Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice (DEIJ)

Overview

The experiences and worldviews of students and faculty at Northwestern University are changing and reflecting a shift in socio-demographics in the broader society and national discourse around educational development in higher education. At the Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching, we support University-wide initiatives for advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ), particularly those related to cultivating inclusive learning and teaching environments in which students and faculty from all backgrounds can learn and teach in safe(r) and brave(r) ways. Some of the critical pedagogical approaches to address this include culturally relevant, engaged, feminist, humanizing, Indigenous pedagogies, queer, trauma-informed pedagogies.

The Searle Center offers a variety of programs and services related to DEIJ that focus on areas of assessment and curriculum mapping, course design and delivery, pedagogy, high impact practices, and scholarship of teaching and learning. We also welcome you to collaborate with colleagues in community and solidarity. Here you will also find information and resources that support you in developing knowledge and skills to create an inclusive learning environment at Northwestern, based on multiple educational theories, practices, and research.

Programs

Our programs offer the Northwestern community a variety of ways to develop teaching skills, enhance student learning, and find community. The following programs will spark your curiosity about DEIJ.

Learning & Teaching Guides

Guides created by or in collaboration with the Searle Center to help educators and learners explore and advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice with an emphasis on accountability.

• Northwestern Principles of Inclusive Teaching (2021)
• DEI Syllabus Statements (2023)
• Gender Expansive Guidelines for the University Classroom (2024)
• In Brief: Revealing the Hidden Curriculum of Our Courses (2024)
• Supporting First-Generation College Student Success (2023)

Explore our Open Educational Resources for in-depth, on-demand pedagogical development.

• Reimagining Assessment Practicum
• Universal Design for Learning Practicum

Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice (3rd ed.)

Adams, M. et al. (Eds.), 2016

Difficult Subjects: Insights and Strategies for Teaching about Race, Sexuality, and Gender

Ahad-Legardy, B., & Poon, O. A. (Eds.), 2018

Further Resources

Our current recommendations for both foundational and leading-edge content related to DEIJ.

• Álvarez, B. (2019). “Why Social Justice in School Matters.” National Education Association.
• Byron, K. (2017). From Infantilizing to World Making: Safe Spaces and Trigger Warnings on Campus. Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Science. 66, 1. 116-125.
• Consortium On Financing Higher Education. (2022 November). “President’s Book: The Changing Entering Cohort at COFHE Institutions.” COFHE Annual Meeting.
• Gay, G. (2010). Culturally Responsive Teaching: Theory, Research, and Practice. 2nd ed. Multicultural Education Series (New York, N.Y.). New York: Teachers College.
• Knight, S. D. (2011). Using narrative to examine positionality: Powerful pedagogy in English education. English teaching: Practice and critique, 10(2), 49-64.
• Sensoy, Ö. & DiAngelo, R. (2012). Is Everybody Really Equal? An Introduction to Key Concepts in Social Justice Education. New York: Teachers College Press.

Awards & Grants

Northwestern University recognizes educators and researchers doing innovative work. The following list includes opportunities which we believe dovetail with work related to DEIJ.

• Daniel I. Linzer Award for Faculty Excellence in Diversity and Equity
• Harris Lecture Fund

Calendar of Events

Below are all of our upcoming events related to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice.

Contact Us

Reach out to us at teach@northwestern.edu.