This institute, led by UVA’s Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) and co-sponsored by the Religion, Race & Democracy Lab, is designed for instructors from all disciplines interested in developing instructional approaches that foster skills and dispositions students need to engage fully and ethically in civic life. Through individual reflection, case studies, work in learning teams, theater-facilitated dialogues, and hands-on practice, we will explore strategies for creating classroom environments that foster critical reflection and authentic conversations about pressing and controversial issues of our time, such as religion, race, and democracy. We have a capacious understanding of these concepts. They may manifest in either your course content or your approach to teaching (for example, a commitment to developing an inclusive, civically engaged classroom)—or both.
Throughout the institute, experienced facilitators will model ways to nurture learning environments that consider participants’ different positionalities and identities, support cognitive as well as emotional processing of difficult historic and current realities, and encourage compassionate listening to and engaging with marginalized perspectives. By the end of the week, you will have defined your goals for social justice learning; designed assignments that foster critical engagement; revised your syllabus to respond to and leverage your students’ diverse backgrounds, interests, and needs; and devised inspiring ways of communicating your teaching philosophy with your students.
ELIGIBILITY
Any instructor—faculty, postdoc, or graduate student—interested in fostering inclusive learning environments and exploring critical pedagogies may apply. The CTE is now accepting applications through Friday, November 15, 2019.
REGISTRATION
The registration fee for this institute is $900.00 and covers all programming costs, including one-on-one consultation services. The CTE provides participants with print and web resources, breakfast, lunch, and refreshments each day of the institute.
Up to five UVA graduate students may be accepted to participate in the institute, with all expenses covered by the Center for Teaching Excellence.
For more information and to apply, visit https://cte.virginia.edu/programs-grants/religion-race-democracy-teaching-equity-social-justice.
