In The Wake Up: Closing the Gap Between Good Intentions and Real Change, Michelle Mijung Kim includes a chapter titled “Center the Most Marginated” that both has nothing to do about syllabus design and has everything to do about designing syllabi that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. Because this chapter does not focus on—or even mention syllabi—it needs to be supplemented with authors such as Richard Jerome who provides tips for faculty that encourage us to be welcoming, representing, validating, demystifying, creating, and deconstructing as well as Diane Finley who explains why we should have inclusive syllabi. Reviewing sample DEI statements such as those compiled by Clemson University’s Office of Teaching Effectiveness and Innovation is also helpful. But Kim is especially important because they provide us with a framework to understand the larger context for doing right for the right reasons.

Kim cautions that “Despite genuine attempts, sometimes people, eager to learn and connect, end up causing harm by forgetting the importance of honoring the needs, boundaries, and desires of the marginalized (p. 107).” Sometimes college policies and procedures even require professors to work against inclusion. At my college, I am required to include syllabus language that violates best practices for inclusion. For years, I have both included that required language—in 8-point type—with an addendum that provides language that better reflects my values.

While discussing the design process used for launching the Queer Youth Leadership Camp, Kim provides a baseline that we can adopt when designing our syllabi. We must begin “by gaining a detailed understanding of the young people’s circumstances and designing our programs to meet them where they were. Ensuring their safety, access, and dignified empowerment remained our top priority throughout (p. 111).”

If we ask, “How does this policy or procedure impact generic students,” we could easily miss students who are not like us. Our policies—like student circumstances—should not be designed as one size fits most. Therefore, we need to consider a series of questions. How does this policy/procedure impact students with transportation issues? With mental health issues? From different races, religions, socio-economic statuses? Who are first generation, immigrants, undocumented, non-traditional? Who are transitioning? Who are…

Some might ask why we should focus everything on a minority of our students instead of designing syllabi for the majority. Kim explains, “Solving for the most marginalized does not mean building solutions that will only serve a small, limited, minority. As a matter of fact, policies, products, and cultures designed to meet the needs of the most marginalized often end up benefiting a much wider net of people (p. 114).” Or, as Gary Robinson argues, “Quality [closed] captioning serves everybody [not just deaf people].”

In my classes, I have a “Life Gets in the Way” policy. A student only needs to let me know that life has gotten in the way and I will work with them to make up missed materials. The policy allows me to assist students who miss class due to transportation, mental health, family dynamics, socio-economic, and other reasons without their needing to explain the reasons to me. The policy supports the most marginated but benefits everyone; including students who miss class to go on vacation or who overslept their alarm or—as one student indiscreetly shared—because he was having sex with his girlfriend. Although I do not always agree with the reason a student misses class—or even that the reason they miss actually falls into the spirit of “life gets in the way”—I am relieved of the burden of having to decide what constitutes a legitimate reason for missing class and can just assist everyone.¹

Finally, as Kim explains, “to truly center the most marginalized in our equity and justice work, we must shift resources and reallocate power to those belonging to marginalized communities to lead the solutioning, rather than making assumptions about their needs from a position of privilege (p. 115).” As a faculty member, I need to listen to students who have experiences very different from my own. Some of the listening can take place in face to face discussions, but I can also read books and articles such as Kim’s The Wake Up that challenge my thinking by providing the stories that I might not otherwise hear. Then I can continue to improve my syllabi so that they allow me to take the types of compassionate actions that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.

–Steven L. Berg, PhD

¹I do let students know that if life frequently gets in the way it likely means that there is something going on in their lives for which they need more assistance than I am trained to provide. I let them know that in such cases, I will ask just enough enough questions so that I gain enough information so that I can refer them to college resources best designed to help them.

Works Cited

Clemson University’s Office of Teaching Effectiveness and Innovation. “Diversity & Inclusion Syllabus Statements.”

Finley, Diane. “Inclusive Syllabus: Suggestions for Creating a Syllabus that is Respectful, Welcoming, and Inclusive.” American Psychological Association.

Jerome, Richard. “Equitizing Your Syllabus: 6 Steps for Faculty.” Nov. 2021. Every Learner Everywhere.

Kim, Michelle Mijung. The Wake Up. Hachette Go, 2021.

 

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