Tips for Promoting Equity in Education

It is not enough to know that inclusive environments are the key to promoting student success. We need to act on this knowledge and make the change to help every student succeed. Here are a few tips for promoting equity in your courses and help with student success:

• Remember that every student is different and will have unique needs. Each should be evaluated on a case by case basis. When there is a need, offer support or resources
• Create an environment in your course where every student feels welcome and heard. Encourage them to speak out against unfairness and inform you if they are facing any hardships, inside or outside of the course.
• Does your school offer equity training for faculty and staff? Doing so and encouraging seminars to help resolve common barriers can go a long way. If your school lacks this – be an advocate and start it.
• Students cannot focus on learning when they need food. Make sure your school is like the over 650 colleges across the nation that have a food pantry to help students in need.
• Add diversity and inclusion activities, and lessons against prejudice, to the school’s curriculum.

While some of these changes will need to take place at the institutional level, if your school lacks any of these programs or policies, you can be an instrument of change.  By making people aware of the importance of inclusive learning environments, we can gradually work at making the changes necessary in order to help accommodate everyone's needs in order to assist them at overcoming the barriers that impede their success.  This may not be easy, but the goal is surely worth it.