Posted: Monday, January 7, 2008 12:00 am
SOMERS - A group of faculty and staff at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside recently completed a seven-month experiment that grew out of the university's first-ever Summer Institute. The experiment, titled "Infusing Diversity in the General Education Curriculum," was intended to strengthen the multiculturalism in each participant's teaching.
Developed by the UW-Parkside Center for Ethnic Studies, the Summer Institute was designed to assist general education faculty to adapt their curriculum and teaching methods to a diverse student population. Beginning with an intense two-week session in June 2007 featuring the University of Wisconsin-Madison Education Specialist Gloria Ladson-Billings, the Summer Institute continued with a full-day retreat in August, and monthly meetings during fall semester. The monthly sessions addressed students' perspectives on teaching/learning, race as a historical and social construct, and white privilege. UW-Parkside professor of communication and Center for Ethnic Studies director Fay Akindes led the Summer Institute.
Curricular changes resulting from the Summer Institute included the integration of the history of racism into James Sodke's "Jazz Appreciation" class, the teaching of a new course on multicultural theatre which examined plays by African-American, Asian-American and Latino playwrights by Dean Yohnk, Wendy Leeds-Hurwitz examined African-American vernacular English in her "Communication and the Human Condition" course, and Annette Wiesner modified her math course to help first-generation students with a deep-rooted fear of math.
When asked to gauge what affect the Summer Institute would have on their teaching, one participant said, "In general, my courses will be improved with the concepts presented in the institute. However, I believe the changes will improve my classes for all my students - not just minority students." Another said "I had an experience that I will remember and build on for the rest of my life." Still another said the institute "refreshed the 'teaching spirit' in me."
Along with Sodke, Yohnk, Leeds-Hurwitz, and Wiesner, Summer Institute participants includes Peggy James, Megan Mullen, Judy Springer, Christine Tutlewski, Skelly Warren, Tom Witt, Lori Allen and Helen Rosenberg. Professor Akindes received help from UW-Parkside Community Dialogues Director Roseann Mason and Teaching and Learning Center Director James Robinson in running the Summer Institute.
The Summer Institute was supported by the UW-Parkside Office of Equity and Diversity and funded by the Provost's Office. The Center for Ethnic Studies is currently planning for the second Summer Institute in June 2008.