3.4 Why We Discuss Equity in College Classes

We discuss equity in college to help erase roadblocks to learning. The classroom should be a safe place to have discourse about ideas and concepts, and our language needs to invite that discussion, not shut it down. We also discuss equity in college classrooms to help students consider their audience. Whether we are speaking or writing, the words we use and their intentions are key to conveying our thoughts and ideas. Discussions about equity help students develop the language and vocabulary to communicate effectively, both conversationally and through writing.

 

Discussion Questions

Below are the discussion questions for each of the topics covered in the LCCC “Commodore Conversations 2020” LibGuides.

Police Academies and Security Services on College Campuses

Discussion Questions

  1. How do LCCC’s Police Academy, Campus Security, and Code of Conduct Office support the safety and security of our campus community while working to maintain a healthy balance between safety and creating a welcoming environment that protects the dignity of our students and visitors?
  2. What is Restorative Justice, and what is the Code of Conduct’s role as it pertains to the safety of the campus community and focus on Restorative Justice?
  3. What is policing equity and how does it impact our community?
  4. What is implicit bias, and what effects do unconscious racial biases have on the criminal justice system in the United States?
  5. What are some of the best arguments for and against police reform?
  6. What links do you see between campus security and the policing of surrounding communities?

 

Addressing Health Disparities

Discussion Questions

  1. Discuss how Covid-19 impacted your community—what disparities exist locally, nationally, and globally?
  2. Do we all have the same access to healthcare?
  3. How do social unrest and social justice issues affect public health, both physical health and mental health?
  4. What opportunities do we have in our community to close gaps in health disparities?
  5. How can healthcare become more equitable?
  6. How can healthcare providers advocate for and provide support for their patients?
  7. How has Covid-19 revealed racial inequities related to healthcare?

 

What Are Our Rights?

Discussion Questions

  1. The rights of citizens of the United States are outlined in the Constitution. Why is it important for college students to be aware of their Constitutional rights? What is confusing about Constitutional rights? Were there any surprises in reading the Constitution regarding personal rights?
  2. The Equity page emphasizes the Fourth Amendment. What is significant about this Amendment? What about this Amendment seems most applicable to you as a student? How does the Fourth Amendment protect your electronic data and devices?
  3. The Fourteenth Amendment grants US citizenship. What groups are included in this Amendment, passed in 1868? What is significant about those groups?
  4. The Student rights for LCCC focuses on financial aid and the forms required. What is important about your rights to financial aid? How can you make sure you’re receiving that information?
  5. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) outlines rights regarding educational discrimination. No one can be discriminated against based on sex, race, national origin, age, or disability. Some amendments to these rights include Title VI and Title IX. Which of these seem most applicable to your college experience? Explain.
  6. If there are discriminatory actions against you, you can file a complaint with the OCR. What are some ways to file a complaint? How long from the incident should complaints be filed?
  7. Constitutional rights cannot be erased because you are a student. The ACLU outlines some situations that students may have questions. Choose one of the scenarios and discuss how this situation is important to students’ rights, and any surprises that you may discover.

 

Gender and Race

Discussion Questions

  1. How do our communities teach us to see ourselves and think about our unique talents and values?
  2. What does authentic representation mean to you, and why is in important?
  3. What are some of the current shifts in our society around race and gender?
  4. What are some of the ways individuals can build more equitable and stronger communities from their individual point of presence and power?
  5. How do the videos on this page give you insights into issues of gender, race, and diversity?
  6. What story would you tell about living during the current period of systematic change?

 

 

The Power of Media and the Advancement of Civil Rights 

Discussion Questions

  1. What were the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott, the 1963 March on Washington and the 1963 Birmingham Demonstrations, and how was the media instrumental in drawing attention to many of the social justice issues during that time?
  2. What connections do you see between the advancements in the Civil Rights Era and modern social movements like Black Lives Matter and similar movements?
  3. How does citizen-generated media play an important part in social justice today?
  4. What do these resources suggest about how our understanding, values, and beliefs about race, class, gender and sexual orientation are constructed?
  5. What connections do you see between civil rights and social justice, and how has the internet reshaped how advocacy in these areas works?

 

 

Trauma: The Impact on the Individual

Discussion Questions

  1. What is the impact of trauma in minority communities, especially related to racial issues, health disparities, and community violence?
  2. How can students on college campuses deal with and manage stress and traumatic experiences?
  3. How can trauma-informed teaching empower students to rebuild relationships on campus? How can understanding past trauma help students succeed in college?
  4. According to the LibGuide, “research shows that upwards of 70% of children in schools report experiencing at least one traumatic event before age 16.” What services are available on campus to help students achieve their academic goals?

 

Culturally Responsive Teaching–For Teachers

Discussion Questions

  1. What deliberate efforts do you make to make your classroom an environment where everyone feels valued and respected?
  2. Have you addressed implicit bias in your classroom?
  3. How can these resources help you in future semesters? How do Guided Pathways help address issues of equity?
  4. What are some equity-centered practices that college professionals—including faculty, department chairs, deans, and directors—can employ to ensure all students are learning?
  5. How can the equity materials developed by math instructors from California and Colorado who have worked with CUE on developing pedagogical practices that are critically race conscious be adapted in your classroom practices regarding things like gradebook and attendance mapping, designing homework problems, and engaging students?

 

 

Learn about Racial Justice, Equity, and Inclusion

Discussion Questions

  1. The Go LIVE for Equity page includes discussions by public figures regarding issues in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Choose two and explore the following: Which did you choose, and why? What were the most interesting ideas from these discussions? Were you surprised by anything in these talks? Were you inspired? Concerned? Explain.
  2. Choose an article from at least three topics from the Greater Good website. Which articles did you choose? Why? What are the important points from these articles? Do they relate to each other? Do they change your viewpoint at all? Why are these important discussions to have? Explain.
  3. Many incidents of discrimination are because of implicit (unintentional) bias. Exploring the module on implicit bias, discuss how this bias interferes with people’s interactions. What can we do about our own implicit bias? Why is this important? Explain.
  4. The article “Race and Economic Opportunity in the United States” and “Race and Opportunity in the United States: An Intergenerational Perspective” documents include income distribution data. What is significant about this data? What is important about the future of family economics in the future of the US? Was any of this information surprising to you? What steps can be taken, moving forward? Explain.
  5. “Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education” includes data about minority representation in education. What trends do you see? What concerns does this data raise? What steps can be taken to improve equity in these areas? What impact, if any, might minority faculty representation make in these statistics? Explain.

 

Continue Reading: 3.5 Other Equity Resources

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Composition for Commodores Copyright © 2024 by Mollie Chambers; Karin Hooks; Donna Hunt; Kim Karshner; Josh Kesterson; Geoff Polk; Amy Scott-Douglass; Justin Sevenker; Jewon Woo; and other LCCC Faculty is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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