May is Mental Health Awareness Month

You are an expert in your field and it is your duty to interrogate its history. Which voices have traditionally been prioritized? Whose contributions have been marginalized? This is a great starting point for all who aim to broaden the range of voices and experiences featured in classroom content. For inspiration, you can read one professor’s guide to doing this work. You should also check out these resources for examining your syllabus for implicit bias and other inequities.

• Decolonizing Your Syllabus, an Anti-Racist Guide for Your College
• General Decolonization Resources
• Creating a Syllabus that Welcomes First Generation College Students

For resources on using appropriate language in your syllabus, visit:

• Barry University Office of Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion's Glossary of Equity Terms
• Appropriate language for people with disabilities

Not every student has the financial resources to navigate college comfortably. Intentional practices that keep financial costs down can support low-income students.

• Use previous versions of textbooks when possible.
• Ask students at the end of the semester to donate textbooks if they do not want them anymore. You can hold any donated copies for future students who may have difficulty purchasing the text.
• Communicate with students regarding textbook usage. Ensure the course materials listed on the bookstore website (or wherever students gain information about course materials) are consistent with those you plan to use in class. A quick email to students that a textbook will not be used can help them avoid unnecessary purchases.

Have each student introduce themselves based on how they would like others to refer to them. This allows students to share how their name is pronounced. Work to pronounce each student’s name correctly and consider politely correcting others in the classroom if they mispronounce another student’s name.

Have students include their pronouns when introducing themselves. This is a simple yet effective way of supporting our LGBTQ+ community members by affirming their gender expression and identity. Work to use each student’s preferred pronouns and politely correct others when they mistakenly use the wrong ones.

Each student arrives in your classroom with different educational and personal backgrounds, but all are capable of success. Being transparent about what it takes to succeed in your classroom is one of the most effective ways to let students know you believe they have what it takes! You can do this by:

• Clearly outlining each assignment with important dates, point values, and a short description of their task and your expectation. This can help students stay on track.
• Share and discuss aspects of assignments that students have struggled with in the past and how they overcame these obstacles. Collecting student feedback at the end of the semester is a great way to learn about the hurdles they faced and what helped them succeed.
• Avoid assigning an hour allotment when communicating your expectations for work outside of the classroom. Every person is different and will need to adjust the amount of time spent on the class according to their own learning style.
• Include past samples of student work to help those in your class conceptualize what success looks like!
• Create detailed rubrics so students know what is expected of them to achieve the grade they want.
• Provide study guides for exams and talk to your students about what kinds of questions you will ask. Not every student was taught effective study skills in their past education, so communicating what and how they should study will help them be successful.

For examples of syllabus statements that make success transparent, visit UPenn’s Advice About How to Succeed

Previous educational experiences may not have equipped students with the skills to navigate higher education successfully, but you can help by providing easy access to key campus and learning resources, including the contact names, office locations, numbers, emails, or other relevant information. Consider including the contact details for the following on your course syllabus or webpage:

• Accessibility services
• Financial aid
• Center for Academic Success and Advising (Barry’s own Math Lab, Writing Center, Testing Center, and more!). You can also consider making it an assignment to visit one or more of these services during the semester.
• Librarian or other research resources. For introductory courses, consider taking a class trip to the library for a tutorial.

You may also wish to include links to pertinent online sites, such as Purdue’s Online Writing Lab or other sources for studying, brainstorming, outlining and structuring papers, and skills relevant to your field.

• Start class with an agenda overview and make it accessible. An agenda can support neurodiverse learners by helping them stay focused during class. It can also support anxious students who like to know what is happening in class ahead of time.
  
  
• Provide consistent breaks. Neurodiverse learners, and most people in general, benefit from brief, regular breaks. Letting your students know when you plan for a break (i.e. at a specific time or after a topic is finished) helps them stay present and focused.
  
  
• Make yourself virtually available during your office hours to enable access for students who cannot easily attend in person.
  
  
• Highlight opportunities that are attainable for low-income students. Search for paid opportunities for students in your field, including internships and scholarships to attend conferences. For those working to support themselves and their families, unpaid opportunities are often unrealistic and can cause them to miss out on networking opportunities that would help them progress in their field.
  
  
• For more resources on inclusive teaching strategies, check out:
  • Association of College and University Educator’s Inclusive Teaching Practices Toolkit
  • Cornell University’s Center for Teaching Innovation’s Inclusive Teaching Strategies
  • Yale Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning’s Inclusive Teaching Strategies

• Microaggressions in the Classroom Video
• Tools for Addressing AAPI Violence and Racism in the Classroom
• Responding to Microaggressions
• Diversity Toolkit: A Guide to Discussing Identity, Power, and Privilege
• Talking about Racism, Racial Equity and Racial Healing with Friends, Family, Colleagues and Neighbors

It is difficult to become what you cannot see. Make successful people of different races, abilities, gender identities, and other identities visible in your class examples, featured readings, and content.

Talk to your students about the career paths available to them and the various ways they can utilize their degree. Then, walk them through the realistic steps they likely need to take to reach their goals. This type of transparency can help students see a future in the field; and when they have something to work towards, they’re more likely to be successful.

When students are first exploring careers, the paths to success can seem mysterious and even impossible. Bringing in guest speakers can demonstrate the diversity of paths to success and job opportunities within your students’ field of interest.

Barry’s rich alumni network offers ample opportunities to connect with leaders in your field. You’ll be surprised how many of our graduates are willing to lend support to your students and help them stay motivated and secure in their education.

Know which resources and accommodations are available for students and empower them to access these tools. Some resources regarding accommodations include:

• Making Accommodations Real
• Educational Resources for Disabilities, Resources for College Students With Disabilities Section

Use PDFs with text that can be read by an E-reader, and ensure your PowerPoints and course handouts are presented with clear text contrasts for those who may have vision impairments. You can find more tips in this article, How to Make your Presentations Accessible, and the section titled “Preparing Slides and Projected Material.”