The Equity-Minded Syllabus
The Equity-Minded Syllabus
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Who? Why? What? How? And Also...
Diversity
Diversity
California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office — Data Mart
(2023-2024 Annual Student Count Report)
Black and brown, nontraditional and first generation college students “report a lower sense of belonging than continuing-generation students or white students” ("Students’ Sense of Belonging Varies by Identity, Institution”)
“With few exceptions … higher education institutions were founded and designed to serve white students, particularly those who are male, middle- to upper-class, heterosexual, able-bodied, and Christian. Despite the increasing diversity of the American college student population, many of higher education’s policies and practices have not been reconfigured to equitably support, affirm, and validate students from racially/ethnically minoritized groups” (Cuesta College Syllabus Review Guide)
Diverse students today "benefit from 'full-disclosure of the terms of success.' In this process, faculty demystify the academy’s ambiguous and confusing processes, give students access to the language of the institution, and improve their chances for success” (USC CUE)
Equity
Equity
Be explicit
Create equitable policies
Adopt low-cost or OER texts
Link to resources and student support
Factor in how students read and use the syllabus
Be explicit
"Details about effective work and study habits, definitions of terms such as ‘office hours,’ and locations of important places, such as the bookstore and tutoring center” (USC CUE 19)
"How to succeed in this class" (from Tram Dang's Physics 21 Syllabus)
Create equitable policies
Attendance, camera-on
Due dates and late work (see Steph Anderson's Psych 13 Syllabus)
Adopt low-cost or OER texts
Visit SMC's LibGuide on Open Educational Resources (OER) and Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) options
Academic Senate for California Community Colleges OER Initiative Newsletter (October '24)
Link to resources and student support
Check out those listed on SMC’s model syllabus
Sara Brewer's Media 1 Syllabus has a whole tab titled "Support for you"
Factor in how students read and use the syllabus
As schedule:
“Calendar control can … represent a subtle power issue that ultimately establishes who is in charge of the course”
Suggest instructors “either make their schedules clear and/or directly involve students in the planning and calendaring process”
As document:
"Consider streamlining syllabi to recognize reading habits of today's students" (The 21st Century Syllabus: Tips for Putting Andragogy into Practice)
Inclusion
Inclusion
Welcome students with tone
Use inclusive language
Include welcoming, tone-setting statements
Choose inclusive content
Welcome students with tone
Harsh language can be intimidating and discouraging for some students
Steer clear of punitive language, and use your syllabus as an opportunity to show students how they can learn the material, showcase their knowledge, and ultimately succeed
Use inclusive language
🚩 🚩 🚩 🚩 🚩 🚩 🚩 🚩 🚩 🚩 🚩 🚩 [red flags]
False we that often really means you
Weasel words: “sound inclusive but in reality ambiguously disguise the truth of continued instructor power norms” (The 21st-Century Syllabus: Tips for Putting Andragogy into Practice)
“Let’s make sure your writing is free from mechanics and sentence construction errors”
🟢 🟢 🟢 🟢 🟢 🟢 🟢 🟢 🟢 🟢 🟢 🟢 [green lights]
Aspirational and visioning language
“What we hope to achieve in this course” (Steph Anderson's Psych 13 Syllabus has a section titled "Defining our Starting Place")
Go beyond objective/outcome format
Gesture toward the why of course design and specific policies
“You aren’t eligible to participate in the peer review assignment if you do not submit a draft” vs. “if you don’t have a draft to work with, you won’t be able to benefit from the feedback and revision suggestions from a peer, which you will get in a structured peer review conducted in class”
Get at why the class is important, where the class fits in students’ educational journey
Include welcoming, tone-setting statements
Land Acknowledgment (excellent one from Tram Dang's Physics 21 Syllabus)
Equitable Learning Environment Statement
Students with Disabilities Statement
Gender-Inclusivity Statement, including instructions on how to set your preferred/affirmed first name on Corsair Connect, and your personal pronouns on Canvas (see Sara Brewer's Media 1 Syllabus and Steph Anderson's Psych 13 Syllabus for examples of really clear language)
Choose inclusive content
Reflects the diversity of students’ racial-ethnic experiences
Addresses issues of social inequality along lines of race, class, gender, etc.
Addresses real-world problems facing diverse communities
Accessibility
Accessibility
Make videos with subtitles
Streamline
Check documents for readability
Properly use headings, fonts, and hyperlinks
An entire workshop could be devoted to accommodations and accessibility. SMC's Center for Students with Disabilities has information and links to resources for both faculty and students.
And also...
And also...
“If the syllabus is indeed an integral part of the course, then the first week of class should not be the only time the syllabus is a key part of the classroom. We are not referring to ongoing 'that’s in the syllabus' type comments as 'revisiting'... For example, the design could routinely link learning goals, objectives, and broader learning outcomes as part of assignment descriptions, making ongoing discussion of both why these activities are happening and how students can personally expect to benefit from doing them much easier. This approach could help move teachers and students beyond a tendency to stick to the 'what needs to happen' focus of many assignment conversations and instead encourage deeper … philosophical conversations” (The 21st-Century Syllabus: Tips for Putting Andragogy into Practice)
Implement classroom norms/ground rules
You might make this part of the contract of the syllabus (from the Center for Teaching Innovation at Cornell)
Create your own list of classroom norms and present them to the class.
Have students contribute additional items.
Have the class create their own items and decide on the list of norms as a group.
Include these norms in the course syllabus.
Present norms as a contract students must sign.
Have you and your students use norms as a tool throughout the semester. Revisit them periodically to reinforce.
In the event of conflict, use classroom norms to dictate how to address difficult situations
Work to make your class learner-centered
Teacher-centered vs. learner-centered – shifts focus from professor’s desires to student’s needs (Can a Learner-Centered Syllabus Change Students’ Perceptions of Student–Professor Rapport and Master Teacher Behaviors?)
Developing reciprocity and cooperation among students
Using active learning strategies
Offering rapid feedback
Emphasizing time on task
Communicating high expectations
Respecting diverse talents and ways of learning
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