7 Strategies for Teaching Inclusivity in Higher Education

The American education system has, historically, marginalized groups of students. Certain student populations — specifically Black or African American students, Indigenous, or Hispanic or Latino students — have not necessarily been valued, integrated, or included in the educational landscape.

This disparity can start as early as preschool and continue all the way through higher education.

Julia Nyberg, EdD, faculty in the Department of Education and Communication at Purdue Global, discusses teaching inclusivity at the postsecondary level.

Why Is Inclusivity Important in Any Classroom?

An inclusive learning environment helps all students feel equally valued and respected. When a child steps into the classroom and doesn't see representations of their family, language, or culture in their storybooks, that's how exclusivity can begin. Initially, it can be subtle.

“We still see it in the course readings that we select in higher education,” says Nyberg. “For example, we may see that a lot of authors are not Black or African American, Indigenous, or Hispanic or Latino. As a result, something that is happening with picture books in the early grades weaves itself vertically all the way through the education system to also impact higher ed.

“That's why inclusivity is critical in higher education — because we have the ability to disrupt that.”

This inclusivity has a carry-forward effect: When people whose race, ethnicity, culture, and language have been valued and integrated into their educational experience, they bring that with them into their careers. In turn, they reflect that in the opportunities they provide to others in their professional setting.

“We then hope this circles back and informs preschool and kindergarten and those early literacy experiences,” Nyberg adds.

7 Strategies to Establish an Inclusive Environment in a College Classroom

1. Use Inclusive Language in All Forms of Communication

Using inclusive language shows appreciation for the diversity everyone brings to the classroom. It enables students to feel free to be their authentic selves.

"Pay attention to how you construct assignments in your courses, how you respond to a student in a discussion board post, and how you compose email and other written communications,” says Nyberg. “Look at inclusivity as the heartbeat of communication.”

Remember that how you solicit discussion in the classroom is a form of communication, too. Be mindful that two or three students aren’t dominating the discussion and that students of varying racial, ethnic, and gender identities have equal access to the conversation.

Resources:

• Guide to Bias-Free Language (The American Psychological Association [APA])
• Guide to Bias-Free Writing (The American College Personnel Association)
• Inclusive Language Guide (National Assembly of State Arts Agencies)

2. Set Expectations of Respect and Inclusivity

Begin each course with explicit statements about the expectation of respect and consideration for all perspectives and experiences, and set the expectation of collaboration.

“I always begin each class by referring to my students as my colleagues. I never call them my students,” Nyberg says. “I want to develop a course expectation that we are mutual learners engaging in a variety of perspectives, experiences, and expertise in this classroom environment; we'll be learning from one another.”

This doesn’t mean that debate or disagreement isn’t permitted in the classroom; it’s how that debate is permitted to be conducted that’s important.

“Debate is a critical aspect of any discipline. We are going to have differing perspectives, and that's OK,” says Nyberg. “It’s especially critical to have consideration for all perspectives and experiences to value every learner's expertise.”

Resources:

• 10 Tips for Facilitating Classroom Discussions on Sensitive Topics (PBS)
• 3 Steps to Civil Discourse in the Classroom (National Council for the Social Studies)
• 3 Strategies for Helping Students Discuss Controversial Issues (The Greater Good Science Center)

3. Put an Inclusivity Statement in the Course Syllabus

Articulate why being inclusive matters to you and how it pertains to your desired classroom climate. Purdue Global has an inclusivity statement, and across the University, faculty are encouraged to include that statement in syllabi and all course communication.

Nyberg reminds educators to think about what this statement means to them and how they will demonstrate it.

“Faculty in higher education should ask themselves, ‘What does this statement mean for me in terms of my actions? How am I going to demonstrate this statement so it's not just performative?’”

Resources:

• Guidelines to an Inclusive Syllabus (APA)
• Sample Diversity and Inclusion Syllabus Statements (Harvard Division of Continuing Education)
• Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion Syllabus Statement (The OpenLab at City Tech)

4. Provide Relevant Examples of Multicultural Perspectives

Providing multicultural examples in your coursework and discussion exposes students to perspectives they may not have considered before. This helps them become more empathetic and understanding, which in turn prepares them to be more open-minded and ready to thrive in a diverse workforce.

“This is critical, and it's also critical that we gain a sense of that multicultural understanding from our students, and we’re not just making assumptions,” Nyberg says. “That understanding has to come from those individuals or groups whom you're trying to represent.”

To do this, Nyberg recommends:

• Gain insight from scholars in the field who represent that group.
• Read work from scholars who have been marginalized and underrepresented in higher education.
• Release a survey at the beginning of the term to get insight directly from your students; this way, you're not making assumptions about their racial, ethnic, linguistic, and cultural identities.

5. Be a Role Model of Inclusive Behavior

It’s vital that faculty model inclusive, equitable behavior. The goal is to make your classroom a place where everyone can be free to express themselves.

Nyberg suggests you ask yourself:

• What does it mean to be an equitable scholar? What does it mean to be an equitable professor? How am I modeling that?
• For example: Are you responding to students in an equitable way in discussion board responses? Reflect on your practice, and look at how many individuals you respond to who represent diverse and/or minority groups.
• How am I being inclusive and finding out about my students’ racial, ethnic, linguistic, and cultural identities?
• Am I having that degree of personal connection with my students where I know who they are as individuals beyond this representation in a classroom, whether that be in-person or virtual?

“You want to be a role model of inclusive behavior and create an environment where personalized instruction is relevant and responsive to your students' identities,” Nyberg says.

6. Develop a Space That Is Culturally Sustainable

Curriculum instruction should be culturally sustainable for marginalized and underrepresented groups in higher education.

“Going back to my earlier example, we have students in kindergarten all the way through higher education who have not seen themselves represented in the curriculum or the instruction,” Nyberg says. “This contributes to cultural erasure. Imagine the individuals who are Indigenous and have lost their language because it was not integrated or even allowed to be spoken in their educational environment.”

Explore the following questions:

• What are you doing to sustain students’ cultures?
• What are you doing to reverse cultural erasure?

“Through the value and integration of culture, language, and various identities into the classroom environment, we're able to sustain culture over time. That's the way the story continues for that individual and their respective culture,” Nyberg says.

Resources:

• Erasure (The Cultural Landscape Foundation)
• Resisting Cultural Erasure in America (Oregon Historical Society)
• They Asked Me To Cut My 6-Year-Old Son's Hair. I Taught Them About Native Cultural Erasure (HuffPost)

7. Connect to Home and Community

Understanding and connecting coursework to the homes and communities of students becomes increasingly important as the discussion about inclusivity in higher education continues. Again, Nyberg urges higher education faculty to look within themselves to adopt this strategy.

Nyberg says, “How do we, as professors, gain insight into our students and their homes and communities? And how do we then connect that to our instruction? That, in turn, creates a personalized experience for our learners that is culturally relevant, responsive, and sustainable.”

Nyberg and her colleague Jessica Manzone explain how to do this in their article, “How to Create Home and Community Connections in the Classroom to Content and Curriculum.”

Additional Resources for Inclusive College Teaching

To learn more, the following organizations offer comprehensive information on inclusivity in the classroom:

• Center for Applied Special Technology
• American Association of Colleges and Universities
• American Council on Education

Purdue Global Values Inclusivity

Purdue Global prides itself on including these principles in all courses across the University.

“We're preparing our students to enter their chosen field in a way that integrates diversity, equity, and inclusion into their chosen field,” Nyberg says. “This is one of the critical competencies that they must master before graduating. We're making sure they're prepared.”

If you'd like to further your education, explore the online master's in higher education at Purdue Global or request more information today.

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