Workshop with Dr. Nimisha Barton: Navigating Racial Dynamics in the College Classroom

Over the last several decades, successful college access efforts across the nation have dramatically changed the racial and ethnic composition of the undergraduate student body. Yet, the racial diversity of college faculty has not kept apace and many faculty require new racial literacy skills to navigate increasingly mixed learning environments. How do we ensure that the classroom - a space where students of all backgrounds converge – remains a genuinely welcoming and inclusive environment? Drawing on principles of social justice pedagogy, this workshop offers faculty new values and easy-to-implement pedagogical practices to foster racial equity and inclusion in the classroom.

In this workshop, participants will:

(1) Consider how recent racial and ethnic demographic shifts in higher

education and in the United States necessitate transformation in educators’

collective pedagogical practice

(2) Develop culturally-competent conflict and communication skills in order to

create more inclusive classrooms

(3) Share and receive recommendations on how best to navigate racial

identity dynamics and power differentials in learning environments

Dr. Barton is the author of award-winning books, edited volumes, and articles on a wide range of topics. Her most recent book is entitled A Just Future: Getting From Diversity and Inclusion to Equity and Justice in Higher Education and appears with Cornell University Press in 2024. A Just Future provides higher education leaders and faculty with a richer understanding of DEI history, theory, and best practices. Drawing on abolitionist and restorative justice frameworks, Dr. Barton offers a fresh take on the culture wars by focusing on ongoing legacies of exclusion in historically white colleges and universities.

A subject area expert in multiple fields, Dr. Barton offers engaging and timely keynotes, lectures, and workshops to a variety of audiences. In 2022, Dr. Barton received the prestigious Tyler Stovall Mission Prize in recognition of her contributions to DEI in the historical profession and in higher education, more broadly.

Registration Link