Eligibility: Full-time faculty, staff, and administrators

Amount: Each participant will receive $500 in professional development funds

Submission: Online Application

Due Date: October 9, 2020

Purpose and Description

Diversity in the classroom is both an opportunity and a challenge. The challenge is that both faculty and students experience conflict and tension related to the different views and lived experiences represented in the classroom. The opportunity is that by increasing cognitive empathy, this conflict and tension can be leveraged to enhance teaching and learning for everyone. 

In this FLC members will learn both intergroup dialogue (IGD) theory and practice while gaining confidence to co-create an inclusive campus climate in which people can engage with one another honestly and seriously with a desire to understand and care, rather than win or lose. Members will engage in dialogue that deeply explores challenging issues while not devolving into debate. They will also gain confidence to help students practice perspective-taking—valuable intercultural communication skill. 

Since IGD is not a once-and-done meeting members will be involved in a dialogue group that meets regularly over the entire academic year to build trust, respect, and accountability. In this way, members will explore their own cultural values, biases, assumptions, and their impacts on others— gain confidence to help other do likewise.

Activities

• Members will attend FLC meetings once every 3 weeks.
• Members will experience first-hand the applied pedagogy of intergroup dialogue (IGD) through exercises, reflections, and dialogue. 
• Members will acquire skills in facilitating difficult dialogues. 
• Members will make recommendations for improving the IGD model for Miami faculty, staff, and administrators.
• Members will promote IGD to the greater Miami campus through workshops, publishing assessment data, and other promotions. 
• Members will read and discuss short readings assigned for dialogue sessions. 

Members

2020-2021

• Collin Baer, Office of Equity & Equal Opportunity
• Carolyn Craig, Director of DEI and Belonging; Facilitator
• Tekeia Howard, Center for Career Exploration & Success
• Yue Li, Discovery Center
• Peter Maribei, Global Initiatives
• Elaine Miller, Philosophy
• Rachel Radina, Teacher Education
• Vaishali Raval, Psychology
• Rob Robbins, Art
• D'Angelo Solomon, Intercollegiate Athletics
• Tarah Trueblood, Global Initiatives; Director of the Center for American and World Cultures; Facilitator
• Deborah Wiese, Psychology