Bridge Program: Historical Racism in Higher Ed Today - Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching

2/28/19- Alonso Nichols/Tufts University

Institutions of higher education aspire to produce skilled and conscientious citizens while contributing to scientific and humanitarian progress. Yet, they are riddled with racism and inequity. How do historical legacies of racist policy and practice manifest in higher education today? How do they result in inequitable college experiences and access to a degree? And how do commonly held assumptions in higher ed map onto these issues? In this three half-day program, we will begin to explore these questions. We will touch upon systems (e.g., affirmative action, standardized testing, funding inequities), individual experiences (e.g., cultural dissonance, racial invisibility) and belief systems (colorblindness, meritocracy).

By the end of this program, participants should be able to:

Identify historical legacies of racism in higher education and explain how these legacies manifest in present day higher education systems
Describe the role of racism in faculty and student everyday experiences
Describe how assumptions common in higher ed (e.g., meritocracy, deficit model, colorblindness) contribute to systemic racism in higher ed
Begin to explore how their personal identities impacts their relationship with higher education

The program will meet REMOTELY during the following times (the three-hour time block will be broken into synchronous and asynchronous work time):

Tuesday January 11, 9:00a-12:00p

Wednesday January 12, 9:00a-12:00p

Thursday January 13, 9:00a-12:00p

Registration form: https://tufts.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5jVHlJtDm9DXbee

Deadline to apply is Friday, November 19th.

Note: This program can be taken as a stand-alone program. However, it also serves as a foundation for the Equity and Inclusion Fellows Program, which takes place throughout the Spring 2022 semester. Instructors who plan to join the Equity and Inclusion Fellows Program who are not familiar with the topics described above are encouraged to participate in the bridge program. Interested in Equity and Inclusion Fellows and not sure if you need the bridge? Take this brief self quiz.