Pride month is here and it finds us in a reflective mood. It makes us take stock and think about the ways in which our current and future programs support the LGBTQIA+ faculty, staff and students that are a valued part of the teaching and learning community at NC State.
Some of the offerings that the Office for Faculty Excellence that might be relevant are:
Inclusive Teaching Certification (ITC): This certification has been designed for faculty and teaching graduate students to reflect on multiple facets of inclusive teaching, encompassing the creation of a welcoming, equitable course climate, the design and implementation of accessible and inclusive classroom practices and assessments, and the selection and implementation of inclusive, diverse course content. We have partnered with the GLBT Center to offer some of their workshops as part of this certification.
Faculty Conversations Program: A safe online space created to engage faculty in conversation around relevant topics that will be helpful as they teach. For each session, faculty read a relevant article/paper about the topic, receive question prompts, engage in conversation around the topic with other faculty members, and reflect on how the conversation may have changed thinking on the topic. Our Fall schedule will include a session dedicated to inclusive classroom practices for LGBTQIA+ faculty and students.
Mentoring Central: Mentoring for underrepresented groups including LGBTQIA+ is an integral part of recruitment and long-term retention of faculty. The Mentoring Central website offers resources for prospective mentors and mentees and highlights best practices in mentoring relationships. We plan on extending this program in the near future in order to facilitate mentoring connections across campus.
We continue to review and assess the programs we offer and the needs of our campus community. We welcome suggestions such as programs, strategies, and activities that can enhance the success of our diverse faculty and ultimately, our diverse student populations. You can contact any OFE staff member if you have ideas.
Members of the OFE are also members of the NC State GLBT Center’s Faculty and Staff Network. OFE will continue to work with the Office for Institutional Equity and Diversity and other NC State units to provide support and resources to help increase an understanding of diversity by working collaboratively to raise awareness, promote respect, and create a culture of equity and inclusion.