Lead Instructor, First Year Experience Program

SEM100

Background on Course Development

During the 2019–2020 academic year, the SU community was shaken by a slew of racist and anti-Semitic incidents. The ensuing fear, inadequate initial response from the administration, and intense student protests (#NotAgainSU) thrust the university into action aimed at creating a more inclusive campus experience. Had these on-campus atrocities not been enough, this summer’s protests in response to the killing of George Floyd (among so many others), further bolstered the university’s anti-racism commitment. The Office of Academic Affairs’ First Year Experience (FYE) program initiated its own anti-racist effort by transforming its required first-year-student seminar into an educational safe-space for discourse surrounding privilege, bias, and racism. The FYE team produced a thoughtful course, hired an amazing cadre of facilitators, and ensured every person on the team engaged in thorough preparation before leading their respective sections.

Hired as a lead facilitator for this seminar, I collaborated with an undergraduate co-facilitator to engage our students in dialogue surrounding these complex issues. We established ground rules for creating a space that felt safe for everyone to explore these topics —with humility and respect—from multiple perspectives. We worked to connect ideas of personal identity, cultural difference, and socialization, to the systems of oppression embedded in U.S. society. This was a challenging but deeply rewarding experience because it gave me the opportunity to help students to think critically through ideas that many had not previously explored, while simultaneously allowing me to examine my own privilege and place within this system.

Course Aspirations and Achievements

• Developed students’ understanding of complex concepts such as identity, inclusion, diversity, equity, and access

• Established and maintained a space of trust and safety within our student cohort

• Encouraged students to elaborate on their contributions and respond to each other in respectful and productive ways

• Explored a range of viewpoints, interpretations, and perspectives during class

• Linked concepts and themes from the course to the students’ broader tenure at Syracuse University through discussion, and advised each on future activities and relevant courses of study