Use or adapt the following examples for your classes.
Example 1
As educators and learners, we must share a commitment to diversity and equity, removing barriers to education so that everyone may participate fully in the community. In this course, we respect and embrace the unique experiences that brought each person here, including backgrounds, identities, learning styles, ways of expression, and academic interests. The broad spectrum of perspectives represented by our students enrich everyone’s experiences, and we strive to meet each perspective with openness and respect.
Source: Northwestern University School of Professional Studies
Example 2
Use the following questions to help guide the development of your diversity statement.
- What are your discipline’s conventions and assumptions? How might students with varying backgrounds respond to them?
- What role does your respect for and engagement with diversity in the classroom play in your personal teaching philosophy?
- What positive learning outcomes can come from respecting difference in the classroom? How can you highlight these?
- What do you want your students to know about your expectations regarding creating and maintaining a classroom space where differences are respected and valued?
- Is your statement inclusive of different types of diversity, including, but not limited to: race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, religion, and disability?
- Which campus resources would you like to direct your students to for further support?
- What kind of classroom environment would your students like to see? How might you include them in the conversation about standards for classroom civility?
(Questions from the Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning at Brown University)
Example 3
Visit AccessibleNU’s faculty examples webpage for several examples of syllabus language that address diversity, equity, and accommodations.