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Course syllabi are important codifying documents when it comes to issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Presented as the initial contract between professors and students, and frequently the only public record of course content, syllabi identify official curriculum in the form of learning objectives and course requirements. At the same time, syllabi also contain “hidden curriculum,” communicating information about the values held by instructors, our disciplines, and our universities. In the humanities, Edward Said, for example, has described how knowledge practices create imaginary geographies, by presenting the identities and cultures of non-white and non-“western” individuals as Others. Even in STEM disciplines that do not seem to directly engage issues of culture, the policies, language, and course content contained in the syllabus can set the tone for more or less inclusive classrooms. In this hands-on workshop, we will offer practical ways for faculty to interrogate their existing syllabi and consider best practices.

Attendees can expect to:

• Examine their course policies and language utilized in the syllabus as they relate to racial, cultural, LGBTQ+, international, and ability inclusion.
• Consider how knowledge is canonized in their disciplines and what implications this has for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Examine their course schedule with attention to the topics and authors included and the order in which they are presented.
• Discuss a variety of best practices, view sample policies, language, and course schedules, and adapt them for use in their own courses.

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You will receive a Zoom meeting link the day before the workshop.