Inclusive Pedagogy Mini-Projects

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Deadline: Applications are Fall November 8, 2024, Spring TBA

Purpose: Recognizing that not all faculty are at the same stage when it comes to enhancing the diversity and inclusivity of their pedagogy, FDC would like to provide funding for teams of 2-8 faculty members to work on inclusive pedagogy mini-projects during AY 2024-25. To apply for this funding, please provide the information requested below. FDC looks forward to creative proposals of all types. In the Appendix we have provided a few brief descriptions (not full proposals) of possible mini-projects that would be suitable for this funding.

See Faculty Governance Moodle[1] course for a Discussion Forum where you can post an idea so others can be in touch to team up with you.

Some brief examples to help generate ideas have been listed below:

• A project might focus on bringing the intellectual work of current scholars from diverse backgrounds into a single course. A team of three to five faculty members who teach the same course would work together to develop these materials. To represent all students, the team will review the literature, integrate the work of other scholars, incorporate inclusive pedagogy, create exercises, etc. The final products could be a common syllabus, pedagogical approaches to teach the topics, grading rubrics, recommendations for library acquisitions, etc. The proposal budget request might include meals, books, travel, and/or workshop registration. Some projects might seek to leverage existing expertise within the university. This could happen both within departments and across departments. An example of the former might be faculty in Art and Art History building bridges across their different pedagogical approaches to enhance diversity and inclusion in their teaching. They might attend a workshop, talk or conference.

• Some projects might seek to leverage existing expertise within the university. This could happen both within departments and across departments. An example of the former might be faculty in Art and Art History building bridges across their different pedagogical approaches to enhance diversity and inclusion in their teaching. They might attend a workshop, talk, or conference together, have regular working lunches, and/or develop a team-taught Winter Term course. An example of the latter might be a group of faculty from Religious Studies and Philosophy teaming up with the aim of incorporating more east Asian thought into their courses. The main work would be identifying and reading primary texts in Eastern religion and philosophy for inclusion in courses and developing revised syllabi for existing courses that include this material. Dipping into scholarship in philosophy devoted to examining connections between eastern and western philosophy would also be part of the process.

• A project might focus on mentoring. For example, a team composed of colleagues across various departments develops a faculty mentoring program for their own departments that augments new faculty orientation. The goal here would not only be to inform new colleagues about DePauw's ongoing efforts to build a more equitable campus, but also ask them to share their knowledge of, and experiences with, successful practices at their previous institution(s) and/or graduate school. The team might identify relevant texts, webinars, or local talks/presentations and through working lunches or regular meetings over coffee/tea write up the framework of a new inclusive plan for their individual departments.

• A project could build or strengthen collaboration between departments, programs, or schools. For example, voice faculty in the SOM and faculty members in the CLA, perhaps from English, Languages, or History, could explore ways to increase voice students' understanding of the interconnectedness of specific works, putting them in context historically, socially, and/or politically with regard to issues of power, privilege, and diversity. Project activities could include observing each other's courses, virtual or in-person observation of pedagogical approaches at other institutions, and discussion of disciplinary perspectives and context of selected musical pieces.

• A team of colleagues from different disciplines could create an online, multimedia, pedagogy resource for the DePauw community. While the focus would be on inclusive pedagogy, the resource, ideally, would be tailored to the group's interests within the larger context of DePauw's educational mission. Funded project tasks could include collaboration to research, discuss, and design the pedagogical resource, interviewing or videotaping colleagues to demonstrate best practices, consulting with librarians and technical support (if not part of the project team), and creating the first iteration of the resource. One example of this is three to five faculty members exploring scholarly writings on diversity and inclusion for use in introductory courses, then creating an FDC libguide to share materials such as learning goals and rubrics for course activities.

Reporting Process: 

• Receipts for all expenses and a completed accounting reimbursement voucher worksheet must be submitted to Becky Wallace (facdev@depauw.edu) within four weeks of charge.

• Due Dates: Reports for projects will be due on August 30, 2024.

• Team Project Report: Each individual should provide a short reflection addressing whether or not goals were achieved and describing any envisioned next steps.

• Individual Project Reflection: Each individual should provide a short reflection addressing whether or not goals were achieved and describing any envisioned next steps.

Criteria for Evaluation: First-come, first-served pending availability of funds.