Feeling Our Way: Higher Education Faculty Experiences in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Professional Development

• In Event: Fairmont Roundtable Session Three
  In Roundtable Session: Feeling Our Way: Implementing Equity and Change in Education (Table 19)

Abstract

Many U.S. colleges and universities invest significantly in diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ)-oriented professional development (PD) to help faculty develop knowledge and skills for serving diverse student populations. However, DEIJ PD efforts have been widely criticized for being ineffectual at catalyzing long-term, structural change. This qualitative study employs narrative interviews to examine how higher education faculty conceptualize DEIJ work and how they internalize DEIJ learning experiences. It also examines the role of “Therapeutics” in DEIJ PD, a tradition that emphasizes individual emotional and psychological experiences. Findings suggest that therapeutic approaches have both the potential to derail DEIJ learning when evoking negative emotions and the potential to put participants at ease in ways that are conducive to learning and openness.

Author

• Denise Desrosiers, University of New Hampshire
  Presenting Author