Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Priority No. 1: Help all students thrive

In 2020 the university unveiled Boldly Elon, its strategic plan through 2030 — a pillar of which is advancing diversity, equity and inclusion throughout campus classrooms. Simultaneously, the College has prioritized efforts seeking to advance DEI for students and among faculty. This spring, each department within the College began the five-year planning process, central to which are strategic steps to build inclusive pedagogy within courses and support cultures of inclusion.

This work seeks to foster a sense of belonging and shared experience among all students — those from all racial and social identities, first-generation students, those with disabilities, those with varying familial and educational backgrounds — and allows the underrepresented equal access to resources that will help them thrive.

Faculty and departments have for years undertaken this work of their own accord, obtaining grants to research and implement new teaching strategies, forming intra-departmental task forces to increase conversation and common ground among faculty, and tapping individuals to gather knowledge about inclusive pedagogy and spread that information among colleagues.

Assistant Professor of Mathematics Aaron Trocki has chaired the Department of Mathematics and Statistics’ diversity, equity and inclusion task force the last two academic years. With colleagues, Trocki has applied for and received two Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning grants since 2017, each focused on building community among students in introductory math and statistics courses. The department has also implemented a program to target underrepresented and first-generation students for focused mentoring and partnership with a fellow undergraduate. In 2019-20, the five students involved in the program succeeded in math and statistics courses and declared majors or minors within the department.

The Department of Performing Arts formed a diversity and inclusion task force in 2018. Associate Professor of Theatre Kevin Otos spearheaded that initiative with Department Chair Lauren Kearns after reflecting on the underrepresentation of marginalized and minority voices in the arts. Over the last two years, performing arts faculty worked together to create a department mission around the importance of diversity and inclusion. This action plan included changes to how performances and plays are selected and a series of community forums called “Art Through an Inclusive Lens” — deepening conversation and student experiences around performances.

The Engineering program has undertaken significant work in promoting inclusion and diversity within the field. Assistant Professor of Engineering Rich Blackmon and Associate Professor Sirena Hargrove-Leak applied for and received two CATL grants for intentional DEI initiatives and reflection within their courses. Blackmon’s assignments focus on the need for diverse perspectives for better-designed solutions. Design flaws stemming from a lack of diverse input or thought have real-world consequences. For example, facial-recognition software used by law enforcement has been shown to be biased and dangerous due to programming flaws stemming from inherent bias. Students in class are invited to submit their own design improvements based on their individual experiences.

Blackmon and Professor of Chemistry Karl Sienerth are faculty co-advisers of Elon’s chapter of oSTEM — Out in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, established in 2019 by Chris Adamik ’20 and Sydney Foster ’20. The national organization and its campus charters support STEM students and professionals in the LGBTQIA community. Sienerth said he was grateful to the students for founding the chapter and creating an opportunity for STEM faculty to publicly embrace and welcome students who might otherwise feel marginalized.

The Department of Biology aims to establish liaisons with the Center for Race, Ethnicity, and Diversity Education; Gender and LGBTQIA Center; Odyssey Program; and other campus resources to support efforts to recruit and retain students. Several STEM departments are also considering creating student advisory panels for better communication and response between faculty and undergraduates.

College awarded HHMI Faculty Forums grant to support DEI in STEM

The College of Arts and Sciences was awarded a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Faculty Forums grant to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in STEM departments. That grant, matched by the university, will fund faculty institutes, collaboration and sharing of knowledge around supporting students from various backgrounds through 2021. The funding allowed a group of 30 faculty to attend the Project Kaleidoscope and Association of American Colleges and University’s Transforming STEM Higher Education Conference in Chicago in November.

“The demands of putting together an application are helping us articulate our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion within our departments,” said Trocki, who is part of the team involved in the HHMI initiatives. “That’s an immediate benefit. It helps you pause and seriously consider where you are and where you want to go. Just the act of applying for these grants has been beneficial for moving the university and College of Arts and Sciences forward on these issues.”

Numerous other grant projects are underway throughout the College, in the humanities and the arts, with faculty collaborating to improve student experiences and outcomes.

“We continue to pursue grant opportunities that support student belonging, retention of students from underrepresented groups and cultural competence,” said Amy Overman, assistant dean of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of psychology. Overman is overseeing the HHMI Faculty Forums grant along with several upcoming large grant proposals aimed at helping students thrive in STEM and humanities classrooms.

Pursuing Inclusive Pedagogy

At a university recognized for the quality of its undergraduate teaching (ranked No. 2 among national universities by U.S. News and World Report), individualized attention and differentiated instruction are standard in College of Arts and Sciences classrooms. But faculty continue to pursue new teaching methods to enable students from various backgrounds to thrive and build the skills necessary for fulfilled lives and careers.

The AAC&U conference led to faculty infusing metacognition into their courses after a session there stressed its importance. Trocki and Assistant Professor of Chemistry Nyote Calixte both devote class time to metacognition. Calixte said she wants students to better understand how they learn and how to coach themselves to higher levels of thinking and analysis needed to apply knowledge. Calixte and Trocki said students responded enthusiastically to the modules and reported feeling empowered by better understanding their thinking, studying and learning.

Hargrove-Leak works with young engineers to understand the importance of representation within professional fields. In one exercise, she has students view a TED Talk about the myopic perceptions that come from single narratives or stories. She then has students examine their textbook and asks if it tells “a single story.” The book and its images are predominantly of males, and the problems are usually focused on traditionally male-dominated interests. But few realize that until Hargrove-Leak points it out, usually by pointing to herself — a Black woman and engineer — and asking them to consider how not being represented could impact a person’s success.

Some other examples of inclusive pedagogy cited by faculty include:

• Assigning a visit to office hours as a homework assignment early in the semester;
• Randomizing students for group work and projects;
• Highlighting the contributions of professionals from underrepresented groups within a field of study;
• Piloting a free online textbook program to remove financial barriers to a course;
• Encouraging student organizations and promoting the establishment of new campus organizations, such as oSTEM — Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics;
• Providing opportunities for students to speak and share their views in different scenarios, from large classroom discussions to small group and online messaging;
• Ensuring students know about and take advantage of the opportunities and support that exist for them on campus.