"Faculty teaching about race do so in a moment when public scrutiny of higher education is heightened, federal policies are shifting, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are being dismantled. Even as the stakes continue rising, the instructional support for teaching race remains thin. Classroom missteps become fodder for political commentary, investigations and legislative action, not because DEI is failing-but because higher education has not prepared faculty for the instructional demands of this work."
"In recent years, a series of classroom incidents has sparked social media outrage and press coverage questioning whether faculty can responsibly teach about race and racism. This past fall, a federal civil rights complaint filed against Colorado State University objected to how two social-work instructors were teaching about race: The instructors reportedly detailed in a journal article how they treated discomfort as a measure of instructional success, characterizing student dissent as "whitelash" or an attempt to maintain "white emotional comfort.""
Faculty teaching about race face heightened public scrutiny, shifting federal policies, and the dismantling of DEI initiatives. Instructional support and training for teaching race remain thin despite rising stakes. Classroom missteps frequently escalate into political commentary, civil rights complaints, investigations, legislative restrictions, and national media backlash. Specific incidents include a civil rights complaint at Colorado State University and policy changes at Texas A&M after contested lessons. Critics interpret these conflicts as failures of DEI, but the pattern indicates a lack of institutional preparation and support for instructors taking on complex race-related teaching. Faculty need targeted instructional training, resources, and institutional backing to manage classroom dynamics and reduce politicized fallout.
Read at Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs
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