Inclusive Excellence Workshop and Lecture Series
The Division of Diversity and Inclusion and the Office of the Provost co-sponsor the Inclusive Excellence Workshop and Lecture Series for the Ohio University campus community.
The series, currently in its third year, is designed to support OHIO's commitment to building an intentional culture of inclusion, creating an enriching academic experience that expands civic engagement and cultural competency, and ensuring individual success and retention needs of an increasingly diverse community.
Call for Proposals for the 2024-2025 Inclusive Excellence Workshop & Lecture Series
The Division of Diversity and Inclusion and the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost invite faculty and staff to submit proposals for the 2024-2025 Inclusive Excellence Workshop & Lecture Series.
The Series, in its third year, is designed to advance Ohio University’s established commitment to inclusive excellence by building an intentional culture of respect, creating an enriching academic experience, and by expanding civic engagement and cultural competency. The Series also provides an opportunity for faculty and staff to share their expertise and help OHIO towards achieving its mission of creating an inclusive culture where everyone is valued and treated with respect and dignity.
The 2024-2025 Inclusive Excellence Workshop & Lecture Series will be offered through two formats: virtual, 55-minute lectures and in-person, 80-minute topics. Topics may include (but are not limited to) sense of belonging, accessibility, diversity of perspectives/approaches, equitable learning outcomes, religious/cultural/cognitive diversity, inclusive pedagogy, and climate/environmental justice. Proposals appropriate for a broad audience including faculty, staff, students, and community members are preferred.
Proposals are due June 15, 2024 and may be submitted online at Submit Proposal
Proposals should include proposed workshop/lecture title, content description, intended audience, intended learning outcomes, and format preference.
The Division of Diversity and Inclusion and the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost will evaluate proposals and fund up to ten (10) proposals for Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 semesters. Faculty and staff will be offered a small stipend for designing, delivering, and assessing one workshop/lecture. Proposals will be evaluated and selected by July 15, 2024. The annual Series is scheduled to begin in September 2024.
Exploring, Improving, and Applying your Critical Pedagogy Skills through Self-Reflection
As many lower-division, GenEd courses are taught by TAs and junior faculty members, their impact on the learning experience of our undergraduate students is crucial. To foster a sense of belonging for all, and more specifically, our BIPOC undergraduate students, it is pivotal to first consider critical approaches to serve our students. We will focus on creating equitable and accessible learning spaces based on examining instructors’ positionality. Through individual and collective reflection, we will review terminology related to bias, access, power and privilege, and engage in navigating courageous conversations.
Principles of critical pedagogies, such as Social Justice Education, Anti-racist Education, Asset-based Pedagogies, and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies will be explored, then attendees will engage in individual exercises to foster critical self-awareness and think-pair-share activities to practice applying your existing or newly gained skills through scenarios’ discussion.
o Facilitator: Muriel Gallego, PhD. Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics-Spanish.
o Date, Time, and Location: Tuesday, September 17 from 2:00 – 3:20PM in Friends of the Library (Room 319).
o Audience: All Ohio University faculty, staff, and graduate students are welcome. Novice instructors, graduate students working with undergraduates, and faculty members and administrators who work with or mentor graduate students appointed as TAs or lab assistants are especially encouraged.
Creating Equitable Learning Spaces: Intercultural Understanding for Classroom Management
Managing the classroom or lab environment as well as interacting with students outside of the classroom can be one of the most challenging aspects of teaching, especially for novice instructors and TAs. Classroom management and student engagement can be particularly difficult for international TAs and faculty members accustomed to other educational systems and power dynamics. This workshop is designed to equip faculty, TAs and TA mentors with a toolkit to improve their cultural fluency and intercultural understanding in order to facilitate student engagement and build a positive, equal, and inclusive climate for learning. Attendees will participate in discussions of possible scenarios and engage in hands-on activities that will include getting familiar with strategies to anticipate and solve intercultural misunderstandings, recognize biases, understand and recognize microaggressions, and handle difficult situations.
o Facilitator: Muriel Gallego, PhD. Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics-Spanish.
o Date, Time, and Location: Monday, September 30 from 1:00 – 1:55 PM, ONLINE.
o Audience: All Ohio University faculty, staff, and graduate students are welcome. International faculty and TA's, novice instructors, graduate students working with undergraduates, and faculty members and administrators who work with or mentor graduate students appointed as TA’s or lab assistants are especially encouraged.
Beyond Awareness – Measuring the Social Impact of Diversity & Inclusion Initiatives
Attendees will delve into methodologies for project assessment, impact evaluation, defining indicators to monitor the progress, and its significance with a specific focus on Social Return on Investment (SROI) principles. We will explore how to identify and differentiate between outputs, outcomes, and impacts. Explanations about how key performance indicators (KPIs) are set to track progress and showcase the contribution of D&I programs in making a thriving campus culture will be teased out. Additionally, some insight to stakeholder engagement, conducting survey or other types of data collection, will be added, which can help in defining the outcomes. The session itself will be a dynamic blend of presentation, discussions, and case study analysis. Participants will actively engage in activities like identifying relevant KPIs for specific D&I initiatives, applying SROI principles to hypothetical scenarios, and analyzing real-world examples of D&I impact evaluation in non-profit organizations. Q&A and small discussions will be woven throughout the session, ensuring a truly interactive learning experience.
o Facilitator: Hashim Pashtun, PhD. Impact Analyst, Voinovich School of Leadership & Public Service.
o Date, Time, and Location: Thursday, October 3, 2:00 – 3:20 PM in Friends of the Library (Room 319).
o Audience: All Ohio University faculty, staff, administrators, and students are welcome.
Leveraging AI for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: Understanding Its Use an Impact
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly permeating every aspect of our lives, including crucial domains like human resources, education, healthcare, music, and software development. However, its deployment raises significant ethical and legal concerns regarding bias and fairness, particularly concerning Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I). This lecture aims to dissect the multifaceted relationship between AI and DE&I, delving into its potential pitfalls and promising solutions. Participants will gain a foundational understanding of how AI algorithms can inadvertently perpetuate existing biases thereby exacerbating inequalities in society. Using interactive discussions and attendee engagement, we will explore real-world examples of how AI systems are affecting various underrepresented groups. Moreover, the program will equip participants with insights and elevate their awareness regarding AI and the need for prudent oversight and self-governance.
o Facilitator: Clifton E. Mason, MBA. Assistant Professor of Instruction, Department of Analytics and Information Systems.
o Date, Time, and Location: Wednesday, October 23, 2:00 – 2:55 PM in Friends of the Library (Room 319).
o Audience: All Ohio University faculty, staff, administrators, and graduate students are welcome.
Discovering Hidden Messages in Our Work: An Exploration of Education as Non-Neutral
Whether we realize it or not, we are always sending messages to students about what is important, valued, and valid in our courses, programs, departments, and at our institution. From the discourses we use in our syllabus and in class to the images we have on our department website, these messages are not neutral or objective. In this workshop, we will examine our work from a “critical literacy” lens to understand how we might be more aware of these messages and more intentionally engage with students in equitable, inclusive, and just ways. Participants will examine their current perspectives and practices to reflect on the following question: What does it mean that teaching and learning is non-neutral? We will engage in activities and discussions in both whole and small group formats.
o Facilitators: Courtney Koestler, PhD. Associate Professor and Director of the OHIO Center for Equity in Mathematics and Science. Danielle Feeney, PhD. Assistant Professor, Special Education.
o Date, Time, and Location: Thursday, November 14, 2:00 – 3:20 PM in Friends of the Library (Room 319).
o Audience: All Ohio University faculty, staff, administrators, and graduate students are welcome.
Global Perspectives in Higher Education – Exploring and Expanding Inclusive Competences
By exploring such areas as accessibility, diversity of perspective approaches, inclusive pedagogy, and equitable learning outcomes, the workshop enhances the academic experiences by integrating cultural competencies into teaching, learning, and support services, while preparing the OHIO community to function effectively in a globalized world. Attendees will be introduced to methods and applications of diverse knowledge systems into curriculum design, strategies for the design of globally accessible student support services, and techniques for embracing global diversity in learning. In addition, activities designed to aid participants in greater appreciating cultural diversity, and in building their own capacity to harness inclusive educational environments, will anchor the session.
o Facilitator: Samba Bah, PhD Candidate. Counseling and Higher Education, Patton College of Education.
o Date, Time, and Location: Wednesday, November 20, 2:00 – 2:55 PM. ONLINE.
o Audience: All OHIO University community are welcome.