DEI Learning Environment
This section will primarily assist students, faculty, and staff in student-facing positions by providing resources on how to support peers and students from underrepresented backgrounds, how to discuss race and other uncomfortable topics on a college campus, and how to design an inclusive classroom and learning experience.
Students from marginalized backgrounds are often overlooked and misunderstood. This causes their unique needs to go unmet. The resources below amplify the voices and experiences of students from historically marginalized communities, including those who identify as transgender or Native American.
Disability Visibility Podcast Ep. 98, 2021 – A 40-minute podcast episode featuring a disability advocate who discusses developing her disability identity and her experience of community organizing at her undergraduate institution, UC Berkeley.
Helping Faculty Help First-Gen Students – An infographic sharing tips and tools that will equip professors in supporting first-generation students.
Native American Students Respond to American Education – A short video of Kumeyaay youth sharing their experiences of being stereotyped and underrepresented, and their hopes for the future of our country.
Students from Low-Income Backgrounds – An article describing various practices that faculty and staff can implement to better support students as they enter and articulate through college. These practices will help alleviate stress among students and increase transparency about financial resources.
Transgender Student Experiences at a Large Public University A research study providing a voice to the experiences of transgender students in the classroom as it relates to them coming out and the support they receive from instructors, peers, and the overall institution.
As faculty are the primary on-campus resources for students, they have the responsibility to ensure their classroom, course, and syllabi are reflective of the student identities they will encounter each semester. The resources below will guide faculty in creating an atmosphere of belonging and inclusivity for all students.
The Importance of Diversity & Multicultural Awareness in Education – Drexel University School of Education provides an article emphasizing the benefits of multicultural education and strategies to advance multiculturalism in the classroom.
How We Pronounce Student Names and Why It Matters – Podcast episode and article listing the harmful effects of mispronouncing a person’s name and ways to improve pronunciation skills going forward.
Designing Inclusive Classrooms: Where to Start? – A 55-minute webinar emphasizing how classroom inclusivity affects student well-being and sense of belonging. The webinar also mentions the positive outcomes of a strong instructional design and diverse course materials.
Inclusion By Design: Survey Your Syllabus and Course – Design – A worksheet created for faculty to assess their syllabi and course design for inclusive practices.
Reflecting on Your Practice: Equity-focused Teaching Strategies – Assessment created for faculty to assess the course in terms of critical engagement of difference, academic belonging, transparency, structured interactions, and flexibility.
Create an Accessible Syllabus in Word – A guide providing instructions on how to create an accessible syllabus.
Higher education institutions provide opportunities for members of campus to share ideas and learn from one another despite differences. These resources discuss the benefits of expanding student learning by engaging them in uncomfortable or taboo dialogues.
Difficult Dialogues, Privilege, and Social Justice: Uses of the Privileged Identity Exploration (PIE) Model in Student Affairs Practice – An article from the College Student Affairs Journal identifying eight defense modes found in people when engaging in social justice dialogues. The article also states how facilitators of dialogues can use this model to engage participants.
Talking about Race in Mostly White Schools – An article breaking down the importance of addressing race in white spaces and how faculty can effectively hold conversations in their classroom.
Teaching about Controversial Issues: A Resource Guide – An article from Brown University providing resources on how faculty can facilitate controversial discussions and how faculty can engage administration, families, and others to normalize and promote effective, controversial conversations.
Below is a list of undergraduate majors and minors that students can enroll in to immerse themselves in the experiences of populations that are traditionally underrepresented. Students can also choose to enroll in specific classes without signing up for the full major and/or minor. Click on each major or minor to view the course listings!
Can Enroll as a Major::
Can Enroll as a Minor:
Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration
Can Enroll as Major or Minor:
Race, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Only Open to College of Education Majors:
Students must take one course in any part of the University that exposes them to critical scholarship on the root causes of marginalization and inequity and how to counter it. Please reference the Social Justice and Diversity Requirement webpage for more information. To learn which courses meet this requirement, please contact your academic advsior or Gina Reese (gmreese@butler.edu) or search the course listing.