Inclusive excellence is redefining the landscape of higher education, emphasizing the intentional and purposeful work that fosters diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in every corner of academia. Dr. Juanita Tookes, in conversation with Dr. Christopher Lewis, brings to light the multifaceted aspects of inclusive excellence (IE) and its transformative potential on campuses. Here’s a deeper dive into the key takeaways from their enlightening discussion.
Defining Inclusive Excellence: The Foundation of Inclusion
Dr. Tookes articulated IE as “consistent efforts to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in post-secondary education.” Diversity captures the richness in human differences, equity ensures resources are tailored to individual needs, inclusion fosters empowerment and acceptance, and belonging extends inclusion to form deep, authentic connections. Together, these components create a cohesive and supportive environment in higher education.
IE is more than just a concept. It is the seam that ties the entire fabric of a collegiate institution together. Much like a well-constructed garment that fits impeccably, an inclusive campus environment makes every student feel seen, valued, and heard.
IE in Action: Where Inclusion Finds its Voice on Campus
Dr. Tookes highlighted the presence of IE in three fundamental areas—policies, practices, and pedagogy. Policies such as anti-discrimination and accommodations for students with disabilities are vital for equitable access. Practices, ranging from recruitment and retention efforts to resource allocation, ensure inclusivity in all aspects of student life. Inclusive pedagogy emphasizes open, diverse teaching methods that allow every student’s voice to be acknowledged.
Dr. Tookes also revealed surprising areas where IE impacts students directly. From equitable dining options that respect cultural dietary needs to events tailored for diverse backgrounds and schedules, IE extends far beyond the classroom.
The Call to Action: How Students Can Practice and Promote IE
Students, too, play a pivotal role in championing IE. Dr. Tookes encouraged graduate students to practice intrapersonal reflection, expand their perspectives, and maintain cultural dialogues that celebrate diversity. Promoting IE involves supporting inclusive policies, getting involved in community programs, and actively engaging peers in meaningful conversations.
A Collective Responsibility for an Inclusive Future
Inclusive excellence is a shared journey between educators, students, and administrators, fostering a culture where every individual thrives. Dr. Tookes’ compelling insights challenge us all to embrace inclusion with open minds and committed hearts to bridge gaps and build transformative academic experiences for everyone.
TRANSCRIPT
Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:01]: Welcome to Victor's in Grad School, where we have conversations with students, alumni, and experts about what it takes to find success in graduate school.
Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:11]: Hello, and welcome. Thank you so much for joining us as we continue with our Graduate Student Success Series. I'm really excited to have you here today because every time that we come together, there are opportunities for us to learn and to be better in the journey that we are on as students, as graduate students, and the learning that we are hoping to be able to pull out of this experience. And graduate school can definitely challenge you and in many ways can be challenging in many ways for you, can be stressful. There's a lot of balance issues. There's more. And today, we're gonna be talking about something brand new that we haven't talked about before. We're talking talking about inclusive education, and this is a framework that holds all members of the higher education community accountable for ensuring that academic success is possible for every student.
Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:01:05]: So this is really important, and that's why I'm so excited that you're listening today. You're watching today and you're here to be a part of this because we have Doctor. Juanita Tookes with us today. And, Doctor. Tookes is our CAPS assistant director. And we've had her on before, but this is a brand new topic. I'm really excited to be able to have her here to talk to you and to learn from her today. Doctor.
Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:01:30]: Hooks, thanks so much for being here today.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:01:31]: I'm just happy to be a guest. I am so excited, to be here. I'm always excited to talk to grad students. It's an experience that I will never forget. So I hope just for a little while, you'll, indulge me by just listening to me because hopefully you can take at least one thing away from what what I say today. So today we're gonna be talking about inclusive excellence. And just like what doctor Lewis said, this is a brand new topic, that challenged me to do some thinking. I presented on several different types of things multiple times before, but inclusive excellence is brand new.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:02:05]: So I was really happy to delve in, and create this presentation for you. Okay. So this is how things are gonna flow. First, we're going to define inclusive excellence. I'm going to refer to that as IE. And then we're also gonna talk about its role and impact. After that, we're gonna play a little bit of I spy to see where does IE show up on campus. What does that look like? Following that, we're gonna talk about how to practice and promote IE, and then we're gonna wrap up.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:02:37]: Then if there's any questions or comments, I'll be more than happy to address those. And if there are none, then I will give you my best wishes, and and final thoughts. Alright. So is it me or yeah. So this is me in grad school, and, this is about probably about four or five years ago. And as a doctoral student, I went to Oakland University. As a doctoral student, I distinctly remember experiences where I was not given the same opportunities for professional development, and success as my peers. I remember a specific experience where I stepped into my instructional theory class.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:03:24]: I was already burned out. This is probably about two and a half, two I I believe my second year, in the program around that time. And I was already burned out from the previous semesters. But I was excited because I was learning how to teach. When I was in my doc program, I knew that I was gonna be a full time university professor. That's the track that I was on. And so, even though I was really, really tired, I was really excited about this class because I wanted to teach. So learning how to teach, I thought, was very exciting.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:03:58]: So according to my program guidelines, this course was a prerequisite. It was a required prerequisite for teaching any course, which I would later have to do as a grad student anyway as a part of my internship. So imagine how I felt when I found out that, in my small cohort of four people where I was one of two students of color and the only black woman, I noticed that information about advancement was given to my peers who are white. But for students of color like me, it felt like an obstacle course to get that same information. This was very frustrating. It was very annoying because it seemed as though information that was easily given to others, I had to work to get. And it made me feel like, why am I not privy to the same information in the same way? Why why do I have to work harder to get, you know, that information? And there was multiple experiences of this, you know, for me throughout my grad school experience. And it embedded in me this message that I will always have to work, quote, unquote, 10 times harder to achieve the same level of recognition, respect, acknowledgement, and advancement, not just in college, but in life.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:05:24]: I know that as a black woman in my community, when we say 10 times harder, what that means is that you'll never have you're never gonna have the same start point. Like, you're always gonna be behind, and you're gonna have to hustle, and you're gonna have to grind, and you're gonna have to hurry so that you can catch up with everyone else, you know, to get, you know, the same types of resources, experiences, treatments, things like that. So, the point of this story, as far as my own personal narrative, is that inclusive excellence is more than just a concept. I think students may hear this phrase or this term about inclusive excellence, but I don't think they understand how that impacts them. IE, is intentional and purposeful work that involves consistent efforts to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion and belonging, in post secondary education. Understanding each of these aspects of inclusive excellence is key in understanding your student experience. So what I'm really excited about doing today is helping you understand how inclusive excellence impacts you as a student. As a higher education professional, I've observed that when IE is discussed, college students are not as present and representative as, they're not as present and representative in those conversations as they should be.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:06:47]: And this is why students feel as though IE doesn't is not associated with them because they're not present in the conversation enough. And so I hope that with this webinar, this informal invitation, to invite you to a conversation about inclusive excellence will help you to understand just how important it is as a factor that helps to shape and molds your overall student experience. So let's talk about some major keys when we talk about IE. So we have diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging. I know we've all heard these terms before, but I want you to think about these terms in relation to inclusive excellence. Right? So just some brief definitions here. Diversity is the, countless dimensions of human difference, right, with a broader view towards different perspectives. We also have equity, eliminating barriers that prevent equivalent access or full participation of all individuals.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:07:48]: We also have inclusion, conditions where all individuals feel accepted, safe, empowered, and affirmed. Then we have belonging, which I look at as an extension of inclusion as well. The emotional state where individuals feel a true sense of group connection as their authentic selves. And notice that in between these circles are plus signs. Right? So diversity plus equity plus inclusion plus belonging. Like, these are major keys that all factor into inclusive excellence. So I thought it was very important because I know when I first got introduced to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, I always got equity and equality. It's not that I got them mixed up.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:08:38]: I thought that that that they were the same and they're actually not. So I wanted to take a second to make sure that we understand the difference between equality and equity. So when it comes to equality, equality is this idea that everyone is given the same resources and opportunities to thrive. Everyone gets equal treatment regardless of their circumstances. Everybody gets the same. Right? Regardless of what background you have, everyone gets the same thing. When we talk about equity and how that's different than equality, equity recognizes that individuals do have different backgrounds. Right? They have different backgrounds.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:09:20]: They have different needs. And because of this difference, the way that resources are allocated, they're based off of those needs so that whatever that is as far as the person's unique needs are, they have an opportunity to receive resources that can help them be successful. So, again, remember, equality is everybody gets the same thing no matter what your needs are. With equity, it recognizes that because people have different needs and may require different kinds of things in order to be successful, those things are going to be provided based off of what your unique needs are. So some people in groups face more hardships than others, different circumstances that make things more challenging, like goal achievement even with very hard work and perseverance. So equity attempts to identify the imbalances and find find ways to restore fairness and justice. So I don't know how familiar everyone is, but there, this is a very common image to show the differences between equality and equity. And I'm a visual learner.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:10:26]: So a good picture always helps me as far as, having things really deeply resonate. So if we look on the left, we'll see a picture of equality. Right? So remember, equality is everybody gets the same thing no matter what your needs are. You can see that these people are at different heights. You know, they're different weights. You have people standing behind the fence. They all have the same box. They all have one box.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:10:50]: It doesn't matter that you're taller than me. It doesn't matter that you can see further than I can. It doesn't matter about any of those things. We all get the same box that's at the same height, and that's that. Now notice that the smaller person can't see over the fence at all. So even though I have the same box as you and you have the same box as the next person, I can't see anything. The person who's the tallest can see everything. The person in the middle can see some things.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:11:16]: So when we talk about success, how successful can we actually be if if we're just treated like we all have the same kinds of needs? That's the beauty in differences. There is a beauty in difference. You know? It's nothing to be ashamed about if you need resources or aid or help because the goal is for you to be successful. So if you look at the image on the right, we have boxes, but we can see that everybody may not need a box. Depending on what their unique needs are, they may not need a box. They might need more boxes. They may need less boxes. But at the end of at the end of this, we can see that they all can see over the fence.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:11:54]: They're all at, you know, the same level in order to see, even though in order to see over the fence, they might need different or more resources. So let's talk about the role and impact of inclusive excellence. So every garment because I, you know, I love clothes. So that's where this example is coming from. But every garment has a seam, right? As you can see in the pair of blue jeans right there, a seam is very, very important to a garment because it joins and holds different parts of that garment together. Not only does the seam join and hold, but it also contributes to the overall fit and the design of the garment. Without a seam, everything falls apart. You can't wear not one piece of clothing without a seam.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:12:39]: So just like a well constructed garment, I want you to think of IE as the seam that joins and holds together every part of a collegiate institution. I want you to think of your educational environment as the design and your student experience as the fit. And now I want you to think and this is not just because I went on, a shopping spree just the other day and everything was well in the world and everything fit right. But I really want you to think about how you feel when you try something on and it fits just the way that you want it. It looks great. It feels great. A great fit as far as a garment. It increases your confidence and increases your satisfaction with yourself and the garment that you're purchasing.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:13:24]: It, increases your comfort and it gives you a sense of presence wherever you go, because you know, when you step outside in this outfit, you are going to be seen. Okay. And so what I want you to think of as far as, like, your student experience is I want you to look at your student experience as a good fit. That's what we want here at U of M Flint. We want students to come to our environment, come to this collegiate design, you know, of an educational space, and we want you to feel confident. We want you to feel satisfied and comfortable being here, and we want you to feel visible. We want you to feel seen. We want you walking around just like this lady who is very happy with her shirt and her pants.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:14:09]: Like, being a U of M Flint student, we want you to walk around knowing that this is a very, very good fit for you. Alright. So let's play just a little bit of I spy with my little eye. Okay? Where does IE show up on campus? Now the reason why I think this is very, very important is because when it comes down to inclusive excellence, again, I think this is a term that students might be familiar with, but I'm even more sure that students probably are not familiar with it. And if they are familiar with the term, I don't think students are as familiar as to how IE shows up in their everyday student lives because it's all around us. Inclusive excellence is like air. Like, even though you may not be able to see it, it is everywhere and it can impact just how you experience an environment. So let's start with the three P's.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:15:05]: Okay. The three P's are places where people know inclusive excellence can show up or may not show up. But here at U of M Flint, it definitely does show up. So policies, inclusive, inclusive policies ensure that all students have equitable access to resources, student support services and opportunities while addressing barriers related to race, ethnicity, gender, disability, SES, and other factors. Some examples of different policies, that kind of, are inclusive of everyone and what their needs might be. Our policies, as far as anti discrimination policies and also policies centered on accommodations for students with disabilities. These are perfect. Now again, remember what I'm trying to do is make something so big and foreign, something very close and relatable to you.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:16:02]: Accommodations is something that I have worked with before, as a higher education professional. And there's policies around accommodations because we wanna make sure that students have what they need to be successful. You know? And so that's why I'm really happy, and and so happy to, have worked so closely with the DAS office, because the disability and accessibility support services office to make sure that if students need help being successful in their classes, they have a place to go to get them what they need to be successful. Let's talk about practices. Now, when I mentioned policies, I want you to think of words. Words because that's really what policies are. They're words and manuals and things like that. Practices are those words in action.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:16:50]: Right? So practices are the activities, events, and the initiatives that help shape student life, academic culture, and community. So examples, because I love a good example. Okay. So like recruitment and retention efforts. I really hope that this is resonating with you as far as how inclusive excellence impacts and involves you. I want you to remember how you found out about U of M Flint through recruitment, or efforts to make sure that you stay here and that you're happy here. Student orientation. You don't think IE is all up and through there because it definitely is.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:17:32]: Also sustainability efforts. You know, how does the campus, work hard to make sure that, you know, things that are relative to the earth are preserved and that we know about this information, as well as resource allocation, like scholarships, for example. All of this has I e interwoven into the fabric of these different practices and policies. Now let's talk about pedagogy, which is the third P. So inclusive pedagogy focuses on creative teaching strategies and learning environments that meets the needs of all students. Okay? So we're talking about techniques of teaching and learning. And so regardless of your background or ability, depending on how a professor, because this is kind of what we're talking about now, is how does a professor, teach? What is their what is their methods of teaching? This is why I was very excited about the course that I took, because I learned about how to create my syllabus, how to create my classroom activities. How do I create a space that includes everybody's, point of view, background? How can I make students feel seen in my classroom? And when I was a grad student teaching as an intern and when I later became a professor and started teaching, this was the most exciting part of teaching for me, was how to set up my class so that when students would walk in, whether they were in person or virtual, they would feel like they belong.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:19:02]: They can see a part of themselves in my class, either in my class assignments or in my syllabus or the content we were reading as far as, like, books, articles. I wanted everyone to feel seen, visible, understood, heard. I wanted everyone to use their voice. So it was very exciting to become creative, as an educator in that way. Because, again, the way that a teacher teaches, it shapes your experience. Now let's let's step outside of college for just a second, and talk about, pedagogy as far as what happens when these things are when a student doesn't feel included. So when I was like in K through 12, which was many moons ago. Okay.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:19:44]: So now we're we're we're talking about back before, back I think I went to high school, like in 1999. Look. It was just a long time ago. Okay. So I remember, the textbooks that we had when I was in k through 12 were really old. They were old. They were outdated. It did not reflect, me as a black student, as an African American student.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:20:08]: Everything that we learned was based off of people who were white. So history, for example, I had no idea what kind of contributions, black people made, you know, to different things like inventions and things that we use every day. I, it took, it took a minute for me to discover these things. And a lot of times it was outside of the classroom because what was being used inside of the classroom was not representative of me and it was not accurate as far as my culture. And so I went without knowing this information, only looking at the world in one particular way when there were so many other things to look at that could affirm me, you know, and my identity. So this is what happens when when pedagogy is not inclusive. You have people looking at things in a very narrow and accurate way that might make them feel inferior or bad about themselves because when they look around, they don't see themselves. So that's why it's very, very important to to be mindful about pedagogy.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:21:11]: And I'm gonna explain why that relates to you in a minute. I know I was talking about teaching and professors and things like that, but this still relates to you, grad student. It still relates to you, and I'm gonna tie it all together just to let you know just how in just a second. Okay. Student conduct hearings. Now I know that as far as this part of the presentation, we're gonna talk a little bit about student conduct and title nine. And you might think that this part of the presentation doesn't apply to you, but I beg to differ. And I encourage you just to keep your ears open, because as we, you know, go through this, you'll learn that IE is so much bigger than just how you're treated in a classroom.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:21:53]: It's so much bigger than that. I know we talked about pedagogy just a few minutes ago. But it's so much bigger than just a classroom. Okay? It's about your interactions with this entire campus. And I'm gonna show you. Like, I'm gonna show you just how big IE is, you know, outside of the classroom. So when we talk about student conduct hearings, typically these issues are handled, in the office of the Dean of Students. And these adjudication procedures are based off of systemic judicial processes to determine who should be held responsible for something.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:22:28]: Now, why is this important for you to know? Right? I, you know, I really do feel for students who have to go through student conduct hearings, whether you are the person who did something or you are the person that something has been done to. I always feel for students who are in these types of situations. This is why it's very, very important that you listen as far as how does IE show up in these types of situations, whether you find yourselves in them or know someone who has gone through this. Historically, legal proceedings have often been biased against BIPOC individuals. Right? So black indigenous people of color, it hasn't weighed out in our favor historically. Hearing procedures are generally based on law enforcement practices that are seen out in society with some, you know, with some adjustments. When you've had experiences of inhumane and unfair treatment by the law involving racism and discrimination and violence and presumptions of guilt. You're facing juries and certain groups of people that have this deciding power, but no one in these groups share your identity.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:23:44]: It's understandable then that as a student, if you find yourself in a situation like this, you might fear an unfair hearing process. So how does this break down? Right? I know in my culture, you know, as a black woman, part of the black community, a lot of people in my culture don't trust the law, don't trust the police. When we think about the social injustices that have occurred in our world, so many of people with skin color like mine have died at the hands of the police unjustly. And there was no punishment for that for the people who did it. So what kind of message does that communicate then to me about the law? It makes me feel like the law is not here to help me. The law is here to help somebody, but not people like me. I remember getting pulled over by the police last year. I was driving down the street, and I got pulled over for speeding.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:24:44]: I was going a little bit over, and I got pulled over for speeding. And I remember it was a white male cop who had pulled me over. And I just remember feeling afraid. I had never had this experience in my life. I consider myself a good driver, so I've never had I've never been pulled over. But I remember feeling afraid. And the reason why I felt afraid is because everything that I have seen on the news and on social media about Breonna Taylor and Sandra Bland and Eric Garner, like, I felt afraid. And that was a very eye opening experience for me.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:25:21]: And this is how many people of color feel, individuals who are of of the BIPOC community. When you see things like this, it embeds this message that the law is not here to help you. The law is going to hurt you. In some cases, kill you. So if I am a student in a situation where I'm in a student conduct hearing and student conduct hearings mirror what I'm looking at as far as legal proceedings in society, then I'm gonna go in there thinking that this isn't gonna this isn't gonna go well for me. If something has happened to me at the hands of someone else who is white, that person might not get punished at all. You know? Or if I am a woman and, you know, a man has done something to me, maybe just because I'm a woman, this is not gonna this is not gonna work well for me. Like, I'm not this isn't gonna be in my favor.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:26:14]: Or even vice versa, on the other side. Even if you are someone who has done something, you know, for whatever reason, you might I it just really breathes my heart to think that people have already thought that they lost when they walk into these types of situations simply because of the color of their skin. They lost. Like, they're not gonna evaluate me fairly. Like, I've already lost. And so IE ensures that everyone involved, no matter what side you're on, you're gonna receive fair and equitable treatment. That doesn't mean that you're gonna get an automatic outcome that you like, but it does mean that the process involved as far as assessing the situation, hearing, you know, all of the information and looking at all of the evidence, all of that is gonna be done fairly, fairly and equitably. Let's talk a little bit about Title IX because I know that students have heard about title nine.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:27:13]: You know, we have a title nine office. But, again, I don't wanna assume that just because you've heard of title nine that you know what that is. And, again, the goal is to show you just how many places that IE shows up on campus. So title nine, like, I could have this a whole webinar on title nine alone, but I'll give you kind of the short version of title nine. Title nine is a federal federal civil rights law that was passed in 1972. And this law protects students from discrimination based on sex and educational programs and activities and settings that receive federal funding. Okay? And so when it comes down to Title IX, it's one of those things to whereas inclusive excellence ensures that not only are women given equal opportunities in education and athletics compared to men, but also that all genders, including non binary individuals, are considered and provided equitable access going beyond just the binary of male and female, thus creating a more inclusive environment for all students to feel safe and protected and respected and seen. Right? So, again, I want you to think of all of these terms that I've mentioned so far as far as, like, student conduct hearing, title nine, the pre p's, policies, procedures, policies, practices, pedagogy.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:28:39]: I want you to look at this with a new lens because now I want you to look at these things that you may have heard about, and now you're learning more about through the lens of inclusive excellence. Right? Stay with me. We're going somewhere. We're going somewhere. Now let's talk about some more places that that IE shows up. Campus dining. Now, again, I want you to really understand just how IE is everywhere, especially here at U of M Flint. We wanna make sure that students know that we see you, that we wanna learn more about you, and that we you feel like you are represented here on this campus.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:29:16]: So campus dining, how does IE show up here? By providing a diverse range of eating experiences and options for our students that cater to, different dietary needs, cultural backgrounds, creating a welcoming and respectful environment for all students and actively engaging students to understand and address their concerns in relation to their diet and nutrition, and making sure that everybody feels included as far as being able to have access to meals that align with your beliefs and your preferences as far as food. Now I know that you may not have thought that inclusive excellence was involved in that, but it is. And we actually have so many different campus events, which is another place where IE shows up, where we want students to know that, hey. We realize that this means a lot to you. We wanna make sure that you feel like this is a second home away from home, especially with our international student populations where you can be hundreds of miles, thousands of miles, hundreds of thousands of miles away from your family. We want a little piece of your home to be here. And that's why campus events are very important. So designing and implementing events that are welcoming, except accessible.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:30:30]: So even when we have different events, and we try to see depending on if the event, if we can hold it, if if if it can be recorded and viewed later, if it can be accessible online. I've been a part of events where people would show up live, but there will also be an online option for our online community. Students who may not be on campus, or who may live far away from campus, they're still able to enjoy the event because now we've provided it on two different platforms. It can't always be done that way, but that's why when it comes down to programming, we try to create programming with accessibility in mind, you know, because that's all a part of IE. So making sure that our events are relevant to students, staff, and faculty regardless of background, identity, ability, ensuring that everyone feels included and valued, you know, in the campus community. I remember I was working at another institution and, I remember that, I worked for a medical school and medical school goes all year round. It's pretty intense. And I remember that students who, engage in Ramadan were very concerned because given the toughness of the curriculum, which we're going to be talking about in just a second too.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:31:48]: But talking about the curriculum, the students were really concerned about if anything could be done that could be accommodating to their schedule as far as Ramadan. And I know that this was not an immediate change, but before I left that institution, so much had been done to take into consideration students who do engage in Ramadan to make sure that they still had equal access to take exams, to attend study sessions. And they were so so happy and grateful about that. But I was happy and grateful that they used their voice, to voice their concerns to higher ed administration so that we can advocate and help support students to say, hey. We should not we should not be doing practices and things to make these students feel like they have to sacrifice something that is so spiritually important for them. Like, how can we accommodate that? And it took a little it took a little time, but it got done. And that's just one example of how campus programming, policies, pedagogy, events, dining. Some of these things can be a work in progress and can can take a little time.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:32:55]: But once it gets done, it's something that is it it's embraced by all, and we all feel really, really great about it. And this is an example for, the lighting up the night event, that was held in November. This is something that we were really excited about. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend, but this was another example of how just bringing a little bit of home here, can help students feel like they really, really belong. And that what's important to them is also important to us. Okay. So now that we've talked about IE and where it shows up, let's talk about as a grad student, how can you practice inclusive excellence? Oh, yes. There is a practice portion.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:33:38]: It's not enough to just know. Right? Once you know, then you gotta do. So how would a grad student practice, inclusive excellence? Now I know that everyone is coming from different educational backgrounds and fields of study and things like that, but you might find yourself in a position where you are either teaching like I was, you know, as a grad student for my internship, or you might have a student facing type of position or learning experience that you might have to do. And even if you're not teaching, these these practices can still apply to you in some way, shape, or form. So let's talk a little bit about intrapersonal awareness. Now there's a difference between intrapersonal and interpersonal. Intrapersonal is inside of you. Interpersonal is your interactions with someone else.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:34:29]: But I'm glad we're starting with this because it all starts with you. It starts with you first and then it goes and flows out. Right? So interpersonal awareness is understanding the nature of your worldview. Right? And how that was created. Reflecting on your ideas, experiences, values, biases, and assumptions, and being open to learning about other cultures and the experiences and narratives of other people. We do not often think about how our perspective on the world came to be. It did not just appear. Your experiences have come to light based off of how they were constructed.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:35:09]: Like, there is a phenomenon called constructivism in mental health where it basically says that the way that you look at the world, it was developed and built and constructed over time based off of your experiences and interactions, you know, in the world. And we all have different views because we all have different experiences. But I don't think we think about the experiences that we've had and how that factors into how we look at other people and how we look at the world and everything that goes on in it. We do have to examine ourselves for biases because we all have them. Okay? So don't feel bad. Don't feel ashamed. We all have biases. We just wanna make sure that we're keeping those things in check because we wanna make sure that biases are not playing out in a discriminatory way or you're making assumptions about people, based off of what you think you might know or assumptions that you have made or misinformation that you might have heard.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:36:01]: You wanna make sure that you are examining yourself first and understanding where you come from, what you've been through, how that affects your view, and also being aware that your view is not the only view. So being open to expanding that view to include information from other sources, AKA other people. Interpersonal awareness. Right? Accepting invitations to participate in cultural dialogues where you can listen, stare, ask, express, and learn from the narratives of other people. So one thing that I want you to be aware of with interpersonal awareness is as you learn about others, you are also teaching simultaneously simultaneously. So you are learning from other people about their lived experiences, but other people are also learning from you because you are the expert in you and what you've been through. You are the teacher. There's no one else that can teach you about what you've been through.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:36:58]: You are the teacher, but you also have to be willing to be a student and listen. And a lot of times we think that just because we know about our experience, that makes us an expert in the experience of someone else. And that is not true. That is absolutely not true. You are your only teacher who can only teach in one subject. That is you. You cannot teach the subject of another another person. Curriculum transformation.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:37:23]: Right? This is how, I was talking a little bit about before about my excitement about setting the tone and the environment for my classroom. Curriculum transformation involves what kind of changes are you going to make to, to how things are being taught, you know, in education and being done, you know, in education? How are we gonna transform that to make that a lot more, you know, inclusive? As a higher education professional, I have been a part of many task forces and many different groups. I've sat in many different meetings based off of this right here. How are we gonna change the curriculum to make it more accessible, make it more inclusive, make it more open, make it more representative that involves professors, you know, updating their syllabi, changing language. That's been outdated. What kind of materials, you know, are you using? Is it accurate? You know, And sometimes curriculum transformation can take time. But the benefit is really, really big. So before I got into my doc program, when I applied the first time, I was rejected.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:38:31]: Felt very, very bad. Like, felt very, very bad about that. What I learned after I got in, because that didn't that didn't stop me. Right? I applied again, got in. But once I got in again, I learned that the reason why I didn't get in the year before was because they were doing a curriculum transformation at the institution where I got my doctorate from. So what they were actually doing was cutting down the program to make it shorter, to make it more, to make it, more possible for students to actually complete the program. So the program was relatively long. It was about maybe six or seven years long, something like that.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:39:10]: And they just tried to figure out what classes do we need, what classes can we maybe, you know, can we condense anything? Is this really necessary? Because we wanna make sure that students stay with us, stay in the program. Remember, we're talking about retention. We wanna make sure sure that students not only start, but they finish. Maybe the the program is too long. Maybe that's why students aren't finishing. So I'm telling myself that, hey, you didn't get in because you're not smart enough to be a doctor. When the reality was that behind the curtain, there was a curriculum transformation going on for the benefit of me, and I did finish. And I'm glad they cut it down.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:39:51]: I think they only cut it down by a couple of years, but trust me, I'm glad they did because if I would have been in there any longer, I think I don't know. But the whole point is I'm glad that they that they cut it down. Inclusive pedagogy is something that we just talked about a little bit earlier, so I won't spend too much time on that. But if you do find yourself in a position to teach, and that doesn't always mean like, a teaching assistant or like a professor, there's a lot of roles that you can be a teacher. Right? And whatever that pedagogy might be, it may not be a syllabus that you have, but it may be some type of outline for a program, you know, that you're designing. No matter what it is, that you are using as a tool to guide how you teach and how students learn, whether it be a coach, whether it be a mentor, whether it be a professor, no matter what the role is, there's always an element of teaching, especially when you're in higher education. You just want to make sure whatever that tool or those tools are, they're inclusive. And then as far as the inclusive learning environment, right, you want to make sure that what you teach and how you teach factor into where you teach.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:40:56]: So that's what I was talking about as far as the excitement of creating, a very inclusive space, learning space for students, because creating an inclusive learning space involves two important things, care and respect. Right? So this is how healthy and positive relationships the students are built and the strength and the impact of those relationships. What it does is it empowers students, to continue to learn and see this thing through, you know, be academically successful. How do we show care and respect? The quick example is remembering names, for example, and not just remembering them, but pronouncing names correctly and not getting offended when a student corrects you about their name. Right? I take that very important. You know? If I do not know how to pronounce a student's name, I will ask them, would you mind pronouncing your name so that I know that I am pronouncing it correctly? And please bear with me. If I happen to mispronounce it, correct me every time. Because a name is a part of your identity.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:41:57]: And a lot of times what students will do is they will change themselves to accommodate the person who they feel has more power over them because there is a power differential when you're talking about a professor and a student. But as faculty, it's very important for for faculty to be aware that something as important as a name and not getting offended when somebody corrects you about a name is something that can really strengthen a relationship with a student. And that can change the whole way they look at your class and the way that you teach that class. Alright. So how can you promote? Because we talked about practicing IE, but how can you promote it, on this campus and in your community? Reflecting, educating, supporting, and getting involved. Right? So reflect on your own beliefs. Remember what we talked about about that interpersonal practice? That involves reflection and introspection. Reflect on your own beliefs and opinions to discover any biases that you can challenge.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:42:59]: It's not enough just to know that, oh, I have a bias. How are you gonna challenge that? And a lot of times what you can do is get involved in professional development opportunities, you know, like webinars like this, you know, for example. You know, sitting in conversations where it might be a subject matter that you're not familiar with, and you can expose yourself to new information to challenge the biases or misinformation or assumptions that you may have found within yourself through reflection. Educate yourself. And this is I kinda jumped ahead a little bit, but this is kinda how you address those biases through education, whether it be through a webinar, whether it be through a class, whether it be being a part of an organization, surrounding a topic or a concern that you know very little about, through books, through media, and making sure you understand inequality and inequity. Because, again, those aren't things that are barriers to inclusive excellence. Support organizations that promote diversity and inclusion. It's so important to have support.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:44:05]: It's very, very important to have support because when you show support, it reaffirms that the cause that you're supporting is needed and it's important. And then get involved with community programs. When we talk about the community aspect, getting involved with community programs that help others in need. Because again, remember, reflection, that's about intra. That's intrapersonal practice. But when we're talking about supporting organizations and getting involved in your community, that's when we're talking about interpersonal practices. This is so much bigger than, like I said, bigger than the classroom, bigger than your interactions with professors. This is about what you as a grad student can do on your campus, in your community to show inclusive excellence because we are all ambassadors of inclusive excellence.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:44:51]: It's not just professors. It's not just higher ed administration, the dean, directors. It's all of us. We all have a responsibility to show and display inclusive excellence on campus, including graduate students. And that brings me to the end of my presentation. So if you have any questions, I'd be happy to read them and answer them to the best of my ability, you know, in the chat. But this was as you can probably tell, I was very excited to talk about inclusive excellence. And I just wanna thank you once again for, just listening to me for a little bit.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:45:26]: And hopefully, you can take something away that makes you feel informed and also inspired to display inclusive excellence in the environments that you show up in.
Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:45:36]: Well, doctor Tux, thank you. Thank you so much for being here today, for sharing everything that you did share, and being such an advocate for our students in this way, and to challenge our students to be able to share their voice and be able to help our institution grow because of that sharing. And I wish you the best. And thank you to all of you for being here too. And we will be having more of these, one every month, so please watch your email. We'll be sharing out the topics every month. We have some great speakers coming from the CAPS office throughout the entire term. So look forward to that, and have a wonderful rest of your day.
Dr. Juanita Tookes [00:46:14]: Yes. Have a wonderful day, everyone. Thanks for coming.
Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:46:16]: The University of Michigan Flint has a full array of masters and doctorate programs if you are interested in continuing your education. Whether you're looking for in person or online learning options, the University of Michigan Flint has programs that will meet your needs. For more information on any of our graduate programs, visit umflint.edu/graduateprograms to find out more. Thanks again for spending time with me as you prepare to be a victor in grad school. I look forward to speaking with you again soon as we embark together on your graduate school journey. If you have any questions or want to reach out, email me at [email protected].
