As part of the university’s commitment to improving the campus climate, an institutional membership with the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD) is now available to all faculty, postdoctoral workers and graduate students at no cost. The NCFDD is an independent professional development, training and mentoring community of scholars and students from more than 450 colleges and universities. Its resources are intended to benefit faculty and students of color, as well as all who are in need of general mentoring and looking for support during their career transitions. To activate your membership, visit the NCFDD website. For more information, visit Diversity Matters.
UMass now gives students the ability to indicate their pronouns in SPIRE, which appear on class rosters. Why is this important? How should instructors use this information? What if an instructor makes a mistake in referring to a student? How can instructors best respond if students make a mistake in referring to another student in their class? Join Dr. Genny Beemyn (Director, Stonewall Center) and Dr. Kirsten Helmer (TEFD) for this interactive presentation that will engage participants with these and other questions so that instructors can best respect students of all gender identities and expressions. More “The Whys and Hows of Pronoun Use in the Classroom” info.
How can we preserve our joy and love of teaching? How can we grow as teachers? How can we find the courage to teach with integrity and authenticity? In this interactive session we want to explore what these questions mean for us as educators who sometimes struggle with teaching authentically as we find ourselves positioned at the margins of our own classrooms. More "Searching for Our Authentic Teaching Persona" info.
You are welcome to join us for an hour, come and go to accommodate unexpected meetings, or spend the entire day in the company of your colleagues. A $5 ticket to purchase refreshments in the library cafe or Campus Center will be provided when you arrive. More "Scholarly Writing Retreat" info.
This session provides faculty who are currently teaching a GenEd course with a DU/DG designation with a midterm check-in opportunity to share and discuss challenges and successes related to engaging their students with the new GenEd Diversity Learning Outcomes. Join TEFD Director of Programming for Diversity, Inclusion, & Equity Kirsten Helmer and members of the General Education Council for this interactive cross-disciplinary session.
"A great activity forces you to think across ideas and, in the design, challenges you."
Dr. Anna Branch, Associate Professor and Associate Chancellor for Equity and Inclusion, discusses the elements of well-constructed collaborative activities that result in deep learning.
