Teaching through Challenges for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)

Colleges and universities cannot ignore the increasingly diverse student population in their classrooms, and how a focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion across disciplines trains students in the intercultural awareness they will need in competitive job markets. Yet while faculty may be aware of a need to understand EDI goals in relationship to their disciplines, and institutions may support EDI in theory, the onus of pedagogical training in EDI often falls on individual faculty. This book was written by faculty and administrators for educators who value the goals of EDI, and seek an intellectual community to help them develop their practice. Important to this book is an honest discussion of common challenges faculty may face when they engage in this difficult work, and effective strategies for addressing those challenges. The chapters are grouped according to six different themes: respect for divergent learning styles; inclusion and exclusion; technology and social action; affective considerations; reflection for critical consciousness; and safe spaces and resistance.

Teaching through Challenges for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion brings together fresh perspectives, evidence-driven models, and practical strategies to accelerate inclusive teaching in higher education. This collection beautifully deepens and broadens in thought provoking and nuanced ways a dialogue that is more important than ever.--Mathew Ouellett, EdD, Executive Director of the Center for Teaching Innovation, Cornell University, This volume by Storms (Fairfield Univ.), Donovan (Wagner College), and Williams (Marygrove College) compiles essays from the authors and additional contributors that focus on education leadership and practices for developing a socially just leadership praxis. Understanding the challenges that face individual faculty as they attempt to develop courses in line with the goals of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), the authors have curated an action-oriented collection of writings from a diverse set of education leadership practitioners "to help them develop their practice." This volume serves the needs of school leaders, faculty who instruct in principal preparation programs, and professionals interested in critical education leadership practice. This is an accessible entry point for the emerging area of EDI practice in education leadership. Summing Up: Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty; professionals.-- "Choice Reviews", Research has proven that the most productive and innovative teams are those who embrace and stimulate diverse thinking strategies. It is critically important that we create opportunities for all of our students to engage and contribute. This text is a critical tool in that commitment.--Rita Fields, DM, SHRM-SCP, University of Michigan-Flint, You will find no shortage of actionable practices in Teaching Through Challenges for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). It provides a framework for shaking up traditional pedagogical strategies, steadfast in its approach towards promoting EDI within the minds of each individual educator along with higher education as a whole. Each chapter intently navigates the broad charge of migrating beyond the "discipline-specific" identification of EDI goals and challenges to the destination of a broad and comprehensive service approach for the 21st-century student. This book is a great read and will prepare you to transform your practice and alter human behavior!--David N. Turner, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, CCP, Vice President for Human Resources, Eastern Michigan University

Stephanie Burrell Storms, Associate Professor, Multicultural Education, Fairfield UniversitySarah K. Donovan, Professor, Philosophy, Wagner CollegeTheodora P. Williams, Associate Professor Emerita, Human Resource Management, Marygrove College