The Center for the Advancement of Teaching at UCLA acknowledges the Gabrielino/Tongva peoples as the traditional land caretakers of Tovaangar (the Los Angeles basin and So. Channel Islands). As a land grant institution, we pay our respects to the Honuukvetam (Ancestors), ‘Ahiihirom (Elders) and ‘Eyoohiinkem (our relatives/relations) past, present and emerging.
We invite you to learn more about the Gabrielino/Tongva peoples, about land acknowledgment, and about additional actions that can support the ongoing work of decolonizing relationships with people and place using the links below. This resource list is not exhaustive.
UCLA Statement on Acknowledging Native Peoples at UCLA Events
Guide to Indigenous Land Acknowledgment and Going Beyond Land Acknowledgment (Native Governance Center)
Starting From the Heart: Going Beyond a Land Acknowledgment (Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario)
This workshop, hosted by the UCLA Center for the Advancement of Teaching, focuses on examining one’s own social identity development in order to lay groundwork for authentically preparing to teach equitably and inclusively. Through guided self-reflection and group activities, this workshop explores how our identities impact our roles as educators and examines ways that social identity threat and other forms of bias negatively impact students. This workshop focuses on creating space for critical reflection and developing and practicing proactive strategies for equitable, inclusive teaching.
Reflect on how our social identities shape how we approach our roles as educators.
Recognize and be able to connect barriers of inclusion to adverse and inequitable effects on student academic performance and sense of belonging.
Identify proactive strategies that can help mitigate bias and foster inclusive, equitable learning environments.
Practice community agreements, brave space, and active listening -- and learn how to apply these in your teaching.
In order to help foster a brave space for dialogue, this workshop has not been recorded. This workshop is most effective when experienced live, and will be offered again. Visit the Events page of the CAT website for more information about workshop offerings, and the Equitable & Inclusive Teaching page of our website for more information related to our EDI resources and programming, including information about scheduling consultations or workshops for your department/division. If you are interested in exploring equitable teaching practices independently, we recommend the resources below. Please note that these lists are not exhaustive. To learn more about CAT services or to recommend additional resources for this website, contact CAT Associate Director for Faculty Engagement Beth Goodhue.
CAT Equitable & Inclusive Teaching resource website - featuring an index of our key resources and resources curated by campus partners
Sample start-of-term surveys re: student access/equity concerns: Survey 1, Survey 2 and Survey 3 + CAT mid-quarter evaluation template
UCLA student data sources - CAT and campus surveys re: remote student experience, SAIRO Graduate and Professional Student Survey, UC Undergraduate Experience Survey
And be sure to check out this fantastic visualization of UC-wide student data!
UCLA Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Resources from Bruin X on Implicit Bias and Confronting Bias
Sources of data about UCLA campus demographics and student experience:
The Silence of Our Friends: Recognizing Microaggressions - a video produced by UCLA graduate students in the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, reflecting on microaggressions, their impact, and how recipients of microaggressions choose to respond
Some Key Resources for Students
Harvard University’s free Project Implicit - Social Attitudes portal
Wheaton College Becoming an Anti-Racist Educator resource hub
Learning for Justice resource hub
"Racism and Inequality are the Products of Design. They Can Be Redesigned" (2016 Medium article from the equityXdesign collaborative - Caroline Hill, Michelle Molitor, & Christine Ortiz)
TED Talk by Verna Meyers - How to overcome our biases? Walk boldly toward them.
TED Talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - The Danger of a Single Story
TED Talk by Melanie Domenech Rodríguez - No Way But Through
Creating a Positive Classroom Climate for Diversity (UCLA Diversity & Faculty Development Initiative)
Enhancing Student Success and Building Inclusive Classrooms at UCLA (Hurtado & Sork, 2015)
The Climate for Diversity at Cornell University: Student Experiences (Hurtado, Gasiewski, and Alvarez, 2014)
"Racial Microaggressions in Everyday Life" (Sue et al, 2007 - Columbia)
"Racial Microaggressions: What They Are, What They Are Not, and Why They Matter" (Huber and Solórzano, 2015)
USC Center for Urban Education Research Portal
Diversity in the Workplace report (Behavioral Science & Policy, 2020) -- Key Takeaway: While there is evidence that implicit bias training alone is not effective, when it is incorporated as part of a larger system of training, intervention, and policy change, evidence shows such programs can have a positive impact.
Wheaton College Becoming an Anti-Racist Educator resource hub
"Welcome to the Anti-Racist Movement -- Here's What You've Missed" (2017 Medium article by Ijeoma Oluo -- see also So You Want to Talk about Race and other works by this author)
"Racism and Inequality are the Products of Design. They Can Be Redesigned" (2016 Medium article from the equityXdesign collaborative - Caroline Hill, Michelle Molitor, & Christine Ortiz)
"From White Racist to White Anti-Racist: The Lifelong Journey" (Tema Okun, dRworks)
This workshop is guided by the community agreements listed below. We recommend that instructors establish community agreements together with students to help create a foundation for equitable and inclusive learning. This resource guide from CAT and UCLA Intergroup Dialogue provides tips for establishing community agreements in classes of all sizes and with varying levels of student engagement.
Recognize how your own social positionality (e.g., race, class, gender, sexuality, ability) informs your perspectives.
Give space for others to share (give space, take space).
Challenge the idea, not the person.
Identities stay, learning leaves (i.e. respect confidentiality when sharing lessons learned).
Be open to, accept, and expect emotion, vulnerability, (dis)comfort, and (non)disclosure.
Assume good intentions and take responsibility for the impact of your participation (oops/ouch).
Respect and honor identities and preferences (e.g. learn and use names and pronouns).
View mistakes and discomfort as opportunities for growth.
Lead with active listening. Give everyone a chance to share without interruption before responding or diving into discussion.
Be open to, accept, and expect emotion, vulnerability, (dis)comfort, and (non)disclosure. You can pass on sharing at any time--and it’s ok if your group sits in uncomfortable silence or journals privately before sharing.
Notice how you are feeling. Reflect on how your identities and experiences impact how you hear/view what others share.
Be curious about (rather than dismissive of) other perspectives.
“Can you tell me more about a time when that was true for you?”
“What experiences in your life led you to see things this way?”
If something makes you uncomfortable…
Consider speaking up: “While that may be your experience and reality, my experience has led me to see things differently…”
Ask for help from the session facilitators (or encourage students to ask for help from the instructor).
For tips on developing community agreements with your students, check out this resource guide from CAT. To learn more about the benefits and limitations of developing community agreements for courses, see Özlem Sensoy and Robin DiAngelo’s “Respect Differences? Challenging the Common Guidelines in Social Justice Education” (Democracy & Education, 2014). For more information on safe vs. brave spaces, see: Brian Arao and Kristi Clemens, The Art of Effective Facilitation: Reflections From Social Justice Educators (2013) and this resource guide from the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA).