Dr. Abby Ferber will be on campus for two days next week to give a public lecture (included in Lauren’s weekly roundup) as well as some other programming specifically for faculty. Dr. Ferber is a Professor of Sociology and Women’s and Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado, and Co-founder and Director of the Matrix Center for the Advancement of Social Equity and Inclusion. The Center is the home of The Knapsack Institute: Transforming Teaching and Learning, and the international journal Understanding and Dismantling Privilege, the first and only journal dedicated to examining privilege. Her presentations and workshops include:
Becoming More Inclusive Educators; Tuesday, March 12, 1:15-2:35 – Lunch in UPH 351, Talk in UPH 361 (for Faculty)
Description: This workshop will examine common problems in the classroom, that faculty are often unaware of, but impact already vulnerable and marginalized students. We will examine tools and strategies to create more inclusive classroom environments, no matter what the subject of the course is. We will briefly discuss proactive measures, implicit bias, stereotype threat and microaggressions, which consist of the indignities, disrespect and hostilities that individuals, who belong to marginalized groups face, on a daily basis.
Civil Dialogue and Respect in the Classroom and Beyond: Problems and Solutions; Tuesday, March 12, 2:50-4:10 – UPH 364 (Workshop for Faculty and Administrators)
Description: As social discourse becomes increasingly divisive, it is essential that faculty and administrators understand the complex issues, develop proactive solutions to create civil dialogue in the classroom and on campus, and to provide students with the skills they need to communicate and treat others with respect, even those they most disagree with. In addition, it is essential that we examine strategies that protect our most vulnerable students and faculty, and provide support as they navigate these dynamics.
4:30-6:30 Reception SHRIVER-Main Floor What We Must Remember: A Call to Action
Why Bring Disability into the Curriculum? Wednesday, March 13, 8:30-9:30am – Breakfast in UPH 351, Talk in UPH 365 (for Faculty)
Description: Do you teach about race, gender, or other oppressed groups? Disability is a latecomer to Intersectionality discourse, or the interplay of multiple oppressions, but is relevant to teaching any classes that deal with one or more forms of oppression or privilege. Disability studies is an exciting field that has exploded in the past two decades, and much of the literature in disability studies is intersectional. However, many of us who use the concept of Intersectionality do not include disability, or include it only as term. We will examine concrete examples that demonstrate the importance of including disability more fully in order to really understand these other systems of inequity.
Myths and Misconceptions About White Privilege; Wednesday, March 13, 1:15-2:35 – Lunch in UPH 365 (for Faculty and Students)
Description: White privilege has increasingly entered public discourse and become a divisive and controversial subject. The term has been used and misused in partisan political media. We will examine the definition and concept of white privilege rooted in scholarship, as well as the most common myths and forms of resistance faced in talking about white privilege. Finally, we will explore some methods for responding to these misconceptions.
