DEC to see your faces and get to know you outside of class and office hours. Our busiest times are between 10 and 2, but come by anytime to see what's going on.
6. Every day: Find a way to increase your own cultural competence and model it for your students. Our students had a panel at the beginning of the year to discuss their experiences in class and on campus. How do you think they answered these questions? (If you'd like to hear more about it, contact us!) 
7. All quarter: Share campus events, encourage attendance, and bring students whenever possible. Decades of student retention research shows that students engaged in the full campus experience are more successful and more likely to achieve their college goals. 

Diversity Leadership Institute Spring Quarter Schedule: Tuesdays, 3:30-5 pm DEC

Our students spent several hours this summer preparing for a panel during kickoff week that included their input on how instructors have successfully made them feel welcome, honored their identities, and managed the class for bias prevention or appropriate bias response.

Below are the questions we asked the students. We recommend using these questions as conversation starters in your department. How do you think students would answer these questions? How do you address the topics below? Why are they important?

If you'd like to know how the students answered, please contact us or drop by the DEC. We are happy to have this conversation--and many more--with you.

Many thanks to our persistent, resilient students for taking the time to share their ideas and experiences with us!



PANEL QUESTIONS:


During this panel we will be discussing the ways that students have been engaged, represented, and how they have experienced education. They have dedicated time and energy into reflecting on personal and sometimes sensitive subjects. We hope these lessons and experiences help enrich your ability and drive to create more inclusive learning environments and to become life-changing faculty.

1.       Please share an experience where your identities were addressed or represented in the classroom or curriculum? How was it handled?

2.       Why have you decided to come share that story with faculty? Why does it matter?

3.       Talk about a time when course content was not specifically related to gender, race, or identity, but your instructor made a conscious effort to include material from outside a Western European, US-Centric, or heteronormative paradigm.

4.       Instructional style: What positive teaching styles and classroom norms have worked to make the environment feel more inclusive and conducive to your learning? What are some that made learning inaccessible or made you feel marginalized?

5.       Faculty Diversity: Talk about a time when you had an instructor that reflected your own identities and experiences.  What was it like and how did it impact your learning?

6.       Student experiences: What are some common microaggressions that you experience in class and what can faculty do to prevent and/or respond when they happen?

7.       What skills do faculty/staff/administrators need to work on to work successfully with diverse students?

Microaggressions: They're those seemingly small comments, questions and behaviors that are daily reminders of how historically marginalized groups are perceived in our society.  This article in the New York Times features a group of students at Harvard University who explored the experiences they have everyday field questions like, "I wish I was Black--it must have helped you get into Harvard," "Can you show me how to twerk?" and "Can I touch your hair?" 

The article shows multiple sides of the argument: while some claim that heightened awareness of microaggressions contribute to a "culture of victimhood," many students report that the frequency of the experience is actually debilitating and impacts their ability to feel connected to, or valued in, their college setting. For more information on microaggressions, check out Derald Wing Sue's work, read "Whistling Vivaldi" to understand how microaggressions contribute to cues in the environment or check out the "I Too Am Harvard" project--just one of many websites created by students to explore their experiences on campus.

We've been using the language of "privilege" for many years now to understand some of the dynamics behind oppression, but as Professor Andrea Smith points out, too often our understanding of privilege is limited to recognition of the ways in which we as individuals consciously or unconsciously perpetuate the status quo. She goes on to help us a more useful structure: creating spaces in which we all assume responsibility and complicity in the perpetuation of oppression--and that we will need to work together to dismantle it.  Great reading!

We pretty much think everything he writes is brilliant. Like this post reflecting on the language of our work...diversity, inclusion, multiculturalism, social justice? What does it all mean? Or this piece about the 10 Commitments of a Multicultural Educator, which reminds us, among other things, to put justice ahead of peace and not confuse multiculturalism with universal validation. Or this challenging and thought-provoking article, "Complicity with Conservatism: the de-politicizing of multicultural and intercultural education." Much of Paul Gorski's writing and work can be found on his website: EdChange.

SPSCC was honored to host a visit from Sylvia McAdam, an activist for the rights of indigenous people and for the environment and one of the co-founders of the "Idle No More" movement. See a recording of her presentation here.

Dr. Schmidt visited our campus last month and did an information-packed presentation on supporting veterans in the classroom. The presentation was recorded on Tegrity for those who could not attend.

 Here is the link to the Tegrity recording:
https://tegr.it/y/15vxk

We'll be busy in the coming months! Please help us by promoting these opportunities with students, and by dropping by when you can. We'd love to see you in the DEC!

May 2: Our "Cinco de Mayo" celebration will take place on Dos de Mayo! Join us for food and fun with the Mariachi Colima band! 11-1 in the SUB!

May 3: Help us "Put this on the Map" with our friends from "Reteaching Gender and Sexuality". They'll be doing a presentation in 21-130 from 2-4 pm. Come and reframe the way you think about gender and sexuality...students from younger generations have much more fluid definitions of both than some of us.

May 15: Force will be with us to present "Upsetting Rape Culture!" Students will be engaged by this interactive presentation on consent and challenging rape culture. 2-4 pm, Building 27-119

May 16: Tomodachi and DEC celebrate Asian-Pacific Islander Heritage month with a presentation from storyteller Alton Chung!  27-119, 12- 1 pm.

May 17: Pacific Islander Heritage Celebration: come learn the art of ukulele, lei-making, and immerse yourself in some language/stories of the Pacific with our aikane Mario Teulilo and Michael Tun'cap. 9-1 in the SUB!

May 18: Pacific Islander Club Annual Luau: Mau Loa, E Komo Mai, Ohana: Forever welcome, Family
5-8 pm, SUB. Food, dancing and culture of the pacific...don't miss it! Suggested donation $5, students are free with ID.

May 24: First Annual Latin@ Student Leadership Conference: Somos Triunfadores We invite Latin@ SPSCC students to participate in this wonderful event meant to build unity and support student success. Special guests include Dr. Sandra E. Madrid, Senior Advisor, UW School of Law, and Chicano artist Adream de Valdivia who will lead students in a hands-on art/identity project! Please help students connect to this event. They can register here.

May 30: the ASL Club, BRICK and the Diversity and Equity Advisory Committee are co-sponsoring a presentation by Dr. Tom Holcomb: Deaf – Proud and Loud:Disabling the disabled model 12-2, 26-105 pm.

and finally...Students who identify with one of the following communities may participate in the 2nd Annual DEC Graduation Reception: students of color, LGBTQ, DEC friends, strong and committed allies. Students should RSVP to Jose Gutierrez if they wish to participate. 
DEC Graduation: June 13, 4-6 pm, SUB Commons. 

Thanks for all your support this year!!