We found 84 results that contain "equity"

Neighborhood Engagement Centers Services: The Engagement Centers, located in each Neighborhood, are also home to the Math Learning Center, the Writing Center, the Social Science Help Room, and other academic support services to assist students with math coursework, writing papers, and other academic subjects. The NSSC provides academic and wellness support through midterm and finals preparation events. Peer Educators are another academic service that works with students on various academic skills like “learning how to learn,” time management skills, study skills, goal setting, test preparation, and provide tutoring in chemistry, physics, computer science, and more. In addition to academic support, the Neighborhoods offers Career and Major Exploration resources and various health and wellness resources through Recreation and Fitness Programs, the Health Clinic, and Counseling and Psychiatric services. Intercultural Dialogues and Identity Consciousness programs are resources to support the inclusion and equity of students.
Visit and Connect with an Engagement Center: For more information about NSSC programs or resources, visit https://nssc.msu.edu and follow the NSSC on Instagram at @nsscmsu. To schedule an appointment, email nssc@msu.edu.

The MSU Libraries maintains a collection of books and information about community services that provides easy, centralized, unmediated,and judgement-free access to health information and other resources that support wellness and student physical, emotional, and social well-being. In response to the shooting on MSU campus on February 13, 2023, the below links highlight some of the resources, including books and ebooks, available through the MSU Libraries.MSU Libraries Student Wellness Resources: GriefMSU Libraries Student Wellness Resources: TraumaStudent Health and Wellness Collection
We have brought together books and materials (including local support services) on topics like: LGBTQI identity, nutrition, counselling, mental health, trauma, housing, legal aid, disabilities, healthcare, sexuality, grief, and more.
While on campus, come visit the Student Health & Wellness Information Center in the south lobby of the Main Library.The Student Health and Wellness Collection was created as part of a MSU Libraries Microgrant, and developed by Andrea Kepsel and Iris Kovar-Gough.Additional Library ResourcesTeaching on Days After: Educating for Equity in the Wake of Injustice, Alyssa Hadley DunnHumanizing Grief in Higher Education: Narratives for Allyship and Hope, edited by Nicole Sieben and Stephanie Anne SheltonTrauma-Informed Pedagogies: A Guide for Responding to Crisis and Inequality in Higher Education, edited by Phyllis Thomson and Janice Carello

Title: What About Student Voice in Department and Program Level Spaces?Presenters: Brittany Dillman (College of Education / CEPSE Department / MAET Program); Liz Owens Boltz (CED/CEPSE/MAET)Candace Robertson (CED/CEPSE/MAET); Morgan Abb (CED/CEPSE/MAET)Format: Workshop Description: In the spirit of diversity, equity, inclusion, and transparency, in 2019 the Counseling, Special Education, and School Psychology (CEPSE) Department in the College of Education created and launched a Student Advisory Council to elevate student voices and experiences. Each of the department’s program areas created a plan for recruitment and elections, responsibilities and bylaws. We then created processes for ongoing communication, relationships, and information sharing. Now, completing our third cycle with our processes established, our system is smooth, and our feedback loop present. How did we do this? What are the benefits? In our session, you’ll meet the departmental Student Advisory Council (SAC) representative from the Master of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) program and the three program directors who have valued and worked with our student representatives over the last three years. We will share our stories and lessons learned. After we share our stories, we will help you create your plan of more inclusive student voices at the department and program levels. We will support you to create processes and procedures for establishing and maintaining a similar structure for your unit, sharing our frameworks and documentation.Click here to view on MediaSpace

Below is a list of resources that promote student success. All links provided are direct links (ONE CLICK) connecting you to contact information or an educator who can respond to your questions and/or help your students of a specific identity who are feeling a lack of community. Thank you for helping our students achieve their goals.
Students from Underserved Groups and Diverse Populations

Office of Cultural and Academic Transitions (OCAT)
American Indian and Indigenous Community and NAISO Programming
Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi American (APIDA) Community and APASO Programming

APASO Advisor – Anna Lin linanna1@msu.edu
APIDA Student Success


Black/African American Community and BSA Programming
Latinx Initiatives Community and CRU Programming
Migrant Student Services For students from migrant and seasonal farm working communities

College Assistance Migrant Program [CAMP]
High School Equivalency Program
Identification and Recruitment Center


Multi-Racial Unity Living Experience (MRULE) For students interested in uniting students across difference; focuses on developing genuine relationships, building community, and promoting student success

First-Generation

First Generation Student Assistance

Students who were in foster or kinship care, have experienced homelessness, or are otherwise independent

FAME (Fostering Academics, Mentoring Excellence)

LGBTQIA2S+

Gender and Sexuality Campus Center

Gender Equity

Women’s Student Services

Graduate Students

Graduate Student Life and Wellbeing

International Students

Office of International Students and Scholars

Student Veterans

Student Veterans Resource Center

Student Parents

Student Parent Resource Center

For my Graduate Leadership Fellow project, I worked with a network of instructors across multiple institutions to draft an article on crating more equitable graduate admissions in the biological sciences. I gave a current graduate student’s perspective in a team of primarily faculty members. We drafted a proposal for the article for submission to the American Naturalist’s call for special section papers on Nature, Data, and Power. This proposal pulled together existing literature on equitable admissions, as well as expertise from faculty working across public, regional, and private institutions, from R1 to primarily teaching. The focus of our article is to create a guide for use here at Michigan State University and other biological science departments to assesss and revise their own admissions process. 
 
Because our work is collaborative and multi-institutional, it has been slow-going. This article is still undergoing the proposal and drafting process after rejection from AmNat’s special section. We are currently seeking a home for the proposal and the article itself as we continue to work towards crafting this important guide. 
 
If someone were to continue this work in the future, it would be important to work together across the different departments in the university to discover which departments are open and interested in revising their admissions process in an evidence-based fashion. Because the article focuses on biological sciences broadly, and MSU’s biological sciences departments are rather siloed, this project would require advocates in multiple departments to collaborate and unify goals.  
 
As someone interested in equity and in serving in a teaching and advising role to undergraduate students at regional universities, this project was important for developing my understanding of the current state of graduate admissions as well as where the conversation around admissions is headed. I hope that I can use the collaborative skills and the knowledge gained from working with faculty and administration in order to better guide my future mentees towards their own goals, inside or outside the institution of academia.  

MSU does not currently have a university-wide policy on cameras/videos (e.g. web cameras) for online learning. Much like attendance/participation policies, camera/video policy statements will be determined by individual instructors, departments, and programs. Instructors are responsible for communicating the individual course policy to students.
The following resource is provided to assist you in developing coherent policies on camera use in your course. Please adjust the guidance to fit your particular course context, but remember you must make allowances for certain circumstances that might be tied to connectivity issues or environmental circumstances. It is key that your desire for video-on participation be built on a foundation of inclusion and accessibility, pedagogy and design.   The information below is shared as key considerations for developing your course policy.  If you have specific questions about writing your course policy, please reach out to the Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation (CTLI).  
Benefits and Challenges of Webcams 
The use of webcams in live online meetings can add to the educational experience in many ways. Some of these include: 

Students working in groups 
Showing physical evidence or materials 
Proof of attendance 
Classes that focus on communication skills, performance, or physical movement 

Students may wish to keep their webcams off because: 

Their internet speed cannot support the use of streaming video. Bandwidth problems are real for many students regardless of their location 
They may have privacy concerns (e.g. roommates, children, or other family members in the background) 
Students may wish to keep their webcams off because leaving them on may reveal their exact geographical location or other unique identifying information to the rest of the class 
They may have a visually busy environment or otherwise distracting background that could detract from others’ ability to attend to class content 
They may have personal or environmental concerns that make sharing their likeness or their personal spaces problematic. Not all computers can replace backgrounds with virtual backdrops that would alleviate these concerns 
They may have a disability where the video feed will decrease their success in the course 
Students may not have a webcam on their computer. This item has not been a component of the university required laptop/desktop description. 

Educators should be aware of the privacy, hardware, software, disability, and equity concerns and only require the use of webcams or video feeds when the educational value of requiring video supersedes those concerns. In such instances, there may still be students whose specific disabilities preclude the use of webcams. The Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities will work to assist students who have gone through the proper accommodation request process and for whom the use of webcams is not possible. Instructors should also keep in mind that the accommodations process can be a time consuming and expensive one; and not all students may be able to engage in it. In addition, disabilities, temporary or otherwise, can manifest at any time. These factors should be considered when you determining the policy for your course.
Best Practices for Developing Video Conference Policies 
In general, online learners experience “Zoom fatigue” and extra cognitive loads when it comes to learning (McCabe, et al., 2023 & Fauville, et al, 2021) For reasons of equity and respect for privacy, students generally should not be required to turn on their webcams for the full duration of all online class sessions. The literature around camera-on requirements promoting learning is scarce. Waluyo and Wangdi (2023) found that classroom dynamics, classroom exhaustion and participation, physical appearance and background, unrelated physical activity, distracting behaviors, and technical issues all played a role in student-camera behavior. It is also important to note that there are many ways to - through pedagogical design - effectively build a sense of belonging and classroom engagement. If you’re interested in more on classroom engagement strategies, you can schedule a consultation with a member of the CTLI team or check out CTLI’s upcoming events! 
Faculty might have pedagogical reasons to ask students to turn on cameras when teaching online, but educators should consider whether asking students to turn on their webcam is necessary to accomplish a learning objective and should explain to students the educational reason for their request, allowing the student to make their own, informed decision to do so based on their circumstances and without incurring penalties of any kind. 
In short, the default recommended practice would be to allow students to keep their webcams off, with certain learning goals and instructional practices making it justifiable for the educator to ask students to turn on their webcams if they are willing and able, after receiving an explanation for the request. The only exception to this choice would be during assessment activities that require* the use of a webcam.  
*Any webcam mandates need to be clearly communicated in advance of the first-expected use to allow students adequate time to plan and prepare their environment. 
Relevant MSU Documents and Policies 
Restrictions on instructors requiring students to turn on their webcams is supported by MSU’s Student Rights and Responsibilities, Article 2.II.B 8 (The student has a right to protection against improper disclosure of his/her education records and personal information such as values, beliefs, organizational affiliations, and health) and Article 2.III.B 10 (The student and the faculty share the responsibility for maintaining professional relationships based on mutual trust and civility). 
In light of the Family Educational Records Protections Act (FERPA), MSU’s Office of General Council recently put together this guide addressing how to properly deal with files of recorded synchronous sessions containing video feed.  References & Further Readings 
McCabe, J. A., Banasik, C. S., Jackson, M. G., Postlethwait, E. M., Steitz, A., & Wenzel, A. R. (2023). Exploring perceptions of cognitive load and mental fatigue in pandemic-era zoom classes. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000347  
Fauville, Geraldine and Luo, Mufan and Queiroz, Anna C. M. and Bailenson, Jeremy N. and Hancock, Jeff, Nonverbal Mechanisms Predict Zoom Fatigue and Explain Why Women Experience Higher Levels than Men (April 5, 2021). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3820035  or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3820035   
Waluyo, Budi & Wangdi, Thinley. (2023). Reasons and Impacts of Camera On and Off during Synchronous Online English Teaching and Learning: Insights from Thai EFL Context. CALL-EJ. 24. 179-198.  Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/367384842_Reasons_and_Impacts_of_Camera_On_and_Off_during_Synchronous_Online_English_Teaching_and_Learning_Insights_from_Thai_EFL_Context  
https://courses.cs.washington.edu/courses/cse481p/23sp/readings/W6S2/four-causes-zoom-fatigue-solutions-VigneshRamachandran.pdf   
Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash 
 

Being mutually invested in issues and initiatives pertaining to diversity, equity, and inclusion within their College, Tatiana and Courtney worked on developing a survey as a means to gain details on the relative toxic environment within their college. They received the support of several stakeholders, including Dr. Achebe. Their work is currently on-going.

MSU Extension has developed a three-part document to guide employees in creating and delivering educational materials and programs as well as event planning in a way that reflects our values and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

The first section focuses on considerations and strategies for facilitating, or delivering, programming.
The second section focuses on the development of educational materials, or products.
The last section focuses on event planning considerations.

An appendix of useful sites is also included, including a section on sources for diverse images.  This document can also serve to help outside trainers and contractors understand our values and how we expect them to play out in educational programming. https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/dei-in-action-developing-planning-and-facilitating-educational-programs-and-events