Inclusive Classrooms at Lafayette

How are faculty at Lafayette College implementing inclusive teaching? Below is a collective summary of recommended approaches used and described by five faculty from diverse disciplines and ranks.

Course Design

• Include the College’s Diversity Statement on the course syllabus and use in-class time to discuss why creating an equitable learning environment is important.
• Carefully consider course names and descriptions and whether they appeal to a diverse student population.
• Integrate diverse content into course syllabi by including authors from diverse countries of origin, gender, and race/ethnicity when possible.
• Offer office hours at more times to provide more opportunity for various students to attend (e.g. student athletes).
• Create opportunities for students to apply course material to real life issues.
• Use examples from the discipline that allow students to consider issues around diversity and inclusion when feasible.

Community Building

• Set the stage for inclusion the first day of class by indicating that discrimination, bias incidents, etc. of any kind will not be tolerated.
• Get to know students’ names and require them to also use each other’s names during discussion. In smaller classes, the use of name tent cards can facilitate this process.
• Carefully consider the composition of groups. Depending on the context, choose student groups for long-term projects rather than allow self-selection of partners. Try not to isolate students from marginalized groups when feasible.

Bias Awareness and Navigating Difficult Topics

• Be aware of any stereotypes associated with the discipline, and use classroom opportunities to challenge such stereotypes.
• Avoid making assumptions about students based on stereotypes.
• When course content relates to diversity and inclusion, accept that students will feel somewhat uncomfortable during discussions.
• When bias is discussed in class, encourage students to reflect upon whether it is functional or non-functional (i.e. harmful).
• In courses where difficult topics are discussed:
  • Be explicit that a major goal is to use evidence in a scientific way to discuss the issues at hand;
  • Allow the material to speak for itself, inviting the students into another reality;
  • Recognize that different students will likely have different responses to the content; and
  • Describe diversity awareness as an important learning tool for empathy, and becoming a more informed human being.