Beyond Rhetoric: Developing an Ethical and Equitable Practice (Fall 2021)

The call to develop an ethical teaching approach that both promotes justice and does not perpetuate harm is more urgent now than ever. As institutions move to include the language of diversity, inclusion, and racial justice into their mission statements and syllabi, those of us directly working with students might be asking, what does it mean to actually put this language into practice? Abolitionist, Anti-Racist, Radical, Critical and other pedagogies might help inform our values and understanding of our place in institutions, but sometimes leave us unclear on how to actually implement them. This course combines hands-on experiential learning with multimedia resources to give an overview of recent educational theories and their intersection with promoting inclusivity and justice in the classroom. This work will be situated in students’ own experience as well as case studies. Reflection and debrief will be an essential part of the course. Students will leave with a better sense of how to communicate their values on teaching, learning, and equity on paper, as well as a strong sense of what this means for their day to day lives and work. All those who are interested are welcome.