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Infusing the Eight Equity Precepts Into Your Online Teaching

The Eight Equity Precepts provide a framework for removing the institutional barriers that hinder the success of minoritized students. This section will examine, unpack, and apply these precepts in ways that can make meaningful changes in our classes.

For a concise yet informative walk-thru of these Eight Equity Precepts, we recommend viewing this video and powerpoint by Matthew Lawrence, Professor of Philosophy and LBCC Student Equity Coordinator:

The Traditional College Model

College was originally created for a particular sort of student and has been replicated over and over again, largely by that same type of student. College professors are typically students that the system served well.

White male students with white male professor in lecture hall

Faculty did not need to AWAKEN themselves to social inequities, because they did not see the success of all students as their mission.
Their students tended to feel WELCOME at college. They knew it was created for them and they were supposed to be there.
They did not need a PARTNERSHIP with
the instructor, because they had been prepared for academic self-sufficiency their whole lives.
There was little attempt to ELEVATE the underprepared student, since college was intended to weed them out.
Nor did most students need much VALIDATION, since they were assured of their importance and talent from birth.
There was no question about whether the curriculum EMPOWERED them or REPRESENTED their culture. It was theirs through and through.
College culture and norms did not need to be DEMYSTIFIED because these students could rely on social networks with prior college experience to guide them.

These Eight Equity Precepts can be embodied within just about every aspect of your course, beginning with the syllabus and the structure of our online courses.

The syllabus presents a chance to engage with our students before the first class meeting. Syllabi can reinforce and reproduce the norms that have perpetuated racial (and other) inequities in education, or it can counter those norms and rules in ways that lead to more equitable outcomes.

Additionally, our online course structure, from day one, provides an interactive space through which we can transgress from existing beliefs about who may or may not succeed in the class. An introductory module can provide information, resources, and guidance, while simultaneously building community, creating partnerships, and assessing basic needs.

Let us continue to unpack these underlying principles below.

The Eight Equity Precepts

Awaken

Take responsibility for the equitable success of your students
Realize that every attitude, norm, and policy embodied in your syllabus and online teaching can impact student success
Look for disproportionate impact in your policies, grading structures, course content and online assignments

Welcome

Examine the language and tone used throughout your syllabus and Canvas course. Ensure that it is positive and encouraging
Be mindful of student insecurities and fear (particularly around unfamiliar technology)
Create a supportive and inclusive online classroom discussion environment

Partnership

Let students know that you are there for them, and clarify how they can seek your help through a clear communication plan
Examine norms and attitudes around late work, second drafts, etc.
Discover student’s educational goals and find ways to support them beyond the online classroom

Represent

Look for ways to make your course content better represent the diversity of our student body
Use more representative and inclusive images and examples throughout your syllabus and your teaching
Show that you value the diverse perspectives of your students

Empower

Examine your curriculum and assignments to maximize engagement and empowerment of your students
Use students’ culture and life experiences as assets.
Create a classroom discussion environment in which everyone feels empowered to participate
Look for ways to involve your students in campus and community events

Validate

Ensure that your syllabus and announcements convey your belief that every student can be successful in your class
Maintain a growth-mindset about your students, and teach them about the importance of developing a growth mindset
Avoid punitive language that suggests a lack of trust and low expectations of your students

Elevate

Create opportunities for students to build their skills rather than to simply demonstrate pre-existing skills
Communicate high standards
Communicate your belief that the student is capable of attaining your high standards
Be explicit about what the student needs to do to meet the standards

Demystify

Demystify online classroom expectations and assignment expectations.
Light the way to success by modeling and scaffolding your assignments
Inform your students about campus resources such as tutoring centers, student technology support, disabled students services, psychological counseling, etc.
Use a clear and straightforward grading scheme and post your grades on Canvas regularly

Source: Matt Lawrence, Ph.D.

Using the Equity Precepts to Create Positive Change

Now that we have a fundamental understanding of what the precepts are and how they work, it is time to see how they can be applied to your online course. Theoretically, the Eight Equity Precepts can be used on any aspect of your online resources (Home age, content pages, resources, etc.). But for our immediate purposes, we will be using the course syllabus to exemplify this practice.

Let us begin with a quote that encourages us to rethink our syllabi:

“If there is one single artifact that pinpoints the degradation of liberal education, it is the rule-infested, punitive, controlling syllabus that is handed out to the students on the first day of class."

Mano Singham, Ph.D.
Director Emeritus, Case Western University
Center for Innovation in Teaching and Education

Revising Our Syllabi

As we look to our syllabi, the Eight Equity Precepts can be used as a checklist to see how effectively we Awaken, Welcome, Partnership, Elevate, Validate, Empower, Represent, and Demystify.

Here is an example of what this checklist may look like as we review our documents:

WELCOME

Is the tone of the syllabus welcoming?
Is it personal and engaging?
Does the syllabus generate a sense of excitement about the course?
Does it convey your excitement about teaching the course?
Is the document visually stimulating?

PARTNER

Do you give students the sense that they will be both challenged and supported?
Are students encouraged to come to your student hours?
Are students encouraged to utilize campus support services?
Are students with disabilities informed that appropriate accommodations can and will be provided?

VALIDATE

Does the syllabus communicate your belief that they can succeed in the course?
Does the syllabus avoid treating students as “problems” to be fixed?
Are students encouraged to participate in class discussions?
Is it communicated that their voices matter?

REPRESENT

Are scholars of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds included, or is Whiteness presented as the norm?
Are women well represented, or are men presented as the norm?
Are other historically underrepresented groups included?
Are the topics and assignments designed to be personally relevant and engaging to the students?
Does course content invite students to critically analyze the way race, gender, and other social factors have been represented (or underrepresented) in the field?

EMPOWER

Does your course content connect the material to your students’ lives?
Do your assignments give students the opportunity to be creative and develop mastery through the creation of a meaningful product they can be proud of?
Do your assignments give students an opportunity to make a difference on their campus or in their community?

ELEVATE

Does the syllabus communicate high expectations?
Is it clear that you believe that students can develop the skills necessary to meet those expectations even if they do not have them today?
Are your assignments designed to build skills rather than simply test prior achievement?

DEMYSTIFY

Was the information clear and easy to follow?
Were course practices, policies, and information sufficiently explained?
Were the campus policies and practices sufficiently explained?
Was it clear to the student what they need to do to succeed in the course?
Is the grading policy simple, straightforward, and clear?

See For Yourself

We aim to maintain a level of practicality here, and often we can gain inspiration for revisions once we see how others have changed to. For that purpose, please see the examples below of how individual faculty have revised their Syllabus based on the Eight Equity Precepts.

Nancy Mahan - MATH 130

Suman Mudunuri - COSA 615

Jerome Hunt - POLSC 1

Wendy Koenig - ART 1

Michael Robertson - ANTHR 2

Patti Valella - ANAT 1

Source: Matt Lawrence, Ph.D.

Your Turn

Now we invite you all to review your online course syllabus through an equity lens. While the Eight Precept checklist on the previous tab is very eye-opening, we will be using a more concise syllabus review protocol together. Please click the following link for an example of what this review looks like in a sample syllabus: ANTHR 2 Syllabus Example of Protocols.pdf

Please review your own course syllabus and do the following:

Syllabus Self-Study Assignment

In Yellow, highlight text that expresses
- Excitement about the course.
- Welcoming and accommodating language.
In BLUE, highlight text that expresses
- How the instructor will support students in the course.
- Information about campus resources and services for students.
- Statements that demonstrate a belief in the students’ ability to succeed
In GREEN, highlight text that expresses
- An appreciation of racial and cultural diversity.
- The use of racially and culturally diverse course content.
- A concern for educational equity and justice
In RED, highlight and STRIKE-OUT text that is
- Excessively rule or policy driven.
- Unnecessarily disciplinary or intimidating.
Be Ready to Share:
- What you think your current syllabus says about your values, interests, and attitudes?

Also, as you check out the highlighted examples, see especially the portions in red, to make sure you are comfortable with that. See also the reviewer’s note at the bottom of the last page.

Our guest faculty presenter on this topic, Patti Valella (Anatomy & Biology) has shared her PowerPoint presentation on the before and after of her syllabus. You may download it here: Transforming Your Syllabus.pptx

Course Information Components

Furthermore, the following checklist may help as we organize the components of course information:

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Instructor Name and Contact Information
Clear Online Communication Plan (how students reach you, expected turnaround time, and how you will contact them)
Office Location and Office Hours
Welcome Statement/Teaching Philosophy

BASIC COURSE INFORMATION

Course Name and Number
Location/Day/Time
Textbook and Other Course Materials
Canvas or other Online Resources
Course Description
Student Learning Outcomes

ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING

Schedule of Topics, Readings, Exams, and Assignments
Description of Assignments
Grading Details/Rubric for Assignments
Course Grade Policy and Scale

Technological Resources for Online Learning

COURSE AND CAMPUS POLICIES

Attendance/Participation Policy
Late and Missed Work
Online Classroom Expectations and Participation (See LBCC Netiquette Guidelines)
Academic Integrity
Disability Policy

KEYS TO SUCCESS

Instructor’s Tips for Success in the Course
Campus Academic Resources (Tutoring Center, Writing Center, etc.)
Campus Student Resources (Disabled Student Services, Veterans Services, Queer Space, Food Resources, etc.)

Deliverable 1

Lastly, the application of the syllabus review protocols is one of the deliverables of this Cultural Curriculum Audit. Please take your time to review your syllabus and reach out to colleagues for collaboration as needed. When you are ultimately finished, and have a newly revised syllabus for your class, you may submit here by February 22, 2021: Deliverable 1 ✅ Equitized Syllabus

What Is Learned Here, Leaves Here

We hope to continue the conversation of the Eight Equity Precepts as they relate to our syllabi and online courses more generally. Please see some supplemental resources below that relate to this topic.

First, we would like to humbly recommend our own Equity Toolbox, which features information, research, and recommendations regarding implicit bias, microaggressions, stereotype threat, and deficit mindset. Check it out here: The Equity Toolbox

Secondly, please review and consider implementing some of our strategies provided in the following page, to be inclusive of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations: Teaching Beyond the Gender Binary

Furthermore, here are some selected readings on the following topics:

On the purposes of course syllabi:

Baecker, D. L. (1998). Uncovering the rhetoric of the syllabus. College Teaching, 46(2), 58-62.
Parkes, J., & Harris, M. B. (2002). The purposes of a syllabus. College Teaching, 50(2), 55-61.
Thompson, B. (2007). The syllabus as a communication document: Constructing and presenting the syllabus. Communication Education, 56(1), 54-71.

On syllabi review for equity-minded practice:

Dowd, A. C., & Bensimon, E. M. (2015). “Enacting justice as care.” In Engaging the ‘race question’: Accountability and equity in US higher education (pp. 61-92). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Roberts, M. (2016). The syllabus: A tool that shapes students’ academic experiences. Los Angeles, CA: Center for Urban Education, Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California

On General Equity and Inclusivity:

How to Make Your Teaching More Inclusive, By VIJI SATHY and KELLY A. HOGAN

- Center for Urban Education, Webinar: How to Express Care with a focus on Racial Equity

The Student Hours Coupon

For greater participation at your student hours, you might try attaching a “Student Hours Coupon” to the end of your syllabus.

This example is from an Introduction to Philosophy course.

Student Hours Coupon.png

Maximizing the Use of Student Hours:

Whether on-campus or virtual, re-brand your office hours as “student hours.” Make sure that students know that this is “their time” and that you are available to help them achieve their goals.
Try requiring all students to attend at least once, individually or in small groups. Provide a sign-up sheet or keep track in the Canvas Grade Book.
Create a short video inviting students to your virtual student hour, while providing times and Zoom links as needed.
Always use student hours as an extra opportunity to find out more about the student’s educational and personal goals.

The Equity-Minded Syllabus Checklist is a work in progress. Please send suggestions for improvement to Matt Lawrence mlawrence@lbcc.edu

Using tabs demonstration