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July 21-26, 2019
GOALS
Professional development that enables leadership to eliminate the barriers created by race, class, gender, and other forms of bias, where faculty and staff will change practices that impede the learning of students from underrepresented groups.
Participants will increase their understanding of leadership and their capacity to:
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Support their colleagues in the transformation of educational policies and practices that results in powerful teaching, advocacy for students, high student achievement, and equity.
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Build relationships and alliances across and within race, class, gender role, and other forms of difference in order to identify and eliminate injurious practices and policies in educational settings.
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Use methods that increase understanding of the role of emotional intelligence and emotional healing in achieving equity.
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Facilitate meaningful and productive conversations that explicitly address issues of institutionalized oppression and individual bias that impact teaching, learning, and change.
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Support universities and organizations to fully integrate diversity and educational quality efforts and embed them into the core of academic mission and institutional functioning.
WHAT TO EXPECT
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Topic groups will give participants the opportunity to discuss race, class, gender, and sexual orientation in depth, in an inclusive and safe environment.
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Personal experience panels will provide insights on issues which the participants can talk about and reflect on in smaller groups. For example, panels might address: experiences with gender bias in education; how institutionalized racism affected them as students and what it is like taking leadership for equity. Panelists are asked ahead of time if they are willing to be on a panel and given questions to think about.
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Presentations by Retreat facilitators will provide perspectives on issues, and effective strategies will be implemented to unpack privilege and oppression.
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Discussion: The Equity Retreat facilitators will provide the opportunity for participants to learn from the research literature and from each other.
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Goal setting and planning sessions will provide a structure for participants to set goals, develop strategies and make specific plans to implement learning gleaned from the Equity Retreat.
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Support groups will be used to deepen understanding and exchange emotional support. Meeting daily in support groups provides participants the opportunity to talk about their beliefs, successes and challenges, to strengthen collegial relationships, and to reflect on how their own learning experiences and their experiences with prejudice and discrimination affect them as people working in higher education.
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Reflective writing will provide participants the opportunity to respond to specific prompts related to issues raised at the Equity Retreat. Through anonymous reflective writing, participants will have the opportunity to have their voices heard and opinions shared in a safe environment.
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