Diversity Symposium discusses inclusive education, welcoming learning environments, sustainability
The Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (OIDEI) and the Office of Diversity Education held the 9th annual Diversity Symposium to discuss inclusivity around campus, be it in education and teaching practices or individual offices such as Central Sustainability.
The theme for the symposium was "Embracing the 'I' in DEIJB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice and Belonging)." It ran on April 24 and 25 in the Bovee University Center. Larger conversations that discussed CMU's efforts as a whole were held in the Rotunda, and smaller group sessions focusing on a variety of topics such as bias in bylaws, equity in the STEM department, inclusive teaching practices and inclusion in sustainability were held in the terrace rooms.
"There's a lot of coordination that goes into it," Fatimah Khan, one of the student co-chairs on the Diversity Symposium Planning Committee, said.
She and Yina Todd, the other student co-chair, worked alongside the OIDEI and various faculty members from the seven CMU colleges to organize the symposium.
Khan said that at the beginning of the academic year, the committee accepts research proposals submitted from students and faculty. They then sort through the proposals and decide which ones to have at the symposium. Once they have been decided, she said the schedule is built around them.
She said the symposium had 4 "tracks," or categories, that presenters were sorted into. These tracks were as follows:
- Track A: Inclusion in the Workplace/Organizations
- Track B: Inclusive Program/Project Development
- Track C: Inclusive Culture, Media and Communication
- Track D: Inclusive Ways to Promote Student Success
"Since this is a year-long planning, we can only do a little bit, as a time while gathering resources," Todd said. "It was definitely stressful in the moment ... but now that it's here and running smoothly, it's more rewarding."
Using Inclusive Teaching Practices to Model Equity, Inclusion and Culturally Responsive Interpersonal and Leadership Practices
Georgina Wilson, the assistant professor and program director for the Department of Counseling, Educational Leadership and High Education, discussed ways for educators to implement more inclusive and equitable teaching strategies in their classrooms.
As a public school teacher for 20 years, Wilson shared her experience working in an alternative high school, designed for students that are unsuccessful learning in traditional classrooms and need an alternative approach.
She said during her time, she met a child she called "Anthony," who came to the school wearing a hat and a cape. Anthony told her he was constantly bullied at his previous school so he wore the hat and cape, so if people were laughing at him he knew it was due to the hat and cape.
Wilson recalled one day seeing Anthony running in the halls not wearing the hat and cape. Fearing the worst, she caught up to him and asked where they were. He then told her "I don't need it here."
She said this was her reason for doing what she does now: Creating and promoting safe spaces for students in learning environments.
"If I could do it for him, I can do it anywhere," Wilson said.
One of her main messages throughout the session was that inclusion starts with "I," or the educators in the room. She told them to ask themselves what they can do to foster an inclusive learning environment. She continued with the "I" theme throughout her presentation, discussing other important elements for participants to consider beside inclusivity like:
- Introspection: Evaluate how you personally think about inclusion and have an "intercultural mindset" or work toward it;
- Intentionality: Acting purposefully to create diverse and productive spaces for learning at all students' paces;
- Impact: The idea that how you teach is the message you're sending to students and promoting flexibility in thoughts and actions.
Additionally, Wilson gave handouts to participants with tips and advice on things they can implement in their own classrooms, even with varying cirriculums and subjects. She also spoke about some during the sessions, such as:
- Reducing anxiety when introducing new subjects by using "old protocol" or well-established teaching methods the class is familiar with
- Removing ambiguity and over-communicating classroom expectations to keep students tempered and on track
- Working to understand student needs from day one through surveys and worksheets to understand learning styles and adjust in the classroom.
"I had to collapse my understanding of what it means to be a teacher," she said. "So that I could create the best learning environment for my students. ... And that's something you can do yourself."
The Importance of Inclusion in Sustainability
Central Sustainability, the university's student-run sustainability office, came to speak on what sustainability is and how CMU sustainable practices are not only accessible, but inclusive to the CMU and Mount Pleasant community.
Four coordinators from the office -- Claire Deblanc, Lauren Dey, Mason Squillets-Peterson and Zoey Archbold -- came to speak on how inclusion plays a role in sustainability and how the university contributes to this inclusivity.
They all discussed some of Central Sustainability's program initiatives and active involvement in the community. Some of these initiatives and involvement include:
- The campus garden, where students and residents can plant their own food
- Promoting the use of reusable cups in on-campus coffee shops, which has received support from CMU Dining and the coffee shops themselves
- The on-campus farmers market, so those who can't leave campus easily have access to healthy food
- Cultural education opportunities and events through the Ziibiwing Center and Soup and Substance events.
Deblanc said that these resources aren't just accessible to CMU students, but also to the community of Mount Pleasant as a whole. She explained that spots in the community garden can be rented by city residents, and that the campus farmer's market can provide small businesses in the community opportunities for tabling and to sell with little cost or prep.
As a result, she said these practices don't just become accessible to the public, but inclusive to people of all backgrounds and circumstances within the community.
Additionally, Squillets-Peterson said that communicating these resources are available can lead to a path of further sustainability in the community and the world at large.
"Sustainability is continuous," he said. "There's no finish line or set goal. If we are more sustainable, it will make a chain reaction of just more sustainability ... that's why there's essentially no finish line.
"But that doesn't mean there isn't a ton more work we could be doing."
