Last summer, Penn State President Eric Barron confronted the reality of systemic discrimination and unjust racial disparities that plague our country.
In his message, he said, “As an institution of higher education, we have an obligation to fight ignorance and intolerance, model inclusivity and embrace the power that diversity represents.”
Barron also reaffirmed “Penn State’s commitment to disrupting hate, bias and racism whenever and wherever we encounter it, and to creating the most inclusive and diverse community that we possibly can — one that is free of discrimination; one that embraces differences; and one that respects all individuals.”
The College of Education has embraced that commitment, making its own strong declaration of the intention to combat and actively dismantle persistent, both cloaked and visible, systemic bias and discrimination.
In short, the college is committed to changing education by educating for change.
“Probably the most important action we have taken college-wide is to examine the environment in which we are teaching, learning and working,” said Dean Kimberly A. Lawless. “We want to make sure that everyone who enters our spaces — our buildings, our offices and our classrooms – knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are welcomed, valued and appreciated.”
Lawless said that diversity in the population of the college brings diversity of thought, diversity of ideas and an overall richer experience for everyone. The college community has made a commitment to foster this diversity to enable the college to grow and flourish.
“Absolutely every action we are taking in this regard is built upon an overarching desire to foster a diverse, welcoming environment, and to empower our students to do the same both when they are here and also when they graduate and go out into the world,” Lawless said.
With that in mind, the college is examining the policies and operating procedures that guide practice, looking at them through an equity-minded lens and based on equity principles.
Successful organizations tend to keep doing what they did to become successful. Colleges and universities are no different in that regard.
“The status-quo is comfortable, and change is hard,” said María Schmidt, assistant dean in the Office of Education and Social Equity. “However, the status-quo disadvantages minoritized groups and individuals. It’s time for us to look at everything we do and figure out how to do it better, to help the college and everyone in it succeed.”
In that same vein, the college established an equity-minded curriculum task force, a collaboration between members of the college’s Equity Team and the Curricular Affairs Committee. This group was charged with providing resources to support and encourage equity-minded perspectives, content and pedagogical practices in courses in the college.
As part of their ongoing work, members of the task force are working to create a course syllabus template and guide that centers equity-minded, antiracist teaching and learning. The template also will include less typical syllabus components that communicate novel ways for instructors to bring equity perspectives into practice with their students.
Their work also is informed by key literature on the topic, including some written by faculty in the college, and also by Penn State policies and resources.
Last fall, the college developed equity modules and piloted them in several First Year Seminar (FYS) classes last fall. The team, led by Efraín Marimón, assistant professor of education, also launched a research project exploring those efforts.
“What I remember from Professor Marimón’s visit to our class last semester was the intense discussion surrounding social justice in different areas of our community,” said first-year student Valarie Hibbard. “I think the biggest takeaway I got was that we as a society shouldn’t have the same expectations and reactions for every person. Each individual comes with different experiences and perspectives and we shouldn’t try to box people into the expectations we have created, but rather understand that the world can be a little bit gray.”
The college also is:
- Reviewing and revising curriculum, paying attention to issues of equity in undergraduate and graduate courses. Where needed, the college will provide support for instructors’ use of, and teaching about, equity-minded and asset-based pedagogies.
- Creating processes and structures to increase faculty governance and activity on issues of diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Drawing college committees’ attention to implicit bias in faculty promotion reviews.
- Encouraging holistic review of applications to college graduate programs.
- Developing a process for reporting biases or discrimination experienced by minoritized faculty, staff and students.
- Reaching out to faculty within the college whose research, teaching and service show a clear history of experience in identifying and dismantling systemic discrimination, to strategize with the dean about ways to integrate practices into the college that combat systems inequity that are inherent and endemic in colleges and academic institutions.
- Creating an advisory council composed of faculty, staff and students of color and equity allies to serve as an advisory body to college leadership to support justice-oriented impact.
“We are using the expertise and resources within our college to create an equity-minded, inclusive teaching and learning environment,” Schmidt said.
Most recently, the college created an equity fund to support innovative and collaborative curriculum or programming across and within departments and program areas of the college.
“Projects seeking this funding should address a need or gap in the college as it relates to diversity, equity and inclusion and should extend equity-based outcomes beyond traditional expectations of service to the college community,” said Schmidt.
Schmidt said projects should lead to substantive impact on curriculum, programs (existing or proposed), professional development, or policies and processes.
Alumni also have demonstrated a strong commitment to the cause. In addition to equity scholarship raised over this past year, a group of our underrepresented alumni reconnected and, supported by our college’s Alumni Office, re-ignited and revamped an alumni interest group. Now known as the College of Education Social Equity Alumni Network, the group has been recognized by the University as a formal Affiliate Program Group (APG).
Alumni can connect with the Social Equity Alumni Network on Twitter at @psucoe_sea; Instagram at @psucoe_sea; Facebook at Penn State College of Education Social Equity Alumni (SEA) Network; and LinkedIn at Penn State College of Education Social Equity Alumni (SEA) Network.
There are many other activities taking place in the college as well, and much faculty research includes an aspect of diversity, social justice, equity and belongingness in education.
“Most of what we are doing is, and will continue to be, a work in progress,” said Schmidt. “Meaningful work is soaring throughout the college and we are making strides. Still, there is much work ahead to fulfill our goals toward transforming education. The results will not be immediately apparent in all areas. The important thing to note is that we as a college — the leadership, faculty, staff, students and alumni — have joined together with a strong commitment to make these changes. And that is worth celebrating.”