The 2025 Provost’s Diversity Institute for Faculty Development — from May 27 to June 4 —will focus on “Belonging and Othering in the University Classroom.”
The 2025 Institute will provide instructors with opportunities to expand their teaching practices by examining how pedagogical choices, classroom climate, and institutional structures contribute to these experiences. Through interactive discussions and hands-on activities, participants will explore strategies to challenge othering, foster belonging, and create more inclusive learning environments for all students.
Sessions will be held virtually via Zoom from Noon to 1:30 p.m. Click on the name of each session to register.
The programs include:
May 27: The Power of Belonging in College Learning. Facilitator: Nicholas Hartlep, Education Studies Department chair, Berea College. This session will explore the complex and dynamic relationship between institutional structures and students’ lived experiences, highlighting how belonging and othering influence student outcomes. Reading: “Belonging in Higher Education Perspectives and Lessons from Diverse Faculty”
May 28: Teaching as Relational Workshop. Facilitator: Harriet Schwartz, author of “Connected Teaching: Relationship, Power, and Mattering in Higher Education” and professor of relational practice and higher education, Antioch University’s PhD in Leadership and Change Program. This workshop explores Connected Teaching, a framework that emphasizes the role of relationships in fostering meaningful learning experiences.
May 29: Psychological Safety in Higher Education: Foundations and Strategies. Facilitator: Omid Fotuhi, research associate, Pitt Learning Research & Development Center. This session invites participants to consider an essential question: What does it mean for students to feel safe enough to take intellectual risks, ask questions, and fully engage in their learning?
May 30: Pedagogy of Healing and Mental Health. Facilitator: Mays Imad, Associate Professor of Biology, Connecticut College. This workshop will explore the intersection of mental health, hope, and student belonging. Reading: “The Norton Guide to Equity-Minded Teaching”
June 2: STEM Classroom Dynamics: Belonging and Inclusion Strategies. Facilitator: Bryan Dewsbury, associate professor, Florida International University. This session focuses on the critical connection between identity, belonging, and engagement in STEM classrooms and programs. Reading also “The Norton Guide to Equity-Minded Teaching.”
June 4: Student-Centered Learning and Inclusive Classroom Climates. Facilitators: Mike Bridges, Pitt Center for Teaching and Learning, and Marie Norman, professor of medicine and clinical & translational science, Pitt Department of Medicine. Student-centered teaching means focusing on who our students are, not just what we teach. This session explores how identity, equity, and classroom climate shape learning and offers strategies to support an increasingly diverse student population. Reading: “How Learning Works”