In this era of increasing polarization, UNT’s mission of preparing students for the challenges they will meet in a world that is evolving rapidly has never been more important. A critical part of this preparation is helping students learn to consider and engage with different perspectives, and to be comfortable and confident expressing their own. Unfortunately, some students do not always feel included, nor that their experiences are valued. Indeed, some students often express doubt that they belong in the academic programs in which they are interested or even that they belong at a university at all. For the sake of all our students, it is incumbent on all of us that we carefully examine our policies and practices to ensure that they equitably support, affirm, and validate all students. During the 2021-22 academic year we asked faculty to gather input from students regarding how inclusive they feel the program curriculum is, asking questions such as how safe they feel in sharing their perspectives and how welcome they feel in the program. We then provided some guiding questions that individual faculty should consider and, together with the input gathered from students, asked them to reflect on their courses and teaching practices. Finally, we asked faculty in each program to consider together ways the overall program might be adjusted to encourage respectful and welcoming dialog, and then submit a narrative to their college’s dean detailing what steps they have taken so far and what further steps they have planned to support this mission.
DELIVERY FORMAT: The program has a hybrid format.
PROGRAM SCALE: Large-scale (reaches more than 25 percent of its intended target population)
APPROXIMATE PARTICIPANTS SERVED IN 2021-22: 32000
HOW TO ENROLL: All stakeholders have access to this program. As such, there is no enrollment process
DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Vice Provost for Student Success
CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Michael McPherson at michael.mcpherson@unt.edu or 940-565-2550
- Subject:
- Student Success
- Material Type:
- Student Success: Faculty/staff-facing
- Student Success: Student-facing
- Provider:
- University of North Texas
- Date Added:
- 09/15/2022