CATL announces 2023-24 Diversity and Inclusion Grant recipients

The Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 12th annual Diversity and Inclusion Grants for the 2023-24 academic year. Since 2011, this grant program has supported small faculty teams in developing projects focused on inclusive pedagogies, assignments, content and strategies to foster learning about human diversity. Information about previous Diversity & Inclusion Grant recipients and final reports and recommendations is available on the CATL website.

This year’s diversity and inclusion grant winners were selected from a highly competitive application pool, and include the following teams:

English and Belk Library

Lina Kuhn and Paula Patch with the English Department along with Patrick Rudd and Shannon Tennant of Belk Library will examine how bias and privilege infiltrate systems of published information in relation to data algorithms behind searches, missing and marginalized perspectives, and publication access—and how to introduce these ideas to first-year students who use such systems to conduct research. This project builds on a Stage One DIG project bringing ideas about information privilege and bias into the first-year writing classroom. For Stage Two, they plan to create a community of practice with COR 1100 faculty from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds to investigate how such topics might enter the global experience classroom.

Environmental Studies, Geography and Political Science

Amanda Chunco, Ryan Kirk, Jacob Rutz and Kelsey Biting with the Environmental Studies Department along with Aaron Sparks with the Department of Political Science and Policy Studies will be working on how to improve departmental climate through student surveys and focus groups.  Environmental science (ENS) remains one of the least racially diverse STEM fields. In addition, environmental science can exclude people with mobility limitations because of the field work required. Surveys and focus groups with Elon ENS majors, potential majors, and ENS alumni will be conducted to identify current perceptions of departmental climate and sense of belonging and to provide baseline data to inform curricular changes to improve departmental climate of inclusion.

Computer Science

Shannon Duvall will lead a group with Elizabeth von Brieson, Richard Dutton and Scott Spurlock in the Computer Science Department to look at culturally responsive teaching (CRT) materials. Their project aims to create, assess and disseminate course materials for the department that meet the goals of CRT. The specific goals within the CRT framework that will be addressed are 1) ensure a range of diverse course assets, 2) craft opportunities for students to connect course content with their unique lived experiences, and 3) foster student reflection for whole-student learning and wellbeing. An inventory will be taken of currently available materials for courses, then develop, use, assess, and disseminate new course materials (lectures, slide decks, examples, and assignments) that meet the identified goals.

Psychology

Anne Marie Iselin will lead a team that includes Adam Kim and Will Schreiber with the Psychology Department to examine how bias and privilege infiltrate systems of published information in relation to data algorithms behind searches, missing and marginalized perspectives, and publication access—and how to introduce these ideas to first-year students who use such systems to conduct research. This project builds on a Stage One DIG project bringing ideas about information privilege and bias into the first-year writing classroom. For this Stage Two iteration, they plan to create a community of practice with COR 1100 faculty from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds to investigate how such topics might enter the global experience classroom as well.

Congratulations to the DIG Recipients!

Look for the next Diversity and Inclusion Grants call in early March 2024.