The work I am passionate about: New INCLUDED Offerings.

For a number of years, I have been exploring ways to engage with instructors in the process of developing strategies to increase inclusion and interaction in their college classrooms. When starting this adventure, my main goal was to make a difference in the lives of students with disabilities on college campuses. That is still my goal. I was a successful faculty member, with tenure, with promotion to rank of Full Professor, with a publication record and grant projects that made a difference re. inclusive teaching and learning. I wanted to expand this beyond traditional peer-reviewed academic outlets.

I began by picking specific new-to-me venues. I wanted to figure out how to write a column, so my colleague (and dear friend!) and I both pitched, wrote, and published columns in Inside Higher Ed. I wanted to learn how to run a workshop and create a webinar, so I did (see examples here). I wanted to run a pre-conference research-to practice-session, so I did (see W16 here). I wanted to deepen my coaching skills, so I joined Katie Linder’s second cohort of her coach training program, and I am on my way to becoming ICF certified at the ACC level.

This year, my goal was to amplify my direct work with instructors and faculty. So far, I have created an online community on the Mighty Networks platform. This is a space for instructors and faculty to play with possibilities in increasing inclusion and interaction in their post-secondary teaching and learning spaces. Importantly, it’s a space to do this outside of any institutional power structures. At the moment the community is free - if you’d like to join us, please comment here or email me at sara@inclusivefaculty.com. Faculty and instructors have just gone through an intense, challenging year, and I feel pretty strongly that we need space to talk about teaching well, teaching inclusively, while returning to our institutions post (?) pandemic.

I am also launching a beta version of the INCLUDED: Summer Studio program - a four-week course on identifying, designing, and implementing inclusive pedagogy strategies. I will be limiting enrollment with this beta iteration, the cost is minimal as I will also be asking for feedback from participants before launching the INCLUDED Studio officially. Please head over here if you’d like more information, and to sign up for the waitlist.

I am so excited about this work, I hope you join me!