Statement on Diversity
Jeremy L. Schnieder, PhD
After two decades of teaching writing and assessing writing programs, I have come to believe that one of the greatest barriers to our students’ success is our unwillingness to see their strengths. Whether our students are English language learners, first generation in college, underrepresented minority students, LGBTQ+ folx, or even just farm kids from the Midwest, we do an immeasurable disservice to our classrooms, and our students futures, when we fail to value the lived experiences and knowledges our students bring.
For two years, early in my career, I taught at the English Language Institute at University of Nebraska at Kearney. Our students primarily came from East Asian countries, where the rules of discourse were quite different than at western academic institutions. Together, we addressed the cultural differences in writing and discussion between east and west so that these students could embrace the experiences they brought to the classroom while understanding the cultural expectations they were about to face. We developed ways they could represent themselves to show the value of their identity even when some in the small midwestern community might see it as a detriment. After leaving the ELI program, as I directed a successful writing center and taught all levels of writing and public speaking courses, I have consistently worked with students with varying levels of levels of comfort and experience with “academic” English. In each class, I encourage all students to use their lived experiences and knowledge in assignments, discussions, and as part of their reflective practices rather than assume these are something to be overcome. This is one way in which I teach from an asset, rather than deficit, model in the writing classroom.
It has also been transformative to teach and mentor first generation college students, and to see the strengths they bring to the classroom and their larger world. Too often, I have heard conversations about “First Gen” students focused on what they lack: preparation, family support, access, materials, and an understanding of “why they should come to my office hours.” And yet, at Scripps College, Morningside College, and Bowling Green State University, I have come to understand that what we should recognize is what they bring: resilience, determination, a new voice to academic discussion, an awareness of the stakes and sacrifices made, and a willingness to press forward even when academia seems hesitant to let them succeed. In each of these institutions I have had the privilege to work with first gen students and to help them find avenues, through writing assignments, speeches, and socially relevant projects, that allow them to voice their experience and draw from their strengths. For example, in my First Year Seminar class at Morningside College students were invited to draw on the strengths, experiences, and values that formed their identities to that point and then use that knowledge to better prepare for college success and life after graduation. (Please see the assignment here.) By foregrounding the strengths and understandings, rather than expecting the limitations, of my first-generation students I have been better able to help them persist and succeed.
Students who are historically underrepresented in college or who have had experiences of being “othered” before or during college (such as women in STEM, LGBTQ+ students, and / or men in “helping” professions education) are often plagued by experiences of tokenism, the pressure to “represent” or “be respectable,” and / or the fear of letting down their communities and families of origin. Again, it is critical to work alongside these students with an asset mindset throughout our teaching, advising, and evaluation.In recent studies on grading and feedback, Yeager, et al (2013) have argued that historically underrepresented students most need feedback that imparts high expectations, trust, and a belief that students can succeed in order for those students to thrive in their education. Such feedback promotes the view that the student -- while informed by their background and identities -- is also an individual with their own goals, skills, and dispositions that can be leveraged for success. A strength and trust approach to evaluation relies on the understanding that historically underrepresented and minority students have significant previous experience with dominant culture and educational environments, but it also recognizes that those lived experiences have not, overwhelmingly, been positive or affirming and that we have a responsibility to be intentional in our feedback and assessment practices in such a way that we attend to the unfortunate mistrust previous experience has created. Throughout my career in writing studies, this sense that students must be held to high expectations, viewed and treated with trust, and given a path to success regardless of previous experience has been a hallmark of both my teaching and assessment work. To give just one example, I researched, developed, piloted, and passed a general education curriculum assessment plan at Morningside College that was focused on using real student work based on high and consistent outcomes expectations (regardless of background) to encourage fairness and equal access to learning across educational experiences at the school. This innovative work will be featured in the upcoming volume Improving Outcomes Across Disciplines, edited by Diane Kelly-Riley and Norbert Elliot (2019).
Finally, a word about teaching “farm kids.” In my career I have taught students in Ohio, Iowa, and Nebraska, many of whom are white, Christian, and from small towns where farming dominates. It may not immediately occur to others why students from this demographic should be included in a diversity statement, and I understand. These students have had many privileges and are protected by much of their background and educational experience. However, if we are to take our students seriously we must take these students seriously and we must commit to understanding how these students experience the world. For example, I recently partnered with a religious studies professor at Morningside College who taught World Religions. Together we developed reflective writing prompts that encouraged these students to empathize with Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu and Jewish people after participating in various traditional practices. This work has not only significantly changed the perspective of these students but has also been featured at the 2017 AAC&U Diversity Conference in Jacksonville, FL.
Working from a perspective of student asset, rather than deficit, is critical. It allows faculty, instructional staff, tutors, and students to share a common vision of what is possible, and clearly aligns with best practices and up-to-date research on equity in writing studies. My career-long conviction that students of diverse backgrounds bring inestimable value to both the college and the community, and the many experiences I have had that bear out the fruit of this belief.