Beyond Inclusion: Transforming Syllabi and Assignments for Equity

Update Your Syllabi for Next Year. Now is the Ideal Time to Make Your Courses More Inclusive. As you prepare for the academic year, it is an excellent opportunity to update your syllabi and courses to make them inclusive. Students often express frustration that they cannot see themselves in a syllabus, must complete assignments based on biased assumptions about them, or focus on a curriculum that omits their interests, culture, and backgrounds. The first introduction students have to you and your course is your syllabus and assignments list. You will lose students’ engagement and interest if those materials include language and ideas that communicate that they are not part of your course. You must let students know you believe they should be valued, acknowledged, and studied. Award-winning educator Bridget Turner Kelly will help you utilize equitable language and pedagogy in your syllabi and assignments. You will learn how to transform your course to draw in students from all backgro