SJE Graduate Certificate in Teaching for Diversity
2011-2012

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The Social Justice Education concentration is a graduate program of study that provides background and information on social justice topics, curricular design and facilitation skills. It also offers practicum opportunities in which SJE graduate students gain supervision and experience in teaching UMA Gen Ed and departmental diversity courses. It is the intention of this proposed Certificate to make available a modified version of this graduate education, within Social Justice Education (SJE), for graduate students matriculated in other graduate programs, who teach Gen Ed diversity courses offered by these other departments, and who are looking for a 15 credit Certificate to enhance and develop their foundational knowledge, and curricular and facilitative skills in SJEl.

This Social Justice Education (SJE) Graduate Certificate in Teaching for Diversity will be available to graduate students across campus who teach diversity courses. It consists of a flexible five-course (15 credit) program of study focusing on the curricular knowledge and pedagogical skills needed for effective diversity teaching. It is structured to complement departmental preparation of graduate students who serve as diversity-course TAs as well as pre- and in-service K-12 teachers, to strengthen their teaching of diversity and social justice courses in their own academic disciplines. The focus of this Certificate is on social justice topics, and social justice curricular design and facilitation.

This Certificate is likely to be especially attractive to graduate students and TAs who are matriculated in graduate programs such as Afro-American Studies, Anthropology, the College Writing Program, Communication Studies, Education, English, History, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Women's Studies, many of whom teach General Education and/or departmental major and/or elective courses that have a social justice orientation. This proposal is a non-licensure certificate.

The Certificate consists of

• two core SJE courses,
• two electives selected from a list of cross-campus content courses dealing with diversity and social justice academic content or departmentally-specific practica,
• and an SJE teaching practicum. In the practicum, graduate students will apply their social justice and diversity content knowledge and pedagogical skills to design and facilitate undergraduate social justice education weekend seminars.

In its pilot first two years (2010-2012) this Certificate will be offered on the basis of two “tracks”,

• Track A is designed for graduate students teaching undergraduate diversity or social justice courses

• Track B is designed for graduate students preparing for K-12 teaching.

Track A: Graduate Students teaching undergraduate diversity courses

(1) The following two core SJE courses are required:

• EDUC 691E (3 cr.), Social Issues in Education (intensive weekend graduate seminars that introduce students to the experiential and interactive dimensions of social justice pedagogy, by focusing on one specific SJE issue such as Racism, Sexism, Heterosexism, Classism, Ableism, Antisemitism) (SJE faculty, Fall and Spring semesters) AND

• EDUC 627 & 797S (6 cr.), SJE Curriculum Development and Facilitation (a two-course sequence that explores the elements in creating semester-long or shorter-term SJE curricula for various age-groups, and enables participants to learn and practice the necessary SJE facilitation skills and pedagogies) (prerequisite 691E) (Bailey Jackson, Spring only) OR
• EDUC 795E (3 cr.), Theory & Practice of InterGroup Dialogue (a prerequisite course for students who want their practicum site to be the undergraduate InterGroup Dialogue course). (Ximena Zuniga, Fall only)

(2) Two electives, selected from a listing of departmentally based courses or practica with diversity or social justice focus. Where available and feasible, a departmentally-based teaching practicum will be recommended as the 2 nd of the two course electives in this departmental category. The selection of the 2 electives is based on a student's academic background and interests, and the available departmental courses or practica. (Certificate students may propose other course electives to the Certificate Advisor.) The groups of courses bulleted below suggest ways that students might think about selecting their 2 departmentally based electives ) cr.). (These lists will be regularly updated in consultation with departments.)

• Graduate courses offered in Afro-American Studies, Anthropology, Communication Studies, English, History, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Women's Studies. Examples include:
  Psych 891RR – Identity and Intergroup Relations
  Psych xxx – Prejudice and Stereotyping
  [ List will be regularly updated in consultation with departments]
  
• Graduate courses in Education*, such as:
  EDUC 595K, Introduction to College Teaching (Ouellett -- Spring)
  EDUC 609, Multicultural Group Processes ( Jackson -- Fall)
  EDUC 624, Historical and Contemporary Constructions of SJE (prerequisite is 691E; Jackson-- Fall)
  EDUC 648, Historical and Pedagogical Foundations of Social Justice Education ( prerequisite 691E; Zúñiga -- Spring)
  EDUC xxx Social Justice Mediation (Wing -- summer)
  EDUC 615E – Race, Class, & Gender in Higher Education (McClendon -- Fall)
  EDUC 615T -- Impact of College on Students (McClendon -- Spring)
  EDUC 626 -- Social theories in Education (Kamat)
  EDUC 793D -- Globalization and Education Policy (Kamat)
  [ List will be regularly updated in consultation with departments ]

Note: In some cases, Certification students might want to develop a specific teaching practica, based in their home departments, as one of the two departmentally-based electives. This would enable participants to develop a practicum specifically tailored to the course they are teaching within their own departments. It would consist of an independent departmentally-based teaching practicum developed in association with the teaching of an established undergraduate Gen Ed or other “diversity” course offered by the academic department, and focused on specific diversity or social justice education curricular and pedagogical components of that teaching. This practicum option would be developed and supervised by graduate faculty in the home academic department. (Possibilities explored so far, include College Writing Program, English, Higher Education, Psychology, Women's Studies.) This option can be developed by the Certificate student, his/her faculty supervisor for teaching, and the Certificate Advisor. Proposals for practica to satisfy this part of the departmental elective will be reviewed for prior approval by the Certificate advisor.

(3) An SJE practicum experience, in which graduate students teach or co-facilitate an undergraduate diversity or social justice course that exemplifies an inclusive curriculum and pedagogy for a diverse student body. Options include:

EDUC 691G: Practicum: Reflective Practice (a graduate Practicum that provides the framework, mentorship and coaching for graduate instructors teaching undergraduate weekend seminars, through EDUC 392. A structured opportunity to develop SJE curricular design and facilitation skills, and to practice SJE interactive pedagogies in EDUC 392 classrooms.) (prerequisites 691E & 627) (SJE faculty, Fall only. Prerequisites are EDUC 627 and 797S.)

EDUC 692B: Practicum: InterGroupDialogue (prerequisite is EDUC 795E). (A graduate Practicum that provides mentorship and coaching for graduate instructors to teach undergraduate semester-long courses on Intergroup dialogue, through EDUC 395Z.) (Ximena Zuniga, Spring only. Prerequisite is EDUC 795E, offered in the Fall.)

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  Track B: Graduate Students preparing for K-12 teaching

*Graduate students in Education (K-12) are encouraged to take the following 15 credit track:

1) The following two core courses are required:

• EDUC 691E (3 cr.), Social Issues in Education (intensive weekend graduate seminars that introduce students to the experiential and interactive dimensions of social justice pedagogy, by focusing on one specific SJE issue such as Racism, Sexism, Heterosexism, Classism, Ableism, Antisemitism) (SJE faculty, Fall and Spring semesters)
• EDUC 746 (3 cr.), Social Justice Education in Schools Theory. Education 746 is the first half of a year long course focused on social justice education (SJE) in K-12 schools.  Its purpose is to develop a theoretical, conceptual, pedagogical, scientific and curricular foundation for SJE in elementary and secondary education, as well as prepare students for a spring semester practicum related to SJE in schools. During the fall semester, students examine systemic and curricular approaches to SJE in schools, conduct a series of observations in local K-12 schools, and work in partnership with local teachers and administrators to design a comprehensive practicum for spring implementation.  Fall only. Prerequisites:Educ 691E; may be taken concurrently.

2) Additionally, students will take two electives, each of which must be approved by the students' Certificate Advisor:

• First Elective: Coursework related to historical and contemporary constructions of oppression and social justice in education. Recommended courses include:
• EDUC 624, Historical and Contemporary Constructions of Social Justice Education (prerequisite is 691E) ( Jackson —Fall; described at www.umass.edu/sje/courses.html), or
• EDUC 648, Historical and Pedagogical Foundations of Social Justice Education ( prerequisite 691E) (Zúñiga – Spring; described at www.umass.edu/sje/courses.html), or
• EDUC 626, Social Theories in Education (Kamat—Fall)
• An equivalent course related to historical or contemporary constructions of oppression in education.

• Second Elective : A subject-matter and/or K-12 specific course related to diversity and/or social justice. Recommended topics include multicultural literature, special education, cultural studies, gender studies, etc.

3) Students enrolled in Track B will conclude their certificate experience by designing, implementing, and reflecting upon a standards-based, social justice oriented curricular unit. This practicum is taken concurrently with EDUC 693N (3 cr., Spring only) and aligns well with TECS student teaching responsibilities. Note: If the scheduled day/time for 693N conflicts with students' full-time student teaching responsibility, SJE faculty will make alternate and/or independent meeting times available. Prerequisite EDUC 746.

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Application Information

Please contact Dr. Maurianne Adams ( adams@educ.umass.edu ) for further information about Track A (campus-based graduate students teaching undergraduate diversity courses), and Dr. Alison George-Dover ( ageorge@educ.umass.edu ) for further information about Track B (pre-service and inservice K-12 teachers).

Applicants will fill out an application form (from adams@educ.umass.edu ), provide a letter of support from a faculty member in their home department, and describe the teaching to which they will apply SJE skills and frameworks.

Dr. Adams will serve as Certificate advisor during the initial pilot period 2010-2011. Registration during 2010-2011 will be based upon availability in the required core courses.

 

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