Events
What Should (n't) I Say? A Conversation for Well-Meaning Faculty at a Pre-dominantly White University
Date and Time
Wednesday, March 11, 2015 11:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Description
Dr. Patty Stow Bolea, professor, School of Social Work
Dr. Dana Munk, Pew Faculty Teaching & Learning Center
When civil rights issues and unrest are rampant in greater
society, faculty may (or may not) feel compelled to engage in open
discussion about these events with their students. While it is
important to unpack these issues with students, not knowing what to
say and/or how to say it can be a barrier for faculty to engage with
students in meaningful ways. Despite the best preparations,
intentions, and group discussion skills, it is common for discussions
to be superficial in nature, involve few rather than all students, and
end with a demonstration of the inherent difficulties rather than a
meaningful shared understanding.
Using case study analysis, this session will explore ways that faculty can engage in more meaningful conversations about sensitive issues with students. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to reflect on barriers in their own teaching that prevent them from facilitating crucial conversations relevant to contemporary oppression and bias.