The Inclusive Practices (IP) Framework At Pierce College
Purpose
- Scaling/implementing IP is critical to serving our entire community, particularly students from systemically non-dominant communities (Jenkins).
- What does it look like to embed inclusive practices across the institution? The IP Framework is a living and evolving document that offers concrete and dynamic answers to this question.
- The framework is both aspirational and based in accountability.
- It acknowledges that all members of our institutional ecosystem are both learners and teachers.
Source: Jenkins, D. (1995-present). IST of an ISM Paradigm. Share the Flame: Vancouver, WA
Definitions
Inclusive practices are long-standing, evidence-based area of study that is rooted in racial and social justice. It thus recognizes that the varied backgrounds, physical, intellectual, emotional, and social abilities of historically marginalized communities are centered to accurately capture the complexities of our vast humanity.
An ecological approach, applied to social institutions, centers the ways that both humans (body, mind, and spirit) and structures (political, economic, cultural, and social) interact/impact each other in the process of creating ‘balance.’
At Pierce College, we use an ecological approach to build collective efficacy that ensures inclusive practices and advances equity. Guiding principles include equitability, critical self-reflection, flexibility, transparency, and culturally responsive and sustaining practices/pedagogies, intercultural engagement, relationships, collaboration.
Inclusive Pedagogy
One critical pillar of Inclusive practices is Inclusive pedagogy. Inclusive pedagogy creates teaching and learning opportunities that are welcoming, proactive, responsive, and affirm the complexities of all our learners.
Inclusive Practices (IP) In Action
Equitability
Equity – Intentionally tailoring resources that fit the individual with respect to their multi-dimensional perspectives and needs.
Inclusion – Broadening the circle, inviting and welcoming others into interaction by recognizing, valuing and celebrating contributions that provide depth, better outcomes, and lead to transformational change.
Diversity – Diversity is a reality of the human experience; it’s how we present in the world. We each experience life from multiple dimensions and perspectives. Put simply, diversity may be seen as the variety of human differences and how they intersect with your life experiences.
Equitability is explicitly centered within each pillar.
Source: Pierce College EDI CARES
Relationships
Relationship with staff as counterspaces (both formal or informal) where Black and other students of color feel validated, safe, and free to be themselves. (NACADA Journal (2018) 38 (1): 77–87.)
Flexibility
Responding and adapting empathetically to students’ [and others’] changing and diverse circumstances. (Dr. Tazin Daniels)
Examples from Student Services and Learning Support Staff at Pierce College:
- Having an open door /space for students to drop by
- Having materials in multiple formats
- Offering multiple ways to meet
- Minimizing barriers and adapting to student needs
Transparency
- State of being characterized by visibility or accessibility of information. (Merriam-Webster)
- Clarity about the purpose, task, and criteria of learning activities and assignments. (Mary-Ann Winklemes)
Culturally Sustaining Practices
Shifting from deficit-based lens to asset-centered model. Embed Community Cultural Wealth model of Yosso in advising and interactions with students (Coalition of Urban Serving Universities)
Culturally Sustaining Practices promote [equity] across racial and ethnic communities and seeks to ensure access and opportunity.
Culturally Sustaining Practices also support students to critique and question dominant power structures in societies.
Intercultural Engagement
Centered in relationships, intercultural engagement works to engage people within the complexities of their cultures, identities, and positionalities. It also works to bring cultures into communication with each other.
This is connected to our Core Ability Intercultural Engagement.
- University of Michigan: Equity-focused Principles, Strategies & Resources, particularly the section on Critical Engagement of Difference.
Relationships
- How we see, value, interact and connect with each other
- Willingness to really connect with others and to give time and heart to their ways of being and their lived realities
- Willingness to affirm and support but also advocate for others
- Willingness to be vulnerable and uncomfortable and to have difficult conversations and engage in repair work when necessary
- Willingness to sacrifice, decrease, and or give up positionality, resources, and privileges
- Love students and do no harm
- L.O.V.E – Listen, Observe, Value & Validate, Embrace & Empower (James Lett)
- Go to where students are
- Regular communication in spaces the students are already in
- Build relationships with students on their own terms, without assumption or judgement
- Cultivate belonging
- Genuine care that students are present
- Learn and use students’ names and pronouns
- Be transparent about own positionality
- Engage in regular communication / transparency in communication habits
- Checking in with how students are doing
- Reaching out when students don’t show up in assignments
- Giving kudos on Starfish
- Integrate storytelling / identity metacognitive work into the course
Collaboration
Successful collaboration has the following defining characteristics:
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- Collaboration is voluntary;
- Collaboration requires parity among participants;
- Collaboration is based on mutual goals;
- Collaboration depends on shared responsibility for participation and decision making;
- Individuals who collaborate share their resources;
- Individuals who collaborate share accountability for outcomes.
(Friend and Cook)
Participating in IP
Employees play a critical role in operationalizing Inclusive Practices (IP). We invite your participation and contribution to the IP Knowledge Tree. Please consider making a submission to the IP Knowledge Tree Form.
Your submission will become a part of our IP Knowledge Tree repository that currently under construction.
