Section 2 Getting Started

The purpose of this section is to provide teachers with general tips to incorporating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in their classrooms regardless of course content.

Explore how under-represented groups are performing in your classroom

• Explore the My Course Analytics Dashboard (MCAD): this tool allows you to look at student performance broken down by gender, residency, race/ethnicity, transfer status, first-generation status, pell grant eligibility, relative SAT and ACT percentiles, and age (FAQs )

Navigate available resources and design an inclusive syllabus

• Explore the DEI Sakai site which contains several helpful resources on diversity in the classroom and anti-racist teaching. Email Patrick Harrison to be added to the site.
• Use available resources on inclusive class design (see here for links to resources on how to talk about race in the classroom, inclusive class design basics, and considerations for zoom classrooms, office hours, syllabi, test questions, and for writing DEI statements).
• Read about inclusive syllabi and inclusive teaching
• Make updates to your course syllabi incorporating what you have learned

Build representation into your course

• Make sure all of your students can see themselves represented in the names and images you present.
• Discuss diverse social groups and emphasize different identities in class examples. For example, to help your class relate to issues of diversity you may talk about sexism, classism, misogyny, ageism, homophobia, transphobia and/or xenophobia in addition to racism.
  
• Include research from BIPOC/URM scholars in your syllabi and lectures (see this list of BIPOC/URM scholars across program/topic area; this database of neuroscientists, and this list of affective scientists)
• Familiarize yourself with WEIRD psychology samples. Make updates to your slides, examples, tests, quizzes, assignments, and readings to better represent your students and highlight the work of historically excluded scholars.

Consider Accessibility

• Use a contrast checker and color-blind friendly color palettes to enhance visual accessibility.
• For virtual teaching, use closed captioning (e.g., PPT, google slides , zoom , teams )
• Article from Society for the Teaching of Psychology provides suggestions for increasing inclusiveness by adding discussions of Disabilities in psychology courses:
• Ensure students have access to university resources related to both scholarship (e.g., learning center, Thrive@Carolina, writing center) and mental health (e.g., UNC CAPS & UNC Student Wellness) by linking these resources to your course web page or syllabus

Recognize bias in science and the historical and cultural context of the material you cover

• Make sure all of your students can see themselves represented in the names and images you present. Discuss diverse social groups and emphasize different identities in class examples. For example, to help your class relate to issues of diversity you may talk about classism, misogyny, ageism, homophobia, transphobia and/or xenophobia in addition to racism.
  
• Include research from BIPOC/URM scholars in your syllabi and lectures (see this list of BIPOC/URM scholars across program/topic area; this database of neuroscientists, this list of affective scientists) Familiarize yourself with WEIRD psychology samples.
• Make updates to your slides, examples, tests, quizzes, assignments, and readings to better represent your students and highlight the work of historically excluded scholars.

Continue your own education to critically evaluate your courses and teaching practices

• Read Tatum (1992) Talking about Race, Learning about Racism Consider likely sources of discomfort/resistance (e.g., look at this guide to White Supremacy Culture in Organizations)
• Explore the Teachers Tolerance Guide and related resources on facilitating critical conversations
• Sign up for additional trainings at UNC (e.g., SafeZone, GreenZone, UndocuCarolina, Haven).
• Be open to feedback. Listen to students and peers about issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Remember, you will still make mistakes. If a student or peer alerts you to an action that is in contrast with the core philosophy of DEI in teaching, formally apologize. Avoid an apology that centers on absolving yourself of guilt, but focus instead on acknowledging your mistake, naming why it was harmful, and implementing an actionable change so that it doesn’t happen again.
• Continue educating yourself about DEI issues and update your syllabi and course materials annually or biannually to reflect what you learn.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Teaching by UNC Psychology & Neuroscience DEI Education Subcommittee is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.