We found 85 results that contain "justice"

Topic Area: DEI
Presented by: Sharon Combs, James Brinkmann, Erika Knapp, Liza Calisesi-Maidens, Lin Li, Hima Rawal, McKayla Sluga, Jonny Thurston-Torres, Joanna Bosse
Abstract:
With a focus on the scholarship of teaching and learning in the arts and humanities, the panelists (the 2020-21 RCAH Fellows) will explore the cultivation of community in the classroom. They will present the results from their ongoing original research projects on trauma-informed pedagogy, creating safe classroom spaces and cultures of care in the classroom, and generating students’ sense of belonging in both in-person and virtual learning environments. Furthermore, panelists will address the challenges of conducting research on teaching and learning in a pandemic, the value of interdisciplinarity in such research, and considerations for bringing the research back into the classroom to enhance student learning.
Session Resources:
Cultivating Community and Belonging (PDF)

Accesible Design Checklist: Text and Content
This checklist meant to serve as a starting place, rather than a complete list or expert regulations. Accessibility should be considered throughout all parts of the design process, and designing accessible compositions benefits all people, not just those with disabilities. This post is the second part of the Accessible Design Checklist series: 

Overview
Text and Content
Multimedia

Text and Content Accessibility
When looking at the overall design of content, composers should consider the overall text and content on their designs.
Color ContrastColor alone should not be used to convey meaning. When color is used beside black and white, it should have a color contrast between the text and background of at least 4.5 to 1. Spartan Green is also an acceptable addition to use with white. The colors used should not affect colorblind users.FontThe font chosen should be a sans serif font with no narrow, bold, or decorative features. Preferably, a font that has unique characters (e.g., the I, l, and 1 are different) should be chosen. 

In general, no more than two different fonts should be used.
The font size should be at least 12 points.

HyperlinksHyperlinks should be descriptive, which means that without the context of the sentence around the hyperlink, it should be understandable on its own. Avoid using the full link directly into a design.Inclusive LanguageThere are many considerations for written language within a design. 

The work should avoid jargon and idioms that are not understandable for a wide audience. 
Written work should be concise and understandable. 
Avoid using a word fully capitalized to convey information (if it’s not an acronym). Acronyms should not be used without first defining them.
Avoid using language that excludes and/or harms users, such as ableist language or genderist language. 

SpacingText should be left-aligned, and alignment should not be used to convey meaning. There are many textual spacing properties to consider in designs: 

Line spacing is at least 1.5 times the font size;
Spacing following paragraphs is at least 2 times the font size;
Letter spacing is at least 0.12 times the font size; and
Word spacing is at least 0.16 times the font size.

TablesTables should be used for tabular data rather than visual presentation. Use simple tables with one column and/or one row with headings and avoid merged cells. Tables should have captions, textual contextualization, and all cells filled.
References and Resources for Accessible Design

Level Access’ Must-Have Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Checklist 
Michigan State University’s Create Accessible Content
University of Washington’s Accessibility Checklist
Web Accessibility in Mind’s WCAG 2 Checklist
Web Accessibility Initiative's Design and Develop Overview

Continue to read more about the checklist in the next part of the series, Accessible Design Checklist: Multimedia.Accessible Design Checklist: Text and Content © 2024 by Bethany Meadows is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0. The cover photo, "Free close design text computer" is marked with CC0 1.0.

Housing and food insecurity can have profound and detrimental effects on our students, affecting various aspects of their academic performance, physical health, and overall well-being. In the recording below, presenters discuss the critical issues of housing and food insecurity impacting our students. Our panel of speakers share insights, experiences, and innovative solutions aimed at creating a more inclusive and supportive environment for those affected by housing and food insecurity.
This event is for anyone that works directly with students and is seeking to learn more about resources that support students that may be experiencing food, housing, financial, and mental health concerns.
Presenters:

Nicole Edmonds, Director of MSU Student Food Bank
Spencer Good, Co-Founder and President of Spartan Food Security Council
Erin Kramer, Community Liaison Coordinator in the Office of Community and Student Relations

Upon completion of this learning experience participants will be able to:

Identify resources that provide support for students experiencing housing and food insecurity
Direct students to the appropriate offices and resources for further support
Know of proactive strategies to connect students with housing and food concerns.

Learn more about this important topic by viewing the video and access the PowerPoint slides below:

Food Insecurity at Michigan State University presentation
Spartan Food Bank presentation

MSU Food Bank Video (click here)

Housing Insecurity presentation

When individuals have access to essential elements such as food, shelter, safety, and a sense of belonging, it positively influences their mental state. Conversely, when basic needs are unmet or compromised, it can lead to stress, anxiety, and a decline in mental well-being. In this session, we explore the relationship between mental health and the emergence of various insecurities, and resources that can be utilized to support students.
This event is for anyone that works directly with students and is seeking to learn more about resources that support students that may be experiencing food, housing, financial, and mental health concerns.
Presenter:

Dr. Olivia Scott, Acting Assisting Director of Multicultural Initiatives and Community Engagement in MSU's Counseling and Psychiatric Services

Upon completion of this learning experience participants will be able to:

Identify resources that provide support for students experiencing mental health concerns 
Know what offices and resources are available to students
Know proactive strategies for connecting students with mental health support 

Learn more about this important topic by viewing the video below. Access the PowerPoint slides here.

You may have students in your class who require specific accommodations related to a disability in order to fully participate and reach their academic goals. The Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD) is the unit at MSU which supports students and employees who require reasonable accommodations.
Students who have registered with the RCPD go through a process of providing disability documentation and participating in a needs assessment with an Ability Access Specialist, resulting in a determination of individualized reasonable accommodations for that student which are listed in an Accommodation Letter. Instructors and TAs will usually receive Accommodation Letters at the beginning of the semester. Once you receive an Accommodation Letter from a student, you have specific responsibilities: you must make the requested individualized accommodations or adjustments to your course and keep the student’s disability status confidential. You are encouraged to meet with the student 1 on 1 to discuss implementing the accommodations, to only discuss accommodations with colleagues on a need-to-know basis while protecting students’ identities, and to contact the RCPD with any questions or concerns.
Here is a video from the RCPD showing an MSU educator’s point of view about student accommodations. (Please note: until recently, Accommodation Letters were called VISA forms, for Verified Individualized Services and Accommodations forms, and some MSU resources like the video linked above still refer to the older name for this document.)Photo by Daniel Ali on Unsplash

First Generation

TRIO Student Support Services Program For first-generation college students who meet certain income criteria and for students with documented disabilities

Athletes

Student Athlete Support

International Students

Office of International Students and Scholars
English Language Center For international students needing to improve their English language skills before beginning their academic course work
Teaching Multilingual Students: Challenges and Strategies

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

FAME (Fostering Academics, Mentoring Excellence)

Graduate Students

Graduate Student Life and Wellbeing

Student Veterans

Student Veterans Resource Center

Student Parents

Student Parent Resource Center

A more in-depth look at the challenges facing English language learners in college, as well as considerations and strategies for college instructors. While an older resource, its conclusions remain relevant.

This post provides an overview of problematic language as part of the Inclusive Pedagogy playlist.
Our language use is influenced by social and cultural factors. Those factors sometimes can make us unaware of the impact of our words. One way to prevent unintentional harm is to be more aware of inclusive language practices. However, inclusive language can be more than just avoiding offense or being “politically correct”; instead, it is a “communication style that is genuinely curious about how to talk to and about our fellow humans respectfully” (Acrolinx). Inclusive language use works to “honor the diverse identities of every person in the room and invites them to be part of the conversation” (Relias). 
When we prioritize an inclusive language environment, everyone feels more welcome and learning is more able to take place. Within this, we do not want to shame people when they make a mistake, as that would also not be welcoming. Rather, we try to gently reframe their language use, such as through the P.A.L.S. method.
Many inclusive language guides exist to learn more about certain problematic terms and legacies: 

MSU Brand Studio
MSU’s Gender and Sexuality Campus Center
MSU’s College of Natural Science Guide
University of Washington’s Information Technology
Pratt Institute Libraries’ article 
Writer’s Inclusive language in the workplace guide

Language is a living entity that changes for building common and shared understandings. Boston University curates a Living Language Guide. As a note of caveat, sometimes people claim that certain phrases and words were more socially acceptable in the past, but it is important to note that, generally, language use that is problematic usually has a longer legacy of harm that was problematic—even in the past. It is up to us now to make ourselves and others more aware of the impact of that language. Similarly, sometimes people find it difficult to “keep up” with understanding language, and that can feel really difficult. To counteract that, educators can build in time to practice more inclusive phrases with trusted people. In addition, it’s important to remember that the more one can learn and better understand harmful legacies of terms, then the more belonging learners will feel.
Some reflection questions for educators to reflect on their language and intentionality, include: 

How do I define and practice inclusive language in my classroom? How do I foster a classroom culture where inclusive language is encouraged among students?
What steps do I take to ensure my language includes all students, considering gender, race, ability, and additional identities? How intentional am I in using gender-neutral terms, pronouns, and respectful language? How do I incorporate diverse identities into my communication?
How do I ensure my language is respectful and accurate when discussing sensitive or identity-related topics?
How do I educate myself on terms related to various identities and groups? How can I stay informed and continuously adapt my language to reflect evolving societal and student needs?
How do I respond when non-inclusive language is pointed out, and how open am I to making changes?
What processes do I use to reflect on and improve intentional and inclusive language? How do I check for unintentional bias in my language and course materials?

Continue to read more about inclusive pedagogy in the next article on Inclusive Syllabi or return to the Inclusive Pedagogy playlist.