Maintaining a classroom that understands and respects student diversity maximizes student involvement and participation. A tone of inclusiveness will ensure a safe and comfortable environment for student learning. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion provides suggestions, links, and training via workshops and larger programs. For more information on diversity at UCF, click here to download a chapter from Gino Perrotte's Culture and Diversity: A Closer Look at Our World. Additionally, principles of Universal Design for Learning promote accessibility and inclusion of all students.
One way to promote a safe and caring classroom community is to encourage each student's unique voice, perspective, and presence. The following diversity statement gives professors language for explaining how students' contributions will be valued:
The University of Central Florida considers the diversity of its students, faculty, and staff to be a strength and critical to its educational mission. UCF expects every member of the university community to contribute to an inclusive and respectful culture for all in its classrooms, work environments, and at campus events. Dimensions of diversity can include sex, race, age, national origin, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, intellectual and physical ability, sexual orientation, income, faith and non-faith perspectives, socio-economic class, political ideology, education, primary language, family status, military experience, cognitive style, and communication style. The individual intersection of these experiences and characteristics must be valued in our community.
Title IX prohibits sex discrimination, including sexual misconduct, sexual violence, sexual harassment, and retaliation. If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted, you can find resources available to support the victim, including confidential resources and information concerning reporting options at www.shield.ucf.edu and http://cares.sdes.ucf.edu/.
If there are aspects of the design, instruction, and/or experiences within this course that result in barriers to your inclusion or accurate assessment of achievement, please notify the instructor as soon as possible and/or contact Student Accessibility Services.
For more information on diversity and inclusion, Title IX, accessibility, or UCF’s complaint processes contact:
- Title IX – EO/AA - http://www.eeo.ucf.edu/ & askanadvocate@ucf.edu
- Disability Accommodation – Student Accessibility Services - http://sas.sdes.ucf.edu/ & sas@ucf.edu
- Diversity and Inclusion Training and Events – www.diversity.ucf.edu
- Student Bias Grievances – Just Knights response team - http://jkrt.sdes.ucf.edu/
- UCF Compliance and Ethics Office - http://compliance.ucf.edu/ & complianceandethics@ucf.edu
- Ombuds Office - http://www.ombuds.ucf.edu
Enhancing Education. (n.d.). Checklist: Responding to student diversity. Carnegie Mellon University. Retrieved from https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/trynew/checklist-studentdiversity.html
Gleig, A. (2014). Resources for talking about race, privilege and diversity in the classroom.
Miller, D. (2008). Diversity checklist: Guidelines for course planning. Penn State Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence. Originally retrieved from http://www.schreyerinstitute.psu.edu/pdf/DiversityChecklist.pdf
Office of Diversity and Inclusion. (2014). Syllabi examples. California State University, Chico. Retrieved from https://www.csuchico.edu/diversity/diversity-inclusive-teaching/syllabi-examples.shtml
University of Central Florida College of Medicine. (2010). Diversity and inclusion statement. Retrieved from http://med.ucf.edu/media/2011/08/COM-Diversity-and-Inclusion-Statement.pdf
University of Central Florida Libraries. (2014). Multicultural resources: UCF organizations & resources. Retrieved from http://guides.ucf.edu/content.php?pid=29957&sid=341341
University of Central Florida, Office of Diversity Initiatives. (2014). Diversity week 2014: October 13-October 17. Retrieved from http://diversity.ucf.edu/events/diversity-week/
Michael Strawser
College of Arts and Humanities
Three goals that are central to my overall teaching
philosophy are energy, respect, and edification.
Energy: I believe that a
good teacher should be dynamic, enthusiastic, and passionate for the subject,
very knowledgeable and competent in communicating his or her knowledge. These
are prope...
Karen Verkler
College of Education
I have been an educator in several disciplines. However, it is my opinion that content area instruction is of secondary importance. Of utmost importance is the establishment of a caring, positive learning environment in which students are encouraged to believe in themselves and to demonstrate self-respect and re...
Debopam Chakrabarti
College of Medicine
My teaching philosophy is to offer students a course that is accurate, comprehensive, and intellectually gratifying where students are presented not only general concepts but also on how these concepts are developed using experimental strategies. In my opinion, the subject should be taught by engendering an under...