Create a More Inclusive Syllabus Workshop – March 17, 18, 2022

Sponsored by the HHMI Grant Management Team and the Inclusive Pedagogy Committee  

UPDATE: We did not receive the number of RSVPs we had hoped for and are sad to say that we had to cancel the workshops planned for this Thursday and Friday. I think that this past term has been difficult for many and that is borne out in the response to this opportunity. But all is not lost. Rose and Jedidiah are very interested in offering these again in Spring term. Please stay tuned!

Dr. Rose Theisen and Jedidiah Rex will lead participants in an exploration of what it means to create a more inclusive syllabus and why it is important to do so. Participants will be provided with a rubric and other syllabus resources. Participants will be given the opportunity for structured peer-to-peer discussion.  

The workshop will consist of two 90-minute sessions. In the morning session, workshop participants will review the inclusive syllabus rubric, discuss why inclusive syllabi are important, and summarize and compare elements of an inclusive syllabus. In the afternoon session, workshop participants will analyze syllabi for inclusive elements, and create an evaluation and action plan for making their own syllabus more inclusive.  

The sessions will be held in Memorial 002 on March 17 and 18 from 10:30AM-12:00PM and 1:30-3:00PM. Choose one day that works for your schedule.

An RSVP by Tuesday, March 15, is strongly encouraged, but everyone is warmly welcome regardless! To make the workshop valuable for all, we would like to have at least eight participants at each session.   

✅  PLEASE NOTE: These sessions are planned to be in-person and will not be recorded.  

In keeping with our support for the Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) initiative, we’ve outlined the workshop’s Tasks, Purposes, and Criteria below. 

Purpose: 

  • To learn about strategies and best practices for inclusive syllabus development.  
  • To engage with peers on issues of teaching and learning.  
  • To use tools and resources to examine, evaluate, and revise one’s own syllabus.  

Tasks: 

Participants will: 

  • review and become familiar with the Inclusive Syllabus Rubric [AM] 
  • engage in discussion with peers around information shared in the session [AM, PM]
  • examine assumptions and fears about creating a more inclusive syllabus [AM, PM] 
  • collaboratively evaluate a recent or upcoming draft syllabus with the Inclusive Syllabus Rubric [PM] 
  • create an action plan for making their own syllabus more inclusive [PM] 

Criteria: 

Successful participation means that after the sessions a participant can: 

  • summarize the parts of an inclusive syllabus as defined in the rubric. 
  • identify positive examples of inclusive syllabus elements using the rubric. 
  • explain to a peer why creating an inclusive syllabus is important.  
  • use what you learned from the workshop when developing your next syllabus and be willing to share what you learned with others in your department or office.