Meeting Date
- Opening quotation
- Yale student disability activists and leaders continue a years-long effort to create a new cultural center for students with disabilities
- https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2022/02/15/students-push-for-persons-with-disabilities-cultural-center/
- Invited Guest: Ellen Meader, Assistant Vice Provost for Equity, Inclusion and Academic Affairs
- The conversation is about topics, concerns, feedback and suggestions for D.E.I. 2.0 in relation to accessibility and equity focused learning in order to enhance students' learning.
- Overview of the Liaisons for Inclusive Teaching Initiative (LITs)
- Created in response to a 2014 Provost Committee recommendation for D.E.I.
- As a response to the committee's findings the university was asked to create a U of M Excellence in Teaching program for instructors and faculty. They deemed this program necessary because of practices in differing schools and departments throughout the university that made it difficult to promote inclusive learning environments that students frequently experience microaggressions in. This program would tackle issues with Lecturers and GSI’s not having instruction on differing learning styles and requirements.
- The task force that was created to respond to these issues consisted of members of the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT)
- As a response to the committee's findings the university was asked to create a U of M Excellence in Teaching program for instructors and faculty. They deemed this program necessary because of practices in differing schools and departments throughout the university that made it difficult to promote inclusive learning environments that students frequently experience microaggressions in. This program would tackle issues with Lecturers and GSI’s not having instruction on differing learning styles and requirements.
- What they found would be most effective was professional development programs based on disciplines.
- Use different instructional practices for different disciplines to help make the biggest and best changes to make learning more inclusive.
- They launched the pilot program with the LSA teaching academy in 2015, a leader for inclusive teaching and development programs. This program uses D.E.I. to help develop action items among teaching. The liaisons for this program help develop strategies in their department to make learning more inclusive.
- Liaisons were appointed by their Deans and tasked with the goal of being a leader for the development and implementation of inclusive teaching professional development programs in their units in order to meet specific needs. In order to make the liaisons work most effectively they participated in training and workshops to build their knowledge and skills in relation to inclusive learning.
- Current liaison standings
- There are liaisons at 18 schools throughout U of M and the program has started to include libraries.
- Places with liaisons include the University Library, the Bentley Library, the Clements Library, the Institute for Social Research (ISR), the University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA), the Matthaei Botanical Gardens, and Nichols Arboretum.
- There are 34 liaisons total spread throughout 24 units
- The meetings with the liaisons often cover various specific topics including assessment and evaluation, anti-racist pedagogy, trauma informed pedagogy, and accessibility .
- Places with liaisons include the University Library, the Bentley Library, the Clements Library, the Institute for Social Research (ISR), the University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA), the Matthaei Botanical Gardens, and Nichols Arboretum.
- There are liaisons at 18 schools throughout U of M and the program has started to include libraries.
- To summarize, DEI 1.0 included professional development opportunities around accessibility for instructors, asking faculty what they have done on D. E.I. issues, and overall aimed to increase the inclusivity practices in the classroom.
- Examples of impacts that have been made in response to D.E.I. 1.0: The School of Public Health incorporated peer to peer mentoring for faculty and required 8 hours of continuing education credits around D.E.I. The Lecturers Union (LEO) created an inclusive teaching program over the summer that lecturers applied to be part of. In this program lecturers revised their syllabi for the fall semester and throughout the semester met in teaching circles to develop and change their practices in response to challenges and feedback they faced in the classroom and from their peers.
- Examples of changes to curriculum can be found in the School of Social Work with their Privilege, Oppression, Diversity, and Social Justice program (PODS) and de-centering whiteness initiative in the School of Education.
- In the School of Social Work they incorporated the PODS program with an emphasis on anti-racist frameworks and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) techniques.
- In the School of Education students identified ways in which they felt left out in their education; these aspects included gender identity, religious identity, sexual orientation, and ability status.
- Examples of changes to curriculum can be found in the School of Social Work with their Privilege, Oppression, Diversity, and Social Justice program (PODS) and de-centering whiteness initiative in the School of Education.
- Only about 10 of the units mentioned focused on accessibility issues. Most of the issues in relation to accessibility mentioned online accessibility features including closed captioning on videos. Few included physical accessibility issues (ex: access to classrooms).
- The School of Kinesiology had ADA action items around signage, accessibility to the building, and making sure all print, electronic items, and the website was ADA compliant. All faculty had to attest that all print and electronic resources were accessible to individuals with visual, hearing, or other impairments or learning challenges.
- The School of Music, Theater, and Dance provided better training to faculty on how to better meet the needs of students with disabilities. They also incorporated student and faculty feedback along with coordinating their efforts with groups around campus including the IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility) Board, The Council for Disability Concerns, and Services for Students with the Disability office.
- Examples of impacts that have been made in response to D.E.I. 1.0: The School of Public Health incorporated peer to peer mentoring for faculty and required 8 hours of continuing education credits around D.E.I. The Lecturers Union (LEO) created an inclusive teaching program over the summer that lecturers applied to be part of. In this program lecturers revised their syllabi for the fall semester and throughout the semester met in teaching circles to develop and change their practices in response to challenges and feedback they faced in the classroom and from their peers.
- D.E.I 2.0 accessibility inside and outside of the classroom.
- Examples of goals for future D.E.I. initiatives:
- Bentley Library specifically said that they will center around updating spaces where classes meet.
- Aims to include technology upgrades to support adaptive tools, upgrading displays to be more inclusive, addressing bathrooms, and addressing reflection spaces. Incorporating more work on accessibility issues on campus in places including the UMMA, the botanical gardens, and libraries on campus.
- Where to find what accessibility work is being done in relation to D.E.I.
- In order to find this you must go to each separate organization's plans. There is no universal, centralized plan; it is organized by unit.
- Created in response to a 2014 Provost Committee recommendation for D.E.I.
- Discussion about accessibility and equity in the classroom and impacts on student learning
- Do you find that non‐faculty members are very aware of what you're working on with this group? Or does it tend to be more faculty focused?
- Many of the units have broadened their focus beyond, you know, quote unquote faculty. So, they have included their graduate students, their GSIs, in the trainings, as well as lecturers. Some have started to develop ways to include clinical faculty. The information probably is limited to those that it is focused on, but it doesn't mean that we can't publicize more broadly, like to campus groups.
- Are you working with the Testing Accommodation Center to ensure equity for testing?
- It is out of the scope of this committee but information may be available from the Testing Accommodation Center. The liaisons however do engage with this office. In their work they talk about issues that they may have and how they can make better use of this office.
- LSA Technology Services fields requests for accommodations in classrooms. It is important to have technology installed that meets various needs. What could be done/what is done for classroom accessibility? Right now LSA has exceptional resources to meet inclusivity needs in the technology realm. How can we center the functionality of these resources throughout different departments?
- This is beyond the scope of this group but they can look into it in the future. In order to help make this information accessible the liaisons are looking into having hybrid meetings.
- Hybrid classrooms bring up issues including a possible learning gap in mixed settings due to the difficulty of teaching in two spaces at once. We could use guidance on making hybrid meetings inclusive. How can we better integrate virtual and in person spaces in classrooms and meetings? How can we make hybrid spaces inclusive?
- D.E.I. 2.0 will hopefully address these issues. Bringing these issues up are important and will be brought back to Ellen Meader’s colleagues to be looked at for D.E.I 2.0.
- Reaching out to the DisabilityCulture (DC@UM) group for feedback on this topic. Also the disability liaisons for CSG and GEO
- https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/inclusive-teaching/
- Do you find that non‐faculty members are very aware of what you're working on with this group? Or does it tend to be more faculty focused?
- Announcements
- Introduction of incoming CfDC Administrative Assistant - Isabella Hack
Special Faculty Senate meeting on May 25th for expanding the Faculty Senate - looking for people to speak at the meeting, reach out to Rebekah Modrak ([email protected]) for more information.