Diversity and Human Dignity Workshop Series
Description
This introductory workshop series provides a foundational overview of the concept of “human dignity” and what it means for all persons to have inherent and equal worth in a diverse community. Over the course of the series, the group will explore ways in which human dignity and inclusion manifest in course design, instructional practice, and/or curriculum. Participants will walk away with concrete strategies to facilitate inclusive and supportive learning environments.
The next cohort of the Diversity and Human Dignity workshop series is forming for Fall 2022!
Click here to reserve your seat in the next set of offerings.
Workshop Format
This workshop series is offered in a virtual format, which means that participants will engage online in Canvas as well as attend four live Zoom sessions. Discussion and self-reflection are significant components of this series. As such, participants play a significant role in contributing to the climate in both the online environment and Zoom sessions. Participants can expect to spend a total of 15-20 hours on coursework throughout the series.
Outcomes
- Demonstrate how diversity is a source for creativity, innovation and/or productive collaboration
- Develop communication skills that empower diverse perspectives, including effective listening skills
- Apply facilitation strategies that demonstrate and promote self-reflection in a variety of cultural contexts
- Identify opportunities for working inclusively to build community and make progress toward the common good
- Assess one’s own personal perspective and its impact on instruction, a process that frequently requires courage and/or humility
Facilitators
Leon Dixon
Dixon, appointed as vice president for inclusion and human dignity, is dedicated to establishing an innovative culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion within the Lasallian Catholic tradition. He is charged with engaging faculty, staff, and students in building a welcoming culture of hospitality while fostering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In this role, he collaborates across the university in creating, implementing, and monitoring programs to support this strategic initiative.
Before joining Saint Mary’s, he served as director of mission integration for inclusive excellence in the office of equity and success at Mount St. Mary’s University. Prior to that, he held various leadership positions at the Archdiocese of Detroit, Kingdom Visions Human Services, and Detroit Cristo Rey High School. Dixon is a veteran of the U.S. Army and holds a B.S. in Management and an MBA from the University of Phoenix.
Carrie Wandler
Over the past eighteen years, Wandler has taught composition, communications, literature, and digital literacy at traditional brick and mortar universities, such as Boston University, as well as through various online learning platforms. She has extensive experience in the areas of first-year success, adaptive learning and program review/assessment. Her student-centered approach to instruction and course design emphasizes inclusive practices that empower faculty and students to embrace the opportunities for creativity, innovation and collaboration that diversity fosters in higher education. Her research interests include knowledge acquisition and inclusivity in the digital age, psychometric assessment practices, and the role metacognition plays in inclusive teaching and learning.
Wandler earned her B.A. in English at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and completed her M.A. in Literature at Boston University. She completed her Ed.D. in Postsecondary Education with a special emphasis on Teaching and Learning from Argosy University.