Inclusive and equitable classrooms are essential to the success and well-being of all Berkeley students.
Dialogue Series Overview
Berkeley's faculty dialogue series engages colleagues in peer-led conversation on inclusive teaching and learning strategies. As part of the Campus Climate Initiative, the dialogues focus on both analysis and action, helping create classroom environments which are more fully welcoming and responsive to students with diverse backgrounds and identities.
By and For Faculty
Dialogue modules are designed and run by a faculty leadership group – twelve professors from a range of fields who are knowledgeable and committed to issues of equity, inclusion and diversity. They take place in small clusters of departments, each including two or three units that share an intellectual or other type of affinity – e.g. STEM departments, departments in the same College or Division, a group of professional schools, language and literature programs, etc.
Session Content
Inclusive Classroom Practices – Building Success and Community for our Diverse Students
The first session each department participates in maps a range of key issues related to inclusive teaching and learning, including: classroom climate, addressing bias, inclusive group dynamics, inclusive curriculum, responsive teaching strategies, and the importance of student and faculty identity. It also includes time for strategy sharing, exploration of common classroom scenarios and challenges, and initial action planning.
Session length: 2 hours.
Customized Thematic Dialogues
As a follow up to the first session, each department cluster also participates in one or more targeted thematic sessions. The goal of these sessions is to support deeper conversation on specific issues and challenges that may be particularly relevant or timely for a particular unit or field.
Session length: 1.5 – 2 hours. Sample topics include:
- Teaching sensitive/controversial topics
- Inclusive projects and study groups
- Understanding and alleviating stereotype threat
- Addressing microaggressions and unconscious bias
- Incorporating diversity issues more deeply into the curriculum
- Working effectively with different learning styles
- Faculty identity and positionality
Contact Us
For more information or to get involved with Faculty Dialogue Series, please contact Amy Scharf at ascharf@berkeley.edu(link sends e-mail) or 510-642-8844
