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Making the Case for DEI
Module 1: Making the Case for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)
From Ways to Incorporate DEI into Your Courses
By David J. Luke, Chief Diversity Officer, University of Michigan, Flint
Rationales for DEI
Initiatives for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) are ubiquitous in higher education, taking different names (often including other words like “Justice” or “Belonging,” but typically including DEI). Concepts related to DEI are increasingly politically contested, with states like Tennessee voting...more.
How To Make the Case
My recommendation to instructors incorporating DEI into their classrooms, particularly in courses where it may feel like less of a “natural” fit, is to leverage all possible rationales that are available...more.
Exercise or Activity for the Classroom
Making the case for DEI is important, and getting students involved could be a way to achieve collective buy-in. Documenting some of the rationale for the decisions and ways that DEI have been infused in the course through the course syllabus...more.
Three Important Takeaways
While you want to incorporate principles of DEI in your classroom, and a moral case for DEI likely resonates with you, not all your students or colleagues will agree. You should practice making the case for the importance of DEI to different audiences with different interests so you can get more people onboard...more.