Publication Date

Spring 5-10-2022

Document Type

Action research project: Open access

Degree Name

MA Higher Education Leadership

Department

Leadership Studies

Abstract

In recent years, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives have been highlighted in college mission statements, but there is a gap between college-wide initiatives and classroom practices. Research shows that White Americans, in particular, remain silent, express colorblindness, and incorporate avoidance strategies when discussing race (Bryan et al., 2012). As classrooms become increasingly diverse, White faculty must be equipped to serve all students equitably. To address White faculty discomfort with discussing race in their courses, I provided educational resources and used restorative justice circle practice to create a safe, low stakes environment for faculty to explore this topic. Through circle practices, faculty were able to reflect on their White identity, engage in role-playing, share ideas, and learn alongside one another. White faculty reported being more comfortable engaging in race conversations with students. They also moved beyond conversations to implementation by incorporating diverse authors and identity statements into their syllabi and created plans to adjust class practices to be more inviting and equitable.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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