Diversity and Your Department

Barst, J. M. (2013). Pedagogical Approaches to Diversity in the English Classroom: A Case Study of Global Feminist Literature. Pedagogy: Critical Approaches to Teaching Literature, Language, Composition, and Culture, 13(1), 149-157. (PDF)

Barst advocates for a class discussion of diversity early on in the class, so every student can develop a fruitful definition of diversity that goes beyond "lip service." She also believes that the professor should ground every text in cultural and historical contexts before the students read the text, and develop discussion-based activities and assignments that continually refine students' ideas of diversity using the texts in question.

Burns, K. A. (2014). Minimizing and Managing Microaggressions in the Philosophy Classroom. Teaching Philosophy, 37(2), 131-152. (PDF)

This essay offers a working definition of the term 'microaggression,' and shows how they can make their way into the classroom. From there, Burns illustrates the impact of microaggressions and gives tips on how to minimize their appearance. This is essential reading for professors that need to familiarize themselves with the concept and improve their classroom environment.

Lovejoy, K. B., Fox, S., & Wills, K. V. (2009). From Language Experience to Classroom Practice: Affirming Linguistic Diversity in Writing Pedagogy. Pedagogy: Critical Approaches to Teaching Literature, Language, Composition, and Culture, 9(2), 261-287. (PDF)

In this article, Lovejoy et al. advocate for college writing courses that work towards acceptance of each student's native language and dialect, instead of forcing a single, monolingual writing style. To illustrate their point, each author describes certain experiences that helped them maintain an inclusive classroom environment. This is recommended for any professor that teaches writing-heavy courses.