Inclusive Teaching Institute
“Inclusion” has become a post-pandemic buzzword in many universities, as historical inequities have been recognized within a broader crisis in higher education itself. Amid record levels of student despair and disconnection, campuses across the country are reporting dropping enrollments and widening disparities in educational outcomes. In addition to bolstering diversity programs for the historically underserved, colleges are discovering vast differentials teaching in the education that nearly all students receive.
The result is an unprecedented movement to rethink higher education, as fiscal demands and social concern find themselves in a rare moment of alignment. Learning science is receiving new attention, with research showing that programs of support and accommodation can help students persist in their learning while addressing differentials in post-pandemic distress and overall mental health.
The Inclusive Teaching Institute (ITI) is a faculty-led professional development program designed to support faculty in cultivating a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility (DEI-A) culture in the classroom that supports the needs of all students, regardless of their backgrounds. The next ITI program will start on January 22, 2024. Seats are limited, so please register for the program by December 19, 2023.
Program Details
The Winter 2024 Inclusive Teaching Institute (ITI) is scheduled from January 22 to March 1, 2024. It is designed in a flipped format, including pre-assigned readings, self-paced Canvas content, and weekly peer discussion sessions on Wednesdays from 1:00 to 3:00 PM. A group of faculty peer coaches will facilitate the discussion and provide individual consultation to guide the ITI participants in reframing their curriculum and teaching strategies. All UCI faculty and grad students are welcome to participate. Program participants will be expected to:
Attend Peer Discussion Sessions
Join peer discussion and share teaching experiences to embrace the DEI-A culture in teaching on Wednesdays from 1:00 – 3:00 PM. Register for the program now!
Revise a Teaching/Course Element
Identify and revise a teaching or course element(s), such as the course policies, course syllabus, and grading structure, to adapt DEI-A practices for teaching.
Write an ITI Learning Reflection
Reflect on the learning process and describe the course redesign component(s) that you will implement to support the DEI-A culture.
Program Highlights
Cultivating a DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) Culture in the Classroom
Which specific methods might you use to enhance belonging in the day-to-day experiences of students?
Embracing Transparent Curriculum and Humanizing Teaching in Course Design
What does Universal Course Design for Learning mean to you as an instructor?
Providing an Accessible Learning Environment for All Students
Have you been designing assessments and activities that are accessible to all students? Do you plan to make any changes?
Implementing Pedagogical Wellness Strategies to Enhance Student Well-Being
What can you do to support your own pedagogical wellness?
What can you do to support students’’ wellness in the teaching and learning context?
Faculty Peer Coaches and Guest Speakers
The faculty peer coaches facilitate the breakout/small group discussion during the ITI cohort meetings. They will also serve as panel guest speakers and share their perspectives and teaching experience on DEI and Inclusive Teaching related topics.
Mark Baldwin
Donald Bren School of Information & Computer Science
Rachael Barry
School of Biological Sciences
Andrew Berk
Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity
Stacy Branham
Donald Bren School of Information & Computer Science
Christine Buckstead
Butte College
Long Bui
School of Social Sciences
Maritza Campo
Paul Merage School of Business
Max Chao
Paul Merage School of Business
Theresa Duong
Pedagogical Wellness Specialist
Meredith Ehrenberg
Information Architect
Somphone Eno
Disability Services Center
Angela Jenks
Office of Inclusive Excellence
Linda E. Johnson
Department of Psychology, Butte College
Adam Kasarda
Disability Services Center
Megan Linos
Director of Digital and Online Teaching
Gopi Meenakshisundaram
Donald Bren School of Information & Computer Science
Dax Ovid
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Georgia
Brian Sato
School of Biological Sciences
David Trend
Claire Trevor School of the Arts
Program History
Professor David Trend, from Claire Trevor School of the Arts, teaches a large lower-division undergraduate course with more than 1,000 enrolled students. He found pedagogical resources that make his teaching more inclusive and equitable can be hard to find. To address this issue, he partnered with Megan Linos, the Director of Digital and Online Teaching (DOT) from DTEI, and Meredith Ehrenberg, the Information Architect from ODIT, to submit a Confronting Extremism grant proposal in Summer 2022 to support the development of the Inclusive Course Design Institute (ICDI). Theresa Duong, the Pedagogical Wellness Specialist at DTEI, joined the project team in Fall 2022 to contribute to the wellness component of the program after the grant was awarded during the inaugural program in Spring 2023 under the sponsorship of the Office of the Inclusive Excellence (OIE). The program’s name now is changed to Inclusive Teaching Institute (ITI) to address overall DEI-A teaching practices.
PROGRAM CONTRIBUTORS (ALPHABETICAL BY LAST NAME)
Rhea Anastas, Associate Professor at the Claire Trevor School of the Arts
Andrew Berk, ADA Coordinator at OEOD
Stacy Branham, Assistant Professor at the Donald Bren School of Information & Computer Science
Max Chao, Senior Continuing Lecturer at the Paul Merage School of Business
Bo Choi, Instructional Designer at DTEI
Theresa Duong, Pedagogical Wellness Specialist, DTEI
Meredith Ehrenberg, Information Architect, at ODIT
Somphone Eno, Assistive Technology Manager at DSC
Jennifer Foung, Instructional Designer at DTEI
Brandon Golob, The Associate Dean of our distinguished Campuswide Honors Collegium (CHC), Associate Professor of Teaching at the School of Social Ecology
Adria Imada, Professor at the School of Humanities
Angela Jenks, Associate Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion, Associate Professor of Teaching, Department of Anthropology, School of Social Sciences
Pavan Kadandale, Professor of Teaching at the School of Biological Sciences
Adam Kasarda, Director, Disability Services Center
Megan Linos, Director of Digital and Online Teaching (DOT), DTEI
AnneMarie McEvoy, Associate Professor at the School of Education
Kelli Sharp, Associate Professor at the Claire Trevor School of the Arts
David Trend, Professor at the Claire Trevor School of the Arts
Fanny Tsai, Instructional Designer at DTEI
Alfonso Valdez, Lecturer at the School of Social Sciences