Breakout Session 3

This session utilizes interactive activities and real-world examples to show how literature can address intersectionality and identity in higher education. We define intersectionality and have participants create posters showcasing their identities. We then share ways literature can be used to create safe discussions on diverse identities: 1) through book clubs (such as the White Fragility Book Club and the One Book One College initiative), 2) through sharing literature for different age groups, and 3) through partnerships with diversity committees to help promote authors from underrepresented populations. Attendees should bring three pieces of paper and a writing instrument for the activities.

While instructors are doing the hugely important work creating more inclusive classrooms, face-to-face courses often follow an instructional pattern that is difficult for learners on the spectrum to easily navigate, especially if a student displays “distracting” behaviors or is non-verbal. Quite simply, autism is another learning style, which necessitates a different pedagogical approach—one that, when purposefully constructed, will benefit all students. Therefore, this session seeks not only to raise awareness of the growing population of neuroatypical students entering college classrooms every year, but also to demonstrate just how awesome neurodiverse learners can make the classroom for their neurotypical peers.

A midwestern community college has one of the most successful minority mentorship programs in the country, having garnered national awards for its positive impact on African American male students. From the pilot semester (fall 2015), this program has produced results: increased retention and persistence, higher GPAs, significant student engagement, astounding degree completion and transfer rates among the most underperforming ethnic demographic.

With the key learnings from that pilot cohort, the program expanded to include other underserved demographics (African American females, Latinx, Native American) with the same positive results. In its sixth year of life-changing, community-building results, the program itself is not ephemeral and should not be limited to this one institution. Starting with program success statistics, we will deconstruct the contributing factors and determine what elements (if not all) are transferable for student success and diversity, equity, and inclusion goals at your institution.

This session utilizes interactive activities and real-world examples of challenges and other issues within the deaf community. We will have an immersion experience learning sign language without using voice. If you encounter a deaf person, how do you handle the situation? This workshop will help you to be alert to social cues when you run into a deaf person.