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Three Important Takeaways
Module 2: Getting DEI into Your Curriculum*
From Ways to Incorporate DEI into Your Courses By David Luke, Chief Diversity Officer, University of Michigan, Flint
Three Important Takeaways
Be intentional. When building your course, everything from the syllabus, assigned readings, lesson plans, etc., need to deliberately incorporate principles of social justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. This is fundamentally different from the way most instructors plan and design their courses. Throughout the process, at every step, it takes intentionality.
Be transparent. Students should know to expect this perspective as an integral part of your course. The examples you use, readings you assign, etc., should not come as a shock. Sure, they may still be surprised at some of the course content or activities, but they’ll have been given advanced notice.
Be prepared. As hinted earlier, this is going to take a lot of work and critical interrogation of your class as it currently stands. Rethinking your syllabus, readings, examples, and everything through a DEI lens requires significant time and effort. Further, there’s likely some research you’ll need to do about the history of your discipline. Finally, you’ll need to prepare for both resistance and for facilitating completely different types of dialogue than you’re used to (depending on your discipline and focus). Know that while this all takes preparation and work, it’s worth it.
*Published 07/22. © 2022 Sage Publishing. All rights reserved. All other brand and product names are the property of their respective owners.