Diversity and Inclusion Syllabus Statements

Your syllabus is often the first introduction students have to you and your course and is an opportunity to set a positive tone for everything that follows. While most instructors include some statement related to accommodations for identified disabilities, including a braoder diversity and inclusion statement can be an important signal of your commitment to supporting ALL of your students.

Such a statement does not have to be complicated or lengthy but should reflect your values, beliefs and commitments. Here are some questions to consider (adapted from Brown's Sheridan Center and Canegie Mellon's Eberly Center):

How do you, concretely, recognize and value diversity in your classroom? (For instance, do you have systems in place to ensure everyone's voice will be heard? Do you use a variety of examples to illustrate concepts? Do you have guidelines for respectful discussions?) What role does your respect for and engagement with diversity in the classroom play in your personal teaching philosophy?
How can diversity – as represented in your discipline, course content, and classroom – be an asset for learning? What positive learning outcomes can come from respecting difference in the classroom? How can you highlight these?
How might issues related to diversity arise in your course and classroom? And, how will you handle them (ideally) when they do? (For instance, does your discipline or course content explicitly or implicitly raise sensitive or controversial topics related to diversity and inclusion? How might students from different social and cultural backgrounds respond to disciplinary norms?)
What do you want your students to know about your expectations regarding creating and maintaining a classroom space where differences are respected and valued? What kind of classroom environment would your students like to see? How might you include them in the conversation about standards for classroom civility?
What relevant resources exist on campus that you could direct your students to for further support (e.g., cultural centers, student ombuds, Inclusive SDSU)?
Is your statement inclusive of different types of diversity, including, but not limited to: race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, religion, and disability?

For examples of general statements and additional guidance, please see the links below. In addition, the accordions contain example language related to specific identities as well as some programs unique to SDSU.

Keep in mind that while examples can provide a good starting point, it is important that diversity statements (perhaps more than other types of syllabus statements) are tailored to your own personality and style. Seeing the same boilerplate language on syllabi in multiple classes may lead students to question your authenticity.

NOTE: The University Senate Policy File also encourages all syllabi to include the SDSU Kumeyaay Land Acknowledgement (either the full or abbreviated version)

Inclusive SDSU (reporting system)

The Inclusive SDSU system is intended to document instances that promote our campus commitment to equity, inclusion and belonging, as well as those that fall short. If I (or others in this class) happen to fall short of our goals to create a safe and inclusive learning environment for you, I encourage you to use Inclusive SDSU to report such experiences and to receive the support you may need. Note that you can also use the Inclusive SDSU system to report positive incidents that you think should be celebrated!

Safe Zone Ally

I am part of the Safe Zone Ally community network of trained SDSU faculty/staff/students who are available to listen and support you in a safe and confidential manner. As a Safe Zone Ally, I can help you connect with resources on campus to address concerns you may face that interfere with your academic and social success on campus as it relates to issues surrounding sexual orientation/gender identity. My goal is to help you be successful and to maintain a safe and equitable campus.

LGBTQ+ Equality

I am firmly committed to diversity, creating and maintaining an inclusive community, and equality in all areas of campus life, including specifically members of the LGBTQ+ community. In this class I will work to promote an anti-discriminatory environment where everyone feels safe and welcome. I recognize that discrimination can be direct or indirect and take place at both institutional and personal levels. I believe that such discrimination is unacceptable and I am committed to providing equality of opportunity for all by eliminating any and all discrimination, harassment, bullying, or victimization. The success of this policy relies on the support and understanding of everyone in this class. We all have a responsibility not to be offensive to each other, or to participate in, or condone harassment or discrimination of any kind.

Undocumented & Mixed Status Inclusivity

SDSU values diversity and is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive community, which includes members of the Undocumented and Mixed Immigration status community. I will work towards promoting an anti-discriminatory environment, which may be direct or indirect that take place in the class, at the institution and on a personal level. I understand and will treat your disclosure with the utmost confidentiality permitted and value your trust. I will work with you on a one-to-one basis should you encounter barriers to you academic and developmental success.

UndocuAlly

I am part of UndocuAlly community network of trained SDSU faculty/staff/students who are available to listen and support you in a safe and confidential manner. As an UndocuAlly, I can help you connect with resources on campus to address concerns you may face that may interfere with your academic, social and personal success at SDSU as it related to undocumented and/or mixed status immigration status.

Preferred Name & Gender Pronouns

My Gender Pronouns are ______________. Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the student's legal name. I am happy to address you by an alternate name and/or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this early in the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records.

Source: Saint Mary’s College of California, Intercultural Center http://www.stmarys-ca.edu/intercultural-center

My gender pronouns are ___. You will be asked to provide your own pronouns during introductions. Feel free to decline to state. Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the student's legal name. Please advise me of this early in the semester if you use an alternate name and/or gender pronoun so that I may make appropriate changes to my records. Note that students enrolled at SDSU under their assigned or legal sex at birth may update their gender marker in the student records system to reflect their gender identity. Students should complete a Declaration of Gender Designation Change form and submit it in person to the Office of the Registrar. Gender markers can be updated to male, female or nonbinary.

We honor choices of name, gender and ethnic identity in this class. If you label anyone in ways that they reject, you will be kindly but firmly corrected.

Contributed by Tamara Collins-Parks, PhD., Department of Dual Language and English Learner Education

Hispanic-Serving Institution

Provided by the Office of HSI and Regional Affairs:

HSI Statement (short):

San Diego State University is a proud Hispanic/Latinx Serving Institution (HSI) and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI) that is committed to honoring our designations as a transborder Institution residing on Kumeyaay land.

Version 2 (fact-based):

San Diego State University is a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). The Department of Education requires two elements to become an HSI. (1) An enrollment of undergraduate full-time equivalent students that is at least 25 percent Hispanic; and (2) A determination that the institution has an enrollment of disadvantaged students and low average expenditures per student. SDSU is also an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI). The Department of Education requires institutions to have an enrollment of undergraduate students that is at least 10 percent Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander students to be eligible for this designation.

Version 3 (long):

We do so by:
Regularly assessing our institutional and experiential data to identify equity gaps in Latinx/Hispanic/and other historically marginalized students’ success and in lived experiences; Actively seeking out opportunities to “center” Latinx/Hispanic/Chicanx experiences in the design and implementation of our systems, curriculum, policies, and procedures that benefit all and; Promoting, celebrating, and affirming Latinx/Hispanic/Chicanx culture in visible and tangible ways on campus.

The Department of Education requires two elements to become an HSI. (1) An enrollment of undergraduate full-time equivalent students that is at least 25 percent Hispanic; and (2) A determination that the institution has an enrollment of disadvantaged students and low average expenditures per student.

Online Expectations

In this class we will be making extensive use of online spaces. Sometimes, the anonymity of such spaces can lead people to say or do things that they would not say or do in a face-to-face environment; online communications can also lose some of the nuance and tone that helps us convey meaning in person, leading to a higher potential for misinterpretation. I ask each of you to make sure that your online persona, including profile and background images, chat messages and discussion posts, exhibits the respect and kindness to others as I know you would want extended to you.

San Diego State University

Center for Inclusive Excellence