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Writing Program lecturer Dr. Shakuntala Ray was selected to participate in 2021-2022’s year-long Teaching for Inclusiveness, Diversity, & Equity (TIDE) fellowship. The TIDE Ambassadors Fellowship, run by UMass Amherst’s Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) supports the UMass Diversity Strategic Plan and recognizes the vital role that faculty fulfill in creating an inclusive and equitable college experience for students.

During the TIDE fellowship year, ten fellows from departments and disciplines across campus explore how they can enhance students’ learning and academic success across cultural, social and learning differences by adopting a strength-based, inclusive and equitable approach to teaching and learning. Dr. Ray pursued a TIDE fellowship in order to not just improve and self-reflect upon her own individual teaching, but also to find concrete ways to support a large cohort of incoming graduate student instructors to the Writing Program.

As a TIDE fellow, Dr. Ray has co-facilitated with TIDE fellows two university-wide CTL (Centre for Teaching and Leaning) anti-racist pedagogy workshops. Dr. Ray also has led a Writing Program practicum for second year instructors on “Teaching Inclusively and Equitably” that draws inspiration on her work as a TIDE fellow. In terms of members of the Writing Program getting involved, the TIDE practica is a great place to experience and add to some deeper conversations and ideas around social justice and inclusive/equitable teaching.