Transparency, feedback, and “demystifying” office hours
What can we do outside of the classroom to create an inclusive experience? In Chapter 6/ Inclusive Practices Outside the Classroom, Sathy likes to “demystify” office hours by creating a welcoming environment. In addition to outfitting their office with items that create a welcoming environment, they both suggest using alternative sites for office hours in addition to the actual office. Examples would include the Student Union or a nearby coffeehouse. They want to create an atmosphere where it is not scary to visit your professor.
In addition to creating inclusive exams, Sathy and Hogan feel strongly about reducing bias in grading by grading blindly when possible. They talk about providing feedback inclusively and using a purple or blue pen (not red!) when grading. What that looks like is more thoughtful feedback instead of one-liners that may be degrading. As examples of what NOT to do, they used comments their friends have gotten in undergrad like “REWRITE this!!!” or “Do you even speak the English language???” (p. 176). Inclusive teachers will want to be affirming to students, not degrading. Moreover, giving thoughtful feedback may assist students in their next assignments to do better.
In creating inclusive exams, they ask questions like: Can you eliminate bias and jargon in your test writing? Can you incorporate elements that embrace diversity (like names from minoritized groups) in your question writing? Before the exam, you can indicate the format and length of the exam, you can post directions ahead of time and you can let them know that you want them to do well. All of these things reinforce the desire for students to have all the tools and resources they need to succeed.