Racial and Economic Justice Curricular Audit Tool and Review of the Literature

• In Event: Transformative Curricular Change: Demonstrating a Racial and Economic Equity Audit Tool for Higher Education Faculty

Abstract

In this paper, a team of five faculty members, located at a comprehensive university with a strong liberal arts tradition, offer a curricular equity audit tool designed for higher-education faculty to self-assess the state of racial and economic justice in their classrooms, academic programs, and departments. The audit tool includes an introduction, recommendations for use, and 6 detailed rubrics that faculty can use to self-assess their courses and curricula. We emphasize that the tool is for formative evaluation, encourage departments to enhance the tool for their specific disciplines, and stress the agency of faculty to make concrete changes to their pedagogy and practices. We also share the literature scan that informed our work. For the scan, we sought foundational and emerging approaches to curriculum and curricular change in higher education; research on effective curricular approaches for racial and economic justice; and resources to address racism, white supremacy, colorblindness, resistance, and backlash. We emphasize that curricular change is necessary and possible across the disciplines. We also share promising practices internal and external to our university.

Authors

• Maureen Emerson Feit, Seattle University

• Haejeong Hazel Hahn, Seattle University

• Edward Donalson, Seattle University

• Hye-Kyung Kang, Seattle University

• Alexander Johnston, Seattle University