About Diversity Project
Client's Instructional Problem
The University of Utah EDPS Diversity Committee would like to involve and educate a broader student population than is currently participating in Diversity lectures, discussion groups, and training workshops.
Participants may be limited by time, willingness, awareness of the options, or a lack of personal investment in “Diversity” topics, such as: microaggressions.
A particular challenge lies in gaining participation and buy-in from students who are not part of marginalized groups (Caucasians, males, U.S. citizens) and may not perceive immediate benefit from participation.
The University of Utah EDPS Diversity Committee would like to involve and educate a broader student population than is currently participating in Diversity lectures, discussion groups, and training workshops.
Participants may be limited by time, willingness, awareness of the options, or a lack of personal investment in “Diversity” topics, such as: microaggressions.
A particular challenge lies in gaining participation and buy-in from students who are not part of marginalized groups (Caucasians, males, U.S. citizens) and may not perceive immediate benefit from participation.
Client's Mission |
The EDPS Diversity Committee promotes learning opportunities and activities that increase diversity awareness within the University’s student community in order to reduce incidents of microaggressions. Committee goals include creating a safer, more welcoming campus culture with fewer microaggression incidents, promoting a productive social culture for all students, including currently marginalized students.
The primary contact for this project, Sue Morrow, expresses interest in a compassionate, non-shaming approach to those who commit microaggressions, since this error is considered inevitable in human interaction. Her priorities focus less on enforcing political correctness and more on inspiring compassion for others and self as a gateway to social change. The EDPS Diversity Committee is facilitated by the University of Utah Educational Psychology Department. |
Project History |
Client Goals and Needs The client's goal is to educate EDPS Graduate Students online about microaggressions, equipping them to demonstrate knowledge, empathy, and optimal follow-up strategies for reducing the number of microaggression incidents in daily campus interactions, reducing individual/social damage from incidents, and building a welcoming University culture. Report on Problem Diagnosis Currently, the most active participants in events are not those students who are most likely to commit microaggressions--offensive speech and actions which alienate minority and marginalized students. In essence, the committee risks preaching to the converted, and struggling to gain buy-in from majority students (non-marginalized students, particularly Caucasians and Caucasian males.) Microaggressions be intention or unintentional on the part of the offender, and can escalate as legal complaints or violence. These casual, everyday events may be considered trivial to non-marginalized students, yet have a devastating effect on minority or marginalized students, including: Black students, Hispanic students, Asian students, women, women-of-color, non-citizens, and students from a variety of gender and sexual orientations. |
Pre-Assessment Summary |
Learner Analysis
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Research & Reference Materials
Diversity Committee Website: http://ed-psych.utah.edu/diversity/index.php
APA Multicultural Training Base: http://www.apa.org/apags/governance/subcommittees/cultural-competency.aspx
Initial Articles from SME: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/22/us/as-diversity-increases-slights-get-subtler-but-still-sting.html?_r=1
http://www.apa.org/monitor/2009/02/microaggression.aspx
Additional Articles:
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/10/the-anti-free-speech-movement-at-ucla/410638/
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/09/microaggressions-matter/406090/
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/10/the-dos-and-donts-of-cultural-appropriation/411292/
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/09/the-coddling-of-the-american-mind/399356/
http://www.dailydot.com/opinion/reverse-racism-doesnt-exist/?fb=ss&prtnr=attn
APA Multicultural Training Base: http://www.apa.org/apags/governance/subcommittees/cultural-competency.aspx
Initial Articles from SME: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/22/us/as-diversity-increases-slights-get-subtler-but-still-sting.html?_r=1
http://www.apa.org/monitor/2009/02/microaggression.aspx
Additional Articles:
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/10/the-anti-free-speech-movement-at-ucla/410638/
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/09/microaggressions-matter/406090/
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/10/the-dos-and-donts-of-cultural-appropriation/411292/
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/09/the-coddling-of-the-american-mind/399356/
http://www.dailydot.com/opinion/reverse-racism-doesnt-exist/?fb=ss&prtnr=attn